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Jetpack Aviation’s prototype model of the Speeder, a jet turbine powered flying motorcycle, has successfully completed its first flight test. The flight test consisted of a hover test over tarmac while attached to a tether. Following the success of this flight test, which confirmed the Speeder’s base capabilities, Jetpack Aviation expects to follow up with more intensive flight tests by the end of this summer. 

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The Speeder is a flying VTOL motorcycle that Jetpack Aviation eventually intends to be able to reach top speeds of over 300 mph (480 kph). Similar to a drone, the Speeder will be electronically self-stabilized, running on a new form of flight control software that has been developed in-house for the last 18 months. According to the California-based company, “the Speeder will be the smallest, fastest, optionally piloted VTOL in the world, enabling multiple applications across emergency, cargo, military, and civil sectors.” The piloting itself is intended to be as simple as possible. Fully stabilized, the Speeder uses a tilt-to-accelerate flight system with hand controls, a two-way radio, and 12-inch touchscreen for navigation. If a pilot plans to fly at the maximum altitude of 15,000 ft, they will need to provide their own supplemental oxygen source.

Jetpack Aviation’s concept rendition of the Speeder

While not officially decided yet, Jetpack Aviation expects to offer the speeder to commercial, private, and government sectors, and will look to incorporate various designs for each. The Speeder design for personal flight would most likely be an eight engine single-seater, while a military version could be autonomous with a buffed weight limit. In addition, the recreational version looks to have two types available for the consumer based on their personal needs; the Ultralight Version (UVS) and the Experimental Version (EVS). The differences between the two mainly lie in restrictions and requirements: The UVS will be limited to a 5 gallon fuel capacity and 60 mph max speed, but does not require a full pilot’s license like the EVS. Both versions will still require training to fly the motorcycle, and the EVS will also require the purchaser to be part of the manufacturing process in order to comply with FAA regulations on experimental aircraft production. Currently one unit is estimated to cost around $380,000, but is subject to change after the Speeder undergoes further testing and development. 

Why it’s important: The success of the Speeder’s first flight test is momentous for Jetpack Aviation. The hover test confirmed the fundamental modes of operation for the Speeder, meaning that the company can now proceed with refining and further developing the Speeder’s maximum capabilities. 

Source // New Atlas.

The X2, developed by a department of electric car company XPeng motors, has officially taken to the skies. The aircraft is designed for private ownership and personal use (similar to a traditional car) rather than only as a shared air taxi.

XPeng X2 on Display at Taobao Maker Festival 2021

XPeng motors has a vision of the future where auto manufacturers slowly transition from making internal combustion cars to electric cars and eventually all the way to electric flying cars. Notably, American companies like GM and Goodyear have taken a similar approach, designing concepts for both electric aircraft and their components.

Founded in 2014, the Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer XPeng went public on the New York Stock Exchange last summer, raising $1.5 billion. It’s P7 long range sedan and G3 electric SUV have proven its ability to create successful electric vehicles, and the company signaling an emphatic vision for the future by releasing the concept for the X2 so soon after its automobile offerings.

The X2 is an especially sleek looking aircraft, whose lines echo the appearance of Tesla’s Cybertruck or the DMC Delorean. This design gives more of a car feel than an aircraft aesthetic, making the vehicle more approachable and inviting to those who are new to the idea of personal flight. The interior is especially user experience oriented, showing off a control panel and dashboard that look very similar to many electric ground-based cars on the market today.

Passenger/Pilot experience of the XPeng X2

The X2 will be able to carry two passengers with semi-autonomous and fully autonomous capabilities, will have a range of about 50 miles per charge at speeds up to 80mph, and will even be able to fit inside a single traditional parking space. The aircraft follows the X1, a single-passenger prototype that has already taken over 10,000 test flights.

Watch an announcement video of the X2 posted by XPeng Chairman and CEO He Xiaopeng:

Why it’s important: As the world of eVTOL aircraft grows, so do the different kinds of companies developing air vehicles, and the various market segments for electric aircraft become more clear. While companies like Joby Aviation, Beta Technologies, Vertical Aerospace, and Volocopter are focusing more on shared air taxi approaches, companies like XPeng and India’s ePlane may focus on privately-owned, smaller capacity aircraft. Also important to note is that successful car companies (especially in EVs) like XPeng and GM are starting to develop aerial mobility departments, which may mean that an increasing number of car companies in the world will start using their long-time manufacturing and safety development expertise to make eVTOL aircraft.

Bye Aerospace announced that Rheinland Air Service GmbH (RAS), a European MRO outfit, has completed purchase deposit agreements for five all-electric eFlyer 800 aircraft. RAS will act as an MRO support to eFlyer800 aircraft in Central Europe with its service and support facilities in Germany. Furthermore, RAS will be a designated reseller of eFlyer800 aircraft in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

“We are proud to be investing in the future of sustainable aviation and to be supporting Bye Aerospace in the transformation of flying. The eFlyer800 with its remarkable economy and flight performance will support the European Market while balancing the amount of carbon emissions” said Johannes Schaesberg, CEO of RAS.

George E. Bye, CEO of Bye Aerospace, said RAS is an important partner for many reasons, including its physical location in western Germany. “We have known Johannes and his company for 20 years, and recognize the significant role RAS has, supporting business aviation for this important part of Europe,” Bye said.

Bye Aerospace announced the eFlyer 800 program earlier this year in response to growing demands for regional all-electric airplanes with significantly reduced operating costs, plus increased capacity and utility. The company is in the process of obtaining FAA Part-23 certification for the eFlyer 2 for the professional flight training mission and the four-seat eFlyer 4 for air taxi, cargo and advanced training uses.

All the company’s current and future families of aircraft feature engineering, research and electric aircraft solutions are designed to specifically address compelling market needs.  Benefits include five-fold lower operating costs, no CO2 emissions and decreased noise. Bye Aerospace estimates the eFlyer will eventually eliminate the release of millions of metric tons of CO2 each year as its deliveries begin and the general aviation fleet is replaced.

Why it’s important: Of late, the conversation within aerospace has shifted from that of triage toward orders and future growth – and the sphere of electric aviation is included in that transformation. In recent months, hundreds of orders for eVTOL aircraft have been announced, and on a higher level, the overall general aviation and light aircraft market is continuing to be burgeoned by the influx of demand for future propulsion technology that allows for reduced carbon emissions and more efficient operations.

Surf Air Mobility has ordered up to 150 Cessna Grand Caravan EX turboprop aircraft from Textron Aviation, the manufacturer announced this week. The order represents an exclusive relationship for the two companies as Surf Air Mobility works to certify a hybrid electric aircraft based on the Grand Caravan EX.

Textron Aviation’s initial deliveries of the Cessna Grand Caravan EX aircraft to Surf Air Mobility are expected to begin in Q2 2022. Surf Air anticipates that its hybrid electric system for the Grand Caravan, upon certification, will power a 9-seat variant of the iconic single-engine turboprop.

“Hybrid electric propulsion technology, deployed at scale for environmental and commercial benefits, is an important part of the future of travel,” said Ron Draper, President & CEO, Textron Aviation. “This relationship with Surf Air Mobility leverages the unique performance capabilities of the Cessna Grand Caravan in both passenger and cargo operations and continues to demonstrate the aircraft’s adaptability for innovative missions and configurations.”

The hybrid electric Cessna Grand Caravan aircraft is anticipated to be utilized by Surf Air Mobility across its own network, connecting more airports with short-haul direct service across the U.S. on a path to creating a regional mass transport platform to sustainably connect communities.

“This is an opportunity to showcase the combined expertise and technologies of both Textron Aviation and Surf Air Mobility,” said Rob Scholl, senior vice president, Textron eAviation. “The outstanding capabilities and versatility of the Grand Caravan make it an ideal aircraft to take advantage of this new technology.”

“The Cessna Grand Caravan EX is one of the most adaptable and prolific aircraft in flight today. Through this exclusive relationship with Textron Aviation, we’re able to make electrified aircraft broadly available to existing and new operators, and bring the benefits of lower cost, lower emission air travel to customers faster and at scale,” said Sudhin Shahani, Co-founder, CEO & Executive Chairman, Surf Air Mobility. “We believe electrifying the Cessna Grand Caravan is the most significant step that can be made toward reduced emission flying with the quickest path to market.”

The order is subject to Surf Air obtaining financing for the aircraft.

Why it matters: Cessna’s Grand Caravan EX is a long standing product offering from the OEM and has been delivered to thousands of customers across the globe and has proved itself as a reliable platform for a wide variety of mission requirements. With the addition of hybrid electric propulsion, Surf Air has an opportunity to operate the Caravan at a significant cost advantage.

A new startup in the aerial mobility space has come out of stealth mode and intends to address noise concerns generated by eVTOL activity as commercialization becomes a reality; Whisper Aero believes it has found a solution to the barrier.

Whisper Aero has 11 employees working on a novel propulsion configuration at its Crossville TN headquarters.

Founded last year by Mark More, former NASA engineer and executive within the early days of Uber Technologies, Moore has engineered a new propulsion configuration which will seamlessly blend into the background noise of city landscapes. Moore has a long career in NASA where he studied drones and electric aircraft and was one of the first to publish academic works on eVTOL technologies in 2010. In 2017, Moore joined Uber Elevate until its acquisition by Joby Aviation.

Mark Moore, Founder of Whisper Aero; former NASA engineer and Uber Elevate executive.

“Half the people think drones are cool, and half of them are so annoyed,” Moore says. “They’re annoyed because there is this really aggravating noise source that should not be there. It sounds like a flying Cuisinart and makes people really uncomfortable. If you want the public to buy into the idea of more and more of these things appearing, you can’t annoy them, and you can’t scare them.”

Moore is convinced that the noise produced by this first wave of eVTOL vehicles will limit their success. While they’re quieter than helicopters, the aircraft still produce that swarm of bee-like buzz. Part of the problem, as Moore sees it, is that companies declined to deal with the noise in their rush to get aircraft to market. “Everyone is taking the path of least resistance,” he says.

Whisper Aero is headquartered in Crossville, TN roughly halfway between Nashville and Knoxville. As their patents work their way through the approval process, the firm will begin to unveil their solution. They intend to start selling products to drone makers as early as 2023. From there, they will expand their product line to include eVTOL manufacturers. So far, the firm has 11 employees and has raised over $7.5M USD from investors, including Robert Downey Jr, Menlo Ventures, Lux Capital, and Kindred Ventures.

Why it matters: Most details about the technology are not yet public as Whisper Aero intends to protect its intellectual property, but Moore’s experience in the aerial mobility space offer a good chance they’ve found something noteworthy. Community noise will be a major public concern to the coming exponential increase in UAV/UAM activity. If Whisper Aero has found a robust solution, they stand to be a critical firm in the industry.

Intended for use as an in-city electric air taxi, ePlane’s ‘e200’ will have a 200km range with two passenger capacity. The aircraft is already being prototyped, and is expected to hit the skies by early 2023.

Rendering of the e200 in flight. The aircraft features four fans for vertical lift along the sides, and two at the back for forward thrust.

According to co-founder Pranjal Mehta, the design differs from many existing eVTOL concepts in that it prioritizes compact vehicle size as a key design cornerstone. The company intends for its the e200 to provide true door-to-door air taxi services without needing a vertiport or landing pad, and so is designed to land and in a space the size of two standard auto parking spaces.

Said Mehta, “We’re trying to build a compact taxi to enable door-to-door travel in cities. This is sort of a unique mission because most of the other companies – which are doing fantastic work – are building very large vehicles that will require a vertiport or helipad.”

ePlane expects to target markets similar to Volocopter and Ehang, but adds two fixed wings for increased range and a quicker path to certification. This is most similar to Wisk’s Cora aircraft, but ePlane considers its key advantage over Cora will be its compact size. Additionally, the e200 will initially target markets in India, in order to reduce congestion, rather than initialize markets in the U.S.

“We wanted to see how we can avoid tilting, given that tilting comes with a certification challenge, and yet build something that is not too big because in India, we have a large population density. Space is a huge constraint.” said Mehta.

ePlane was co-founded by Professor Satya Chakravarthy, and his student at the Indian Institute of Technology (ITT) in 2019. The University is working alongside the two partners to set up the company, which has recently tripled its workforce, and is currently working on building a 75 percent scale prototype which will start testing in the next few months. Satya in particular has over 24 years in aerospace expertise, having set up a $30 million combustion research center utilized by companies like GE, before moving on to focus on to electric aircraft.

“Even though we’re building out of India, we’re not creating something which is a copy of what other companies are doing in the western part of the world. People usually expect us to build a cheaper version, but what we’re actually doing is going further by innovating on the technology and building something that suits the market”, commented Mehta.

Why it’s important: As the concept of eVTOL aircraft is developing, companies the world over are deriving from each other’s ideas to develop aircraft that will fit their own markets. With the e200’s unique compact size and its specific geographic market in India, the company is well set up to find great success at launch. As the air taxi industry develops, expect to see companies like ePlane continue to emerge and succeed in commercial use during the early and mid 2020s.

Source // eVTOL Insights, ePlane

Initial approach being applied to sub-scale model of Pegasus eVTOL business jet 

A consortium led by Callen-Lenz that is researching a new approach to flight control systems  for next-generation novel aircraft has been awarded a grant of £1m from the UK Government through the ATI Programme. 

Project NOMAD (Novel Control Approaches to Complex Aircraft Dynamics) is an 18-month  research programme to develop a technology framework, common interface and advanced  low-workload cockpit for complex configuration aircraft. The framework provides a  methodology – the ‘model-based journey’ – that can be applied to aircraft being developed  for the urban air mobility (UAM) and personal air vehicle (PAV) markets. 

The consortium includes the Satellite Applications Catapult, and the project will also  develop enhanced SATCOM systems suitable for the operation of highly maneuverable civilian platforms in congested urban terrains. 

An initial application of the new approach developed in Project NOMAD is being made to  the Pegasus Vertical Business Jet (VBJ), an advanced business jet powered by an  environmentally-friendly hybrid power plant with a novel fan-in-wing configuration that has  vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) capability. 

The project is using two quarter-size Pegasus VBJ aircraft – approximately 4m wing tip-to-tip  and 4m nose-to-tail. Flight trials will commence in March 2022, and the outputs will  significantly de-risk the critical design elements and advance the full-scale aircraft program. Business Minister Paul Scully characterized: “The work Callen-Lenz is doing to make the future of urban air mobility, such as  flying taxis and personal air vehicles, a reality is a fantastic example of the aerospace  sector’s commitment to innovation. Technologies like these will help protect jobs  and cut emissions for decades to come. 

The ATI Program is a joint UK Government and industry investment to maintain and grow the UK’s competitive position in civil aerospace design and manufacture. It is delivered through a partnership between the Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI), Department for  Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) and Innovate UK and addresses technology, capability and supply chain challenges. 

Why it’s important: Additional government support for new and novel flight control infrastructure, in this instance from the UK, is driving the next generation of automation and flight path guidance for fixed-wing, rotary-wing, and autonomous/future eVTOL aircraft designs. Analogous examples include the Agility Prime initiative in the United States, which includes substantial funding for eVTOL aircraft from the United States Air Force.

KittyHawk, famously funded in part by Google co-founder Larry Page, has officially received airworthiness approval for its ‘Heaviside’ eVTOL from the U.S Air Force. This means that the KittyHawk Heaviside prototype is no longer only experimental, and can be used for revenue-generating flight tests for the U.S military.

KittHawk’s ‘Heaviside’ eVTOL in flight

The Heaviside is an expertly engineered eVTOL (electric vertical take-off and landing) aircraft, featuring 8 tilting rotors that power both vertical and forward flight. The Heaviside for now is single-passenger aircraft, and will feature autonomous and remote piloting capabilities that will allow it to fly up to 100 miles on a single charge, at speeds up to 180mph. Noise emissions are 100 times quieter than a traditional helicopter, and the aircraft can take in only 30 foot by 30 foot area.

With the new airworthiness approval from the U.S Air Force, KittyHawk will be able to fly paid technology development missions for the U.S military. These missions will test new technologies and operational concepts that will expand KittyHawk’s offerings to both the world and the Air Force itself. For example, one potential application stated by Colonel Nathan Diller is the use of the Heaviside to perform communications relays that could help transmit data in areas without infrastructure. The current version of the approval is for remote operations, although the Air Force is also interested in the Heaviside’s use in personel transport.

KittyHawk is a well-funded and highly established eVTOL developer, considering that the Heaviside is not its only successful aircraft. KittyHawk was also maker of the Cora passenger eVTOL. The Cora aircraft is well on its way to commercial operations, having recently been taken over by Wisk, a new joint venture between Boeing and KittyHawk.

Why it’s important: KittyHawk is now the third eVTOL aircraft to receive an airworthiness approval certification from the U.S Air Force. Other aircraft are Beta Technologies’ Alia, the Joby Aviation eVTOL, and the Lift Hexa. Although the military is also interested in larger aircraft, it is certainly interested in 1 to 2 passenger aircraft like the Heaviside. Awarding Heaviside airworthiness approval marks the it as one of the furthest-progressed eVTOL aircraft in development.

Source // Janes, KittyHawk Aerospace

Related:

• Beta Technologies is Approved for Air Force Manned Flight Tests (May 2021)
• Joby Aviation Receives Airworthiness Approval from U.S Military (December 2020)
• Kitty Hawk’s New Project Heaviside Prioritizes Noise Reduction (October 2019)

Volocopter has moved one step closer to commercialization of its eVTOL prototype. The company announced this week it has received its Production Organization Approval (POA) from EASA, the aviation regulatory authority presiding over the EU. The approval allows the company to begin production of its eVTOL aircraft for public deliveries.

Volocopter also received design organization approval (DOA) for its aircraft in 2019 and is the only eVTOL company to hold DOA and POA from EASA, according to the release.

In situ with the announcement, Volocopter also announced the acquisition of its partner, DG Flugzeugbau, a composite aircraft producer. Together with DG Flugzeugbau, Volocopter designed and built the VC200, the first electrically powered multicopter to receive a permit to fly it in 2016 and flew this model autonomously in Dubai in 2017 and on stage at the 2018 CES in Las Vegas. Since then, the two companies have partnered to produce the Volocopter 2X, the VoloDrone, and the VoloCity.

“Our ten-year partnership with DG Flugzeugbau has been an extraordinary learning experience,” Florian Reuter, CEO of Volocopter, said in a statement. “Having this legendary industry leader on our side to kick-start scalable and affordable UAM for people and cargo has been a game changer. Today marks an exciting milestone as we unify DG Flugzeugbau’s leadership in aviation production with Volocopter’s pioneering UAM goals to establish yet another crucial stepping-stone for our collective global endeavors.”

Volocopter has had a longtime partnership with DG Flugzeugbau and will utilize its facilities to scale its commercial launch in the coming years. The acquisition will allow Volocopter to integrate DG Flugzeugbau’s aircraft production segment and its new EASA POA, according to the release.

“At DG Flugzeugbau, we have always continued to strive for perfection through unique innovation with gliders, vast aerodynamic improvements, and, for the past ten years, with Volocopter’s eVTOLs,” Holger Back, CEO of DG Aviation, said in a statement. “We see the future in these aircraft and are excited to combine a section of our company with Volocopter to invest in the future of sustainable aviation while continuing our tradition of building gliders and maintaining aircraft.”

Why it matters: Volocopter is quickly building a ecosystem of aerial mobility products and services including VoloCity, VoloConnect, VoloDrone, VoloPorts, among others. The POA award from EASA ensures the company’s technical maturity has reached a level to support mass production of its prototype and will be suited for the public in the near future. Further, the acquisition of DG Flugzeugbau will help scale its operations for success in the market for years to come.

Beta Technologies successfully accomplished a 205 mile test flight with their Alia eVTOL aircraft, marking its longest flight so far. The Alia was operating in CTOL, aka conventional takeoff and landing mode, using only three out of five battery packs. During the 2 hour flight, the Alia reached a maximum speed of 122 mph, about 70% of Beta’s target cruising commercial speed of 170 mph. The Alia reached a maximum altitude of 3,000 ft, although on previous flights it reached up to 8,000 ft. 

Beta Technologies’ Alia
Photograph: Eric Adams

The Alia has not yet undergone extensive VTOL flight, which Beta Technologies indicates will be the most energy consuming feature of the aircraft. With continued success in CTOL mode, Beta Technologies will most likely soon move on to testing in VTOL mode as well. The Vermont-based aerospace company still plans to deliver to contracted partners by the end of 2024, including UPS and Blade Urban Air Mobility. UPS has put in an order for 10 Alias with an option for 150 units in order to service its time-sensitive package deliveries currently done by small aircraft. Blade meanwhile will be using 20 Alias in their fleet as part of their passenger transportation service. 

BETA’s ALIA aircraft will be capable of flying 250 nautical miles on a single charge and carrying six people or a pilot with 1,500 pounds of cargo. It includes a novel combination of elements that create a uniquely smooth and quiet flying experience. In addition to being more than ten times quieter than a helicopter and much quieter than cars on a highway, ALIA produces absolutely zero operational emissions. The company philosophy is to reduce risk in certifying its first commercial aircraft through simplicty of design.

Beta Technologies’ Alia
Photograph: Eric Adams

Why it’s important: This success is a positive step forward for Beta Technologies, which has previously stated that the target range for the Alia was 250 nautical miles, or around 285 miles total. Although test flights for the Alia have mostly been conducted in CTOL mode so far, this flight as well as the FAA’s approval (for flights beyond Beta’s primary test facility) indicates excellent results from Beta Technologies’ hard work in the development and certification process, and a promising future for the aircraft in commercial operation. 

Related:

• BLADE Announces Deal for Operator’s Order of up to 20 BETA EVA’s
• UPS Places Order for BETA Technologies eVTOL, EIS in 2024
• Beta Technologies is Approved for Air Force Manned Flight Tests
• Beta Raises $368 Million in Funding Round Led by Amazon, Fidelity

Source // FlightAware, Beta Technologies

VoltAero’s Cassio 1 demonstrator aircraft is beginning a “Tour de France” today which intends to reaffirm the company’s commitment to developing a family of hybrid-electric airplanes for sustainable regional air transportation. Departing from France’s Atlantic seaport city of Lorient on July 5, Cassio 1 will make 10 stopovers in a flight plan that covers destinations in the country’s north, east and south, before returning to the west for its conclusion on July 11 at Rochefort. This first-ever travel circuit of its type by a hybrid-electric aircraft will involve stopovers at Tours, Le Havre, Toussus-le-Noble (in the Paris region), Troyes, Dijon, Annecy, Aix-en-Provence, Nimes and Toulouse.

Tour itinerary for VoltAero’s Cassio prototype. Image // VoltAero

The trip’s segments represent typical regional short- and medium-haul flights that can be efficiently served by hybrid-electric aircraft, bringing clean, quiet and efficient air mobility to local airports. Overall, the hybrid-electric Tour de France will cover a distance of more than 1,440 nautical miles (2,600 kilometers) for a combined flight time of approximately 28 hours. “With Cassio 1’s French tour, we are providing realistic examples of how our future family of Cassio airplanes will bring reliable and eco-friendly air service to regions that – more than ever – require such connections,” explained Jean Botti, VoltAero’s CEO and Chief Technology Officer. “Such service will have the full benefits of low-noise operations and reduced CO2 emissions that come with hybrid-electric aviation.” Supporting VoltAero during the Tour de France will be French airport and infrastructure operator Edeis, which is providing logistics assistance as the partner during this trip. Landings are to be made at eight of the 19 airports managed by Edeis in France. Guided visits of Cassio 1 and on-site briefings by VoltAero are to be performed at each destination. Attendees invited for the stopovers include elected officials, business leaders, air service providers, airport operators and other key players in transportation infrastructure. The Cassio 1 demonstrator aircraft is a flying testbed utilized by VoltAero to validate its proprietary hybrid-electric power module – which combines electric motors and an internal combustion engine. With its multiple sources of energy, the hybrid-electric power module provides highly safe and efficient operations by utilizing one source of power (electrical or mechanical) – or both – depending on the flight scenario. In a typical trip, the module’s electrical motors would be used for nearly-silent takeoffs and landings – with the internal combustion engine serving as a range extender once Cassio is airborne, and also recharging the batteries.

To date, the performance and capabilities of VoltAero’s hybrid-electric power module have been proven during more than 105 flights of the Cassio 1 demonstrator aircraft, logging 76 total flight hours. The hybrid-electric power module concept that is integrated on Cassio 1 will be used for VoltAero’s family of production airplanes. Also installed on the Cassio 1 demonstrator aircraft are two forward-mounted Safran Electrical
& Power ENGINeUSTM smart electric motors, which VoltAero is using in performance verifications as part of its flight test program.

The first production Cassio aircraft version to be built will be the four-seat Cassio 330, with a combined hybrid-electric power of 330 kilowatts. Cassio 330 deliveries are targeted for the second half of 2023, to be followed by the Cassio 480 and Cassio 600, utilizing hybrid-electric propulsion rated at 480 and 600 kilowatts, respectively. Production Cassio aircraft are to have a cruise speed of 200 knots (360 km./hr.), with an airport take-off/landing distance of less than 1,800 feet.

Why it’s important:  VoltAero’s target market for the Cassio aircraft is the short to medium haul regional carrier that will benefit from the increased efficiency of electric propulsion, combined with enhanced dispatch reliability and compatibility with changing and restricting global emission and environmental constraints toward new air travel media. The “Tour de France” for the Cassio aircraft will serve as an opportunity to further advance those goals.

The Klein Vision AirCar, which can transform from road car to aircraft in under 3 minutes, has successfully completed a 35-minute flight between two cities in Slovakia. After landing, the aircraft transitioned from flight mode to road mode and drove to the capital’s city center.

The Klein Vision AirCar Prototype in flight

The test flight covered 60 miles between Nitra to the capital of Bratislava in 35 minutes, with a cruising speed of approximately 118 mph.

This prototype, the AirCar Prototype 1, has 160 horsepower engine, but the next version will feature a 300hp engine to hit speeds of up 186 mph in cruise. Later versions will also increase from 2 seats to 4 seats. The vehicle can transform from air to road mode by folding its wings into its fuselage/frame in under 3 minutes, all at the touch of a button.

The Klein Vision AirCar in road mode, being driven by CEO Stefan Klein.

Klein Vision cites this test flight as important step toward creating the production version of the aircraft. Said CEO Stefan Klein, “This flight starts a new era of dual transportation vehicles. It opens a new category of transportation and returns the freedom originally attributed to cars back to the individual.” Co-founder Anton Zajac added, “AirCar is no longer just a proof of concept, it has turned science fiction into a reality.”

The next version of the aircraft, the pre-production model, will be EASA CS-23 aircraft certification with an M1 road permit. Watch the video of the recent test flight below:

Why it’s important: The Klein Vision AirCar represents an exciting step forward for the world of personal, roadable Aircraft. Although Klein Vision is not the first company to design and prototype a roadable aircraft, it is one of the first to complete such a notable and public test flight. Other designs include AeroMobil’s STOL, the PAL-V Liberty, the Samson SwitchBlade, and the Terrafugia transition. Of these, PAL-V and Terrafugia in particular have made significant process, with the PAL-V Liberty already obtaining road certification and the Terrafugia Transition obtaining FAA certification.

Related:

• Klein Vision’s AirCar Successfully Completes Flight Tests (October 2020)
• Pal-V Liberty Hits the Road in Europe
• Terrafugia’s Transition Receives FAA Certification

RotorX, the world’s biggest 2-seater helicopter kit manufacturer, is now turning towards designing an eVTOL that will seat up to 6 passengers, and be able to auto-rotate.

Rendering of Rotor X’s concept eVTOL in flight

While the new eVTOL concept from RotorX does utilize IDEP (integrated distributed electric propulsion), it features far less rotors than many existing eVTOL concepts in development, making the rotors larger in order to create the necessary lift. Although many eVTOL concepts utilize numerous rotors for redundancy and fine control of lift, RotorX claims its larger rotors will allow for “dramatically” more efficient hover and lower cost operations, as well as the option for auto-rotation. Jaunt Air Mobility, another increasingly successful electric air taxi company, uses the same concept in its eVTOL.

With this design, Rotor X estimates that its eVTOL would be able to seat up to 6 passengers plus 2 pilots, or up to 1600lbs of cargo, for a maximum range of 230 miles at cruise speeds of 140mph. With its larger rotor design, Rotor X claims the aircraft could hover for up to 45 minutes on a single charge if necessary.

Rotor X’s ‘RX eTransporter’ concept on the landing pad

For over 53 years, Rotor X has been the designer and manufacturer of leading helicopter kits, including its well-known 2-seater Phoenix A600 Turbo helicopter kit. Rotor X claims that it has been developing technology for this large scale eVTOL for over 10 years, with many heavy lift multi-rotor prototypes completed by partner company Advanced Tactics Inc (AT). AT’s 8-engine “Black Knight Transformer” flew in 2014, and its gross takeoff weight was in excess of 4,500 pounds.

Rotor X envisions that the RX eTransporter will be used in air taxi operations, package delivery, search and rescue, personnel recovery, and MEDEVAC operations. According to RotorX, the aircraft is expected to undergo FAA airworthiness testing as early as next year.

Watch AT’s 8 engine multi-rotor heavy lift prototype below:

Why it’s important: While Rotor X’s eVTOL design is different from that of many eVTOL air taxis in development today, the company has a long standing history of success in design and manufacturing of rotorcraft, and seems to have a clear idea of where the RX eTransporter could fit into the eVTOL market. Although designs like Vertical Aerospace’s VA-X4, Joby Aviation air taxi, or Beta Technologies’ Alia may enter the market first, Rotor X’s design presents some unique technical advantages that come with larger rotors, and so may find itself a solid spot in the diverse marketplace for vertical aircraft as it develops.

Source // News Atlas, RotorX