Results for: agility prime

Mayman Aerospace, developer of a high-powered VTOL utility aircraft, recently announced that it has received $1.25MM from the U.S Air Force’s Agility Prime initiative to continue development of its vehicle. Other partners to Agility Prime include Joby Aviation, Electra.Aero, Beta Technologies, and LIFT Aircraft.

Above: Depiction of Mayman Aerospace’s Speeder AUV (Air Utility Vehicle) acting as a cargo drone.

Mayman’s ‘Speeder’ AUV aircraft uses eight small jet engines to carry up to 600lb+ of payload at 500mph for a range of over 400 miles per flight, all with remotely piloted or autonomous options. According to a recent press release from Mayman, these features, along with its small size and ability to stay in the air for over several hours at a time, make the aircraft highly valuable to the U.S Air Force for logistics missions in contested and/or remote areas.

In addition to its unique range, speed, and payload capabilities, the Speeder AUV’s size is scalable, meaning its platform could be customized ‘from as small as a suitcase to the size of a small car’. A smaller size would make the aircraft highly transportable, such as in the back of a pickup truck, while larger versions could be ideal for delivering delivering higher amounts of essential materials and support in active military areas.

According to Founder David Mayman, the company will use funds provided by Agility Prime to “deliver and certify Speeder for military requirements within the next eighteen months.” A recent press release from Mayman Aerospace mentioned that the USAF’s particular interest in the aircraft is thanks to how well suited it is to handle complex, demanding and often dangerous DOD contested logistics missions, where speed, accuracy, and immediacy are key factors.

Above: A photo of one of the flight-ready Speeder prototypes on exhibition

In addition to military purposes, the company intends to market the Speeder for wildfire response, emergency rescue, land surveillance, and even recreational use. The company has already completed initial tethered flight trials with two Speeder prototypes. Trials with a third, the P2 prototype, are currently underway, with the aircraft expected to receive FAA Experimental certification by the end of 2022.

Why it’s important: While eVTOLs will be a low-impact option in cases of flights between consistent locations, the Mayman Speeder will be a far more capable option in higher-need situations where required flight times and capabilities will be high and unknown prior to missions. Use in active military areas represents a perfect use-case for the Speeder, although the company can be expected to expand into many more logistics areas as it grows with support from the USAF.

Source // Mayman Aerospace

Related:

• Mayman Aerospace debuts Speeder Air Utility Vehicle (AUV) at Draper Venture CEO Summit (July 2022)
• Jetpack Aviation’s Speeder Successfully Completes First Flight Test (July 2021)

Moog, the American buyer of the SureFly eVTOL, which was originally in development by electric car maker Workhorse, has now resurfaced the SureFly aircraft by entering it into the U.S Air Force’s Agility Prime initiative.

The original SureFly pictured next to a Workhorse electric pickup truck

The Moog SureFly has been long in development, although not much news has been released about it in recent years. In December of 2019, Workhorse officially announced the sale of the SureFly project to Moog, which had been in development with Workhorse for several years. The prototype itself is impressive, having already undergone many flight tests, with a continuous flight time range of 60 minutes, and a folding rotor design that allows the Surefly to fit into storage spaces as small as a standard pickup truck.

As part of its work with the U.S Air Force, Moog will be installing a hybrid-electric propulsion system in the SureFly S250 rather than the pure-electric system it currently has, in order to increase range, as part of their efforts to explore the potential of hybrid-electric eVTOL systems. Darshan Divakaran, program manager of Agility Prime, said “As full battery electric propulsion systems still have limitations, with the SureFly aircraft, the Air Force will get a more in-depth understanding of hybrid-electric power system technology and Moog’s aircraft control system.”

Testing with the USAF will focus on vehicle aerodynamics, pilot interfaces, system safety, and airworthiness support for unmanned operations. According to Paul Stoelting, director of innovation at Moog, the SureFly could be ideal for missions ranging from battlefield resupply and casualty evacuation to humanitarian disaster response and distributed logistics.

Once the Moog Surefly receives a Military Airworthiness certification, it be able to continue its testing at a local UAS test site.

Side view of the Moog SureFly.

Why it’s important: With this latest move, Moog has entered the SureFly back onto the aerial mobility playing field. In addition, it has strategically made the decision to update the SureFly’s original design with a hybrid-electric engine rather than a purely electric one. This will allow the U.S Air Force to investigate the potential and technical attributes of hybrid-electric eVTOL aircraft in additional to pure-electric designs.

Source // eVTOL.com, Moog

Related:

• 2019 Detroit Auto Show to Host Workhorse Group’s Surefly Octocopter Exhibition
• Workhorse Finalizes Sale of SureFly to Moog Inc.

The U.S. Air Force (USAF) has signed a contract with Electra.aero to strengthen advanced air mobility markets through the development of hybrid-electric propulsion systems for electric ultra-short takeoff and landing (eSTOL) aircraft.

Shown here, Electra’s ultra-short takeoff and landing aircraft can deliver nearly triple the payload capacity, much longer ranges, and less than half the operating costs of many eVTOLs. 

“Electra is thrilled to be working in tandem with the U.S. Air Force and its innovative Agility Prime team to accelerate the tech transition of eSTOL into the commercial marketplace. These next-gen, low-carbon systems will solve several critical defense-related capability gaps while leveraging affordable commercial marketplace solutions,” says Ben Marchionna, Electra’s Director of Technology & Innovation.

Ben Marchionna, Electra’s Director of Technology & Innovation

Hybrid-electric systems are poised to transform how the USAF powers the fight of the future through game-changing energy efficiency improvements. They are also a fundamental enabler of sustainable aviation at-scale and commercial advanced air mobility markets – for both vertical and ultra-short takeoff and landing aircraft.

Agility Prime’s Deputy Lead, Major John “Wasp” Tekell, adds, “Agility Prime is excited to partner with Electra on their recent Phase II SBIR contract award. We look forward to exploring the unique capabilities of this design while continuing to accelerate the electric aviation industry.”

Electra’s first propulsion system produces 150 kW (200 HP) of electrical power and consists of a small gas turbine with several custom components including a gearbox, generator, rectifier, control system, and software. Ground testing is planned this year followed by flight testing on the company’s technology demonstrator aircraft in 2022. That aircraft, which carries two people and can take off and land in distances as short as 100 feet, will use the hybrid-electric turbogenerator to power eight electric motors and charge a custom battery system during flight.

Electra’s first commercial product, with FAA certification planned in 2026, is designed to carry up to seven passengers and a pilot as far as 500 miles. It will serve urban and regional air mobility markets, sustainability-focused airline operations, “middle mile” cargo logistics, and air ambulance services.

Why it matters: Electra is new to the aerial mobility space and has focused its efforts on developing an eSTOL solution that will work for many applications. Early designs suggest the ability to capitalize on the benefits of electric architecture while minimizing operating costs as compared to eVTOL alternatives. With a full team of aerospace executives and respected advisors from the academic community, expect to see Electra in commercial markets later this decade.

Source: Electra Press Release

The United States Air Force (USAF) has selected Metawave Corporation to provide next-generation radar solutions for eVTOL aircraft. 

SPEKTRA can detect obstacles and road features up to 300m ahead of a vehicle. Metawave seeks to add 3D capability and increased range for eVTOL platforms.

The contract was awarded as a part of the USAF’s Agility Prime initiative, which seeks to advance the development of enabling technologies required to realize eVTOL platforms by 2023. The initial phase of the study will identify and improve upon the company’s current radar offering, SPEKTRA, for aerial operations. 

SPEKTRA is a compact analog antenna system which has been successful in the automotive industry in providing a high precision/resolution radar platform out to 330 meters (1082 ft). The platform currently is used for functions including cruise control, lane change assist, and automated emergency braking. Metawave can upgrade SPEKTRA to enable precision eVTOL navigation and obstacle avoidance. 

In the first phase, Metawave will parter with Arizona State University to modify SPEKTRA for longer ranges and navigation in three-dimensional space. 

“Both the automotive and eVTOL markets require the highest level of precision delivered by SPEKTRA,” Achour said. “For both applications, the ability to reliably distinguish between several objects close together in all weather and light conditions is an important capability for all phases of transport, including flight. The most significant difference is the operational range of the radar.”

Following the completion of Phase One, Metawave will apply for a Phase Two contract to bring operational radar hardware to USAF personnel. The Phase Two effort will include a series of field tests of the proposed design array under a variety of varied situations and environments.

Why it matters: The USAF has already awarded $38M to several contractors building the infrastructure and technologies required to realize the future of aerial mobility. Metawave’s work in developing radar solutions for the automotive industry can be complemented on eVTOL platforms with upgrades in range and 3D capability. The ability to use radar as a means of close-range navigation and obstacle avoidance will also be key in enabling autonomous operations of eVTOL air-vehicles. Expect similar studies and investments to surface as aerial mobility moves closer to reality.

Tangram Flex, Inc. has recently been awarded with a contract to support the U.S. Air Force’s Agility Prime initiative. Based in Dayton, Ohio, Tangram Prime will primarily focus on how “flying cars could rewrite how the Air Force and civil society do logistics and transportation.”

The contract will mainly focus on support for lower cost testing, verification, and validation of software components for Agility Prime vehicles. According to Rick Peters, Tangram chief executive, “We are thrilled to continue supporting the Air Force on their most critical initiatives. Our team will continue efforts to commercialize tools for safe, secure, and efficient development and rapid integration of mission-critical capabilities with confidence.”

A conceptual Agility Prime vehicle render.
Photograph: Dayton Daily News

Agility Prime is the USAF’s initiative to develop and promote eVTOL aircraft and the aerial mobility industry, aiding companies in this pursuit. According to Will Roper, assistant secretary of the Air Force for acquisition,  “Despite COVID-19, we’re still very optimistic about the future, specifically around flying cars and how they might help the military and the world produce better logistics, better medical support and better disaster relief. We really want to be engaged in this emerging market in a very different way.”

Rick Peters, CEO of Tangram Flex.
Photograph: Dayton Daily News

Why it’s important: The U.S. Air Force’s Agility Prime initiative shows a strong commitment to the development of the aerial mobility industry in spite of the COVID-19 pandemic. The benefits of being able to obtain contracts across both military and commercial sectors cannot be understated, especially for companies in a small but growing industry such as aerial mobility. 

Source // Dayton Daily News

Electra.aero, a company developing an ultra short takeoff and landing aircraft, has been selected by the U.S Air Force for a Strategic Fund Increase program. This program will allow Electra.aero to partner with the U.S Air Force to raise up to $85 million through private investments, government funding, and matching Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) funding.

Electra.aero’s all-electric aircraft design will be able to take-off and land in ‘soccer-field’ sized spaces. According to the company, this will give the aircraft helicopter-like versatility, allowing runways to be used in far more locations.

The funding raised by the new program will go towards developing a full-scale pre-production prototype of Electra’s eSTOL aircraft. Through the program, the Air Force will both help Electra connect with additional funding, and will provide testing, evaluation, and preliminary certification of prototypes. Ultimately, the goal of the program will to utilize the Air Force’s resources to bring this aircraft to commercialization.

Electra.aero envisions the aircraft being utilized in regional air mobility, cargo logistics, executive transport, humanitarian assistance and disaster response, and more. Already, Electra has received over 1,000 eSTOL aircraft orders from commercial customers around the globe.

 John S. Langford, Founder and CEO of Electra, “This STRATFI award reinforces the Air Force’s commitment to dual-use eSTOL technology as a solution for national security and other government missions, and validates Electra’s aircraft design and engineering work to date. The cost and risk advantages of eSTOL technology also make it a smart investment. We are honored to be chosen for this significant award and look forward to continuing our close collaboration with the Agility Prime team.”

Said Lieutenant Colonel John, leader of the Agility Prime Initiative at the Air Force, “It’s vital that we ensure new advanced air mobility technologies with dual-use applications are developed and manufactured here at home in the U.S. Electra’s eSTOL technology has the potential to deliver valuable logistics and mobility capabilities to the Air Force. We value our partnership with Electra and look forward to supporting their continued development and future transition.”

Why it’s Important: eSTOL (short take-off and landing aircraft) has the potential to revolutionize regional transportation. These aircraft can make air travel far more accessible for many communities by using runways at locations that were previously impossible. Additionally, by being electric, these aircraft can provide regional air transport for far less operational cost than existing airplanes. These factors combined create enormous potential for logistics businesses and travelers to use these aircraft for medium-distance transportation.

As part of its journey to Type certification, Joby’s eVTOL needs to undergo four system reviews, two of which have now been successfully completed.

Joby Aviation, one of the forerunners of the eVTOL movement, has now announced another milestone in its journey to fully certify its electric eVTOL aircraft with the FAA.

As Joby moves forward with Type Certification, it has continually worked closely with the FAA. Part of this process involves several full-system audits of Joby’s aircraft, which take place in-person over several days. Earlier this month, Joby completed the second out of four of these system audits at their test site in Marina, CA. These reviews are conducted to validate the overall architecture of the aircraft and ensure the OEM’s development is on track to meet the FAA’s safety objectives.

Said Didier Papadopoulos, head of Aircraft OEM at Joby, “Progress on certification is a key area of focus for this nascent sector, and we’re pleased to mark our continued leadership with the successful completion of our second system review. We’re confident that our aircraft design is on track to meet the FAA’s expectations regarding system-level safety, redundancy, and overall aircraft architecture.”

Notably, Joby also recently worked with the FAA to determine the full Airworthiness criteria for its eVTOL. The criteria developed for Joby will also likely set standards for other upcoming eVTOLs, as Joby is on track to be the first to be certified in the United States. Read more about this collaboration here.

In late 2020, Joby emerged from stealth mode with hundreds of millions of dollars in investments, including major backing from Toyota. With these release, it simultaneously announced Military airworthiness certification, along with collaborations with NASA and the USAF’s Agility prime to bring the aircraft into commercial and government service. Read more on Joby here.

Why it’s important: With this milestone, Joby continues to mark consistent progress in its certification journey with the FAA. Not only does this prove the ability for eVTOL aircraft to successfully proceed with FAA certification; it also proves that Joby is able to complete its developmental goals. Additionally, this certification effort will likely pave the way for other upcoming eVTOL makers.

Source // Joby Aviation, Revolution Aero

Related:

• FAA Proposes Airworthiness Criteria for Joby eVTOL (November 2022)
• Delta and Joby to Partner for Seamless Home-to-Airport Transportation (October 2022)
• Joby Expands Partnership with US Department of Defense (August 2022)
• Joby Completes 150-mile Flight, Begins Part 135 Certification Process (July 2021)

Leo Aircraft, which is creating a compact eVTOL powered by all-electric jet propulsion, announced its prototype’s first manned flight this week.

Leo Flight has a vision for an all-electric aircraft that can take to the skies as easily as a traditional automotive vehicle uses roads. This means that the electric aircraft it’s designing will take up no more space than a common SUV, while still being able to seat two passengers plus bags and a pilot, and travel for around 250 miles per full charge.

The company was founded by Pete Bitar and Carlos Salaff in spring of 2020, and since won NASA’s 2021 HeroX challenge.

Unlike most eVTOL aircraft, Leo Flight’s Coupe is propelled using a system of small all-electric jet engines embedded in the vehicle’s sides, as well as pusher jets at its rear. Compared with competitor aircraft, Leo Flight claims that this design will increase efficiency and versatility, will keep the vehicle compact and configurable, and will be safer due to the lack of external propellers.

Also unlike competitors, the Leo Coupe will be designed for both private vehicle ownership in addition to commercial transportation.

Late last week, the company announced the first manned flight of its prototype. Although this flight was a tethered hover test, its success speaks volumes to the potential of this technology.

Why it’s important: Leo Flight’s Coupe aircraft currently has very few competitors in the space of compact electric jet propulsion, with the possible exceptions of the Lilium jet, and the Mayman Aerospace Speeder. The Lilium jet however has a much larger size footprint, while the Mayman Speeder currently has a much smaller configuration. This means that currently for its size segment, Leo’s coupe is the only aircraft offering this type of propulsion.

Other competitors in this size and target market segment include the Air One, and the Skyfly Axe, although both of these feature external propellor configurations. Given that Lilium has proven the feasibility of this kind of jet propulsion for vertical flight, Leo Aircraft has a solid chance at creating a dynamic and highly functional aircraft for this size category. Additionally, the company could also extend into other vehicle sizes and configurations using the propulsion technology currently under development.

Source // Leo Aircraft

Related:

• AIR ONE Completes Hover Tests, Receives Airworthiness Certificate (August 2022)
• Mayman Aerospace receives $1.25MM from USAF’s Agility Prime initiative (September 2022)
• Skyfly begins orders for its ‘Axe’ 2-seat eVTOL (Julu 2022)
• Lilium Completes Transition from Hover to Winged Flight (June 2022)

The $1.2 million Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract will provide funding for VerdeGo to perform advanced risk reduction on the VH-3-185 hybrid powerplant, which has applications to both military and commercial high-performance electric aircraft.

The contract has a period of performance of 14 months and was awarded under a Commercial Solutions Opening (CSO) focused on technologies that have both military and commercial applications. This contract along with a portfolio of other hybrid programs and a recent Series A financing round are leading to substantial growth in VerdeGo’s Daytona Beach, FL-based team of hybrid propulsion experts. 

VerdeGo Aero specializes in serial and parallel hybrid-electric propulsion and battery-electric aircraft systems. The company has completed hundreds of hours of full scale and full power durability and hybrid performance testing, and is working to develop, certify, manufacture, and service the next generation of propulsion units for electrified aviation.

The VH-3-185 is VerdeGo’s third generation of hybrid powerplant. Designed for use in electric aircraft, it features a certified aircraft diesel engine that burns either jet fuel or sustainable aviation fuel and converts that energy into electric power to drive arrays of electric motors, mechanical shaft horsepower to directly drive a propeller or a gearbox, or a blend of electric and mechanical output. 

“Many eVTOL aircraft developers are beginning to realize the limitations in range and endurance when relying upon batteries as the primary energy source,” said Dr. Pat Anderson, CTO of VerdeGo Aero. “In the military context, these limitations combined with the need for established charging infrastructure at every operating location make battery-only designs unsuitable for those missions. Hybrid powerplants, which do not have these limitations, are therefore an attractive solution for the military, and for that matter commercial operators, as well.” 

“The Agility Prime program has been exploring and evaluating hybrid propulsion architectures combined with EVTOLs for dual use applications where additional range over what current battery only solutions may offer is of higher importance. The program office is excited to continue those efforts and better understand what capabilities VerdeGo’s VH-3 Powerplant may offer future systems over the course of this Phase 2 effort,” said Sterling Alley, Agility Prime program manager and technology transition lead. 

The 185kW VH-3 is proving technologies that are also being applied to powerplants up to the 1MW+ power range. The similarities between military missions and high-performance commercial missions lead to a common need for large amounts of reliable onboard propulsion power for VTOL, STOL, and CTOL aircraft. 

Why it’s important: As stated by Dave Spitzer, VerdeGo’s VP of Product Development, “this Direct-to-Phase II effort is exciting because it’s going to accelerate our efforts to bring the VH-3 to market.” “The VH-3 will be a key enabler for bringing new capabilities to the warfighter, and we’re honored that the Air Force recognizes the potential in VerdeGo’s hybrid technologies.”

Source // VerdeGo Aero press release

The Springfield-Beckley Municipal Airport hosted a groundbreaking ceremony for the National Advanced Air Mobility Center of Excellence, or NAAMCE, Aug. 23, 2022, in Springfield, Ohio. 

The facility came from $9.35 million in investments from the Department of Defense, JobsOhio and the city of Springfield. NAAMCE will facilitate collaborations between Air Force Research Laboratory, NASA, the Ohio Unmanned Aircraft Systems Center, local colleges and universities, and private industry to support the development of electric vertical takeoff and landing, or eVTOL, vehicles and other Advanced Air Mobility projects. 
  
“Springfield is at the cutting edge of a technology that is going to lead us into the future,” said Springfield city manager Bryan Heck. “[NAAMCE] builds on the already existing infrastructure that has taken some time but has quickly taken off … as Springfield becomes one of the leaders in electric vertical takeoff and landing technology.” 
  
Additional speakers at the groundbreaking ceremony included U.S. representatives Mike Turner, Warren Davidson and Mike Carey; Ohio State Senator Bob Hackett and Ohio State Representative Kyle Hoehler; as well as other leaders. The presenters emphasized the region’s attractiveness for the Air Mobility Industry, given its existing infrastructure and more affordable cost of living. 

The groundbreaking ceremony was one of the highlights of the 2022 National Advanced Air Mobility Industry Forum, which took place Aug. 22-23, 2022. The first day of the forum took place at the Clark State Hollenbeck Bailey Conference Center and neighboring Performing Arts Center. The event brought together military, manufacturers, suppliers and academia for networking, flight demonstrations and displays in an effort to cement Ohio and the Miami Valley as the center of development of Advanced Air Mobility and the “Third Revolution in Flight.”  

“There are two transformative technologies in aerospace today,” said retired Col.  Joe Zeis, Aerospace and Defense Adviser for Ohio Governor Mike DeWine. “One is hypersonics – The ability to reach anywhere in the world in a matter of seconds. The other is at the low-speed end, what we’re talking about, Advanced Air Mobility.” 
  
During his keynote address, Zeis emphasized the goal of maintaining Ohio’s position as an aerospace industry leader. This would be accomplished through protecting and expanding federal aerospace installations, increasing research, working with organizations to develop private industry and growing a science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM, educated and trained workforce, he said. 

Throughout the two-day forum, several panel discussions covered a variety of topics, including the challenges surrounding development and certification of eVTOL vehicles. Due to the newness of eVTOL technology, comparatively little data exists, and standardized processes have not been developed to test and certify eVTOL aircraft — issues that are meant to be mitigated by AFWERX’s Agility Prime, the Air Force’s initiative to work with industry on accelerating development of commercial eVTOL aircraft for more rapid development and fielding. 

“We are together pushing the state of the art in what the Air Force will look at for its next generation of, not only air vehicles, but space vehicles,” said Maj. Gen. Heather Pringle, commander of the Air Force Research Laboratory. “What AFWERX has done with Agility Prime is they have capitalized on the fast-paced industry technology advancements, and they have followed it up trying to nest the military requirement and a piece of it and not hindering in any way the commercial development.” 

Agility Prime’s efforts are intended to reduce the bureaucratic, regulatory and financial burdens of developing and certifying eVTOL aircraft with the military, NASA and the Federal Aviation Administration. Potential uses for eVTOL aircraft include disaster relief, humanitarian efforts, medical transport and movement of personnel and materiel, among others. 

Why it matters: Long time aerial mobility partner, the AFRL, and their Agility Prime initiative have served to propel the development of eVTOL technologies. This new facility and partnerships with both the public and private sector, as well as academic circles, promise to keep the momentum strong towards advancing eVTOL design, manufacture, and operation.

Source: AFRL Press Release