Month: January 2022

Boeing this week announced it is investing an additional $495 million USD into eVTOL company Wisk Aero. The news is an important signal of Boeing’s confidence in the future of aerial mobility, and provides Wisk with extra capital needed to complete its lengthy and costly flight test and certification campaign.

The California-based firm is a joint venture between aircraft developer Kitty Hawk and Boeing, and has seen several prototype iterations over the years. Its ‘Cora’ aircraft has now completed over 1,500 flight tests. Wisk hopes to initially pursue certification from the FAA before seeking type certificates in other jurisdictions.

“With this investment, we are reconfirming our belief in Wisk’s business and the importance of their work in pioneering all-electric, AI-driven, autonomous capability for the aerospace industry. Autonomy is the key to unlocking scale across all AAM applications, from passenger to cargo and beyond,” Boeing Chief Strategy Officer Marc Allen shared in a statement.

“That’s why straight-to-autonomy is a core first principle. Boeing and Wisk have been at the forefront of AAM innovation for more than a decade, and will continue to lead in the years ahead.”

Why it matters: With Boeing’s latest investment, Wisk is near the top of the industry with capital on hand as many manufacturers are turning the corner from concepts to actual flight test programs and certification. Although Wisk has been quiet to report on vehicle technical specifications or anticipated project timelines, it appears the company is well positioned to compete in the aerial mobility space against other industry leaders.

Zuri, the Prague-based vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft developer, has unveiled the technical specifications for its new hybrid-electric vehicle. It will be offered in multiple configurations to suit passenger service applications as well as cargo delivery.

Zuri reported to eVTOL.com that the aircraft will be capable of cruising at 300 kilometers per hour (186 miles per hour), and have a range of 700 km (435 mi), including a 30-minute reserve. The air taxi will be able to carry four passengers and a pilot in its “executive” model, and three passengers and a pilot in its “VIP” model. Meanwhile, the cargo delivery aircraft is expected to have a maximum payload of 300 kilograms (660 pounds).

Results from prior tests have given the team valuable information on aerodynamics, control systems, required output of power units, and other parameters. These learnings are actively being utilized in the development of its new generation models, the Zuri 2.0 for the passenger air taxi and Zuri 2.0 Cargo for the cargo transport model.

While the company locks in its design and continues to develop the new generation model, full-scale model testing a largely hinges on the developer’s ability to secure enough funding. CEO and founder Michal Illich plans to perform 10 flight tests with its previous large-scale demonstrator and release additional footage of its development progress this year. The flight tests in February will serve to verify the design’s aerodynamic parameters and compare control systems.

Related: Zuri Completes Hover Test of its eVTOL Technology Demonstrator

Why it’s important: Zuri will begin talking with the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) next year for certification, but meanwhile the aircraft is already supervised by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Czech Republic. The Zuri 2.0 will primarily be used in the European market, and Illich has said the company intends on commencing operations prior to seeking eventual certification from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration.

German drone delivery company Wingcopter and Spright, a subsidiary of leading American air medical service provider Air Methods, announced a new commercial agreement today on January 24th worth more than US$ 16 million.

As part of the deal, Spright is acquiring a large fleet of Wingcopter’s new flagship delivery drone, the Wingcopter 198, to meet the increasing demand for medical drone delivery solutions throughout the United States. The contract makes Wingcopter the exclusive provider of fixed wing eVTOL delivery drone technology to Spright for use within its United States operations. Spright, in turn, becomes the exclusive provider of Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) for the Wingcopter 198 to third parties in the USA.

Spright was launched in July of 2020 as the new drone division of Air Methods to improve healthcare access and minimize supply challenges for customers across the US. To this end, Spright is creating a drone-based, healthcare-specific delivery network in the United States leveraging an existing infrastructure of more than 300 bases, serving hundreds of hospitals, across 48 states in predominantly rural areas.

The agreement further strengthens the strategic partnership between the two companies that was announced in August 2021. Spright is closely supporting Wingcopter in its FAA UAS type-certification process, leveraging the Spright team’s extensive aviation experience operating both FAA 121 and 135 air carriers, its existing Part 135 certificate (on-demand air service), SMS (Safety Management System) Program, and long-standing relationships with the FAA.

Spright is collaborating with Hutchinson Regional Health System, in Hutchinson, Kansas, for initial tests, and plans to expand the service beyond Kansas with additional strategic medical projects later this year. The Wingcopter fleet will increase healthcare access across rural and underserved communities by enabling the instant and on-demand delivery of vital medical supplies, medications, vaccines, blood, and lab samples, between medical facilities. It will also improve quality of care for patients due to faster turn-around time of lab samples and more targeted treatments for patients.

Wingcopter and Spright will showcase the Wingcopter 198 delivery drone and offer an opportunity to meet C-level executives of both companies in person to discuss ways of collaboration or investment opportunities at logistics tech conference Manifest in Las Vegas January 25-27, 2022.

Click here to see a video of the initial tests in Hutchinson, Kansas. 

Why it’s important: The partnership between Spright and Wingcopter allows for further development of eVTOL and aerial mobility enabling applications of drone technology that will both prove the current technological infrastructure’s readiness state and emphasize those areas which require more development prior to widespread implementation of passenger carrying eVTOLs. Further, an ancillary benefit of such trials is a small, but measurable, benefit to those in need of medical care or assistance that are being served today.

Rani Plaut, Co-founder and CEO of Israeli eVTOL developer AIR, discussed the company’s future in a recent interview with Avionics International. AIR debuted its AIR ONE personal aircraft in October 2021, and has already received over 50 orders.

AIR currently has two prototype models of the AIR ONE; a full-scale, semi-functional prototype for ground demonstration, and another large-scale prototype that is technologically fully functional. The latter is expected to launch in early Q1 of 2022. According to Plaut, “We have a division of functionality so we can really sharpen the product on both the aesthetics and on the technological side.”

AIR ONE was designed with accessibility in mind. The vehicle is intended for personal use, aimed at “making flight accessible to regular people,” said Plaut. “A pilot’s license will be required, but we are aiming for a very low level of training.” The key features of AIR’s eVTOL are practicality, affordability, safety, and ease of handling. The range is over 100 miles, and units are priced at $150,000 each. Plaut explains that the aircraft’s “extreme simplicity and high redundancy creates a very high level of safety and very easy handling. If I train you, within an hour you will be able to operate it. You are truly enveloped in our software and are very safe.”

AIR intends to bring AIR ONE onto the mass market, with an annual target volume in the thousands. To grow public acceptance and ensure smooth assimilation of the aircraft into low altitude airspace, the team is focusing on safety and noise reduction. “At the end of the day,” said Plaut, “the product needs to coexist with people. It’s not about the user; it’s about the whole community.” While the U.S. market is the primary target for AIR’s eVTOL, customers from Israel and the U.K. have already pre-ordered units, and Australia is another potential market. 

Another target goal for AIR is to design an aircraft that will be multi-purpose. Similar to how an automobile can be used for commuting, leisure, or a taxi service, the AIR ONE could be used by package delivery companies like UPS, by first responders, or by those working in agriculture. “It’s like an F150. You can be a plumber with an F150; you can take your family in an F150,” remarked Plaut.

“If enough people [are interested in] using the air as a means of day-to-day transportation, companies will invest in engineering efforts in order to decouple skillsets from safety. In the air, your skillset is your safety—if you’re skilled, you’re alive. In a car, the vehicle protects you. We’re trying to make things that fly as easy to live with as cars.”

Why it’s important: The eVTOL market includes small, recreational aircraft that have a very short range, and the larger eVTOLs and air taxis produced by companies such as Volocopter, Lilium, Archer, Joby, and others that are geared toward commercial passenger-carrying applications. AIR intends for its AIR ONE to fall somewhere in between, a personal vehicle intended for commuting or leisure purposes, that can also be used for commercial applications where possible.

Source // Aviation Today

After successfully flight testing its four-passenger aircraft in November of 2021, Chinese eVTOL developer AutoFlight has established a partnership with Augsburg Airport in Germany.

AutoFlight’s V1500 aircraft prototype boasts impressive statistics, having already undergone flight tests in early November of 2021. The aircraft features a fixed wing to provide a flight range of 250 km (155 miles), and an airframe that allows it to cruise at 200 km/h (124 mph). The final version, which will be called the Prosperity I, will carry four passengers plus a pilot with a payload capacity of 3,307 lb.

Steadily, the company has been making more and more progress, having announced that it reached $100 million in investments during its Series A fundraising campaign.

Now, AutoFlight has officially announced a partnership with Augsburg Airport in Germany. Although the company is headquartered in China, its new partnership with Augsburg will allow it to both build and test its aircraft at the German airport. With these efforts, AutoFlight hopes to gets its Prosperity I aircraft certified with EASA (the European Aviation Safety Administration) by 2025.

According to AutoFlight, this partnership is meant to demonstrate the company’s intention for global expansion. Said Mark R. Henning, a former Airbus manager who recently joined the AutoFlight team in Europe, “We are bringing aircraft construction back to Augsburg, creating a high-tech location and jobs as we create a completely new market segment for air taxis. “

Henning also mentioned that he especially likes AutoFlight’s aircraft concept for its ‘lift and cruise’ configuration, which uses fixed upward facing and rearward facing propellers rather than tilting ones in order to simplify the transition from vertical to forward flight. Said Henning, “Simplicity translates into safety and efficiency.”

Why it’s Important: With this announcement, AutoFlight continues to grow towards becoming a leading eVTOL mobility global presence. While other Chinese aerial mobility companies like Xpeng and EHang have also made major progress in the aerial mobility field, AutoFlight tackles a unique market thanks its aircraft’s fixed wing, which differentiates it by allowing it to travel for greater ranges than competing Chinese eVTOLs. Keep an eye on AutoFlight as it continues to grow towards its goal of becoming a global leader in mid-range air mobility.

Skyportz, the Australian eVTOL vertiport developer, has announced plans to expand its footprint in takeoff and landing sites throughout the country. Skyportz, created out of the COVID-19 pandemic, aims to convert lost demand for commercial parking spaces into vertiports. In turn, this would provide potential revenue and business opportunities to real estate investors who would otherwise see dwindling returns in the commercial space.

“While there will always be a need for car parking in our cities, it may be that the demand is not going to bounce back to pre-pandemic levels,” says Skyportz founder and CEO, Clem Newton-Brown. “Car parks are ideal locations for Skyportz facilities. They are generally located in places people want to go, and they are constructed to a standard that can take the weight of vehicles on flat rooftops.”

The company recently announced a partnership with Secure Parking, where it will have access to over 400 rooftops on existing facilities in and around city-center business districts.

“Skyportz is the first vertiport aspirant to actually put the cards on the table with what sites we have access to. We are not focusing on demonstrator landing sites; we are assembling the network of sites that will be needed to make [air taxis] a viable business,” said Newton-Brown.

The company is already making progress with the Australian government to develop regulations and laws surrounding the development and operation of eVTOL landing facilities.

“There is strong political support to develop a new era in clean, green electric aviation in Australia,” added Newton-Brown, who is a former Victoria state legislator. “However, we are waiting on federal standards and new state regulations to be developed before we can proceed to build the network. Community support for this new era in aviation is going to be essential and we expect that services will start outside urban areas in the initial phase, with the first electric aircraft becoming operational in the next few years.”

Why it matters: Infrastructure is a critical component of making aerial mobility a reality. The COVID pandemic has yet again offered opportunities to create the needed infrastructure as business demand shifts. Expect to see investments like this one around the world as manufacturers begin commercial service and operation of their vehicles.

ZEVA, the electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft startup, has successfully achieved its first untethered, powered, controlled flight test for its full-scale ZEVA ZERO flying wing airframe. The major milestone for the Tacoma-based startup was captured in the following video in rural Pierce County, Washington on Sunday, January 9th, 2022 as part of its rigorous test program to achieve FAA airworthiness certification.

The uncrewed ZEVA demonstration aircraft completed four flights, totaling more than four minutes of controlled hovering, simulated taxiing maneuvers at slow speeds, and limited vertical climb maneuvers. Its compact airframe is designed for a single pilot and is small enough to fit in a standard automobile parking space. The vehicle is projected to cruise at speeds of up to 160mph with a range of up to 50 miles, optimizing point-to-point travel while utilizing its eight zero-emission electric motor-driven propellers.

ZEVA experienced tremendous growth this year, with the addition of Gus Meyer as flight control engineer and several other key hires. The team completed more than 50 successful tethered flights, showcased the ZEVA ZERO aircraft at the Dubai Air Show in November, and was awarded a grant by Washington’s Joint Center for Aerospace Technology Innovation (JCATI) to work with Washington State University on ZEVA Aero’s aerodynamic configurations to optimize the vehicle’s thrust and controls. ZEVA has also worked with NASA in conjunction with its Urban Air Mobility Grand Challenge.

“The ZEVA team has done an incredible job with the design and manufacturing of this aircraft which was evidenced in this exceptionally smooth and successful first flight,” said Gus Meyer, the test pilot controlling the ZERO via a remote radio link. “This achievement is also a testament to the extraordinary talent and experience of the team, and the supportive partnerships that helped make this a reality.”

ZEVA will continue hover flight tests and advance to transition flight testing this spring to fine-tune the unique Superman-like trajectory of the aircraft design. The patent-pending design is expected to be available for pre-order for consumers for a $5,000 deposit as early as spring of this year, with an eventual price tag for the first production units estimated at under $250,000.

Why it matters: The importance of this milestone is best articulated by ZEVA CEO and Chairman Stephen Tibbits. “This is a huge inflection point for ZEVA as we join an exclusive set of proven flying eVTOL platforms, and a testament to the relentless hard work and ingenuity of our entire team over the past two and half years,” said Tibbitts. “We are dissecting our learnings from our critical first taxiing flight, which is a direct result of the support we’ve received from our investors and community, leading us to bring in additional talent to spearhead this historic moment. We are eager to continue to our next stage of hover flight testing on our road to certification and eventual autonomous flight allowing anyone, not just pilots, to access zero-emission point-to-point travel.”

Aerial Formula One Racing style company Airspeeder announced their first eVTOL racing pilots which will participate in the EXA racing series, supported by Telstra & AWS on Tuesday.

The announcement came after a historic drag race. The competitors were drawn from backgrounds as broad as elite motor racing and drone racing: 

Emily Duggan joins as Australia’s most successful female racing driver, Zephatali Walsh joins from the Drone Champions League, and Fabio Tischler has captured dynamic FPV content for the world’s leading brands including GoPro, Red Bull and Toyota .

Airspeed mentioned that the first EXA remotely piloted races are scheduled to take place in 2022.

Airspeeder’s eVTOL racing aircraft will soon take place in a series of ground-braking races named the EXA Series. These historic first electric flying car Grand Prix will be competed by the world’s best Speeder pilots and the EXA series will serve as the permanent development formula for the forthcoming Airspeeder crewed electric flying car races.

Why it’s important: The first iteration of piloted eVTOL races for Airspeeder has been years in the making. With this new announcement, the company is launching into their MVP concept for Formula One style aerial racing, leveraging the talents of drivers from different backgrounds. Further, the EXA racing series provides a platform for Airspeeder to showcase their technological developments in the aerial mobility space, and hopefully flow forward some innovations toward both Aerial Mobility spaces and transportation in general, similar to how Formula 1 was largely responsible for many of the safety features in modern-day road vehicles.

London-based aerospace startup Bellwether Industries has released footage of the first untethered flight of their Volar eVTOL. Previously having conducted several prototype flight tests, this is the first publicly available footage of the stylized eVTOL aircraft in motion.

Development of the Volar is still in the prototype stage, with the prototype being named “Antelope”. Bellwether has indicated that the final version of the aircraft will reach speeds of 135 mph at a maximum altitude of 3000 ft, with a range of about 60-90 minutes, and seating capacity of 4-5. Currently, the Antelope prototype is a half-scale version of the Volar, seating only one, and is remotely piloted from the ground. During tests, the Antelope has reached an altitude of 13 ft at a maximum speed of 25 mph.

The half scale prototype of the Volar has been named the ‘Antelope’.
Photograph: Bellwether

Previously, the Antelope was displayed publicly at the 2021 Dubai Airshow, giving potential investors and enthusiasts a look at results of the development process. Prior to the show, Bellwether had raised $1M USD in funds from angel investors.

Representatives from Bellwether state, “We believe that people commuting in the sky is inevitable within the next 10 years. Therefore, we created Volar for anyone to fly anytime and anywhere to any point. The ultimate goal of Bellwether industries is to build a new three-dimensional lifestyle, and to lead the world toward comprehensive urban mobility.”

Photograph: Bellwether

Many details about the Volar have not yet been released, but Bellwether has indicated that in addition to previously stated capabilities, the Volar will have a maximum takeoff weight of 600 kg (1320 lb), and will initially be priced at roughly the cost of a luxury jet. The aircraft is currently intended for private ownership, aiming to serve urban travel needs. Bellwether in particular emphasizes the importance of performance, a compact profile, city adaptability, an enclosed propulsion system, and environmental friendliness. 

Why it’s important: Bellwether is one of the latest companies to debut its solution to current transportation needs in urban environments. With a sleek design and exciting intended capabilities, Bellwether’s Volar could be a notable personal aircraft within the next decade.

Source // Bellwether Industries on YouTube

Last month, uAvionix announced the successful completion of the first series of flights with its newly developed SkyLink Control & Non-Payload Communications (CNPC) C-band radio, intended to meet the needs of safety-critical & BVLOS (Beyond Line-of-Sight Operations) missions as well as of operators and manufacturers with airframe certification in mind. The flight tests were conducted at a range of up to 25 miles at the Northern Plains UAS Test Site (NPUASTS) locations south of Grand Forks, ND. In August, uAvionix announced FAA and FCC approvals for testing C-band CNPC radios at several locations.

Regulators increasingly focus on the performance of safety-critical control data and recent RTCA standards recommend separating it from payload data for scalable commercial Unmanned Airborne Systems (UAS) operations. While most UAS still operate on public spectrum such as ISM or 4G, current BVLOS waivers are primarily focused on recovery procedures to deal with the probability of a lost C2 link.

uAvionix SkyLink CNPC radios and the paired SkyLine software application are entirely focused on preventing lost links, through aviation-grade software & hardware design, full compliance with RTCA Minimal Operational Performance Standards (MOPS DO-362A), and a network management system that monitors network and radio link health, built to Minimum Aviation System Performance Standards (MAPS DO-377A).

“A reliable and predictable C2 link built to aviation standards (e.g., RTCA DO-362A) is a critical component in obtaining scalable BVLOS operations,” said Jim Cieplak, Program Manager of Vantis. “The uAvionix SkyLink radios and SkyLine Command & Control infrastructure are an essential component of the Vantis deployment to obtain a path to commercially viable BVLOS operations in the State of North Dakota.”

The SkyLink C Band CNPC radio is fully DO-362A compliant utilizing key concepts such as the ability to accept dynamic frequency inputs for Frequency Allocation Management (FAM) and protected aviation spectrum in order to provide a stable and predictable C2 link performance. SkyLink radios are built to anticipated TSO C-213A standards and targeted at demanding customers including those pursuing airframe certification.

“Together with our partners at the Northern Plains UAS Test Site, VANTIS, Thales, the FAA, and MITRE, we completed this significant milestone which will propel commercial UAS operations”, said Christian Ramsey, President of uAvionix. “We maintained a stable connection at a range of well over 25 miles at a 400’ operating altitude with a DO-362A compliant radio system, a first of its kind”

Why it matters: SkyLink technologies provides the data exchange required for safety-critical operations to control, monitor, and manage a UAS in real-time. SkyLink radios seamlessly integrate with other certified avionics designed with airframe certification in mind. SkyLink offers eVTOL and UAS manufacturers a certification-compatible solution for reliable beyond visual line of sight radio communications and control. With the current debate of 5G and its effects on commercial aviation operations, developing safe and redundant datalinks for scaled UAS operations will be critical to the UAS industry’s success.

Dufour Aerospace announced today that Savback Helicopters will promote and distribute Dufour’s innovative tilt-wing aircraft – Aero2 and Aero3 – in Scandinavia. Dufour expressed confidence that Savback “will bring significant knowledge of use-cases and market prospects, especially in Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark and Iceland.”

Savback Helicopter’s tagline is “a breath of fresh air” and Dufour Aerospace “couldn’t agree more”. The Swedish helicopter sales and marketing company, Savback, has over 30 years of experience selling more than 900 helicopters in 75 different countries. They’re known to use their influence to advise clients on the environmental performance of different models of helicopters to enable more environmentally-friendly processes and practices – leading Dufour to partner.

“We strongly believe that Dufour Aerospace’s 8-seater Aero3 provides options for both today’s helicopter market, as well as new use cases which its cutting-edge technology opens up for us,” said Reja Savbäck, CEO of Savback Helicopters. Thomas Pfammatter, CEO and Co-Founder of Dufour Aerospace, added: “Savback Helicopters is a reliable, experienced partner, well-positioned to promote our Aero3 aircraft in Scandinavia. It makes us proud that such an experienced company strongly anchored in the helicopter market believes in the real potential of our vision, designs and team.”

Dufour shared that while the manned Aero3 is eminently suitable for addressing the needs of Advanced Air Mobility, the company is initially focused on applications that do not require additional new infrastructure, such as Air Ambulance and Search and Rescue.

Why it’s important: This distribution partnership will allow Dufour to be afforded of the increased network of Savback’s clients, and position Dufour as a leading eVTOL company for distribution in Scandanavian countries that Savback has ample experience with. Additionally, this partnership underscores throughput of helicopter to eVTOL aircraft experiences for both customers and operators, and would create a common thread, and natural progression, for helicopter operators to then step forward into the aerial mobility space.

Read the full release on Dufour’s website here.

While the eVTOL industry is mainly focused on providing shared air taxi networks for public transportation, Integrated Distributed Electric Propulsion, otherwise known as ‘IDEP’, has many other possible applications beyond in-city, traffic-shortening flights.

Designer Steve Kozloff’s ‘Ship-to-Shore Air Limo’

Of the many possibilities that distributed electric propulsion has to offer, the foremost that have been mentioned outside of air taxis are applications like search and rescue, cargo delivery, and surveillance. All these applications have been listed in particular because of the versatility of these aircraft; they can often use their low noise, size, and carbon footprints to access areas that other traditional rotorcraft cannot land or take off in. Another reason these aircraft might be preferred to rotorcraft is their lowered operating cost; as electric charging costs far less than traditional aviation fuel, and can sometimes be easier to access given existing infrastructure.

The reduced size, carbon footprint, noise emissions, and lowered operating costs of eVTOLs could make them the perfect aircraft to replace the small helicopter in ship-to-shore operations for both private yachts and luxury cruise ships. These aircraft could be particularly useful in high-end cruise ships since they could offer both aerial tourism operations as well as ship-to-shore transportation.

Steve Kozloff’s ‘Ship-to-Shore Air Limo’ sits on the helipad of a megayacht

In this vein, California-based designer Steve Kozloff has imagined the Elegante, a massive luxury sailing ship that includes an eVTOL tender rather than a traditional boat or small helicopter. The eVTOL tender, which Kozloff has named the ‘Ship-to-Shore Air Limo’ (SSAL) features both a boat-like hull and retractable landing legs, which would allow it to act as both as a boat and an amphibious helicopter. This would give the eVTOL the ability to land on any relatively smooth water, without the need for landing pad, and then cruise directly to shore to pick up passengers or cargo, before flying back to its landing pad on the Elegante. Alternatively, the SSAL could be also used purely as an aircraft to provide direct transport from the ship to inland locations. These combined abilities would offer unique chances for destination exploration to passengers of the Elegante.

The Ship-to-Shore Air Limo as shown from the side, showcasing its hull-like bottom.

According to Kozloff, the eVTOL would initially have a 35-minute flight endurance (which is in line with existing battery technology), a total length of 30 feet (9 meters), a height of 9.43 feet, and a gross weight of 4500 pounds. There would room for five passengers plus one pilot.

Said designer Kozloff, “The primary mission of the SSAL is to offer luxurious, spacious, comfortable, and quick transport from ship to shore. The primary mission of the SSAL is to offer luxurious, spacious, comfortable, and quick transport from ship to shore. In the process, it would also offer a unique experience to those onboard, since the SSAL has excellent visibility for all on board thanks to the stadium seating arrangement. “

Why it’s important: Although Kozloff’s SSAL is at the moment only a concept, it demonstrates the vast potential for eVTOL technology even beyond urban air taxis. The lack of large, loud, and complex combustion engines can potentially give many types of vehicles the opportunity to find new and extended applications beyond their traditional designs.