TransportUP

Airbus has selected MagicaLL, a company that develops electric motors specialized for flight, to provide propulsion motors for Airbus’s CityAirbus NextGen eVTOL.

Above: A mockup of the Airbus CityAirbus NextGen. In this image, several of the electric motor locations can be seen along the wings and tail wing of the aircraft.

While other companies making electric motors for aviation do exist such as MagniX, Airbus has selected California-based company MAGicALL to design and manufacture the motors of its all-electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft. In particular, Airbus has chosen a tailored version of MAGicALL’s ‘MAGiDRIVE’ motor, which provides 50 Nm/kg of torque at a very light weight, includes an enclosed electronic power control system, and features air-cooling and low vibration capabilities that could allow the CityAirbus NextGen to travel at speeds of 75mph with no more noise emissions than a household vacuum cleaner.

The two companies have already begun work on the customized version of the MAGICaALL motor that will be used with the CityAirbus NextGen. According to Airbus, these customizations will enable the latest prototype to ‘benefit from features that match its unique design’, increasing both performance and reliability.

Also according to Airbus, MAGicALL’s motors will contribute to the seamless architecture of Airbus’ eVTOL prototype as its MAGiDRIVE includes both the motor itself and its control system in a single fully enclosed unit.

Said Joerg P. Mueller, Airbus’ Head of Urban Air Mobility, “We are proud to benefit from the experience of MAGicALL to develop the electric propulsion system of CityAirbus NextGen. The electric motors are a major component of our prototype: the high torque and low weight of the MAGiDRIVE as well as its robust design will be highly beneficial for the overall efficiency of the aircraft.”

Above: A rear view of the CityAirbus NextGen that shows the locations of its eight total electric motors.

MAGicALL has been designing and manufacturing electric motors for vehicles since 2004, and was Airbus’ previous partner in its experimental ‘Airbus Vahana‘ project, which featured a tilt-wing eVTOL that eventually led to the CityAirbus NextGen. MAgicALL has also partnered with Bell on its Air Transport Pod (ATP) project, which features a large unmanned aircraft that can carry up to 70lbs of cargo.

Why it’s important: This announcement comes as the latest chapter in a recent slew of news from Airbus regarding its eVTOL program. Within the last two weeks, Airbus has announced the formation of an Air Mobility Initiative in Germany, and also a major partnership with ITA airways in Italy. These plans, along with the NextGen’s growing technological momentum with MAGicALL, suggest that Airbus is making a major push toward commercial rollout of its aircraft.

Read more about the CityAirbus NextGen here.

Source // Airbus, Auto Evolution

Related:

• Airbus Forms Air Mobility Initiative in Germany (May 2022)
• Airbus Partners with ITA Airways for Aerial Mobility in Italy (April 2022)
• Thales and Diehl Aerospace to Develop Flight Computers for CityAirbus NextGen (November 2021)
• Airbus Unveils Latest eVTOL Prototype (November 2021)

AIR ONE, the developer of a two-seater eVTOL designed for private ownership and personal use, showcased a full-size prototype of its aircraft at the Kentucky Derby, which took place over the weekend of May 7th, 2022.

Above: The AIR ONE eVTOL prototype in a tent hangar at the Kentucky Derby

The AIR ONE aircraft, unlike many eVTOLs currently under development, is designed for personal use and private ownership rather than as a commercial air taxi. AIR ONE states that its mission is to make the ‘ultimate freedom of flying’ more accessible, suggesting that purchasers of its aircraft could use it for commuting, exploring the outdoors or even sport flying. This makes marketing the AIR ONE at an event like the Kentucky Derby an excellent idea, as people who live in the area could land the AIR ONE aircraft on large properties, or use it to commute to events like the Derby.

Above: Mockup of the AIR ONE eVTOL in flight

AIR is one of the few advanced companies in the aerial mobility space that’s targeting private ownership / personal use of its aircraft. Many top developers, like Joby, Beta Technologies, Vertical Aerospace, and more, are all targeting commercial air taxi use cases, with larger aircraft. The AIR ONE, meanwhile, can fit in a standard parking or house garage space when its wings are folded, takes only about 16 hours to learn to fly, and costs only $150,000.

The AIR ONE eVTOL aircraft is fully electric (it can charged in a household just as a ground-based EV can), features a foldable fixed wing for efficient forward flight, can fly for up to 110 miles on a single charge, and can fly with a top speed of 155 mph.

Watch AIR give a full tour of its new prototype below:

Why it’s important: Current customers of the private air travel industry, who frequently charter or own private jets and helicopters, are often found attending the Kentucky Derby. Advertising the AIR ONE at an event like the Derby is an excellent way for AIR to find customers who have already proven interest in private air travel, meaning that they would be the most likely audience to eventually purchase AIR ONE aircraft. And, at a price tag of $150,000, AIR is likely to find a swarth of customers who would have interest in this aircraft.

Source // AIR ONE, News ATLAS

Related:

• AIR CEO Discusses AIR ONE’s Role in Aerial Mobility (January 2022)
• Israel-based AIR Unveils its First eVTOL Prototype (October 2021)

Adacel Technologies Limited (Adacel) an advanced air traffic management solutions and simulation and training system company, announced on May 3rd the completion of acquisition of a new virtual Air Traffic Control (ATC) tower solution. This important milestone marks Adacel’s entry into the fast-growing virtual ATC tower market.

The new system passed Site Acceptance Testing with Estonian Air Navigation Services (EANS) to provide virtual ATS tower operations for Kuressaare in Tallinn. Built on modular, open architecture principles, the tower is suitable for a variety of functional needs, including integration with existing or new air traffic management, communication, navigation, and surveillance systems.

“We welcome our new team and customer to the Adacel family. The new virtual ATC tower solution presents immense opportunities for everyone, and along with our deep industry expertise and ever-evolving technological advancements, we look forward to continuing to advance safety and efficiency in aviation,” shares Daniel Verret, Adacel’s CEO.

These types of virtual ATC towers immediately provide great training opportunities for future air traffic controllers, but also represent a modular, configurable option for simulation of UTM (unmanned traffic management) platforms to interplay with current controlled airspace systems.

Why it’s important: Integration of advanced air traffic training systems will help aid in the progression from mixed/hybridized ATC solutions for handling both manned and unmanned traffic systems (such as the proposal with the United States’ NAS integration with unmanned air traffic) as well as the current modernization of general aviation systems.

Embraer has concluded a series of experimental flights in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil per a company news release, focused on evaluating new autonomous system technologies in real flight conditions. The goal is to enable safe autonomous operation in complex urban environments.

The aerial data collection and real-time evaluation of autonomous flight technologies in urban scenarios used traditional piloted helicopters as part of the Embraer Autonomous Systems project (“Project EASy”), which uses agile testing processes for the development of solutions that will enable autonomous aviation in the near future.

Embraer worked with Eve, an Embraer company dedicated to accelerating the Urban Air Mobility ecosystem, and in direct collaboration with partners Daedalean, Iris Automation and Near Earth Autonomy for seven full days. During this time, the companies explored nominal and edge-case scenarios for take-off, climb, cruise, approach and landing flight phases. The helicopters from Helisul Aviação, an Eve partner for UAM development in Brazil, were controlled by professional pilots at all times while systems captured data and performed real-time calculations.

“This project allowed us to evaluate technologies in real-time and also collect lots of data that will later be used in simulations,” said Julio Bolzani, Head of Autonomous Systems at Embraer. “It is important to note that we are not going straight to fully autonomous operations. As Eve begins operations, pilots will be on board and will also benefit from the application of these technologies through a safer and simplified vehicle operation until we reach a fully certified autonomous flight system for Urban Air Mobility.”

This experimental process is also connected to the Concept of Operations (CONOPS) coordinated by Eve since 2021, in cooperation with strategic partners and government entities to convert this acquired knowledge into working data and analysis framework to guide all operational aspects of the future of urban aerial mobility.

See Embraer’s full vision for urban aerial mobility below:

“All information and data raised in this project, as well as the technical solutions under development, will set the path for fully autonomous flight of eVTOLs in the future,” said Andre Stein, co-CEO of Eve. “We are thrilled with all operational aspects exercised and data acquired in this project and its direct connection to our CONOPS. These are solid steps for safely introducing future autonomous operations and accelerating the affordability and growth of the UAM market.”

Why it matters: Embraer’s Eve eVTOL has already amassed impressive orders from BLADE and other eVTOL operators. Given recent partnerships, Eve is poised to be the leading eVTOL manufacturer in Central and South America, with the potential to compete against American and European counterparts. Eve has yet to build and fly its prototype, but this series of demonstrations of their autonomous technologies should bring them one major step closer.

Airbus, developer of the CityAirbus NextGen eVTOL, has set up partnerships with governments and other key stakeholders in Germany to soon begin conducting demonstration flights and eventually offer full aerial mobility services between major cities in the area.

Above: A CityAirbus NextGen eVTOL travels above the streets of Munich, Germany

Earlier this week, Airbus announced the creation of its air mobility initiative in Germany, which includes members such as the City of Ingolstadt, and companies like Deutsche Bahn (DB), Deutsche Flugsicherung, Diehl Aerospace, Droniq, Munich Airport, Red Cross, and Telekom. The initiative, which is being referred to as the ‘Air Mobility Initiative’ (AMI) is supported by the Free State of Bavaria and the Federal Republic of Germany.

The purpose of the initiative is to ‘set up a series of research projects aimed at making urban air mobility within and between cities in Germany a reality’. According to Airbus, the joint projects are centered around three main areas: electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft development, unmanned traffic management (UTM) services, and airport & city integration including vertiports.

Said Markus May, Head of Operations for urban air mobility at Airbus: “In many parts of the world, eVTOLs will offer a whole new mobility service in the near future. Airbus and the AMI partners are aware that the introduction of such a system requires the cooperation of many players with different competences. Our goal is to build a transport service that benefits society and this is what we are setting up here in Bavaria.”

Above: Rendering of the CityAirbus NextGen eVTOL

The AMI partners will begin the initiative by addressing the technological, infrastructural, legal, and social prerequisites for the future implementation of advanced air mobility in Bavaria. Subsequently, the knowledge gained will be applied to demonstration flights with the CityAirbus eVTOL aircraft under real urban conditions. Work on this project began in January of 2022, with test flights of the demonstration project set to be carried out in the region around Ingolstadt.

So far, the AMI is funded with a total of €17 million from the Free State of Bavaria and €24 million from the Federal Government. Airbus says that together with the industry’s own funds, this results in a total investment of about €86 million in the project over a period of three years.

Why it’s important: With this latest German initiative, Airbus adds to its eVTOL rollout plans throughout Europe. Just last week, Airbus announced a partnership with Italian ITA Airways to begin setting up eVTOL air mobility infrastructure in Italy as well. Although Airbus took its time developing its final aircraft concept, the company is now using its global prestige to begin setting up eVTOL aerial mobility infrastructure throughout the European region.

Source // Airbus

Related:

• Airbus Partners with ITA Airways for Aerial Mobility in Italy (April 2022)
• Thales and Diehl Aerospace to Develop Flight Computers for CityAirbus NextGen (November 2021)
• Airbus Unveils Latest eVTOL Prototype (September 2021)

The AllianceTexas Mobility Innovation Zone (MIZ), which provides new mobility developers access to a testing ecosystem, resources, and partnerships essential to comprehensively test, scale, and commercialize new technologies, has now announced a partnership with Ericsson Routes, a company that provides maps of cellular connectivity strength. With this partnership, AllianceTexas hopes to provide users of the Mobility Innovation Zone with the knowledge of where they can find dependable, high-speed cellular connectivity routes for their autonomous aerial and ground-based vehicles.

The AllianceTexas space is a massive 27,000 acre master-planned industrial and residential development in North Texas, which includes its own airport, and its own unique air and ground logistics infrastructure. Being under one organization allows this development to host innovations in autonomous vehicles. To this end, AllianceTexas has created its own Mobility Innovation Zone, which provides new mobility developers with a proving ground to test and advance their new vehicles in real full-ecosystem environments. Aerial mobility partners such as Wing and Bell have taken advantage of the intermodal hubs and urban airspace within AllianceTexas to begin rolling out their drone delivery aircraft.

Now, AllianceTexas has partnered with Ericsson Routes which is it says is ‘like a Waze for wireless cellular connectivity’, to provide autonomous vehicle operators with the ability to plan their vehicle routes in accordance with the most reliable connectivity areas.

Said Russell Laughlin, Executive Vice President of Hillwood, which designed the AllianceTexas development: “Partnering with Ericsson Routes and their technology leadership gives our customers world-class and cutting-edge services that will advance the mobility industry. This unique technology offers mobility leaders an opportunity to be at the forefront of ensuring their products have the connectivity they need to operate now and well into the future.”

Image: Ericsson Routes analyzes potential autonomous vehicle routes for connectivity strength

Why it’s important: Reliable, high-speed cellular connectivity will be key in developing autonomous and semi-autonomous aerial mobility and logistics aircraft operations in the near future. This connectivity allows aircraft to communicate with airspace management systems, ground controls, and more. With this partnership with Ericsson Routes, new aerial mobility developers in AllianceTexas (like Wing and Bell) will be able to find flight routes with dependable, high-speed connectivity. In addition, it’s important to note that Hillwood, which had an important hand in creating AllianceTexas, has a history of creating aviation innovation infrastructure.

Source // Alliance Texas

Related:

• Bell’s Autonomous Cargo Drone Launches in Texas (February 2021)
• Uber Partners with Hillwood to Create Vertiports for VTOL Network in Dallas-Fort Worth (April 2017)

SkyDrive announced on April 27th an agreement that was reached in March with the Japan Civil Aviation Bureau (JCAB) of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) to base the type certification for the company’s flying car on the JCAB Airworthiness Inspection Manual (AIM) Part II.

The certification basis applies to the SkyDrive SD-05, a two-seat flying car for which MLIT had accepted an application for type certification in October 2021. SkyDrive plans to launch air taxi service with this model in 2025.

In accordance with Japan’s Civil Aeronautics Law, MLIT issues a type certificate to certify that the design, structure, strength, and performance of a newly developed aircraft conform with necessary safety and environmental requirements for the given type of aircraft. Certification is granted only after the aircraft completes a battery of studies and tests, including strength and flight tests.

The SkyDrive eVTOL differs from conventional aircraft and conventional certification bases, therefore SkyDrive intends to engage in every step in the inspection and certification process in consultation with JCAB, including defining inspection standards, developing a certification plan and establishing a means of demonstration, all in keeping with the process as practiced internationally.

AIM Part II defines airworthiness conditions for fixed-wing aircraft that carry up to 19 passengers and have a takeoff weight of 8,618 kg (19,000 lb.) or less. Revision 61 is the newest version of the AIM Part II. It allows flexibility in the shape of the air frame and aircraft system. It also establishes standards for testing strength, structure, and performance to validate the safety of the aircraft and its components.

Based on discussions with the Public-Private Council for Air Mobility Revolution regarding safety standards for flying cars, SkyDrive and MLIT agreed to conduct the SD-05’s type certification based on AIM Part II. International air transport authorities, including the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), have adopted standards for eVTOL type certifications equivalent to the Japan Civil Aviation Bureau’s AIM Part II.

Nobuo Kishi, CTO of SkyDrive, commented: “We are very pleased that we have moved a step closer to obtaining a type certificate. From here, we will continue to deepen our partnership with JCAB and discuss plans toward obtaining a type certificate.

Why it’s important: SkyDrive’s relationship with JCAB will be instrumental in future progress toward certification of SkyDrive’s aircraft as the development of new certification bases will be an iterative process that requires original problem solving on behalf of the applicant in order to demonstrate/show compliance to the regulations, and that of the regulator who must establish requirements that meet current standards for aircraft systems which have much higher volumes of data that can be referenced for historical precedent.

Having recently dialed up work on its Airbus CityAirbus eVTOL aircraft, Airbus has now announced a partnership with ITA Airways, a premier airline in Italy, to begin exploring the creation of urban aerial mobility services in the country.

Above: The Airbus CityAirbus NextGen, featured with potential ITA Airways branding

The new partnership between ITA and Airbus will ‘identify strategic use cases for emission-free mobility solutions’ in Italy, foreseeing a joint approach of the two companies in onboarding additional Italian mobility stakeholders for the launch of Airbus’ CityAirbus eVTOL operations. Together, the two companies will also identify pilot use cases in Italy, with the aim of bolstering public acceptance of UAM via demonstrations of the value these services could add to communities.

It is possible that Airbus and ITA will consider options such as implementing Airbus eVTOL aircraft for ITA airliner passengers to travel directly to and from large airports to vertiports in the centers of metropolitan areas.

Said Guillaume Faury, CEO of Airbus, “This agreement is testimony to the strong relationship between Airbus and ITA Airways. It is an opportunity to leverage our shared ambition – pioneering sustainable aerospace – and advance new air mobility solutions for zero-emission vertical flight in support of our cities and communities later this decade.”

Alfredo Altavilla, Chairman of ITA Airways, commented: “The partnership between ITA Airways and Airbus started with the evolution toward more modern, more comfortable and environmentally-friendly commercial aircraft, equipped with cutting-edge technologies. With this agreement, our partnership expands to the segment of urban air mobility for a wider, customer-centric, innovative and sustainable offer for our customers.”

Why it’s Important: The establishment of this partnership signals Airbus’ readiness to begin creating the organizational infrastructure that will be required to support upcoming UAM services. Most recently, Airbus has been collecting manufacturing and development partners for its aircraft (such as Thales, Dhiehl, and Spirit Aerosystems), but this partnership with ITA is Airbus’ first in the world of air passenger transport companies. Overall, this partnership likely means that Airbus is getting closer than ever to a commercially ready eVTOL aircraft, to the point where it is ready to begin setting up commercial operator partnerships.

Source // Airbus

Related:

• Airbus partners with Spirit AeroSystems to develop the wings of CityAirbus NextGen (March 2022)
• Thales and Diehl Aerospace to Develop Flight Computers for CityAirbus NextGen (November 2021)
• Airbus Unveils Latest eVTOL Prototype (September 2021)

Archer has announced the formation of an advisory panel between its company and United Airlines. The advisory panel will advise Archer on operational objectives as well as the establishment of ongoing maintenance programs for their eVTOL fleet.

After Archer’s SPAC merger last year with United Airlines as a major investor, it is expected that United will purchase 200 Archer eVTOL aircraft valued at $1B with purchase options for another 100 units.

“By working with Archer, United is showing the aviation industry that now is the time to embrace cleaner, more efficient modes of transportation,” United CEO Scott Kirby said in a release announcing the Archer SPAC last year.

The new committee is chaired by Archer’s vice president of engineering, Dave Dennison and United’s managing director of United Express TechOps Strategy and Operations, Mauricio Angel. Each of the committee chairs bring proven experience in aviation operations to the group. The other committee members bring complementary skills in the areas of maintenance, customer satisfaction and fleet management.

“The formation of this advisory committee further demonstrates Archer’s commitment to building advanced infrastructure to support UAM at scale,” said Adam Goldstein, CEO of Archer. “The committee is set up to leverage United’s experience with industry-leading operating strategies in commercial aviation, a key tenet of our business strategy. We understand that the adoption of UAM is about more than just the certification of our aircraft. United’s operational experience here will be invaluable as we work towards delivering aerial ridesharing at scale.” 

“At United, we’re proud to be expanding our collaboration with Archer with an advisory committee designed to focus on key operational strategies and electric aircraft performance needed to achieve our shared goal of sustainable urban air mobility, while addressing the scale and sophistication needed to operate successfully, and most importantly, delivering the high-quality user experience our customers require,” said Michael Leskinen, President of United Airlines Ventures. “Assembling this group of industry-leading talent, and harnessing the valuable insights it yields, will be a vital step in enabling consumer adoption of eVTOL.” 

Over the long-term, Archer’s goal is to work with United to create UAM fleet support by leveraging logistics concepts and networks already in use, thereby creating expert operational efficiencies.  

Why it matters: United Airlines is bringing an incredible amount of operational expertise for Archer to build its strategy for sustaining its fleet of eVTOL aircraft in the coming years. Further, this partnership allows the two firms to begin collaboration, as United is set to take delivery of over 200 Archer eVTOL aircraft once certified.

LCI, a large and highly established aircraft leasing company, has placed an order for 50 of Beta Technologies’ all-electric ‘Alia’ eVTOL aircraft, with options to purchase up to 125 aircraft in total.

LCI is a major aircraft leasing company that offers helicopters and airliners to commercial aircraft operators. As a subsidiary of Libra Group, clients of LCI include British Airways, Air France, Singapore Airlines, and leading helicopter operators such as Babcock. The company was founded in 2004, initially only working with fixed wing aircraft, but made its first helicopter purchase in 2012 with a $400 million order from Leonardo. While the company has already taken over US$8 billion in transactions of fixed-wing and helicopter markets, the order of Beta Technologies Alia aircraft will be LCI’s first electric aircraft purchase.

Unlike traditional helicopters, Beta’s ‘Alia’ aircraft features a fixed wing and pusher propellor for forward flight, giving it the efficiency of an airplane combined with the vertical take-off and landing abilities of a helicopter. This efficient design allows the aircraft to travel up to 250 miles on a single all-electric charge, while having room for up to four passengers or 1400 lbs of cargo.

Other air transport stakeholders have also shown interest in the Alia, with Blade Urban Air Mobility placing an order for 20 aircraft, UPS placing an order for up to 150 aircraft, and United Therapeutics partnering with Beta for transplant organ transportation.

Said Jaspal Jandu, CEO of LCI: “We are embracing this new era of sustainable flight and BETA Technologies’ innovative approach makes them a natural and credible partner for LCI. We believe that the aircraft’s blend of rechargeable battery power, significant internal capacity, and plentiful range is an optimal one. We are confident it will be a popular choice for operators and end-users seeking to develop and augment their fleets with this truly sustainable technology.”

Kyle Clark, founder and CEO of Beta Technologies, commented: “As a leading aircraft lessor with an established global track record, LCI has a strong pulse on what operators are looking for. We are gratified by their confidence that the solutions we’re building will answer the need for next generation, zero-emission electric aircraft. We are excited to partner with LCI and push adoption of this solution forward within the industry.”

Why it’s important: As one of the largest aircraft leasing companies in the world, LCI has signaled its belief that the eVTOL could soon augment or even replace segments of traditional helicopter business. This purchase from such a large financial stakeholder in helicopter aviation indicates that LCI believes that there are very real and lucrative use cases for eVTOL, and that companies who invest early in eVTOL will be much better positioned for the future of aviation services.

Source // LCI, Helicopter Investor, Aero Mag

Urban-Air Port has just opened a transport hub for air taxis, eVTOLs, and drones at the Westminister Car Park in Coventry. The “Air-One” hub will allow manned and unmanned vehicles to take off and land at the world’s first vertiport, but only through the summer, after which it will be redeployed in a new location.

Above: Urban-Air Port’s vertiports are pop-ups, which can change locations depending on demand.

Urban-Air Port, the UK-based developer behind the project, says that this first vertiport will act as a blueprint for more than 200 vertiports planned worldwide in the next five years. Future vertiports have already been earmarked for other sites around the world, including in the West Midlands and London, as well as in Los Angeles, Australia, South Korea, France, Germany, Scandinavia and South East Asia. All the future vertiport locations are set to serve four key markets: flying taxis, autonomous delivery drones, disaster emergency management, and defense operations and logistics.

According to recent publications, Urban-Air Port took 11 weeks to erect the 17,000 square feet site in Coventry, which includes a passenger lounge, a café, a cargo logistics hub, an electric and hydrogen air vehicle hangar, a security screening area, and a command centre. The site features a 56ft circular platform that raises and lowers 19ft to enable future electric air vehicle takeoffs and landings.

The Air-One project has financial backing from the UK government as well as from Supernal, the aerial mobility arm of Hyundai Motor group. On the subject, Mike Whitaker, chief commercial officer at Supernal, said: “The Air-One activation is an important step for the Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) industry and demonstrates how eVTOLs can easily integrate with existing transportation networks to address local needs.”

Why it’s important: As highlighted by Ricky Sandhu, founder and executive chairman of Urban-Air Port: “The opening of Air-One is a momentous occasion – the starting gun for a new age of transport, an age of zero-emission, low-congestion travel between and within cities that will make people healthier, happier and more connected than ever before.” He then went on to state that “the Coventry demonstration will showcase the future of how people will travel, seamlessly integrating with other modes of transport to create a greener, more connected future.”

Watch the full video tour of the Air One vertiport below:

Source // Yahoo News, Design Boom

VoltAero’s Cassio 1 testbed, a heavily modified Cessna 337 Skymaster, with the company’s proprietary electric-parallel hybrid propulsion unit will exceed the total distance flown of 10,000 kilometers with this aircraft’s upcoming flights to and participaint in Germany’s AERO Friedrichshafen general aviation show.

Cassio 1 – which is equipped with the 600-kilowatt full-power version of VoltAero’s electric-parallel hybrid propulsion unit for the company’s in-development family of Cassio sustainable airplanes – departed the company’s Royan-Médis headquarters on France’s Atlantic Coast today for the 1,650-kilometer cross-European roundtrip to Friedrichshafen, where the demonstrator is to be exhibited during the four-day AERO Friedrichshafen event that begins on April 27 (exhibit stand: A7-101).

Since VoltAero initiated flights with the propulsion unit in 2020, Cassio 1 has flown more than 8,500 kilometers on routes within Europe and to the UK, de-risking it for airworthiness certification on production Cassio aircraft.

During these extensive validations, Cassio 1 performed typical regional short- and medium-haul flights that are to be served by VoltAero’s product line of four-to-12-seat Cassio airplanes. Operating in a full range of weather conditions, Cassio 1 visited both local and regional airports that will benefit from highly sustainable air mobility.

With VoltAero’s proprietary electric-hybrid powertrain installed in the aft pusher position, Cassio aircraft will utilize the propulsion system’s electric motors for all-electric power during taxi, takeoff, primary flight, and landing. The hybrid feature (with an internal combustion engine) comes into play as a range extender, recharging the batteries while in flight. Additionally, this hybrid element serves as a backup in the event of a problem with the electric propulsion, ensuring true fail-safe functionality.

The Cassio family will provide a highly capable, reliable and sustainable product line for commercial flights, air taxi/charter companies, private owners, as well as in utility-category service for cargo, postal delivery and medical evacuation (MEDEVAC) applications.

Production Cassio airplanes will be built in three versions, each sharing a high degree of modularity and commonality. First to be certified is the Cassio 330, with four/five seats and powered by a 330-kilowatt electric-hybrid power module. The follow-on six-seat Cassio 480 will have an electric-hybrid propulsion power of 480 kilowatts, while the Cassio 600 is sized at a 10/12-seat capacity with electric-hybrid propulsion power of 600 kilowatts.

VoltAero will be assembling the prototype Cassio 330 before year-end, with the production aircraft to be produced in a purpose-built final assembly facility at Rochefort Airport in France’s Nouvelle-Aquitaine region. Groundbreaking at the industrial site is scheduled in the summer of 2022.

Why it’s important: A growing amount of test flights and data accumulation for the Cassio 1 testbed is providing much needed validation for the future of propulsion systems, specifically hybrid electric propulsion systems that will ultimately yield to the fully electric alternatives that are currently longer lead. VoltAero’s focus on propulsion system maturity has worked well thus far for the company to expand their focus to now manufacturing a series of aircraft products that will help operators realize the benefits of electric propulsion.

Jaunt Air mobility, which a few years ago was one of Uber Elevate’s network partners, has since been growing its own urban air mobility business, and is working to develop its aircraft and aerial ridesharing service.

Jaunt has selected L&T technology services, a manufacturing, engineering, and product development and operations firm, to manufacture Jaunt’s ‘Journey’ eVTOL aircraft. L&T is already a massive and highly established firm, whose customer base includes 69 Fortune 500 companies and 57 of the world’s top ER&D companies, across industrial products, medical devices, transportation, telecom & hi-tech, and other industries.

While being directed by Jaunt Air Mobility’s leadership, L&T will create manufacturing-ready systems for the Jaunt Journey such as its power distribution system, air data management, cockpit display system, flight control system, battery management, electrification, power electronics, structural design, and stress analysis systems. It will also conduct aircraft testing, provide certification assistance, and direct overall manufacturing engineering.

The Jaunt Journey aircraft is especially unique in its design, as it only features a single lift rotor. With its single lift rotor, which features signature slowed-rotation technology, Jaunt asserts that its aircraft will be more stable, more efficient, and safer than other designs, given the rotor’s ability to auto-rotate in case of a motor failure, and the rotor’s ability to provide high amounts of lift in forward flight. The aircraft concept has actually been in development for over 20 years, having once been called the Carter Copter.

As part of the contract with L&T, L&T will open an Engineering and R&D Centre in Québec Province for the electric aircraft manufacturer to provide engineering services for the Jaunt Journey eVTOL.

Said Amit Chadha, Chief Executive Officer & Managing Director, L&T Technology Services: “This deal is a milestone for team LTTS in view of the tremendous opportunities opening up in UAM and drone services which are emerging as alternatives to the increasingly congested on-ground mobility in cities. LTTS has a track record of developing high-performance engineering solutions for global Aerospace and Defense for over a decade and has supported critical defense programs in the past. We believe this program will set the benchmark for future UAM projects and our team is excited to build on this important engagement with Jaunt, with the eventual aim to make urban commuting safer, greener, efficient and reliable”.

Martin Peryea, CEO & CTO of Jaunt, commented: “At Jaunt, our vision is to usher in a range of new-age aircraft-driven urban commuting that is fast, safe, and convenient. This new clean, sustainable aircraft will reduce carbon emissions worldwide. Strategically, we are continuing to grow our Tier 1 partnerships and recognize LTTS as a best-fit engineering partner, and together we are confident of pushing the mass-scale commercialization”.

Why it’s important: As Jaunt begins to make movement into developing its own air mobility business, it is gaining traction with investors. This latest partnership with L&T is a sign that Jaunt is now beginning to deploy its capital into establishing its business, making a key choice with L&T in order to ensure manufacturing expertise in the creation its new vehicle. With this partnership, given L&T’s wealth of experience in engineering development, we can expect to see Jaunt begin to move even more consistently toward a manufacture and commercially ready aircraft to fulfill its vision.

Jaunt has also made a significant number of other partnerships with high-visibility eVTOL components developers. See below for more.

Sources // L&T Technology Services, Jaunt Air Mobility

Related:

• Jaunt Air Mobility to join AIRO Group prior to IPO in 2022 (October 2021)
• Jaunt Air Mobility Awarded Air Force Contract for eVTOL Noise Reduction Research (February 2021)
• Jaunt Air Mobility and Varon Vehicles Partner for Aerial Mobility in Latin America (January 2021)
• Jaunt Air Mobility Announces Partnership with Walle (January 2021)
• Jaunt Air Mobility and VerdeGo Aero Collaborate on Hybrid Electric Aircraft (December 2021)
• Jaunt Air Mobility Appoints Martin Peryea as CEO (October 2020)
• BAE Systems and Jaunt Air Mobility Sign MoU on Electric Energy Management Systems for UAM (December 2019)
• Jaunt and Triumph to Partner on Design and Development of Demonstrator Aircraft (November 2019)
• Jaunt Air Mobility Named as New Uber Elevate Partner (June 2019)
• Carter Copter Acquired by Jaunt Mobility (February 2019)