CertificationImage: LODD Autonomous
LODD Autonomous
Hili
Uncrewed autonomous cargo VTOL: 8 electric lift motors plus a combustion pusher engine. Abu Dhabi, UAE.
Hili is LODD Autonomous's uncrewed hybrid VTOL cargo aircraft, designed and built in Abu Dhabi. Eight electric lift motors handle vertical take-off and landing, and a combustion pusher engine gives range and recharges the system in flight, so it needs no ground charging. LODD publishes 250 kg payload, 700 km range (+30 min reserve), 100 kt cruise, 120 kt maximum speed, 1,411 kg MTOW and a 2.7 m³ bay for two Euro pallets. In July 2026 LODD started formal certification with the UAE GCAA. Price is not published.
- Range
- 700 km (+30 min reserve)
(varies with speed, reserves, and how the pilot flies the mission).
- Payload
- 250 kg
- Cruise
- 100 kt
(chosen by the pilot, and traded against range and endurance).
- Top speed
- 120 kt
- Flight time
- Not published
(varies with the speed the pilot selects and the reserves kept for the mission).
- Price
- Not published
- Empty weight
- Not published
- MTOW
- 1,411 kg
- Ceiling
- 14,000 ft
- Seats
- Uncrewed
- Battery / fuel
- Hybrid: ICE pusher with inflight charging (battery capacity not published)
- Size
- 11.90 m wingspan × 8.90 m length × 3.10 m height
- Charge
- Refuelled in minutes; inflight charging, no ground charging needed
- First flight
- Not published
- Entry into service
- Not published
Full figures
- Maker
- LODD Autonomous, Abu Dhabi, UAE
- Type
- Uncrewed autonomous hybrid VTOL cargo aircraft
- Propulsion
- 8 distributed electric lift motors + conventional ICE pusher engine
- Payload
- 250 kg
- Cargo bay
- 2.7 m³, 2 Euro pallets (2,700 × 950 × 1,050 mm)
- Range
- 700 km (+30 min reserve)
- Cruise
- 100 kt
- Max speed
- 120 kt
- MTOW
- 1,411 kg
- Service ceiling
- 14,000 ft
- Max take-off altitude
- 2,500 m (8,200 ft) ASL
- Max climb rate
- 3 m/s (600 ft/min)
- Size
- 11.90 m wingspan, 8.90 m length, 3.10 m height
- Price
- Not published
- Certification
- UAE GCAA certification programme launched July 2026. Not yet certified
- Sources
- https://lodd.com/middle-mile/ ; https://aircargoweek.com/lodd-launches-certification-programme-for-hili-hybrid-cargo-aircraft-with-gcaa/
For
- 700 km range with 250 kg payload
- Two Euro pallets in a 2.7 m³ bay
- No ground charging: refuels in minutes
Against
- Not yet certified (GCAA programme started July 2026)
- Hybrid, not all-electric
- Price not published