The Munich-based startup ERC System has introduced Victor, a heavy-lift cargo eVTOL, during the ILA Berlin event.

      TL;DRERC System introduced its Victor cargo eVTOL at ILA Berlin 2026, aiming for a 250kg payload capacity, a 300km range, and deliveries expected by 2028 for defence and logistics uses.

      The Munich-based startup ERC System presented Victor, a hybrid-electric uncrewed cargo eVTOL intended for defence, logistics, and disaster relief, at ILA Berlin 2026. The aircraft is designed to carry a payload of 250kg over a distance of 300km at a cruising speed of 250km/h, with initial deliveries expected in 2028.

      Victor utilizes a lift-and-cruise design featuring eight lifting propellers for vertical takeoff and a pusher propeller for horizontal flight. A piston engine acts as a range extender alongside its electric powertrain, a decision that ERC's chief commercial officer, Maximilian Oligschläger, has stated is due to the company's cautious stance on "betting on future technologies." This hybrid design sacrifices the simplicity of a fully electric system to achieve a range beyond current battery technology capabilities.

      The aircraft is built upon the flight testing of ERC's Romeo prototype, which is a 2.7-tonne, 16-metre-wingspan demonstrator claimed to be the heaviest fully electric aircraft of its kind to fly in Europe. Romeo commenced hover testing near Munich in November 2025, completing around ten flights. ERC asserts that these tests confirmed the effectiveness of its flight-control system and lift-and-cruise architecture.

      ERC System was established in 2019 in Ottobrunn, near Munich, by Christopher Schrop, Maximilian Oligschläger, and three other co-founders. The company emerged from stealth mode in July 2024 and is supported by IABG, a German aerospace testing and certification specialist associated with the Bundeswehr. IABG has invested what is reported to be a significant double-digit million euro amount and remains ERC’s only institutional investor.

      The company claims that Victor's direct operating costs will be approximately 70% lower than small helicopter expenses; however, this figure has not been independently verified, and no uncrewed eVTOL of this size has yet been commercially operated in Europe, rendering such comparisons speculative. The aircraft's modular interior can be adapted for various uses, including cargo, medical supplies, or equipment for specific missions, featuring rear clamshell doors for ease of loading.

      While Victor's stated specifications of a 250kg payload, 300km range, and 250km/h cruise speed were announced at ILA Berlin, they have not been demonstrated in test flights or independently verified. Although German dual-use drone manufacturers like Quantum Systems have received substantial investments in recent years, ERC’s cargo eVTOL is distinct, being heavier and slower than military surveillance drones but aimed at sustained logistical operations.

      ERC is also working on Charlie, a crewed eVTOL designed for inter-hospital patient transfers, which is anticipated to be operational around 2031 in partnership with German air rescue operator DRF Luftrettung. The company sees Victor as a potential near-term revenue source while facing the longer and more complicated certification process for a piloted aircraft.

      The 2028 delivery goal is ambitious within an industry that has repeatedly missed its projections. Since 2023, at least six European eVTOL manufacturers, including Lilium and Volocopter, have faced insolvency. While defence drone startups such as Berlin’s Stark have attracted considerable funding, the transition from prototype to production remains a significant hurdle for the sector.

      Currently, ERC has no revenue, no certified aircraft, and no disclosed customer contracts. It competes in the defence and logistics sector against established companies with proven operational histories, including Dronamics, which has already secured a European cargo drone license, along with military drone manufacturers engaged in active deployments in Ukraine. What ERC possesses is a full-scale flying prototype and a strategic investor with strong ties in the German defence sector, which may be more significant than venture capital in a market increasingly influenced by government procurement.