Month: June 2019
Paris Aims to Offer Flying Taxis at 2024 Olympics
Aeroports de Paris (ADP), Airbus and the RATP regional transport are working together to provide visitors to the 2024 Paris Olympics with vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) taxis straight from the airport to tournament sites. The infrastructural planning and development involved in hosting the Olympic Games is a highly challenging logistical effort. Countries are often pressed to expand and spend money...

Paris Aims to Offer Flying Taxis at 2024 Olympics

Aeroports de Paris (ADP), Airbus and the RATP regional transport are working together to provide visitors to the 2024 Paris Olympics with vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) taxis straight from the airport to tournament sites.
The infrastructural planning and development involved in hosting the Olympic Games is a highly challenging logistical effort. Countries are often pressed to expand and spend money on building infrastructure that will cost more money than the Games will generate, and that often are underutilized in the years after the 16-day event has concluded. In the words of Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury, it is time that Paris taps in to “the third dimension” for providing transportation to the various events in the urban areas of Paris.
Currently, to get to the city center, visitors arriving at Charles de Gaulle International Airport have to take a costly taxi, a 35-minute train, or a bus that could take up to 90 minutes. Further, the new express train designed to cut congestion and travel time between Charles de Gaulle airport and the city centre has been delayed to 2025, after the Games will take place. This instead could be an opportunistic time to showcase French savoir-faire in urban air mobility.

Read more about the CityAirbus, one of the prototypes for the Paris 2024 Olympics
Airbus is working with Aeroports de Paris and the Paris Transport Authority to fly their regional air taxis from Charles de Gaulle to an undecided “vertiport” location in the region around Paris. However, to minimize initial infrastructural development and financial burden, an existing helicopter corridor will be used to test the transportation system. Currently, Airbus has a one-seater eVTOL, the Vahana, and a four-seater, the CityAirbus; Faury explained that “the two projects will converge towards a vehicle that will respond to first cases of use.” The service ultimately has a goal to deploy one vehicle every six minutes from Charles de Gaulle International Airport.
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Read more about the Vahana, another proposed prototype for the Paris 2024 Games
Why it’s important: France’s transport minister, Elisabeth Borne, recognizes the challenges with integrating a new form of flying transportation at this scale, but also sees it as an important step toward “the emergence of a complete transport offering.” If successful, this effort would serve as a strong validation and proof-of-concept for urban air mobility and could jumpstart many more applications of VTOL technology across the globe.
Sources // Phys.org; CNNtravel
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GKN Fokker Signs MoU With PAL-V to Assist Launch of Liberty
At the Paris Air Show, held on June 17-23, fellow Dutch firm GKN Fokker signed a MoU with PAL-V to assist with the design, certification, engineering and production of current and future versions of PAL-V’s flying car, the Liberty. The MoU with GKN Fokker will both accelerate testing and production of the Liberty, as well as provide PAL-V with the...

GKN Fokker Signs MoU With PAL-V to Assist Launch of Liberty

At the Paris Air Show, held on June 17-23, fellow Dutch firm GKN Fokker signed a MoU with PAL-V to assist with the design, certification, engineering and production of current and future versions of PAL-V’s flying car, the Liberty.
The MoU with GKN Fokker will both accelerate testing and production of the Liberty, as well as provide PAL-V with the backing of a larger, established aerospace company, which will be beneficial for competing with other companies in the UAM industry.
The Liberty is currently undergoing compliance demonstration, the final stage for certification, at the company’s headquarters in Raamsdonksveer, which is expected to finish sometime in late 2020 – early 2021.

“GKN Fokker’s assistance strengthens our business with the capabilities and technologies of a world leader in the aviation industry,” said Robert Dingemanse, founder and CEO of PAL-V. “It’s fantastic that GKN Fokker will assist us in the finalisation of the PAL-V Liberty: the production and final certification.”
GKN plans on staying heavily involved with the Liberty even after initial production and manufacturing. One of the possible areas to explore is the possibility of producing specialized versions of the Liberty at a GKN Fokker site, aimed towards specific industries such as first response, police, and military. The added security and data provided by GKN Fokker’s production facilities are an important factor for such an undertaking. According to Robert Dingemanse, founder and CEO of PAL-V, “this is important as the interest from professional customers is growing rapidly.”

“Pal-V is an exciting company in the growing personal flying mobility market,” said Adriaan Leyte, vice president of new business development at GKN Fokker. “We are happy to support them in taking the next step. This innovative product can help the aviation industry in moving to the next chapter of personal flying mobility. As GKN Fokker, we want to assist them in their growth.”
Why it’s important: The MoU between GKN Fokker and PAL-V firmly establishes the latter as one of the stronger competitors in the UAM market. The Liberty, scheduled to be one of the first, if not the first, flying cars to be released for private purchase, will be the first taste of a true flying car experienced by the public. While included with a hefty price tag, the success of the Liberty could mean that future versions may end up no more expensive than a regular car.
Sources // Flight Global
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Leonardo’s Next-Gen Civil Tiltrotor To Be Powered by GE
Italian aerospace company Leonardo S.p.A. have been in the middle of developing their new helicopter/fixed-wing hybrid vehicle, the Next Generation Civil Tiltrotor, or NextGenCTR. The NextGenCTR was designed to meet the increasing demands of aerial mobility and maneuverability in densely populated urban areas. Recently, Leonardo has settled on using twin GE CT7 engines to power the NextGenCTR. The GE Aviation...

Leonardo’s Next-Gen Civil Tiltrotor To Be Powered by GE

Italian aerospace company Leonardo S.p.A. have been in the middle of developing their new helicopter/fixed-wing hybrid vehicle, the Next Generation Civil Tiltrotor, or NextGenCTR. The NextGenCTR was designed to meet the increasing demands of aerial mobility and maneuverability in densely populated urban areas. Recently, Leonardo has settled on using twin GE CT7 engines to power the NextGenCTR.
The GE Aviation CT7 turboshaft will be in the 2,000shp (1,490kW) class, and according to NGCTR programme manager Andrea Artioli, the main reason for choosing the CT7 was its “scaleability”. Leonardo already uses the 2,000shp-rated -2E1 variant of the engine on its AW189 super-medium-twin helicopters.
The purpose of the demonstrator is two-fold: First, it is a direct response to the EU’s Clean Sky 2 Initiative. Developing a quieter and more environmentally-friendly aircraft is one of the main goals for the NextGenCTR.
Second, Leonardo anticipates debuting a number of tilt-rotor based aircraft, including the AW609. For this purpose, the NextGenCTR will debut a number of innovations in its design, such as a new semi-tilting nacelle, V-tail, composite wings and advanced cockpit and control system. It will also serve as further proof-of-concept of the tilt-rotor system, which incorporates a fixed engine installation with a split gearbox to provide prop-rotor swivel.
Leonardo’s NextGenCTR is anticipating its first test flight sometime in 2023.
Why it’s important: The demonstrative capabilities of the NextGenCTR will most likely decide if Leonardo proceeds with a tiltrotor-based aircraft family. Choosing the GE CT7s, with their scaleability, indicates that Leonardo does have strong intentions of doing so, and will most likely sell to a variety of markets, such as rescue and transportation, where quick and quiet aerial mobility will be vital.
Sources // GE Aviation Blog
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Boeing and Kitty Hawk Announce Partnership
Yesterday, Kitty Hawk Corporation and Boeing officially announced a strategic partnership to collaborate on Urban Air Mobility. Kitty Hawk Corporation is well known for developing the Cora air taxi, which is fully electric, autonomous, and undergoing testing in New Zealand for commercial flights. Kitty Hawk began developing the Cora air taxi in 2010, completed the aircraft’s development in 2017, and...

Boeing and Kitty Hawk Announce Partnership

Yesterday, Kitty Hawk Corporation and Boeing officially announced a strategic partnership to collaborate on Urban Air Mobility.
Kitty Hawk Corporation is well known for developing the Cora air taxi, which is fully electric, autonomous, and undergoing testing in New Zealand for commercial flights. Kitty Hawk began developing the Cora air taxi in 2010, completed the aircraft’s development in 2017, and signed with Air New Zealand for UAM development in October 2018.
According to the latest press release from Kitty Hawk, the partnership with Boeing will “bring together the innovation of Kitty Hawk’s Cora division with Boeing’s scale and aerospace expertise.” This could mean that Boeing has partnered with Kitty Hawk for the expansion of its Boeing NeXt UAM plans.

Am image from the Boeing NeXt introduction video.
Said Steve Nordlund, vice president and general manager of Boeing NeXt:
“Working with a company like Kitty Hawk brings us closer to our goal of safely advancing the future of mobility…We have a shared vision of how people, goods and ideas will be transported in the future.”
The press release names Boeing NeXt as “laying the foundation for a next-generation mobility ecosystem.”
Boeing also acquired eVTOL developer Aurora Flight Sciences in 2017. Since then, Aurora has been working on the Boeing Passenger Air Vehicle (PAV), which became one of the first prototype eVTOLS to successfully achieve autonomous hover flight in January of this year. Notably, both the Kitty Hawk Cora and the Boeing PAV feature multi-position fixed rotor designs (no tilting parts):

The Boeing PAV (left) and the Kitty Hawk Cora (right)
The recent partnership with Kitty Hawk represents just one of Boeing’s strategies for entering the Urban Air Mobility market. Aside from developing the PAV, Boeing also recently tested an autonomous cargo drone, and partnered with AI company SparkCognition to form SkyGrid, a blockchain powered airspace management system.
Why it’s important: A partnership with Boeing spells immense news for a company like Kitty Hawk. Boeing, being one of the largest aerospace manufacturers in the world, has the capability to fully develop an entire UAM eco-system, as it is planning with the Boeing NeXt program. With the new partnership, Kitty Hawk Cora may become a part of that ecosystem.
Airbus Vahana Achieves Full Transition Flight
The Airbus Vahana prototype has achieved flight with its wings fully transitioned to horizontal cruise mode. Earlier this year, the Airbus Vahana test aircraft successfully completed a test flight in which the aircraft’s wings rotated partially into horizontal cruise stage, reaching speeds of about 57mph. In the latest test (Vahana’s 66th), the tilt-wing rotates into “full cruise configuration”, allowing the aircraft...

Airbus Vahana Achieves Full Transition Flight

The Airbus Vahana prototype has achieved flight with its wings fully transitioned to horizontal cruise mode.
Earlier this year, the Airbus Vahana test aircraft successfully completed a test flight in which the aircraft’s wings rotated partially into horizontal cruise stage, reaching speeds of about 57mph. In the latest test (Vahana’s 66th), the tilt-wing rotates into “full cruise configuration”, allowing the aircraft to reach speeds of over 100mph. Watch the full flight test video from Airbus here:
This latest test flight marks a significant step forward for Airbus, whose eventual goal is to make the Vahana part of a larger UAM system. The version of the Vahana seen here is planned as a demonstration vehicle for airbus to introduce to the public. Although it only has one seat, the Vahana Alpha Two is piloted autonomously, and features a completely finished interior, which will give riders the full sense of what autonomous flight will be like.

A close-up of the Airbus Alpha Vahana Two
According to Zach Lovering, Vice President of UAM Systems for Airbus, the latest full transition flights “represent everything we set out to achieve when we began our flight test campaign.” The Vahana demonstrator is still undergoing testing in Pendleton, Oregon.
The Airbus Vahana represents just one of Airbus’s many bids for UAM flight. Airbus has several prototypes being tested for various types of UAM, including the Airbus Pop.Up Next modular concept, which is capable of both road and air transport, as well as the Airbus CityAirbus, which is designed for intracity transport and completed its first test flight last month. Both vehicles are capable of autonomous flight.

The Airbus CityAirbus, which completed its first test flight last May.
Why it’s important: The successful test of the Airbus Vahana in cruise represents another step forward for Airbus UAM flight. The Vahana has successfully proven Airbus’s concept for tilt-wing transitions, which is often considered the most difficult aspect of eVTOL design. With this latest achievement, Airbus even more deeply establishes its UAM presence in preparing for the larger industry launch.
Airbus, Others Team on EcoPulse Hybrid Propulsion
Daher, Airbus, and Safran announced a collaborative partnership at the Paris Air Show to design and develop EcoPulse, a wing-mounted distributed hybrid-propulsion demonstrator based on Daher’s TBM platform. The partnership will leverage each of the companies’ strengths to develop the hybrid-propulsion demonstrator, which is slated for a first test flight in 2022. Safran will use its technology as a world-class...

Airbus, Others Team on EcoPulse Hybrid Propulsion

Daher, Airbus, and Safran announced a collaborative partnership at the Paris Air Show to design and develop EcoPulse, a wing-mounted distributed hybrid-propulsion demonstrator based on Daher’s TBM platform.
The partnership will leverage each of the companies’ strengths to develop the hybrid-propulsion demonstrator, which is slated for a first test flight in 2022. Safran will use its technology as a world-class aerospace industry engine manufacturer to develop the propulsion system. As one of the top aircraft integrators in the world, Airbus has charge of aerodynamic optimization of the propulsion system, installation of high-energy-density batteries, and their use to power the aircraft. Finally, operations such as component and systems installation, flight testing, regulatory approvals, and construction will all be handled by Daher.
Further, all three companies are based in France, which will better facilitate the collaboration on this demonstrator project. A small-scale model and animated videos of the aircraft were on display at the Paris Air Show from June 17 to June 23, and showed the three small, evenly-spaced electric motors and propellers on the leading edge of each wing. The hybrid-electric engines will replace the previously used Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6 on the TBM platform, and have the potential to create new uses for air transportation.
The EcoPulse wing will be an integration of cutting-edge technology poised to reduce drag, emissions, and noise pollution. Aboard the wing will be a turbogenerator, an electric power management system, and integrated electric thrusters called e-Propellors. While technical details and performance metrics have not yet been published, the hybrid-electric system could best be used during taxi, while also being charged during high-power flight phases such as takeoff when the turbogenerator would typically be running.
Daher Senior VP of Aerospace and Defense Business, Nicolas Orance, has emphasized their determination to reduce environmental impacts of this aircraft and in the French aircraft industry as a whole. The French Civil Aviation Authority has supported the partnership, and is working in tandem with the French Civil Aviation Research Council to kickstart the demonstrator project.
Why it’s important: The trend toward more energy efficient engineering solutions in the aerospace industry bode well for the future of aviation. Not only will this partnership demonstrate the French companies’ ability to lower their environmental impact, but it will also help set the stage for future applications of hybrid-electric systems, especially in the urban aviation industry where short-range missions could be most benefited by the attributes of electric propulsion.
Sources // Daher Youtube channel; AINonline
Personal Airline Exchange (PAX) Orders 50 Ampaire Electric Aircraft
Personal Airline Exchange (PAX) just placed an order for 50 Ampaire EEL Electric Aircraft. Personal Airline Exchange (PAX) is a newly surfaced company offering shared regional flight chartering. On the PAX platform, customers will be able to book flights on private aircraft and split the cost with other customers, paying a ‘per seat’ price, much like an Uber Pool. This...

Personal Airline Exchange (PAX) Orders 50 Ampaire Electric Aircraft

Personal Airline Exchange (PAX) just placed an order for 50 Ampaire EEL Electric Aircraft.
Personal Airline Exchange (PAX) is a newly surfaced company offering shared regional flight chartering. On the PAX platform, customers will be able to book flights on private aircraft and split the cost with other customers, paying a ‘per seat’ price, much like an Uber Pool. This is a model shared by companies like BLADE, NetJets, Surf Air, and others. PAX is still currently in the fundraising stage, having just started a campaign on crowdfunding platform Startengine. PAX intends to initially pilot its service with Ampaire aircraft in Southern California before scaling nationwide.
Ampaire, while still waiting for certification, is well on its way to production. “Ampaire’s Electric EEL pre-production prototype is flying right now and performing beautifully,” said CEO Kevin Noertke. “We look forward to operators being able to share the thrill of flying electric.” Ampaire is targeting certifying its Electric EEL product in 2021:
While Ampaire is not the only electric aircraft maker, it made history earlier this month by flying the Ampaire 337, which is the highest capacity hybrid-electric aircraft ever flown. Other companies making electric aircraft include Zunum Aero and MagniX, which just partnered with Harbour Air to transform its seaplanes into an all-electric fleet.
PAX has stated its intentions of partnering with Ampaire for long term, planning to reserve Ampaire’s TailWind electric jets once they become available. PAX’s ultimate goal is to build a network utilizing thousands of airports to achieve true and affordable on-demand travel .
Why it’s important: The recent order from PAX for 50 Ampaire aircraft establishes PAX as another company with the vision of building a fully electric on-demand aviation network. With Ampaire’s flight technology already prototyped and nearly ready for deployment, Ampaire can help PAX achieve its goal of beginning operations sooner rather than later in Southern California, driving the industry of personalized air travel forward.
Read Volocopter’s White Paper on Urban Air Mobility
German air taxi company Volocopter just released its own white paper on the future of Urban Air Mobility. The latest white paper from Volocopter focuses on how to to overcome barriers to market for urban air mobility, covering issues like development, certification and service launch. Specific sections of the document discuss safety, noise emissions, range & speed, operating costs, capacity, and...

Read Volocopter’s White Paper on Urban Air Mobility

German air taxi company Volocopter just released its own white paper on the future of Urban Air Mobility.
The latest white paper from Volocopter focuses on how to to overcome barriers to market for urban air mobility, covering issues like development, certification and service launch. Specific sections of the document discuss safety, noise emissions, range & speed, operating costs, capacity, and usability. Read the full white paper here.
According to Volocopter, the main bullet points of its white paper are:
- There is no single “best” eVTOL concept, because mission is paramount when designing electrically powered aircraft. The Volocopter, for instance, is designed for the commercial intra-city urban air mobility mission (UAM) so-called air taxis.
- Air taxis serving the intra-city UAM mission need to cover the most popular high-traffic routes in major cities, offering meaningful time savings and/or allow connections between points that are not well served by current options. The paper shows that a range of 25 to 35 km is viable and a valid starting point to develop the market.
- Pricing is a key factor in making air taxis accessible to a large customer base. Keeping operating costs low to build a scalable business will allow for accessible pricing.
Notably, Volocopter is not the first to release a white paper on UAM. Just two weeks, ago, EmbraerX released its ‘Flight Plan 2030’ vision for urban aviation infrastructure, encompassing everything from manufacturing to air traffic management. In February of this year, Airbus released ‘Airbus Altiscope‘, a blueprint for the company’s roll-out plan for UAM. And, most importantly, Uber Elevate set the stage with its original UAM white paper in 2016.
Why it’s important: By writing a white paper, Volocopter has signaled to the industry both its depth of research and its readiness to enter the market. Although the Volocopter 2X does not have the range of many other urban aircraft, Volocopter uses this white paper to support its strategy for targeting short but highly trafficked routes. With testing in Singapore coming up later this year, it’s clear that Volocopter is planning on the long-term.
XTI Aircraft Hits 80 Orders, Partners with Heliflite
XTI Aircraft has announced additional sales from from North America and Australia for the XTI TriFan 600, brining the order total up to 80 aircraft. XTI Aircraft is a company making history by developing a luxury hybrid eVTOL for private flight. The company was founded in 2012, and to date has raised over $25 million from crowdfunding platform Startengine as...

XTI Aircraft Hits 80 Orders, Partners with Heliflite

XTI Aircraft has announced additional sales from from North America and Australia for the XTI TriFan 600, brining the order total up to 80 aircraft.
XTI Aircraft is a company making history by developing a luxury hybrid eVTOL for private flight. The company was founded in 2012, and to date has raised over $25 million from crowdfunding platform Startengine as well as from private investors.
Last week, XTI announced three additional aircraft pre-orders from buyers in North America and Australia, bringing the total order count up to 80. Specifically, two of those orders came from XTI’s new partner Heliflite, a VIP helicopter service in Australia, New Zealand, Oceania, Indonesia and the Philippines. The full pre-order list began at the 2017 Paris Air Show, and continued at the October 2017 and October 2018 NBAA conventions, as well as a notable recent order from Brazil’s Icon Aviation.

XTI has been steadily making progress, having flown its 65% scale prototype in May. The company expects to begin delivering aircraft imminently.
According to the newly formed partnership with Heliflite, XTI will work exclusively with Heliflite to develop XTI TriFan 600 services in Helifite’s operating areas. Said XTI CEO Robert LaBelle:
“This is a major development for XTI. We’re pleased to be working with Heliflite on an exclusive basis in this part of the world. They’ve been providing sales, service and spare parts support to the helicopter industry and other aircraft owners since 1977, and have earned an excellent reputation.”

“Heliflite is looking to the future, anticipating the next big thing in air travel, which has led us to proudly establish this relationship with XTI’s highly experienced design and management team. Heliflite looks very much forward to being instrumental in the TriFan 600’s success in our region,” – Heliflite Director Scott Edmonds.
Why its important: The new partnership with long-standing helicopter operator Heliflite marks a major step forward for XTI. Heliflite will enable the spread of XTI Aircraft throughout the Australia, New Zealand, and Oceana areas, creating an opportunity for the TriFan 600 to go into commercial use sooner rather than later in major global markets.
Lilium Selects London for its Software Engineering Base
Air taxi company Lilium has officially selected London to host its software engineering and development team. Lilium is a well-known aspiring air taxi company famous for developing the Lilium Jet. Although its headquarters are in Munich, Lilium recently announced its decision to build a software engineering base in London. Lilium believes this new software base will create hundreds of jobs in London...

Lilium Selects London for its Software Engineering Base

Air taxi company Lilium has officially selected London to host its software engineering and development team.

The Lilium Jet air taxi
Lilium is a well-known aspiring air taxi company famous for developing the Lilium Jet. Although its headquarters are in Munich, Lilium recently announced its decision to build a software engineering base in London. Lilium believes this new software base will create hundreds of jobs in London over the next five years.
Lilium is one of the primary air taxi companies in the UK, looking to begin commercial services in 2025. The company is not only developing its own jet, but is also building the entire eVTOL network including Skyports, day-to-day operations technology, and the mobile application for users.

Conceptual rendering of a Lilium Skyport in London
Along with this announcement, Lilium also announced new team members. These include Carlos Morgado, former CTO at Just Eat, and Anja Maassen van den Brink of VodafoneZiggo. At the new London base, Mordago will assist in forming the new engineering team as Vice President of Digital Technology, while Maassen will work as the new CPO (Chief People Officer). The company also hired Luca Benassi as chief development engineer, who previously worked at NASA, Boeing, and Airbus.
This announcement comes shortly after Lilium revealed the new, larger version of its eVTOL jet, now capable of carrying five passengers. Just last month, the new jet could be seen completing a successful hover flight. Watch that flight here.
“We are one of very few companies in our sector that wants to both produce air taxis and then operate them day-to-day. Today’s announcement and the recruitment of these three new leaders underlines our continuous efforts to build the very best team in air mobility. We are hiring the best of the best from a global talent base, forming the basis for achieving our target of becoming the leading air mobility company.” –Lilium CEO Daniel Wiegand

The potential for Lilium air taxi operations in the UK
Why it’s important: Notably, Lilium is one of the few UAM companies building both an aircraft itself and the operations and infrastructure for customer use. Although this is an ambitious task, Lilium has already added executives from Rollls-Royce Aerospace, Airbus, Audi, and more. While the company certainly has its work cut out, the highly capable team is likely to fulfill its vision.
Israeli Startup Reveals New Hybrid Flying Car
Israeli startup NFT Inc. is developing its own autonomous electric flying car. Named the Asaka (or ASKA), which means ‘flying bird’ in Japanese, the flying car is equipped with 14 propellers for flight, as well as conventional wheels for ground travel. NFT will showcase the ASKA at the Ecomotion 2019 smart mobility show in Tel Aviv, and intends to begin...

Israeli Startup Reveals New Hybrid Flying Car

Israeli startup NFT Inc. is developing its own autonomous electric flying car. Named the Asaka (or ASKA), which means ‘flying bird’ in Japanese, the flying car is equipped with 14 propellers for flight, as well as conventional wheels for ground travel. NFT will showcase the ASKA at the Ecomotion 2019 smart mobility show in Tel Aviv, and intends to begin test flights by next year.
The ASKA was designed to address inner city road traffic congestion, and will be available for private purchase in the coming years. To take off, the ASKA will need a runway of about 20-30 meters in length, and will be able to fly up to 3 people a distance of 550 km (~342 miles) at a speed in between 160-240 km/hr (~ 99-150 mph). While electric, NFT Inc. states that the ASKA will still need a petrol engine to charge its batteries.
Chairman of NFT Inc. Guy Kaplinsky envisioned the ASKA for use in inner city and suburban commuting. The car, says Kaplinsky, would allow people to live away from city centers without having to spend hours on the road. Kaplinsky estimated the initial price of the flying car will be between $200k and $300k (USD), but noted that he expects the price to drop once commercial production begins.
NFT Inc. was founded 4 years ago by Kaplinsky and his wife and CEO Maki Kaplinsky. To learn more about the company, visit the site here.
Why it’s important: The ASKA, poses an interesting angle to approaching to urban air mobility. While most other designs incorporate electric-based aviation, there are not many eVTOLs that are designed for both ground and air transportation. Combined with the fact that the Asaka will be available for private transportation, rather than public, the possible success of the Asaka will determine whether there is any potential for UAM in the upper-class demographic.
Sources // World Israel News
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Uber Eats Completes Successful Drone Delivery Tests in San Diego
At the Uber Elevate Summit last week in Washington D.C, the Uber Eats team announced that it has successfully completed a food delivery test at San Diego state University. The team plans on beginning larger scale testing operations in San Diego imminently. The purpose of the Uber Eats Drones latest test in San Diego was to demonstrate how Uber Eats will...

Uber Eats Completes Successful Drone Delivery Tests in San Diego

At the Uber Elevate Summit last week in Washington D.C, the Uber Eats team announced that it has successfully completed a food delivery test at San Diego state University. The team plans on beginning larger scale testing operations in San Diego imminently.
The purpose of the Uber Eats Drones latest test in San Diego was to demonstrate how Uber Eats will accept orders, load food onto the drone, fly the delivery mission, and drop off the package at its destination. Packages will be specifically designed for Uber Eats drones, and couriers will take the package from its drop-off point to its final destination seamlessly. See the full video describing how it will work here:
Uber is building delivery testing in San Diego in collaboration with the FAA’s Integrated Pilot Program (IPP). Under the IPP program, the Department of Transportation will “enter into agreements with State, local, and tribal governments to establish innovation zones for testing complex UAS operations and to attempt different models for integrating drones into local airspace.” Essentially, this means that companies like Uber are being given permission to complete testing of their new technologies in specified areas, even including beyond-visual-line-of-sight flights.
While the IPP program takes great strides forward for Urban Air Mobility, it does not mention specifically how air traffic management will work. Presumably, management of its own drones will be Uber’s responsibility (using Uber Elevate Cloud Services UTM software), but, this situation will become more complicated once other companies seek to operate within the same airspace. At this juncture, decisions will have to be made about which company, if not the government, will be responsible for managing flights. Notably, NASA has already begun to work closely with the FAA to build a UTM system, as have companies like AirMap and SkyGrid. Learn more about NASAs’ UTM research here.

Uber Eats drone in flight over the University of San Diego
Why it’s important: The launching of Uber Eats drone delivery tests marks the beginning of large scale drone delivery services in the U.S. As Uber Eats moves forward with testing and into commercial operations, it will pave the way for airspace traffic management services (UTM) and for low-altitude urban flight in general, eventually leading to passenger vehicles. Once Uber officializes its FAA certification for commercial operation under part 135, it will become the second ever company in the U.S to do so following Wing Aviation, which gained FAA certification in May.
Uber Elevate Summit 2019: The Bullet Points
This week’s Uber Elevate conference in Washington D.C was a hallmark event for the entire Urban Aviation industry. With a plethora of new announcements, Uber continues to lead the charge forward for Urban Air Mobility. Uber made several major announcements of new partnerships, designs, and technologies. Here’s what we’ve identified as the most important, all readable on TransportUP: Uber Releases...

Uber Elevate Summit 2019: The Bullet Points

This week’s Uber Elevate conference in Washington D.C was a hallmark event for the entire Urban Aviation industry. With a plethora of new announcements, Uber continues to lead the charge forward for Urban Air Mobility.
Uber made several major announcements of new partnerships, designs, and technologies.
Here’s what we’ve identified as the most important, all readable on TransportUP:
Uber Releases Standardized Cabin for Use in Future Air Taxis
In collaboration with Safran Cabin, Uber has built a prototype of the interior it plans to implement in its future air taxis, for any vehicle.
Uber Elevate Announces Melbourne, Australia as Third Pilot City
Together on stage with representatives from the Australian government, Uber Elevate revealed this week that Elevate has selected Melbourne as its third city to pilot Uber Air flights.
Uber Unveils Jaunt Air Mobility as a New Network Partner
Long in the shadows, Jaunt Air Mobility, which acquired rights to the ‘Carter Copter’ last February, has been announced as Uber’s sixth eVTOL network partner.
AT&T and Uber Parter for Urban Air Mobility 5G Connectivity
For a data and tech company like Uber, having flawless internet access in the air is essential both to operations and to the customer experience. Together, AT&T and Uber have a multi-phase plan to begin supporting the future aerial mobility network.
Uber Elevate Reveals New SkyPort Concepts, and Multiple Partnerships for Ground Operations.
Sixteen new designs have been unveiled by U.S architecture firms for SkyPorts in Dallas, Los Angeles, and Melbourne. Uber also announced its partnership with Related Companies, a major ‘global real estate and lifestyle company’ in the U.S , as well as with Signature Flight Support for ground operations and customer service.
EmbraerX and Pipistrel Unveil New eVTOL Designs
EmbraerX and Pipistrel have both released images and specifications of their new eVTOL designs, both of which have competitive performance standards preparing to meet the needs for urban aviation.
Uber’s New Air Taxi Cabin
Uber Elevate, earlier this week at its Summit in Washington D.C, unveiled the interior design for its future air taxis. Uber’s new cabin design was built in collaboration with Safran Cabin. Safran, a global leader in aviation design, has been working closely with the UAM industry. Most recently, Safran was has been involved with developing propulsion systems specifically for eVTOLs....

Uber’s New Air Taxi Cabin

Uber Elevate, earlier this week at its Summit in Washington D.C, unveiled the interior design for its future air taxis.
Uber’s new cabin design was built in collaboration with Safran Cabin. Safran, a global leader in aviation design, has been working closely with the UAM industry. Most recently, Safran was has been involved with developing propulsion systems specifically for eVTOLs.
In the design of the new cabin, Safran and Uber considered the main requirements of rider comfort, modifiability for different eVTOLs, manufacturing scalability, cost, and safety. The idea behind the cabin is that it can serve as standard for eVTOL makers, meaning that they use the cabin specifications as they build their aircraft. In an ideal world, this cabin type will be featured in all Uber Air eVTOLs.

A photo from Uber of passengers embarking the Safran/Uber cabin
Said Scott Savian, EVP of ZEO at Safran Cabin:
“Through the process with Uber, we had six full-scale mockups, with multiple iterations in each one, looking at the seats, liners, and window positioning. We don’t want any excess weight or cost, but the mission also requires safety, a comfortable user experience, and a seamlessness of all the user interactions. So while the cabin may be minimal in some ways, it’s absolutely purpose built to the mission.”
The cabin represents what Uber and Safran call ‘Mission Driven’ design. The cabin features room for four passengers plus a pilot, as well as plenty of room for extra baggage. The cabin is simple, yet well thought out. It includes plenty of legroom for each passenger, outwardly tilted for privacy and for the view, and handles for easy embarking and disembarking.
Why it’s important: Uber and Safran’s new cabin represents one of the first manufacturing standards in eVTOL design. While certain performance requirements have already begun to emerge, the cabin is the first component that gives eVTOL makers specifications for how their vehicles should look and be designed. Ideally, the cabin prototype gives us our first look at what eVTOL travel will be like.
Uber Elevate Announces Melbourne as Third Pilot City
Uber Elevate has officially announced Melbourne, Australia as its international pilot city for Uber Air. This marks Uber’s first international pilot city, and its third city overall. In 2018, Uber Elevate announced that it would launch its pilot program in a third, international city as well as in Dallas and Los Angeles in the U.S. At the time, it gave...

Uber Elevate Announces Melbourne as Third Pilot City

Uber Elevate has officially announced Melbourne, Australia as its international pilot city for Uber Air. This marks Uber’s first international pilot city, and its third city overall.
In 2018, Uber Elevate announced that it would launch its pilot program in a third, international city as well as in Dallas and Los Angeles in the U.S. At the time, it gave five possible cities for the international location: Australia, India, France, or Japan. Of these, it has now chosen Australia.
According to Susan Anderson, general Manager for Uber Australia and New Zealand, Australia was chosen for its forward looking governance, its environment of support for innovation, and the magnitude of the positive impact Uber Air could have on Australian’s daily lives.
Uber also chose Australia because of its success there with ride-sharing. According to Anderson, 3.8 million Australians use Uber every month, with 67,000 driver partners. Not only does this demonstrate demand for mobility in Australia, it also means Uber has a massive amount of data about Australian commutes, allowing the company to choose SkyPort locations with pin-point accuracy.
Hotspots of travel demand could equal future SkyPort locations:
Importantly, Anderson also mentioned that Australia is expecting an 80% growth in population over the next 30 years, all of which is predicted to occur in Australia’s five capital cities. This statistics make it one of the fastest growing cities in the world.
Said Hon Robin Scott, Assistant Treasurer for Victoria:
“We are delighted that Melbourne has been chosen as the first international trial city for Uber Air. Victoria is a dynamic, innovative tech state and an economy leading the Asia Pacific region in transformative technologies.”
Why it’s important: Through its selection of Australia, Uber Elevate has shown its commitment to making an Uber Air an international service. Working with Australia will give Uber experience with foreign governments, allowing to eventually expand to places like India, Japan, and Brazil, and France, as it originally intended.
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