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Bristow Group is one of the world’s leading operators of helicopters provided for government and civil organizations worldwide, oil and gas customers needing offshore transportation, and search and rescue aircraft support. Its current fleet includes approximately 240 of the helicopter industry’s most modern aircraft, providing services in areas like Africa, the Americas, Australia, and several countries in Europe.

The Vertical Aerospace VA-X4 (Left) and EmbraerX’s Eve eVTOL (right) featured with Bristow’s signature branding.

Both Vertical Aerospace and EmbraerX have started to see more and more traction within the last year. After unveiling the VA-X4, Vertical Aerospace went public with a $2.2bn merger and formed partnerships with American Airlines, Virgin Atlantic, and Avalan. Meanwhile, EmbraerX’s Eve division with Ascent Air Mobility for operations in the Asia-Pacific Region, and with popular urban air mobility provider BLADE Urban Air Mobility in the U.S, which currently provides urban transportation using helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft.

Now, both companies have added yet another massive pre-order set and key partner to their growing lists. Bristow Group represents a major segment of vertical air transportation the world over. Bristow has signed an MoU with Vertical Aerospace for up to 50 eVTOL aircraft, and will not only purchase these aircraft from Vertical once available, but also will also aid Vertical with regulatory certification, infrastructure, and environmental requirements for the VA-X4. With EmbraerX, Bristow placed an order for up to 100 eVTOL aircraft, and will assist Embraer with operations development, vertiport design, regulatory development, and even autonomous operations development. According to Bristol, it will use both Vertical and EmbraerX’s new aircraft to expand into new markets for the company, including a focus on commercial air taxi flight operations.

Example of Bristow’s current large helicopter fleet

Said Bristow President and Chief Executive Officer Chris Bradshaw, “Our MOU with Vertical allows us to build upon our leadership position in the vertical transportation market for the past 70+ years and now sets the stage for the disruptive advantages of the VA-X4 with its zero carbon emissions and low operating costs for passenger transport. Our expansion into these new and existing geographic markets with sustainable, innovative and efficient vertical lift and aerial transport services will offer passengers superior regional air mobility solutions” (September 21st, 2021).

He added, “The strategic MOU (with Eve) outlines the continued development of a comprehensive UAM model between Bristow and Eve for an eVTOL that could potentially reshape the market for all electric vertical lift with zero-emissions and lower operating costs. This allows us to expand our expertise to provide sustainable, innovative and efficient vertical lift into new potential end markets” (September 23rd, 2021)

Why it’s important: With this move, Bristow is signaling its intention to transition from traditional helicopters to all-electric eVTOLs. It has demonstrated this commitment by not only placing orders, but also by partnering with Vertical and Embraer for infrastructure and regulatory development. In addition, with this move, the company is announcing its plans to expand from its current operations into the commercial eVTOL air taxi market, thus marking itself as another key company in the playing field of eVTOL air taxi operators.

Source // Bristow Group

Related:

• Vertical Aerospace to go Public with a $2.2b Merger
• Ascent Partners with Embraer for 100 Eve eVTOLs
• EmbraerX’s Eve to Provide BLADE with up to 60 eVTOL Aircraft

With a different kind of air response multicopter, Atlanta-based drone manufacturer Sonin Hybrid has unveiled a UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) designed to be used by medical first responders. While many eVTOL companies have been announcing manned aircraft that can act as medical emergency response vehicles, Sonin-Hybrids UAV represents one of the first non-manned solutions, which has its own set of advantages.

“Well before the onset of the pandemic, we decided that police and firefighters needed this technology the most, and immediately set out to build the Recruit.” – Curtis Foster, Founder of Sonin Hybrid

Sonin Hybrid’s ‘Recruit’ can fly for more than three hours, and can reach speeds up to 140 miles per hour, 3 times faster than most commercial drones currently available. There are already smaller drones in use by police, firefighters, and government officials, but these are limited by their slower speeds and smaller battery capacities. A vehicle like the Recruit could make longer range missions possible.

Unlike its smaller cousins, the Recruit makes extended missions possible by using a patent-pending hybrid system that uses both a small gasoline-powered generator and a large lithium-ion battery. Sonin Hybrid also credits the aircraft’s extended range capabilities to its ultra-leightweight carbon fiber body. Said Curtis Foster, Founder of Sonin Hybrid, “While we were in the process of finalizing the design of our hybrid power system for drones, we realized that we could get the most range by designing our own airframe. There were plenty of commercial drones out there, but very few were specifically manufactured for first responders.”

Sonin-Hybrid’s UAV can also be used for long-range police missions.

Currently, the company is in the process of launching beta programs with several police and fire departments across the U.S.

Why it’s important: Sonin-Hybrid’s UAV represents a unique market segment in aerial mobility. It is one of the only unmanned aircraft on the market that features a hybrid power system, meaning that, although larger than many battery-powered drones, this aircraft can stay aloft for hours at a time. When combined with powerful cameras, this technology could make an immense difference when saving lives during natural disasters or medical emergencies, and could also be used for surveying, security, and a wide range of other applications.

Source // Interesting Engineering, Sonin Hybrid

Earlier this week, Airbus announced its latest iteration of its CityAirbus eVTOL aircraft, CityAirbus NextGen. The next generation prototype is the product of several years of development and incorporates lessons learned from the company’s earlier prototypes, including Vahana and CityAirbus.

“We are on a quest to co-create an entirely new market that sustainably integrates urban air mobility into cities while addressing environmental and social concerns,” said Bruno Even, Airbus Helicopters CEO, in a statement. “Airbus is convinced that the real challenges are as much about urban integration, public acceptance, and automated air traffic management, as about vehicle technology and business models. We build on all of the capabilities to deliver a safe, sustainable, and fully integrated service to society.”

The prototype features a fixed wing and a V-tail stabilizer with 8 electrical propellers. CityAirbus NextGen will have a capacity of four passengers.

“This is our fully electric four-seater,” Joerg P. Mueller, head of urban air mobility at Airbus, said during the summit. “It’s designed to the highest certification standards, in this case, its EASA SC-VTOL, and this is our answer to the urban mobility market that we see out there.”

Unlike other OEM’s, CityAirbus NextGen’s wing does not tilt, reducing design and maintenance complexity. A key design parameter for Airbus in designing NextGen was its noise footprint. CityAirbus NextGen will emit at most 70 decibels while landing and 65 while in cruise flight, which is comparable to the noise level emitted by a household vacuum cleaner.

“Noise is fundamental for such a design,” Mueller said. “We have run a number of test benches where we have set up propellers of different shapes and plate numbers, and we’ve optimized the design in that way. We have even overflown an urban area, have measured the propagation of sound in this city, and the effect it has on people on the ground, together with partners that allows us as well to see in which sense we need to optimize in such a vehicle.”

Airbus plans to fly a prototype of the CityAirbus NextGen by 2023, and predicts certification by 2025.

Why it matters: Airbus has made sustainability and aerial mobility a key vertical within its larger aerospace business. This latest prototype is the result of years of research, flight testing, and market surveys for winning configurations, resulting in a design with heightened maintainability and simplicity for operators. If the NextGen is certified by 2025, it could become a major competitor in the aerial mobility space.

Iris Automation announced last week that Doosan Mobility Innovation (DMI) is now a partner to work on the integration of its Casia detect and avoid (DAA) system with DMI’s family of hydrogen powered systems and drones. The joint solution will enable DMI’s clients to operate safer advanced missions like beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) and accelerates the Korean manufacturer’s entrance into the US market.

Iris Automation’s Casia allows unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) to see and react to the aviation environment around the aircraft. Casia detects other aircraft using computer-vision algorithms to classify them, makes intelligent decisions about the threat they may pose to the drone and then triggers an alert to execute maneuvers to safely avoid collisions. This same technology could also be applied to eVTOL aircraft in the future.

With its leading hydrogen-powered fuel cell technology, DMI commercial UAVs are BVLOS-capable and well suited for long endurance flight applications. Drone operations are both eco-friendly and sustainable when powered by hydrogen, as opposed to petroleum.

DMI will provide US customers with the option of Casia integrated with its drones or as a combined purchase with their stand -alone powered systems. The two companies will also collaborate on professional services to advance compliance with emerging US aircraft regulatory requirements.

Lori DeMatteis, vice president of sales & marketing at Iris Automation, stated “This partnership opens a new pathway for enterprise operators to evolve their operations from traditional platforms to sustainable and safety-focused BVLOS UAS systems that deliver real business outcomes today, while protecting their environmental and accident safety reputation.”

Why it’s important: See and avoid technology (also called detect and avoid technology) allows for greater situational awareness in both crewed and uncrewed aircraft, and this latest partnership between Iris and Doosan will allow for increased exposure of DAA technologies in operationally sensitive environments, and will add robustness to the system for any future applications to eVTOL designs in the future. What’s more, this technology will also allow more beyond visual line of sight operations of UAV’s, which is the same operational specification for the eventual aerial mobility target of widespread, BVLOS, autonomous operation of eVTOL aircraft.

Archer Aviation has now become the third air taxi company to be listed publicly since August 2021 after successfully completing a merger with Atlas Crest Investment Corp, a SPAC. Archer now can be found in the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol ACHR. According to Brett Adcock, co-founder and co-CEO of Archer, “Completing our go-public transaction and having Archer trade on the New York Stock Exchange is a huge milestone for our business. This is the culmination of a lot of hard work by the great team we have at Archer, but it is also the beginning of the next phase of our development and growth.”

The merger between Atlas Crest and Archer is expected to generate $857.6 million in gross proceeds, including $600 million from a private investment in public equity (PIPE) deal. According to Adam Goldstein, co-founder and co-CEO of Archer, “We are working to build an urban air mobility network that can change the way people travel in and around cities forever. We believe we have the team, the technology and the strategic partners to make our vision a reality.”

Archer Aviation’s Maker eVTOL. Photograph: Archer Aviation

“We are pleased to have reached this important milestone in closing our transaction with Archer,” said Michael Spellacy, CEO of Atlas Crest, in a statement. “With the proceeds from this transaction, Archer is entering the public markets from a position of financial and competitive strength to accomplish their mission of revolutionizing the future of urban transportation.”

Archer Aviation currently has a two-seat demonstrator of their planned eVTOL aircraft, called the Maker, which is expected to begin flight testing by the end of 2021. The aircraft features a range of 52 nautical miles (60 statute miles) and a cruise speed of 130 knots (150 mph), with a total weight of 1,508 kg (3,335 lbs). The eVTOL’s noise level is said to be 45 dBA, which Archer describes as “inaudible while flying overhead.” Its electric motors will be powered by six independent lithium-ion battery packs with a total capacity of 75 kWh and maximum power of 672 kw.

Archer Aviation’s Maker eVTOL. Photograph: Archer Aviation

Why it’s important: Archer Aviation is now the third air taxi developer to start public trading since August—the second just this week—after successfully completing this merger. “We founded Archer to address the environmental and societal issues caused by road transportation and urban overloading,” said Goldstein. “Through our all-electric aircraft, we are striving to curb carbon emissions, decrease traffic, and create the transportation networks of the future.”

Source // Flying Mag

After beginning to develop their urban vertiport concept in collaboration with Volocopter in 2018, the UK-based architecture firm Small has grown its initiative into Urban Airport Ltd, which has now partnered with Hyundai to bring 65 of their urban vertiport-hubs to 65 locations worldwide.

Concept of Urban-Air Port’s compact urban vertiport, built to increase seamless transitions between eVTOL trips and ground-based ridesharing. This concept images features Hyundai’s eVTOL concept on its landing pad.

Over the past year, Urban-Air Port has steadily increasing its involvement with Hyundai, the auto-maker whose plans for urban aerial mobility are certain and soon to be forth-coming. Urban Airport originally announced its partnership with Hyundai in August of 2020, and as Hyundai’s plans for global urban aerial mobility have grown, the two have intensified their partnership. In January of these year, the two announced definite plans to construct a vertiport in the U.K; and this latest announcement  officializes plans to build 65 of those Vertiports across the globe.

The Urban-Air Port features a very unique design in that it is both compact and modular, making it “the smallest airport in the world”, with options for retail spaces and wholly integrated parking spaces for rideshare vehicles that will transport passengers to their final destinations.

Potential for a retail or lobby waiting space for passengers traveling by eVTOL. Looking out the window, one of Hyundai’s eVTOL concepts can be seen on the launch pad ready to raised for launch.

Said Ricky Sandhu, founder and executive chairman of Urban-Air Port, “We know that a future with electric flying vehicles and drones in cities is going to be a reality soon, but it can’t happen if we don’t have the infrastructure on the ground and in the air to make it happen. Urban-Air Port will change the way we travel forever – unlocking clean urban air transport for everyone, improving connectivity in congested cities, cutting pollution, and boosting productivity.”

Why it’s important: Urban-Air port’s vertiport is particularly significant due to its modularity, size, and ease of assembly. The unit itself can be assembled and disassembled with relative convenience, making it easy to create or change locations per shifting/growing demand. It’s also particularly compact, meaning it could fit many different options of flat spaces. Overall, the design of the Urban-Airport should be cost-effective to build, and doesn’t make too much of an infrastructure footprint, together meaning that a great number of these vertiports could be built throughout a single city.

Related:

• Hyundai Partners Reveals Air Taxi Concept (January 2020)
• Hyundai is Committed to Transporting Passengers via Flying Car (June 2021)
• UK Architecture Firm Unveils Vertiport Design (November 2018)
• Hyundai Further Invests in Aerial Mobility Infrastructure, Partners with Urban-Air Port Ltd (August 2020)

Source // Urban Air-Port, DroneDj

Another giant in aerial mobility has gone public this week; Lilium has announced that it has completed its business combination with Qell Acquisition Corp, a publicly listed special purpose acquisition company (SPAC). The transaction was approved by Qell’s shareholders on September 10, 2021, during a Special Meeting in which more than 98% of the votes cast were in favor of the business combination. As of September 15, 2021, Lilium’s Class A ordinary shares and redeemable warrants will trade on the Nasdaq under the symbols “LILM” and “LILMW”, respectively.

“In 2015 with the clear vision that the decarbonization of aviation is inevitable, we set out to build a team and product that would radically transform the way the world moves. Six years and five generations of technology demonstrator aircraft later, we’re closer than ever to this goal. Today’s milestone will bring us even closer to launching our service in 2024 and making sustainable, high-speed regional air travel a reality to communities around the world,” said Daniel Wiegand, Co-Founder and CEO of Lilium.

As a result of the business combination, Lilium will receive approximately $584 million of gross proceeds, prior to transaction expenses, including from funds managed by leading strategic and long-term financial investors including Atomico, Baillie Gifford, LGT and its affiliate impact investing platform Lightrock, funds and accounts managed by BlackRock, Tencent, Ferrovial, Palantir, Honeywell, FII Institute and private funds affiliated with PIMCO. Net cash from the transaction will be used to fund the commercial launch of Lilium’s 7-Seater Jet. Lilium’s existing shareholders will roll 100% of their shares into the combined company.

“We see Lilium as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that will be at the forefront of a whole new industry. Lilium has the capacity to revolutionize regional travel, saving people hours so they can quickly travel from city to city. Using its 7-Seater Lilium Jet, Lilium’s regional shuttle service should enable sustainable, high-speed transportation. Qell is proud to bring this exciting company to the public markets,” said Barry Engle, CEO and Co-Founder of Qell.

Why it matters: With this SPAC acquisition, Lilium has positioned itself on the public market and adds to its leadership the likes of Thomas Enders and David Neeleman. Lilium has over 700 employees across Europe and is making continual progress towards EASA certification and entry into commercial service.

Source: Lilium Press Release

As previously announced, Paragon is also part of Siemens’ new Aerospace Startup Program, wherein the company is providing an integrated set of software solutions for Paragon VTOL Aerospace to design, test, produce, and monitor both current and future drone designs. With this partnership, Paragon intends to reduce both time and cost for their product development process, and more quickly bring their products to market.

Why it’s important: As highlighted by Siemens Director of Aerospace & Defense Bobby Blackmon, “the aerospace industry is changing rapidly… companies like Paragon are bringing new, emerging technology to market and changing the way we view the world.” The VTOL manufacturer is well-poised to provide both industrial and passenger services in the not-so-distant future given its partnership with a leading software company and a specialty in providing industry-specific drone hardware which could be used for security, law enforcement, or general transportation.

Becker Avionics and commercial drone safety innovator, Iris Automation announced on September 8th that they have entered into a strategic partnership to increase the situational awareness of general aviation pilots and advance uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) safety. The two companies will jointly develop a non-required safety enhancing equipment system to detect and warn pilots of nearby, potentially threatening aircraft.

The Iris Automation and Becker Avionics collision avoidance safety system will use computer vision and machine learning to “see” when another aircraft is approaching from outside the pilot’s field of view, and poses a risk to the equipped aircraft, issuing 3D audio warnings. The solution will combine Iris Automation’s patented Casia detect and alert technology with Becker Avionics’ communication and navigation equipment expertise for both crewed and uncrewed airborne applications.

Many aircraft are equipped with radio-based signalling technology (ADS-B) to avoid mid-air collisions. But in some airspace, traditional ADS-B signals are not available, increasing the workload on a pilot to monitor for incoming aircraft. Iris Automation cites research from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, 1450 near mid-air collisions were reported from 2016-2020. Eighty-two percent of mid-air collisions occur from the rear, states the AOPA Air Safety Foundation (ASF). This risk is especially acute for the $48B helicopter market, with over 38,000 aircraft in service worldwide.

Jon Damush, CEO of Iris Automation, commented “This relationship is a pivotal move for Iris Automation as it defines and accelerates our work in the general aviation space. Our core mission is to improve air safety by avoiding collisions and this extension of our technology is a natural evolution. We are excited to be able to work with one of the most storied brands in the industry to deliver this important innovation.”

The Iris Automation/Becker Avionics opto-electric/audio system will monitor airspace in visual flight conditions independently, onboard the pilot’s aircraft, even if ADS-B or TCAS signals may be unavailable. It supplements pilots’ situational awareness, whether in the cockpit or remote, during instrument scans or other parts of the airspace. By providing warnings in time to take appropriate actions to avoid potential collisions, the system is designed to improve safety with minimal impact on pilot workload.

Why it’s important: The Casia detect and alert technology, paired with Becker’s avionics know-how, will allow for eVTOL upstarts, drone operators, or small experimental aircraft builders to apply this package to their aircraft to increase safety and provide collision avoidance out of the box. While some eVTOL aircraft and aerial mobility systems rely on integrated technology for DAA, or the pilot in the loop to avoid traffic conflicts, this technology could be used by smaller companies or those looking to outsource in early stages to bolster the comprehensive nature of their designs.

Samad Aerospace continues to display progress of their E-Starling eVTOL aircraft, with its VTOL operations now having been announced to be fully functional. As of now, Samad’s development has been centered around their half-scale prototypes of the E-Starling, which has undergone various flight testing. While conventional flight was displayed back in March 2021, Samad Aerospace’s development has taken another step forward, showing footage of the E-Starling’s now fully functioning front and rear lift fans for VTOL flight. 

The flight tests included evaluations on aircraft flight dynamics, performance as well as handling qualities. As the e-Starling adopts a semi blended wing body (BWB) design, it requires a low angle for take-off; it is important to understand when the aircraft is capable of taking-off and at which speed.

Dr. Seyed Mohseni, CEO of Samad Aerospace, commented that “The Q-Starling will give owners the ultimate luxury in personal hybrid-electric flying. The efficient sustainable Q-Starling will give passengers unparalleled point-to-point mobility options.” The company categorized the Q-Starling as “a clever mix of fighter jet and VTOL allowing you to fly from a tennis court or super-yacht helipad to an event 500 miles away in under 2 hours.”

Production of the aircraft All materials used in the aircraft are made of ultra-light carbon fiber giving a higher performance capability and enabling semi-aerobatic maneuvers due to the increased strength of the composite material and design.

Samad Aerospace’s E-Starling

Why it’s important: Samad’s Starling project has potential to result in commercializing the world’s first e-VTOL hybrid aircraft. The company’s CEO, Dr Seyed Mohammad Mohseni, praised his team’s resilience attributing this latest success to their, “striking and unparalleled dedication during unprecedented times.” Samad’s Chief Production Officer explains, “We believe passionately in our proven technology, Covid-19 threw a few challenges our way, but this passion fuels our determination, securing this success.” 

Source // New Atlas

Skycharge, an organization founded by Green Motion and electric aircraft maker Pipistrel, has just become the world’s first OEM-independent electric airplane charger to be approved by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).

Pipistrel’s all-electric ‘Velis Electro’ aircraft using a Skycharge charge port to fill its batteries

Pipistrel and Green Motion officially began their partnership last year, when they announced that they would collaborate to create a charging system infrastructure for electric aircraft. At the time, they explained that their new charging endeavor would create a “universal, future-proof, environmentally friendly, ‘turnkey’” charging technology for electric airplanes, in accordance with local regulations.

Now, the the two companies have continued to make good on their commitment by becoming the world’s first OEM independent company to make an aircraft charger that is approved by EASA. The Skycharge unit is built on Eaton’s proprietary DC charging technology, bringing unrivalled conversion efficiency (higher than 96%), footprint, and power density charging infrastructure to electric planes and eventually eVTOL aircraft. The charger is available either as a fixed version on a stand or with wheels for mobility. The mobile version can charge both electric planes as well as electric cars using various adapters. The unit can even be easily be connected to existing CEE sockets, reducing installation costs and complications.

François Randin, Founder and CEO of Green Motion, which is now part of Eaton, said: “Skycharge is the result of the partnership between Pipistrel and Green Motion – two companies with revolutionary ideas and cutting-edge solutions. By putting our world-class engineering teams together to shape and define the future of electric planes, we seek to deliver the best flying experience and significantly reduce the cost of flying, as well as air and noise pollution.”

Why it Matters: Skycharge’s Electric airplane charger solution has exciting potential for all electric vehicles of the future, both aerial and ground-based. Unlike many existing electric vehicle chargers, the Skycharge unit can be mobile, and is adaptable to any CEE socket, meaning its infrastructure is flexible to be reconfigured or put in nearly any location as necessary. In addition, the unit is designed to be able to charge both multiple types of electric aircraft (including eVTOLs) as well as electric ground vehicles. The universal compatibility of the Sky Charge unit may enable a future where eVTOL vertiports can also serve as charging units for electric ground vehicles, furthering the seamless world of combined electric aerial and ground mobility that many eVTOL companies, like Joby, envision.

Archer announced on September 7th that the G-1 Issue Paper it had previously submitted to the FAA, which establishes the airworthiness and environmental requirements necessary to achieve FAA Type Certification has been approved and signed, enabling Archer to move further down the runway towards its goal of obtaining an FAA Type Certification for its eVTOL aircraft.

The G-1 Certification Basis is based on the FAA’s certification standards contained in 14 C.F.R. Part 23. With Part 23 as the foundation, the G-1 Certification Basis sets forth the specific Airworthiness Standards and Environmental Standards required for FAA Type Certification. With these requirements now established, Archer can focus on finalizing its G-2 Issue Paper with the FAA, which will set forth the means of compliance to meet the requirements set forth in the G-1 Issue Paper. Archer has been working on the means of compliance for the G-2 Issue Paper with the FAA since earlier this year, as well as the necessary testing and methods required to demonstrate safety and compliance of our aircraft.

The Maker eVTOL. Image // Archer Aviation

According to the company’s press release, Archer has focused on ensuring that its design, engineering and business decisions align with what it believes is necessary to design and develop an aircraft that meets the FAA’s rigorous safety standards and achieve FAA Type Certification as soon as possible. Today’s achievement results from a collaborative relationship Archer has established with the FAA, led by Archer’s Head of Certification, Eric Wright, an accomplished aviation professional with a decades-long history of designing and obtaining FAA Type Certificates for aircraft.

“We’re certainly proud to have hit this historic milestone for Archer. Obtaining the G-1 Certification Basis is a significant step forward towards Archer’s and the eVTOL industry’s goal of changing how people will move around urban environments,” said Archer’s Head of Certification Eric Wright. “This is an exciting time to be a part of the aviation industry as we work to electrify the skies, and we look forward to continuing to partner with the FAA on revolutionizing aircraft transportation.”

“Our team is pragmatic and realistic about the steps towards launching our urban air mobility network. The aircraft is just one part of the business Archer is building, and we will never lose sight of that final goal,” said Adam Goldstein, co-founder and co-CEO of Archer.

Why it’s important: The approval of this certification basis by the FAA is another example of usage of existing Part 23 guidance in the vein of certification of electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft. While EASA’s special issuance paper contains approved methods for compliance, the FAA adopted a slightly different approach toward certification requirements, instead maintaining regulations already in existence to account for the certification of a new “type” of aircraft (though the term “type” is not used colloquially as in aviation when referred to the configuration of an airplane). Continue to monitor Archer’s progress towards the G2 Issue paper in coming months.

Source // Archer Press Release

Joby’s electric air taxi, which has recently swept the market through multiple large fundraising rounds, a successful IPO, and an acquisition of Uber Elevate amongst others, has now announced that they have become the first company to fly an all-electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft as part of NASA’s Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) National Campaign.

Joby’s full-scale, all-electric prototype preparing for flight above the company’s Electric Flight Base in California.

The NASA Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) National Campaign, which began as the ‘UAM Grand Challenge‘ was designed a few years ago to challenge the top growing companies in vertical urban flight through tests in performance that could set standards for the emerging industry as a whole.

Recently, Joby became the first company to actually fly its aircraft as part of the challenge, which is also designed to establish public confidence in these electric aircraft by putting them through multiple flight test scenarios. As part of the two-week test campaign at Joby’s Electric Flight Base near Big Sur, California, NASA and Joby will join forces to study the acoustic signature of the all-electric Joby aircraft, which the company intends to operate as part of a commercial passenger service beginning in 2024.

In the coming tests, NASA engineers will deploy their Mobile Acoustics Facility and more than 50 pressure ground-plate microphones in a grid array that allows for multi-directional measurement of the Joby aircraft’s sound emissions. Using this data, NASA and Joby will generate noise hemispheres for the aircraft that capture the intensity and the character of the sound emitted in comparison to helicopters, drones, and other aircraft. These readings, in combination with the noise profile of urban communities, can be used to verify how well proposed aircraft operations would blend into existing background noise.

Said Davis Hackenberg, NASA AAM mission integration manager, “NASA is proud to continue our relationship with Joby by gathering highly valuable aircraft safety and noise data that will contribute towards an aviation future that includes Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) operations. Data from industry leaders like Joby is critical for NASA’s research activities and future standardization of emerging aircraft configurations.”

Said JoeBen Bevirt, Founder and CEO of Joby Aviation, “From day one, we prioritized building an aircraft that not only has an extremely low noise profile, but blends seamlessly into the natural environment. We have always believed that a minimal acoustic footprint is key to making aviation a convenient part of everyday movement without compromising quality of life, and we’re excited to fly with NASA, our long-time partners in electric flight, to demonstrate the acoustic profile of our aircraft.”

Why it’s important: The beginning of flight tests signals that NASA’s Advanced Air Mobility campaign is moving forward as planned several years ago. Along the way, NASA has worked closely with Joby and other eVTOL companies to prepare them for these tests. Joby has already designed its aircraft with ultra-low noise emissions, and through the campaign’s flight tests, the company will get a chance to officialize and publicize the degree to which their electric air taxis can blend into urban background noise.

HyPoint and Piasecki Aircraft have agreed to partner for the development of a hydrogen fuel cell system for eVTOL aircraft, which could provide four times the energy density of existing batteries, twice the power of existing hydrogen fuel cell systems, and a 50% reduction in operating costs. According to Alex Ivanenko, founder and CEO of HyPoint, “The much-anticipated arrival of eVTOLs and similar aircraft has been severely hindered by the technical limitations of existing power systems. This new strategic partnership will dramatically accelerate delivery timelines by equipping eVTOL manufacturers with next-generation hydrogen fuel cell systems that meet their unique needs. Together, HyPoint and Piasecki will work to grow the emerging eVTOL market by delivering a certified multiplatform solution for eVTOL makers. In addition, we share a common vision for making safe, cost-effective zero carbon-emission flight a reality for conscientious businesses and consumers around the world.”

Piasecki’s eVTOL PA-890 Compound Helicopter.
Photograph: Piasecki

The partnership, valued at $6.5 million USD, will first focus on the development of five 650kW hydrogen fuel cell systems for integration in Piasecki’s eVTOL PA-890 Compound Helicopter. Piasecki will retain exclusive rights to the hydrogen fuel cell systems in the PA-890, but both companies look to develop new customizable systems for purchase that could be used in other eVTOL aircraft platforms. According to HyPoint, the fuel cell systems, which use compressed air for cooling and oxygen supply, will be able to achieve 2,000 watts per kilogram of specific power, and have up to 1,500 watt-hours per kilogram of energy density. 

“We are laser-focused on the development and qualification of a 650kW system for our PA-890 eVTOL Compound Helicopter, which would be the world’s first manned hydrogen-powered helicopter. Success will pave the way for collaboration with other eVTOL OEMs with different platform sizes to ensure broad application of this technology,” said John Piasecki, president and CEO of Piasecki, “Initial lab testing funded by Piasecki last winter demonstrated the technical viability of HyPoint’s hydrogen fuel cell system. While we are benchmarking HyPoint’s technology against alternatives and continue to rigorously test and validate findings, we are very optimistic. Our objective is to develop full-scale systems within two years to support on-aircraft certification testing in 2024 and fulfill existing customer orders for up to 325 units starting in 2025.”

Another probable eVTOL to use this technology could be Urban Aeronautics’ CityHawk. HyPoint and Urban Aeronautics reached an agreement to integrate hydrogen fuel cells into the CityHawk on June 2020.
Photograph: Urban Aeronautics

Why it’s important: HyPoint and Piasecki’s partnership aims to bring an energy solution to vertical aircraft other than rechargeable lithium-ion batteries. The development of hydrogen-based energy could be lucrative, considering that hydrogen fuel cell systems could outperform current lithium-ion battery technology in range through improving energy density by weight. While many eVTOL platforms will still use on lithium-ion solutions, others may adopt hydrogen-powered configurations where it makes the most sense for their various designs and missions. 

Source // Aviation Today