Month: August 2020

BAE Systems is designing a series of power sources that will replace or reduce the need for combustion engines in modern aircraft. According to a BAE Systems press release from August 27th, “[BAE is] pairing flight controls with our aircraft power management and energy systems. Our teams are at work and expect to have operational prototypes of aircraft electrification systems for urban air mobility and regional transport jets later this year.” The press release also notes BAE Systems’ recent partnerships with Jaunt Air Mobility and Wright Electric, which hint at the types of systems that could possibly be revealed in greater detail in a few months.

“We need smarter, cleaner travel now more than ever. Greenhouse gases are on the rise and populations are growing at a rapid pace. This has cities turning to cleaner forms of public transportation on the ground, in the water, and soon enough – in the air. The first of these next-generation electric flights is set to take off in just a few years with urban air mobility aircraft. ”

“With decades of expertise in electric propulsion and flight electronics, BAE Systems is ready to help these small electric aircraft take off, by designing a series of power sources that will replace or reduce the need for an aircraft’s typical combustion engine.”

While the new electric systems have not yet been finished, BAE Systems is confident that when released, each system will massively cut gas emissions and help save on fuel costs. One of the main reasons for doing so is to combat the increased congestion of traffic around the world. BAE Systems hopes that with their new electric power and propulsion systems, it would form a new method of commute that would reduce car traffic and therefore reduce emissions.

To successfully design these systems, BAE Systems has almost 30 years of experience in aircraft electric actuation systems, and their technology has been adopted by  the transit bus industry, sending nearly 12,000 buses around the world with electric power. “The flight controls leverage more than 40 years of investment in innovation and have flown on a variety of aircraft.” BAE System’s work in their electric power systems will most definitely improve current battery technology, allowing for aircraft that will last for millions of total travel miles. 

“The path ahead is uncharted, but BAE Systems is in familiar territory. When the company first created an electric actuation system for aircraft nearly three decades ago it was ahead of its time. Now, it is ready once again to turn science fiction into reality.”

“[BAE Systems’] electrification technology quickly found a place in the transit bus industry and is now on more than 12,000 buses around the world. “

Source // BAE Systems Press Release

SkyDrive, an aerial mobility aircraft developer backed by Toyota, has officially released footage of its SD-03 aircraft in flight with a passenger/pilot on board. The company also simultaneously announced a massive Series B fundraising round from the Bank of Japan and other investors.

SkyDrive’s SD-03 aircraft is a single-person small aircraft, meant as a personal commuter vehicle for the ‘skyways’ of the future. It is piloted by the sole passenger (rather than autonomous), and is powered by four sets of counter-rotating propellers. The current version of the SD-03 has only a ten minute flight time, but SkyDrive intends to increase that time to thirty minutes in order to expand the potential of the aircraft.

Until now, SkyDrive has been fairly quiet about its progress, but this latest release marks a major step forward for the company, which hopes to allow sales of its flying vehicles in Japan by 2023. According to SkyDrive, it is already working with the Japanese government on developing a plan for regulations and airspace management, making safety its top priority. Japan hopes to allow these vehicles for business use by 2023, and for commercial use by 2030. Read more about Japan’s plan for aerial mobility here.

In addition to the unveiling of its aircraft, SkyDrive also announced a major fundraising round from several major investors. The biggest of these is the Bank of Japan, but other investors include the Itochu Corporation,
ENEOS Innovation Partners, LLC Obayashi Corporation, Energy & Environment Investment, Inc., STRIVE, Inc.,
Sumitomo Mitsui Finance and Leasing Company, Limited, and more. In total, these investments come to ¥3.9 Billion, the equivalent of $37 million USD.

Said Mr. Yuki TAKEMORI, at the Innovation Promotion Office of the Bank of Japan:
“The “eVTOL” business is a harbinger of revolution in the sky. We are a step closer to what seemed like a distant dream now that (these) new companies have joined forces. The Bank of Japan will work with the stakeholders to help SkyDrive become a company that is widely embraced by public by staying tuned to its commitment to realize a secure, safe and comfortable social infrastructure”.

Said Tomohiro FUKUZAWA, CEO of SkyDrive:
“We want to realize a society where flying cars are an accessible and convenient means of transportation in the skies and people are able to experience a safe, secure, and comfortable new way of life. We also aspire to develop markets around the world, in collaboration with our partner companies, so that an urban air mobility society with aircraft supplied by SkyDrive becomes a reality not only in Japan but also across the globe.”

The SkyDrive SD-03 in Flight

EHang has announced it has been selected to join Ambular, an international project endeavoring to develop a flying ambulance for medical emergency use.  Supported by the International Civil Aviation Organization (“ICAO”), the project also seeks to inspire the global aviation community to unleash the potential of eVTOL (electric vertical takeoff and landing) aircraft.

The Ambular project was the outcome of the ICAO’s exploration of the future of aviation in late 2017. The ICAO recognized the possible use of AAVs for extremely rapid medical transport.

As the first company in the world to launch and commercialize passenger-grade AAVs, which achieved a new milestone in the deployment and proliferation of Urban Air Mobility (“UAM”), EHang will contribute the necessary hardware (such as rotors and motors) to the Ambular project, thus driving  research and development of the power component of the aircraft.

EHang’s expertise and experience in using AAVs for emergency response is also expected to significantly accelerate development of the project.  For example, in February 2020, EHang’s two-seat passenger-grade AAV, the EHang 216, served as an air ambulance to transport medical supplies and personnel to a hospital during the COVID-19 outbreak in China, which currently relies mainly on ambulances or helicopters.  In line with the Company’s focus on social responsibility, EHang continues to explore the use of AAVs to solve challenges in emergency response, such as flood rescue, forest firefighting and high-rise firefighting.

EHang Founder, Chairman and CEO, Huazhi Hu said, “We are excited to join the ICAO-supported Ambular project, where we can work with industry leaders to fulfill the mission of ‘saving critical minutes’ in emergencies.  This can demonstrate the great value of UAM to society.  We see that UAM has the potential to materially improve transportation and have a positive impact on peoples’ lives.  Safety, smart cities, cluster management and eco-friendliness form the fundamental tenets for a modern UAM ecosystem.  The development of UAM systems will create a viable alternative to existing ground transportation.”

For more information about the Ambular project, visit the website: http://ambular.org/.

Why it matters: Emergency response is an interesting application for eVTOL technologies which could disrupt the ambulance industry. Saving minutes in life-saving situations could provide the business case necessary to justify the use of aerial mobility and this partnership paves the way to making air ambulance services via eVTOL a possibility.

Vertical Aerospace, a prevalent UK-based eVTOL developer, has just released its long-awaited new air taxi design. The company advertises that its new vehicle will be able to “reduce your journey time by over 80% and eliminate air pollution by flying above the traffic.”

According to Vertical Aerospace, the VA-1X will soon be taken through certification with EASA in Europe, and is on course to start commercial flights in 2024.

The VA-1X has been designed to be a high performing aircraft, able to connect entire regions as well as carrying out shorter missions across single cities. Capable of carrying up to five people, a pilot and four passengers, Vertical hopes for the VA-1X to be the world’s first certified winged all-electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing (eVTOL) aircraft. Build will begin shortly, with manufacturing taking place in the UK near Vertical’s headquarters in Bristol.  

With the redesign of its vehicle, Vertical has placed an emphasis on the principles of safety, experience, sustainability, noise reduction, and range. The new design is a substantial departure from Vertical’s previous design, the Seraph, which employed twelve overhead propellers in a multi-rotor fashion to lift a maximum of 550 lbs at speeds up to 50 mph. Shifting toward a far more efficient design with vectored thrust and numerous control surfaces, Vertical has chosen to undertake a more complicated project that will prove difficult to certify, but may have more transport applications than their previous aircraft design.

The VA-1X will feature a 150 mph with a useable range of up to 100 miles, meaning passengers could travel from London to Brighton in approximately half an hour, compared to two hours driving, or an hour by train. It will be completely emissions-free, and certified to the same safety standards as traditional commercial jetliners. Vertical expects initial flight prices to fall somewhere in between a private car trip and a chartered helicopter flight.

Vertical Aerospace’s website elaborates on the features and specifications we can expect to see from the first build of the VA-1X.

The mission of Vertical’s air taxi is to connect entire regions as well as carrying out shorter missions across single cities. The VA-1X is optimized for longer-range flights to take full advantage of the tilt-rotor’s efficient cruise, and its design also fits the “common reference models” released by the Uber in 2017 to help manufacturers meet their ecosystem’s design requirements. However, the two have not made public any discussion on collaboration at this time. Head of Uber Elevate, Eric Allison, responded to the Twitter reveal with positive support, so the stage has been set for a potential partnership down the line as Vertical progresses with a physical manifestation of the aircraft.

Said Michael Cervenka, CEO, Vertical Aerospace:
“eVTOL technology will revolutionize travel, combining the safety of commercial airlines with the disruptive environmental and cost benefits of the electrification of flight. With the launch of the VA-1X, we’re proud to be taking eVTOL one step
closer to mass-market adoption, and supporting the next era of aviation. At Vertical Aerospace we believe that people should be able to quickly and affordably get from A to B without sacrificing the planet – with the VA-1X, this vision will start to be realized in under five years.”

Why it’s important: With no physical prototype yet constructed, Vertical recognizes that it must move quickly to gain EASA type certification and production approval for the VA-1X in support of beginning commercial operations by 2024. To support this timeline, the company plans to forgo sub-scale prototyping and move straight to a full-scale build of the aircraft — with testing of individual systems, such as propellers. Fortunately, suppliers including Honeywell and Dassault Systems’ cloud-based 3DEXPERIENCE have already been working with Vertical as its development program nears the manufacturing phase.

Related:

• Vertical Aerospace eVTOL to be Equipped with Latest Honeywell Flight Deck Technology
• Vertical Aerospace Selects 3DEXPERIENCE for Product Lifecycle Management

Source // Vertical Aerospace; Aviation Today

Urban Aeronautics, an Israeli eVTOL developer, has signed an agreement with emergency response organization Hatzolah Air to collaborate on its CityHawk eVTOL. Hatzolah is currently the world’s largest volunteer emergency response organization.

The Urban Aeronautics CityHawk, a hydrogen-powered eVTOL. Prototypes of the CityHawk have already undergone over 300 test flights.

The Urban Aeronautics CityHawk is a powerful, hydrogen-powered eVTOL capable of a 93-mile range (fully loaded) and a 170mph top speed. It has been under development for several years, and a full-scale prototype has already completely over 300 test flights. The CityHawk is designed for use as an urban air taxi, medical responder, public air taxi, or private aircraft.

Last week, Urban Aeronautics that it signed a Memorandum of Understanding with renowned emergency medical responder Hatzolah Air, which currently operates traditional fixed-wing aircraft in order to respond to medical emergencies and natural disasters. In addition to aiding Urban Aeronautics in designing an effective emergency responder version of the CityHawk, this announcement also likely means that Hatzolah will be one of the first ever companies to operate the new aircraft. Hatzolah, founded over 50 years ago, currently runs hundreds of emergency response flights per year, and has a built a vast network of for-profit air ambulance operators around the world.

Left: A prototype of the Urban Aeronautics CityHawk in flight. Right: A sketch of the potential layout of a CityHawk emergency response aircraft

Said Rafi Yoeli, CEO of Urban Aeronautics, “We are excited to partner with Hatzolah Air on the development of our CityHawk EMS vehicle. Its compact size will enable it to land in the middle of a busy city street, making it a perfect fit for medical evacuation missions by dramatically decreasing the time it takes to arrive on-scene, treat and transport sick or injured patients to appropriate medical facilities.”

According to the MoU, Hatzolah will also help market and distribute the CityHawk to other EMS and rescue organizations. Said Eli Rowe, President of Hatzolah Air, “Based on our initial estimates, we foresee a potential market of at least 800 CityHawks for Hatzolah and other EMS operators, with the possibility to save thousands of lives every year,.

Urban Aeronautics engineers will work closely with Hatzolah’s experts to tailor the CityHawk flying vehicle to Hatzolah’s operational requirements. Hatzolah’s version of the aircraft will accommodate a pilot, a patient plus companion, two EMT personnel, and a complete package of life support equipment.

Watch a demo of the CityHawk prototype in flight below:

Why it’s important: As 2020 moves forward, many aircraft on the market are beginning to transition from the prototype stage to the partnerships and sales stage. Previously, many aircraft were still raising funds and completing in-house design. Now, companies like Urban Aeronautics are beginning to partner with external organizations to finalize aircraft designs for specific applications. With this latest release, Urban Aeronautics helps advance the entire eVTOL industry to the next stage of development and execution.

Pittsburgh-based company Near Earth Autonomy, a leader in the development of autonomous flight systems, partners with Kaman Aerospace and Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) to develop an intelligent, full-scale autonomy system for the K-MAX helicopter, “a large-scale transport aircraft capable of lifting a payload of over 6,000 pounds”. While initially in development for the K-MAX, the end goal is to develop the capability to apply to any large VTOL aircraft. 

K-MAX Helicopter | Courtesy of Near Earth Autonomy.

The methodology behind the autonomous system relies on lidar, or Light Detection and Ranging, and onboard computing to sense the surrounding environment in real-time for safe flight and landing. The aircraft will be able to sense its environment to make real-time flight decisions such as deciding to fly around objects in the flight path and selecting clear places to land or to drop off cargo. The implications of the development of safe autonomous aerial logistics are huge; Near Earth’s autonomy system will have applications in numerous industries, including but not limited to aerial mobility, military, delivery, and medical.

Environmental awareness is key for the aircraft to be able to avoid obstacles and complete autonomous missions efficiently and without accident. The image shows the autonomy system’s awareness of the physical world around it. | Courtesy of Near Earth Autonomy.

According to Sanjiv Singh, CEO of Near Earth, “Our past efforts laid a strong foundation for solving complex autonomy challenges for small, medium, and large vehicles. Thanks to our dedicated team, partners, and sponsors, we are moving from the art of the possible to the art of the practical and in specific, to making autonomous flight safe, efficient, and robust enough for daily operation. This program will serve as an important milestone in making autonomous logistics a reality.”

The mounted autonomy system. | Courtesy of Near Earth Autonomy.

Why it’s important: Numerous aerospace companies are currently in the process of developing their own eVTOLs, some with the intention of immediate autonomous flight and others that intend to go with a pilot first, and upgrade to autonomous flight in the future. Near Earth’s technology will be able to allow companies to resolve the issue of developing their own autonomy systems and accelerate the development of aerial mobility services.

Source // Near Earth Autonomy Press Release (8/21/20)

Samad Aerospace, a UK-based hybrid-electric VTOL firm, has announced plans to begin ground testing a 50% scale model of its e-Starling aircraft next month. The e-Starling will be a six-seat, all composite vehicle, designed for air taxi use. It is scheduled to begin initial flight services in 2025.

Samad Aerospace’s e-Starling artist rendering.

“The ground testing is a very important process, and will involve different checks to make sure all aircraft systems and subsystems are working properly both individually and as a whole,” says Samad founder and chief executive Seyed Mohseni. The first two scale models are now being assembled at Samad’s base in Cranfield, UK. Flight tests are expected to begin this year with phased entrance into VTOL tests.

“We are taking a step-by-step approach to the e-Starling certification programme to make sure the aircraft operates perfectly as both a fixed-wing aircraft and a rotorcraft. Once we fully understand both elements of the flight-test process it will have a better chance of trouble free certification programme.”

Samad’s use of a 50% scale flight vehicle will provide the crucial data needed to finalize its full size prototype and complete its preliminary design. “We will build and fly the first of three e-Starling prototypes in 2023 and hope to certificate [under the European Union Aviation Safety Agency’s new eVTOL regulations] in 2024″, Mohseni adds. The first aircraft are scheduled for delivery to customers in 2025.

Seyed Mohseni, CEO of Samad Aerospace

Samad is currently in discussions with Garmin, GE Aviation, Honeywell, Safran, and Pratt and Whitney to supply systems and avionics on e-Starling.

The six-seat aircraft will be propelled by five electric-powered fans: two on the trailing edge of the wing thrusting vertically, two units embedded in the aircraft’s blended wing body, which are only used during vertical flight. One fixed fan coupled with a range extender is located in the tail “providing the necessary thrust to take the aircraft beyond stall speed and transition from hover to cruise for shorter journeys”, says Mohseni.

The e-Starling’s final version will have a projected range of about 400 miles and a top speed of about 300mph, at a list price of $6.5MM USD.

Why it matters: Although Samad has not yet had many media releases, this news offers an inside look at the company’s inside plans to bring a well-priced air taxi to market within the next five years. Samad’s partnership with reputable suppliers promises to provide a familiar flight experience to both operators and passengers. As the company begin testings and solidifying final design of e-Starling, it should start to emerge more prevalently in the media and a high-potential aircraft in this emerging industry.

Bye Aerospace, developer of ground-breaking electric aircraft, has today announced that it has added Rod Zastrow, an Air Force pilot with over 25 years of experience, to its board of directors.

New Bye Aerospace Board of Directors Member Rod Zastrow Featured with the all-Eeectric eFlyer trainer aircraft

Since its founding, the mission of Bye Aerospace has been to develop the next generation of electric aircraft, starting with the eFlyer trainer aircraft. The two-seater eFlyer is built to help train new pilots using the power of renewable energy, and will pave the way for future Bye Aerospace aircraft with a higher passenger capacity. The eFlyer will be fully certified under the new FAR 23 rules, and has already received over 300 pre-purchase deposits.

Rod Zastrow is a highly accomplished pilot with over 25 years of flying experience in the Air Force, as well having had multiple years of experience in leading aviation training schools. Before retiring from the Air Force in 2010, Zastrow served as Chief of Staff of the Air Force’s senior representative to the U.S. Army War College, and he is currently President of Spartan Global Aviation Training, LLC.

The all-electric eFlyer trainer aircraft

Said Zastrow:
“I am both humbled and excited to join the Board of Directors of this all-electric general aviation industry leader. As with historic aviation pioneers, George Bye and Bye Aerospace continue to demonstrate the innovation and passion to accomplish what others only imagine. Bye Aerospace is the aviation world’s trend setter for sustainable, quiet, cost-reducing aviation platforms, as envisioned with the eFlyer family, for training the world’s future pilot force, enabling fixed wing urban air mobility and bringing forward an exciting Golden Age 2.0 for aviation.”

Added George Bye, CEO of Bye Aerospace:
“It is quite an honor to welcome Rod to our Board of Directors,” said George Bye, CEO of Bye Aerospace. “Following his retirement from his many years of service, including as an Air Force pilot, to our country, Rod led the establishment of a leading international military flight training academy, and led international business development for one of the earliest flight school supporters of our eFlyer program. Pilot training is one of our key markets, and Rod’s knowledge as a pilot and as a flight school executive will bring an important balance to our Board.”

Why it’s important: Bye Aerospace’s incremental approach to creating electric aircraft will do a great deal to make all-electric flight a reality sooner rather than later. This real-world testing application of batteries will push the entire electric flight industry forward, boosting the progress of other kinds electric aerial mobility aircraft as well. Adding an accomplished pilot and aviation educator like Rob Zastrow to its board will allow Bye Aerospace not only manufacture quality trainer aircraft, but also to help new pilots become accustomed to the all-electric aircraft of the future.

EHang announced last Friday in Vienna that they intend on partnering with the city of Linz, Austria, for deployment of the EHang 216 on a small scale as part of their pilot city partnership program, which involves the introduction of autonomous aerial vehicles (AAV’s) in cities across the world to gain feedback and data from experience in operations environments that match those of the ultimate goal of widespread commercial deployment of aerial mobility aircraft.

An artist’s rendering of the EHang 216 in flight over the Linz, Austria

According to EHang’s press release, this partnership will be the first pilot city partnership of its kind in Europe, and was made in conjunction with Linz AG and FACC. The overall intent of these pilot cities will be to “conduct passenger flights and goods transportation with autonomous air taxis in urban areas” according to EHang, and the pilot cities will be crucial in assessing the soft points of deployment – including customer experience and feedback, psychological considerations for new modes of transportation, infrastructure integration, and more.

An additional consideration of the pilot program is the public opinion of the environmental impacts of such transportation modes. EHang is hoping to provide answers to the challenges of environmentalists with their trail as its aircraft use electric motors with relatively low noise footprint compared to that of buses or emergency transport helicopters.

The trial program in LINZ will utilize the existing stable 5G infrastructure for augmentation of navigation and control during takeoff and landing, and the program will continue with test routes “running over uninhabited areas to the vertiports [that] will be determined within the city of Linz.”

Trail flights are planned in the near future, according to the press release, with more construction and scaling beginning in 2021.

Why it’s important: This further expansion of EHang’s pilot city program augments the company’s footprint in Europe, and provides a crucial data grab to determine what passenger and user experience considerations must be addressed. Since aerial mobility will be, similar to ridesharing, a user-interface oriented industry, compilation of user’s experiences and incorporation of that feedback as early on as possible in the deployment phases of aerial mobility aircraft systems will ensure a more productive and enjoyable final product.

Related:

• EHang Selects Guangzhou as Its First Urban Air Mobility Pilot City
• EHang Receives Special Flight Operations Certificate in Canada
• EHang Enters Agreement with Seville, Spain to Begin Urban Air Mobility Program
• EHang Obtains Operational Permit from Civil Aviation Authority of Norway

Source // EHang Press Release

VerdeGo Aero’s eVTOL hybrid-electric powertrain – under development since 2018, has now begun testing.

VerdeGo Aero was originally founded to create its own air taxi, but pivoted in 2018 to providing hybrid powertrain solutions for eVTOL air taxi aircraft and more, making its business proposition almost completely unique. Founder Erik Lindbergh (grandson of famous aviator Charles Lindbergh) made this decision in order to create a company that could provide propulsion solutions for other budding aircraft developers. According to VerdeGo, first versions of the powertrain will include for customers electric motors, wiring, and controllers, batteries, and piston or turbine generators. The company recently partnered with Continental Aerospace and Seyer Industries for development, and is now set to provide propulsion systems for aircraft developers ASX and Transcend Air.

Top: The Transcend Air Vy400, Bottom: The ASX MOBi-ONE. Both these aircraft will be fitted with the VerdeGo Aero hybrid powertrain currently in testing.

This Week, CEO Eric Bartsch gave a company update during an Aviation Week UAM (Urban Air Mobility) online panel. Bartsch said:
“We’re now running at production power the most powerful piston hybrid system in the world down in our Florida headquarters in Daytona Beach. We’ve entered the test and refinement phase of that to get towards a conformal design to enter production with, so we’re really excited about that. And that’s moved from hardware that was under development to hardware that’s being tested to prove it every day.”

Why it’s important: VerdeGo’s transition into refinement testing marks a major milestone for the company. It not only represents near-completion of its mission, but has created the world’s powerful piston hybrid propulsion system, taking hybrid-electric propulsion to where it needs to be for vertical flight. If all goes well, we could very well begin seeing VerdeGo systems in the air within just a few short years.

Tokyo-based aerospace company SkyDrive Inc. plans to release their domestic flying taxi service in 2023, according to a Japan Times report. According to CEO Tomohiro Fukazawa, by 2050, anyone would be able to fly to any destination within Tokyo’s 23 wards in 10 minutes or less. To bring such a service to reality, the Japanese government is aiding the aerospace company, pushing for the decongestion of traffic in urban areas, another option for disaster relief, and to provide a new mode of transportation for mountainous areas and remote islands.

A scale model of the SD-XX concept car | COURTESY OF SKYDRIVE / CARTIVATOR

SkyDrive originated from the members of Cartivator, a voluntary organization formed by former automobile and aviation engineers. Founded in July 2018, SkyDrive has since been working towards bringing aerial mobility to reality, conducting most of their tests at their facility in Toyota, Aichi Prefecture. Their concept design, the SD-XX, is one of the smaller eVTOLs currently in development at 1.5 meters tall and 4 meters by 3.5 meters across. The SD-XX would be able to fly at 100 kph, with an envisioned range of under 100 kilometers. According to Fukuzawa, SkyDrive would be able to produce eVTOLs that can run on normal roads by the late 2020s, adding extra versatility to the SD-XX which can already currently perform takeoff and landing from any flat surface. 

SkyDrive’s current plans are to release their flying car service by 2023 in either Osaka or Tokyo, and release a fully autonomous commercial model for the general public by 2028. Initial flights would take place over the sea, to mitigate any initial risk of flying over highly urban areas. Fukuzawa expects to have 1000 people riding by the second year of service, in 2024. While mostly autonomous, initial flights would have a pilot as well in case of emergency. Final costs are not yet determined, but would be “significantly less than a helicopter flight”. While the service would initially be domestic, SkyDrive intends to eventually expand overseas, especially into Southeast Asia.

Two of the biggest hurdles will  be certification for commercial flights and ensuring the same safety and reliability as that of existing aircraft, according to Fukuzawa, but the expectation is that they will achieve commercial certification in 2 years.

Tomohiro Fukuzawa, CEO of SkyDrive Inc. (left) and Nobuo Kishi, SkyDrive’s Chief Technology Officer | COURTESY OF SKYDRIVE / CARTIVATOR

“About 100 years have passed since the debut of the Ford Model T, and we’re about to introduce an air taxi service in 2023, paving the way to achieve air travel anywhere without a need for roads or train tracks. There are many other rivals in Europe and the United States, but we’d like to manufacture a vehicle that provides a comfortable ride with “Made in Japan” quality.”

Why it’s important: Change in human mobility happens roughly once a century, and CEO Fukuzawa is confident that SkyDrive will be the one to bring about the next “mobility revolution”. With a multitude of companies planning to offer their own aerial rideshare services, SkyDrive in Japan will be one to watch out for, especially as their commercial certification date grows nearer.

Related:

• SkyDrive to Exhibit First Public Flight Demo Following 100th Corporate Sponsorship
• SkyDrive Leads Japan’s Flying Car Development with Manned Test Flights
• SkyDrive Tests Heavy-Duty Delivery Drone

Source // Japan Times

uAvionix has announced the release of pingRX Pro, a new Detect and Avoid (DAA) ADS-B Receiver for professional Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS). pingRX Pro detects private and commercial aircraft operating on 978MHz and 1090MHz. The received aircraft identity, position, and altitude are visualized on a moving map in real-time allowing the UAS operator or autopilot to remain well clear.

The new pingRX Pro continues uAvionix’s lineage of easy to integrate receivers with direct support for popular Ardupilot-based autopilot systems. By adding the protection of an aircraft-grade aluminum case and detachable remote mount antenna, pingRX Pro is the ideal ADS-B receiver for professional UAS operators who need performance, quality and flexibility for limitless UAS applications. “uAvionix has led the way in ADS-B solutions for unmanned aircraft since our founding.” said Christian Ramsey, president uAvionix Corporation. “Industry leaders and BVLOS operators continually choose ADS-B receivers as their primary DAA solution. pingRX Pro now offers manufacturers and integrators the installation flexibility they need for their enterprise aircraft. ”

Weighing less than 8 grams, pingRX Pro features uAvionix ping ADS-B, proven in over a half-million ADS-B solutions worldwide, from UAS to airport vehicles to certified General Aviation solutions. pingRX Pro offers an external antenna allowing operators to install the pingRX Pro anywhere on the airframe. UAS are often designed from materials that can block radio frequencies and impair radio performance. By providing an external remote mounted antenna, performance can be maximized while providing critical protection of the receiver mounted inside the fuselage.

As the industry struggles to implement and prove the performance of radar, camera, and aural DAA solutions, ADS-B stands out as the lowest-cost, lowest SWaP, and highest performance 360° Field of View DAA sensor on the market. ADS-B uses precision GPS information to broadcast the position of an aircraft in real-time. Quite simply, the technology allows aircraft to share the skies more efficiently by telling each other where they are. With ADS-B already widely adopted by manned aircraft, the task of DAA is eased because the manned aircraft are simply broadcasting their position directly to you with no intermediary.

While there are many aircraft not yet equipped with ADS-B OUT, nearly all large commercial operators are equipped. The United States requires ADS-B OUT on all manned aircraft with an engine-driven electrical system operating near medium and large cities from the surface to 4,000’ above ground. Given the likelihood of ADS-B OUT on manned aircraft, and the density in these prime areas for inspection and package delivery, pingRX Pro ADS-B IN is a no-brainer baseline technology to aid you in your requirement to remain Well Clear of surrounding aircraft. Outperforming every other DAA type, pingRX Pro tracks 100 simultaneous aircraft at ranges exceeding 150 miles, all at nearly 200% less power consumption of the alternatives.

Other Detect and Avoid solutions (right) have a narrow view of threats, pingRX Pro (left) has a 360° view.

Why it matters: uAvionix is no stranger to providing surveillance grade ADS-B solutions for both the general aviation and aerial mobility industries. The pingRX Pro ADS-B receiver is a promising product offering which will meet FAA regulations and provide operators with an unparalleled level of safety. Further, the small form factor and ease of installation offer manufacturers and easy solution for detecting other vehicles in flight.