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SkyDrive, developer of a compact electric air vehicle that’s intended to ‘make flying vehicles a realistic choice of daily transportation’ in Japan and abroad, has announced that it will showcase its SD-03 prototype at a major technology conference in Dubai. At the same event, SkyDrive also plans to unveil its SD-05 design, which will be far closer to the aircraft SkyDrive eventually plans to sell.

Above: SkyDrive’s SD-03 prototype, which has already taken manned demonstration flights

The GITEX GLOBAL conference is one of the largest technology conferences in the world, featuring technologies in development like virtual reality, artificial intelligence, blockchain, fintech, data analytics, and more. The conference has been occurring for the last 41 years, featuring 7 separate category shows in one event, and attended by over 100,000 industry stakeholders. 4000+ exhibitors, 800+ startups, and 1000+ speakers from 170+ countries will attend this year.

At the event, attendees will be able to get an in-person look at SkyDrive’s flying SD-03 prototype, and will be the first to view the full-scale demonstrator model of the company’s upcoming two-passenger SD-05 vehicle. Notably, SkyDrive plans to use the SD-05 for air taxi services at the World Expo 2025 in Osaka, Kansai, Japan.

SkyDrive’s CEO, Tomohiro Fukuzawa, said: “As one of our strategic markets, we want to ensure the Middle East is aware of our latest developments and progress.”

SkyDrive is backed by Toyota, and has already received acceptance of its type certificate application for the upcoming SD-05 model in Japan— a major milestone that no other flying vehicle developers have reached in the country. According to the company, its goal is to develop a personal flying vehicle that can ‘take off from an land in small spaces like parking lots and helipads atop buildings’, making electric air travel an accessible means of transportation. The company also is developing heavy-lift cargo drones.

Why it’s important: Currently, SkyDrive is at the top of the industry for advanced aerial mobility in Japan. While its current aircraft seats only one passenger, the company has already demonstrated effective manned flight with this prototype, and plans on continuing to develop higher-capacity aircraft. With backing from Toyota and Japan’s ministry of transportation, along with is clear vision to integrate eVTOL travel into daily transportation, the company is well suited to continue advancing to commercialization.

Source // SkyDrive, GITEX Global

Related:

• SkyDrive Debuts Its ‘Flying Car’ Model; Raises ¥3.9 Billion (August 2020)
• SkyDrive Type Certificate Application Accepted by Japanese Transport Ministry (November 2021)
• Climb Aboard SkyDrive at CES Unveiled and CES 2022
• SkyDrive and Suzuki Announce Collaboration on Aerial Vehicle Development (March 2022)

Kittyhawk, the eVTOL air taxi company building a single-person, remotely-piloted electric aircraft in Palo Alto, CA, has just announced it is shutting down.

Founded by self-driving car pioneer Sebastian Thrun and backed by Google co-founder Larry Page, Kittyhawk had been advancing aviation for more than a decade and had built and flown more than 100 aircraft.

Wisk, the company’s joint venture with Boeing Co. formed in 2019, will continue to live on. Boeing has already invested $450 million in the partnership and earlier this week the two presented their vision for a world where eVTOLs can coexist with larger commercial aircraft.

“Kittyhawk’s decision to cease operations does not change Boeing’s commitment to Wisk,” a spokeswoman for the plane manufacturer said in an email. “We are proud to be a founding member of Wisk Aero and are excited to see the work they are doing to drive innovation and sustainability through the future of electric air travel.”

Insider has reported that Kitty Hawk had already shut down work on the 100-mile-capable Heaviside vehicle and that Page had become increasingly hands-off from the company, but did continue to focus on research and development efforts after the end of the Heaviside project. Other historic vehicles to be designed, built, and flown by Kittyhawk included the Flyer and Cora vehicles.

Related:

• Wisk Aero Continues Global Expansion with Launch of Montreal Hub (August 2022)
• Wisk’s 6th Generation eVTOL revealed on CBS’s 60 Minutes (April 2022)
• Wisk Looks to Resume Flight Tests for Cora (May 2020)
• Kitty Hawk Moves On From its Flyer Program (June 2020)

Why it’s important: The closure of Kittyhawk marks the end of an era for one of the early leaders in the aerial mobility industry. With its Flyer and Cora aircraft, the company helped pave the way for many of the other startups, including Joby Aviation, Archer Aviation, and Lilium. However, the continued development work that is being done via spinoff company Wisk in collaboration with Boeing maintains a promising outlook for the future of urban aviation.

Eviation, developer of an all-electric aircraft capable of carrying up to 9 passengers or 2,500lbs of cargo up to 450 nautical miles, recently successfully completed high-speed taxi tests, and received a pre-order for 50 aircraft from Global Crossing Airlines.

Above: Photo taken in Washington state shortly after the Alice’s high-speed taxi test

Eviation’s mission is to transform regional air transportation by offering electric aircraft that are far more environmentally friendly and cost-effective to operate and maintain than traditional combustion aircraft. So far the company has made immense progress towards its prototype goals, with flight tests near in sight.

On September 18th, the 57-foot Alice prototype took high-speed taxi tests in order to prepare for upcoming test flights. In the high-speed taxi, the aircraft was able to generate enough lift for its nose wheel to lift off the ground. Said Gregory Davis, the company’s CEO and president, ““Building an electric aircraft is a war on weight, and it’s a war on drag. Our challenges are to get the best possible lift-over-drag ratio.” Each motor at the rear of the aircraft can produce 650 kilowatts of power, meaning 1.3 megawatts of power for the aircraft during takeoff.

Watch the high-speed taxi test below:

Also earlier this month, the company announced that it has signed a letter of intent with Global Crossing Airlines (GlobalX) for an order of 50 Alice aircraft. GlobalX currently offers charters all over the world using its fleet of Airbus A320s, targeting customers like sports teams, school groups, or organizations that need to travel with large amounts of gear. According to GlobalX, Eviation’s Alice will help the airline achieve its goal of opening carbon-neutral charter services between the Bahamas, Florida, and the Caribbean. The LOI also indicates that deliveries of the Alice to GlobalX should begin in 2027.

Said Chair and CEO of GlobalX, Ed Wegel, “Eviation’s Alice aircraft is setting the standard in sustainable aviation, and we plan to offer the aircraft to our cruise line, tour operators, leisure travel providers, and business clients with a need for short-haul charter flights across Florida. The Alice aircraft will allow us to offer sustainable, regional flights to and from major markets, and is the first step in our initiative to be a zero-carbon emissions airline by 2050. We are proud to be a launch customer for Eviation and lead the charge in bringing carbon-free air travel to our passengers.”

Gregory Davis, President of Eviation, said: “Charter travel is attractive to both individuals and groups as it offers flexibility, privacy and convenience. Alice represents a pioneering approach to making this type of aviation sustainable for generations to come. We are delighted to enter this agreement with GlobalX, whose investment in zero-emissions flight demonstrates the airline’s commitment to cleaner skies, lower operational costs, and the provision of the most innovative options for air travel.”

Above: Rendering of the Eviation Alice performing regional transportation routes in the Bahamas

Why it’s important: While the Eviation Alice is not en eVTOL, it offers similar capabilities to transform regional transportation through the use of high-power electric propulsion. As with electric cars, electric aircraft are predicted to be far more cost-effective to maintain and operate than combustion vehicles. This could mean that as these aircraft ramp up production, regional and eventually long-distance air transportation could become far more prevalent and affordable. With these key announcements, Eviation proves effectiveness of its aircraft, and begins to lay down plans for entering into commercial operation.

Source // Simple Flying, Popular Science, Eviation Aircraft

Related:

• DHL Express to Order 12 Alice Cargo Aircraft from Eviation (August 2021)
• Eviation Unveils Production Configuration for its Alice Electric Aircraft (July 2021)
• Eviation Receives a MagniX Electric Propulsion Unit for its ‘Alice’ Aircraft (May 2021)
• Eviation Secures 150 Total Orders for its All-Electric Commuter Aircraft (October 2019)

Swedish electric aircraft manufacturer, Heart Aerospace, has joined the European Regions Airline Association (ERA), a trade association for European regional airlines and associated businesses.

Founded in 1980, ERA is a non-profit trade association representing over 55 airlines plus around another 150 companies involved in European air transport. ERA is the only association that brings together the entire spectrum of companies involved in European aviation.

The association supports and defends the airline industry in providing safe, efficient and sustainable air connectivity to all regions of Europe. By lobbying European regulatory bodies on policy matters, ERA promotes and protects social responsibility, environmental sustainability and the development of regional economies and local communities.

“We believe that electric air travel can be transformational in addressing the industry’s key sustainability challenges, and we look forward to working with the ERA in shaping the future of regional air travel in Europe,” said Anders Forslund, CEO of Heart Aerospace.

Last year, United Airlines announced plans to purchase up to 100 19-seat Heart Aerospace ES-19 electric aircraft. Heart has also gained investments from Breakthrough Energy Ventures, EQT Ventures, European Investment Council, Lower Carbon Capital, and Mesa Air Group.

“ERA is committed to supporting a transition to more sustainable aviation; hence, we are very pleased to welcome Heart Aerospace into membership. Heart is a pioneer for sustainable aviation, and with its mission to create not only the world’s greenest, but most affordable and accessible form of transport, I am sure the company will play a significant role in the future of Europe’s regional air sector,” said Montserrat Barriga, Director General, ERA.

As of publishing, Heart Aerospace will deliver the first ES-19 electric airliner certified for commercial flight by 2026.

Why it matters: For Heart Aerospace, membership of the ERA will be an important platform for cooperation and the exchange of ideas for sustainable growth of the European regional airline industry. Their participation in the association will also include Heart in important policy-making discussions for the infancy of electric flight in the EU.

Source // Heart Aerospace

Electra.Aero, developer of a hybrid-electric short take-off and landing aircraft designed for regional air mobility and logistics, has announced successful testing of its proprietary propulsion system.

Above: A rendering of Electra.aero’s eSTOL from Electra’s website. This image demonstrates the aircraft’s signature ‘Blown Lift’ technology, which uses the propellers to push additional air over the wings for extra lift. The aircraft will be able to carry up to 9 passengers or 2500lbs of cargo for over 400 NM of range, and will be able to take off and land within 300 feet.

Electra.aero, which recently acquired fellow eSTOL developer Airflow, has made another major step towards developing its aircraft by successfully testing its hybrid-electric propulsion motor with attached propellers. This static test gives Electra important insights into the performance of its system, and lends further confidence to the company’s flight characteristics goals.

The hybrid system is being integrated into Electra’s piloted technology demonstrator aircraft, to demonstrate and test Electra’s eSTOL ultra-short takeoff and landing performance and fuel burn savings. The technology is currently being developed for Electra’s 9-passenger eSTOL aircraft and will later be scaled to larger aircraft.

Said JP Stewart, Electra’s VP and General Manager: “Tightly coupling airframe and propulsion systems is the hallmark of Electra’s unique and scalable approach to providing net-zero emissions for regional and transport-category aircraft by 2050. Electra’s eSTOL aircraft uses this patent-pending technology for the urban and regional aircraft market, allowing a reduction of the 5 billion tons of CO₂ created by inefficient ground transport in personal cars every year.”

Above: Photo of the hybrid-electric propulsion system in static testing

Ultimately, Electra’s goal is to create an aircraft that significantly reduces operating costs, infrastructure requirements, and noise emissions as compared to current aircraft with the same payload and range capabilities. The short-take off and landing capabilities of the aircraft, combined with its low operating costs and high range capabilities, could open up new potential opportunities for regional transportation between cities and outlying areas. Electra already has pre-purchase agreements with several operators including Bristow, Yugo, Flapper, and FlyV.

Why it’s important: While Electra.aero’s aircraft is not an eVTOL, its design will allow it to take-off and land with less than half the energy of a comparable VTOL aircraft, within the distance of a single soccer field. This reduced energy requirement will allow the eSTOL to fly much longer distances than eVTOL aircraft, while still requiring very very minimal infrastructure as compared to modern aircraft with similar capabilities. Although Electra’s eSTOL may not work for urban rooftops, it has immense potential to transform medium-range regional transportation. With a traditional fixed-wing design, we may expect to see Electrica’s aircraft in operation very soon.

Jetson, the aviation company and manufacturer of the commercially-available Jetson ONE eVTOL, announced on September 9th that it’s set to close a $10M seed round with +$8M secured. The remainder is to be closed within the month.

Jetson is currently the only eVTOL company on the market that can provide a commercially available personal electric aviation vehicle.

Peter Ternström, Jetson co-founder and President, commented as the company approaches closure of the funding round: “our mission at Jetson is to democratize flight and make the skies available to everyone. We achieved fantastic results during our first investment round. We will now go full speed ahead with mass production, R&D and hiring top talent to bring our vision to reality.”

The lead investors in the $10M seed round are global tech operators. Luca Spada, Nik Robinson and Rikard Steiber. They all share a passion for flight and are pioneers in their respective fields.

Luca Spada, Founder and CEO of EOLO will be joining the Board of Directors together with the founders. EOLO is an Italian operator that manages one of the largest Fixed Wireless Access Networks in the World.   

Jetson investor Nik Robinson, a tech entrepreneur with an impeccable track record, and one of the most influential innovators in the internet gaming industry. Nik’s investment company Splendid Stuff covers a wide range of technology from music NFT pressing to AI analytics, electric transportation, and online gaming.

Jetson has sold over 400 units, with thousands of purchase requests during the same period.

Jetson will continue to invest in R&D, recruitment and mass production and will be opening operations in the US in 2023. Jetson’s first external investor Swedish Silicon Valley Entrepreneur Rikard Steiber will drive the US expansion plans.

The Jetson ONE is built to comply with existing FAA regulations. Making the Jetson ONE the perfect eVTOL for the US market. 

Jetson will be inviting clients with an assigned chassis number to test fly the Jetson ONE in the Spring of 2023.

The first 200 chassis are due for delivery between October and December 2023. Jetson is currently on target for 2023 delivery and working on the next steps towards mass production.

Why it’s important: Jetson’s impending closure of their first funding round will help the company maintain momentum toward initial customer test flights and orders of the Jetson ONE personal aerial vehicle. The company will need to scale the aircraft substantially in order to attain a viable commercial product that can move multiple persons across cities, but this initial revision will serve as an opportunity to be a proving vehicle for future iterations that will fly farther, carry higher loads, and have more complex systems.

United announced this week a $15 million investment in Eve Air Mobility and a conditional purchase agreement for 200 four-seat eVTOL aircraft plus 200 options. This marks another significant investment from United in eVTOL that has the potential to revolutionize the commuter experience in cities around the world. Under the terms of the agreement, the companies intend to work on future projects, including studies on the development, use and application of Eve’s eVTOL aircraft and the urban air mobility (UAM) ecosystem.

“United has made early investments in several cutting-edge technologies at all levels of the supply chain, staking out our position as a leader in aviation sustainability and innovation,” said Michael Leskinen, President of United Airlines Ventures. “United is making history again, by becoming the first major airline to publicly invest in two eVTOL companies. Our agreement with Eve highlights our confidence in the urban air mobility market and serves as another important benchmark toward our goal of net zero carbon emissions by 2050 – without using traditional offsets. Together, we believe our suite of clean energy technologies will revolutionize air travel as we know it and serve as the catalyst for the aviation industry to move toward a sustainable future.”

“United’s investment in Eve reinforces the trust in our products and services and strengthens our position in the North American market,” said Andre Stein, co-CEO of Eve. “I am confident that our UAM agnostic solutions, coupled with the global know-how we have been developing at Eve and Embraer’s heritage, are the best fit for this initiative, giving United’s customers a quick, economical and sustainable way to get to its hub airports and commute in dense urban environments. It is an unparalleled opportunity to work with United to advance the US UAM ecosystem, and we look forward to it.”

United’s investment in Eve was driven in part by confidence in the potential growth opportunities in the UAM market and by Eve’s unique relationship with Embraer, a trusted aircraft manufacturer with a proven track record of building and certifying aircraft over the company’s 53-year history. This relationship includes access to Embraer’s service centers, parts warehouses, and field service technicians, paving the way for a reliable operation. Upon entry into service, United could have its entire eVTOL fleet serviced by Eve’s agnostic service and support operations. Moreover, United joins the consortium led by Eve, which will simulate UAM operations in Chicago from September 12th.

With a range of 60 miles (100 km), Eve’s VTOL aircraft has the potential not only to offer a sustainable commute but also to reduce noise levels by 90 percent as compared to aircraft like helicopters. Eve is also creating a new air traffic management solution designed for the UAM industry to scale safely. This software is intended to perform at the same safety level as Embraer’s existing air traffic management software and is expected to be a strategic asset in helping the entire industry grow.

This announcement also closely follows United’s recent firm purchase commitment for 100 of Archer’s eVTOL aircraft. Learn more about this purchase here.

Why it matters: United was the first major U.S. airline to create a corporate venture fund, United Airlines Ventures (UAV), designed to support the company’s commitment to reach net zero emissions by 2050 without the use of traditional offsets. Through UAV, United has led the industry in investments in eVTOL and electric aircraft, hydrogen fuel cell engines, and sustainable aviation fuel. This new partnership with Eve further solidifies United’s commitment to electric aviation and aerial mobility, keeping it at the forefront of this new push by major airlines.

Source // United

Related:

• United Airlines Completes $10M Pre-Payment for 100 Archer eVTOL Aircraft (August 2022)
• United Airlines Orders $1B in Archer Vehicles (February 2021)
• American Airlines Solidifies Delivery Slots for Vertical Aerospace eVTOL Aircraft (July 2022)
• Eve, Blade Partner to Simulate eVTOL Operations (August 2022)

Honeywell recently announced that it will be hosting its own Summit on aerial mobility technology later this month in Washington D.C.

According to Honeywell, the Air Mobility Summit aims to aims to “help speed the evolution of aerial transportation in a safe, sustainable, and affordable way.” To this end, the invitation-only conference will be attended by policymakers, regulators, and technology leaders.

Featured panels and keynote events at the Summit will focus on Urban Air Mobility, Unmanned Aerial Systems, new kinds of Regional Air Mobility, and the regulatory gaps remaining to make these technologies an everyday reality. In particular, many events will focus on how these technologies can maintain United States’ competitiveness on a global scale, and the economic and societal benefits they can bring.

Speakers at the Summit will include members of congress, FAA officials, executive leaders from key advanced air mobility companies, and more. With this unique gathering of individuals, Honeywell hopes to align business interests with those of regulatory bodies, including state and local governments.

“From all-electric air taxis to uncrewed cargo delivery drones, together, we’re helping move transportation from the road to the air with electrically powered vertical take-off and landing aircraft for sustainable, high-speed air mobility.” -Honeywell’s Save the Date page for the Air Mobility Summit.

Above: The Lilium Jet eVTOL, which will feature cockpit and propulsion technologies by Honeywell

Honeywell is well-placed to host this conference, as it had made investments and partnerships in the advanced aerial mobility industry nearly since its inception. In particular, Honeywell has formed technology partnerships with notable eVTOL developers like Lilium, Pipistrel, Volocopter and Vertical Aerospace to provide flight controls, propulsion technologies, and more. Between 2020 and 2019, Honeywell announced an entirely new business unit dedicated to Aerial Mobility, as well cooling systems, fly-by-wire, and e-motor projects specifically for eVTOL aircraft.

Why it’s important: Honeywell, with a vast amount of resources and experiences in flight technologies, has recognized the immense potential value of electric aerial mobility technologies since as early as 2019. Since then, it has worked hard to set itself up as one of the top technology providers in this new field. With this new Summit, Honeywell can further put itself as the forefront of the Aerial Mobility industry, while at the same time promoting collaboration and advancement for the entire industry.

Related:

• Honeywell’s New Business Unit for Aerial Mobility (July 2020)
• Honeywell Releases Their New Compact Fly-By-Wire System for UAM (June 2019)
• Honeywell’s Electric Engine to Advance UAM (April 2019)
• New eVTOL Visual Flight Control Hardware To Be Developed by Daedalean and Honeywell (January 2020)
• Honeywell to Equip Volocopter with Autonomous Landing Systems (April 2019)
• Vertical Aerospace eVTOL to be Equipped with Latest Honeywell Flight Deck Technology (August 2020)
• Honeywell To Provide Cockpit Technologies For 7-Seater Lilium Jet (June 2021)

South Korea’s resort island of Jeju will launch air routes for Urban Air Mobility (UAM) and drone taxis dedicated to tourists in the island by 2025, as the first municipality in the country to do so. 

As depicted above, Kencoa Aerospace has already initiated the mapping of potential air routes for UAM and drone taxis that will connect Jeju Island’s popular tourist spots.

Aimed at offering quick and accessible air mobility in the near future, the routes will connect the island’s popular tourist spots through the coast with quick and accessible air mobility in the near future, an executive who devised the idea told The Korea Herald on Thursday. 

Jeju Island, together with South Korean aviation company Kencoa Aerospace and the Jeju Free International City Development Center (JDC), has devised three types of UAM routes on the island.

The first route connects Jeju International Airport to the island’s southern Mosupo area, which then links Moseulpo to further down to Gapado and Marado. The third route moves along the east coast near Seongsan Ilchulbong, a popular site also known as Sunrise Peak.

“This would allow tourists to hop on the electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft at Jeju airport to directly land at tour spots and transfer to drone taxis nearby. The time frame would be around 2025,” said Kencoa Aerospace Executive Chung Chan-young.

Jeju Special Self-Governing Province also plans to set up a Vertiport –- a helipad-like area that can be on land, water or a structure on which eVTOLs can take off and land — at large-scale hotels where many visitors stay.

Jeju’s idea of deploying UAM as tourist transportation is highly feasible and can happen early, Chung said, citing Seoul City’s plan to “test” a UAM route that connects Gimpo International Airport to central Yongsan-gu, Seoul. The plan, however, has hit a snag as the presidential office was relocated to Yongsan-gu in May.

“Flying a UAM aircraft through the coast in the island faces less troubles compared to running an air taxi in Seoul, where flying drones or aircrafts in areas like Yongsan is heavily restricted by government regulations,” said Chung.

According to the Transport Ministry, major districts in Seoul and the entire airspace along the Han River are no-fly zones.

“Jeju works as a perfect test bed and the best location to leverage UAM for the area’s advantages. Examining geographical features through the coastline is less complicated, and establishing a Vertiport on the sea can also work,” Chung added. 

Meanwhile, the Transport Ministry has submitted its draft of a bill that would set up requirements and regulations for UAM, The Korea Herald learned through interviews. It is the first of its kind in the world, according to sources. If approved by the National Assembly, South Korea would become the first country to have regulations dedicated to UAM, the sources added.

The special law is expected to separate UAM from the legal boundary of the current aviation law. Flying cars would be advised not to fly within the altitude of helicopters, which is at around 450 meters above ground. The rule for UAM could range between 300 to 600 meters above land. 

Related: Jaunt and MintAir partner to launch aerial mobility service in South Korea

Why it’s important: This announcement has preceded any coordination with a specific OEM that will be contracted to provide the vehicles to enable the Jeju Island air taxi service. It can be expected that this will ignite competition amongst manufacturers and operators as they seek to showcase their value proposition to the South Korean municipality; ultimately, the air taxi provider to win the contract will likely obtain an edge in the industry via the newly acquired market share.

Additionally, the specific airspace regulations being coordinated to enable these commercial operations on Jeju Island are exactly the efforts that are going to enable rapid proliferation of aerial mobility in similar regions across the globe.

Source // Korea Herald

uAvionix announced today that it is developing LTE support and a new airborne radio manager dubbed “muLTElink” for its SkyLine Command and Control (C2) Network. SkyLine’s ability to roam across multiple ground stations is now enhanced through the additional capability onboard the aircraft, which enables an aircraft to seamlessly transition in-flight between different onboard C2 radios such as ISM and C-Band, or leverage the integral diversity LTE radio without latency or risk of a lost link.

Avoiding a lost link scenario is critical to Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) aircraft operations.  Every radio and frequency has advantages and disadvantages depending on the geographic location and altitude of the operation, and a LTE enabled link and added layer of redundancy (muLTElink) allows for seamless and lossless switching between different radio types. An example uAvionix provided is the typical example of LTE coverage which works well under 400’ in given locations, but as the aircraft transitions to higher altitudes or more rural locations, the need arises to switch to an alternate link such as C-Band to maintain control of the aircraft.

Related: uAvionix Begins Flight Testing of its BVLOS C-band Radio

Why it’s important: A third layer of datalink for BVLOS operations will increase reliability of link integrity and allow for greater confidence in the remote operation of drones and sUAS systems in new areas. Further, increased reliability of LTE connectivity and 5G connectivity may ultimately allow for additional redundancy of communication channels to be phased out.

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