Jetcopter is awaiting investment funds to begin production of their new VTOL

The Lithuanian startup is looking for an initial investment of about $6 million and a total investment of $60 million to produce their six-seat VTOL aircraft, which is described as their version of a low cost alternative to medium-class rotary and fixed-wing type aircraft.

A conceptual rendering of the Jetcopter. Photo credits: Jetcopter

Founder and CEO Dontatas Skulskis said that the company is currently in talks with potential investors. “We are in talks with potential investors,” says Skulskis. “Once we have the money, we can build the aircraft quickly and start flying. The rest of the funding should follow once the programme has reached significant development milestones.”

Named after its developer, the Jetcopter VTOL will be powered by two 665shp (495kW) all-aluminium, twin-turbocharged automotive engines. These will drive a tail-mounted fan and two centrifugal counter-rotating fans; the tailed mounted fan will be used for forward flight while the pair of centrifugal fans located above the fuselage will be used to draw air into the system before blowing it out of swiveling wing-tip ducts for vertical lift. The Jetcopter also has an emergency parachute integrated in the body for “an extra layer of safety.”

The Jetcopter has a projected effective range of around 1000 km, at a top speed of 300 km/hr. There is also a hybrid-electric version in the works, with four 335shp (250kW) electric motors, powered by a lithium-ion battery pack, replacing the automotive engines during the VTOL phases of flight, according to Jetcopter.

The carbon fiber aircraft will start at prices around $600,000. It is “significantly cheaper than similar-size helicopters, fixed-wing aircraft and other in-development VTOL [designs]”, according to Skulskis.

Why it’s important: The Jetcopter presents another exciting opportunity within the urban air mobility (UAM) industry. The Jetcopter’s flight range and speed will be attractive features for many investors, as the company announced their intentions to push their aircraft into several markets, Including air ambulance, cargo and passenger transport, as well as the UAM sector.

Sources // Flight Global

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In another step forward for VTOL development, Sikorsky/Lockeed Martin has gifted $3 million to the James A. Clark School of Engineering to fund its rotorcraft lab.

“Lockheed Martin has partnered with the University of Maryland for more than seven decades, and we are proud to continue that successful relationship with this contribution supporting aerospace innovation”   
  –Lockheed Martin Chief Technology Officer Keoki Jackson

This week, Lockheed Martin made a $3 million charitable commitment to the James A Clark school of engineering to fund both vertical flight and high speed flight experiments. The Clark School of engineering has been conducting research on VTOL aircraft for multiple years. Funding from the donation will also go to high speed wind tunnels, which enable concept testing for hypersonic aircraft, and support for the university’s programs that help enable underrepresented minorities to pursue careers in STEM and aerospace.

While Sikorsky/Lockheed Martin has yet to release an eVTOL design for commercial use, the company has been investing heavily in research into autonomous flight. Specifically, development continues to grow on its patented Sikorsky MATRIX Technology, which is aimed at increasing the reliability, safety, and effectiveness of autonomous aircraft. Just last year, Sikorsky demonstrated to DARPA a modified Sikorsky S-76B helicopter with semi-autonomous capabilities.

Sikorsky’s semi-autonomous S-76B helicopter., powered by Sikorsky’s MATRIX and ALIAS (Aircrew Labor In-Cockpit Automation System) technology.

“This generous gift will empower Clark School students and faculty to remain at the forefront of innovation in aerospace technology, and to advance our commitment to a diverse and inclusive engineering community.” 
–Darryll J. Pines, Dean at the James A. Clark School of Engineering

Why it’s important:  Although Sikorsky/Lockheed Martin has not yet begun developing technologies for commercial eVTOLs, the technology being developed is heavily backed by the government, and pushes the industry of autonomous vertical flight forward. The company’s latest donation of $3 million solidifies its commitment to improving vertical flight tech and aerospace innovation.

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The EHang 216 has completed its first autonomous flight demonstration with passengers.

The EHang 216 makes its first successful flight with passengers in Jilin, China.

While EHang has completed numerous flight demonstrations with the 216 before, such as in Guangzhou, Austria, Qatar, and the Netherlands, this will be the first demonstration while carrying passengers. According to the Guangzhou-based company, the eVTOL carried passengers in autonomous flight in a controlled flight demonstration at the 2019 Northeast Asia Expo in Changchun in China’s Jilin province from August 23rd to 27th. 

“We are very excited that our AAVs are visiting more cities and being accepted and celebrated by local communities,” said Hu Huazhi, EHang’s founder, chairman, and CEO. “This is a critical step towards making our dream reality and to make urban air mobility broadly available and affordable as a safe, fast, and eco-friendly transportation alternative.”

The EHang 216 can carry a load of up to 485 lb. on flights with a range of 22 miles at 81 mph. Fully electric, the 216 is equipped with It is battery powered and equipped with 16 rotors. Earlier this year, the 216 received an unmanned aircraft system safety certificate from the China Academy of Civil Aviation Science and Technology, establishing that the 216 AAV can be safely operated within an predefined border that the company developed to prevent autonomous aircraft from operating in restricted areas. This certification is also part of the process to allow EHang to operate commercially within Guangzhou in the future.

Earlier in the year, EHang completed a successful test flight with the 216 in Vienna, Austria.

EHang and its partners have also been working with the International Civil Aviation Organization at the United Nations, the European Aviation Safety Agency, the Civil Aviation Administration of China, and other aviation regulatory organizations in North America and Europe, to help determine the logistics and regulations for the urban air mobility market.

Why it’s important: Safety is a huge factor in the potential success of the urban air mobility market, and EHang’s flight demonstration with the 216 is important to reassure potential passengers that little if any dangers exist in riding the 216. While EHang has done several successful flight demonstrations with the 216 before, in EHang’s headquarters in Guangzhou, as well as in Lianyungang, Luzhi, Taizhou, Yantai, and Shenyang, this will be the first flight where EHang allowed passengers onboard, marking a huge milestone and success for the Chinese company going into the future of urban air mobility. 

Sources // Yahoo Finance

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The 2-seat XP2 eVTOL has entered the manufacturing phase

NeoXcraft, the eVTOL aircraft designed and developed by UK-Vehicle Redesign, has entered the manufacturing phase with a target first flight date in 2020. Vehicle Redesign in based in Derby, UK and is building multiple proof of concept aircraft (half and quarter scale models) to validate the expected performance of the company’s designs.

At Farnborough’s Global Urban Air Summit on September 4th, Michael Smith (co-Founder of Vehicle Redesign) spoke to the companies progress and identified an entry to service date sometime within the next three years, potentially as early as 2022. Vehicle Redesign focused on utilizing advanced materials (graphene carbon fiber according to Smith) that, when combined with eight 30kW electric drive brushless motors (EDBM’s) provides for ample power to carry the aircraft over a suitable distance.

The XP2 could transport VVIP clients from vertiports on buildings in urban centers or from yachts such as these. Source // Vehicle Redesign

According to Vehicle Redesign, the vehicle is expected to fly for 50 minutes at a top speed of 135knots, equating to a range of 125nm accounting for reserves. Vehicle Redesign has obtained funding from a German family and a Japanese consortium, along with a £500,000 investment from private investors, will be seeking Series B funding sometime in 2020, and has provisionally listed its air taxi for $2.4 million USD. A ballistic recovery parachute system, similar to BRS Aerospace’s designs, will most likely be employed on the aircraft to enhance safety.

Related: Flying Car Parachutes? BRS Aerospace is Working on It

Initially, the XP2 would be used for VVIP transport operations in select global locales, and could possibly expand beyond just VVIP transport operations to larger scale commercial implementation depending on the progress of development and the realization of the market.

XP2’s development in the European market will be an exciting progress map to follow, as EASA’s special conditions for certification of eVTOL aircraft will guide certification differently than the process that many North American startups and large OEM’s will adhere to on their respective paths to entry into service.

Why it’s important: Manufacturing of the XP2 marks an important milestone for Vehicle Redesign, as the company continue to solidify their positioning within the UAM industry as a serious contender with a substantial amount of interest from private clients. However, XP2’s current marketing brand is targeted largely towards VVIP customers, and less toward general commercial operations, which is a deviation from many other companies developing eVTOL aircraft that may prove to be substantial value added for Vehicle Redesign.

Source // FlightGlobal