Results for: bell

Bell Flight Unveils Nexus Prototype at CES 2019

07 January 2019 || 5 min read

Bell Flight has released its Nexus Air Taxi prototype at CES 2019. The vertical mobility company claims that the Nexus air taxi will weigh roughly 6,000 pounds, be able to fly at 150mph, and have a range of 150 miles. Bell Flight also announced that the air taxi will use augmented reality, as well as intelligent interior design to provide...

Bell Flight Unveils Nexus Prototype at CES 2019

07 January 2019 || 5 min read

Bell Flight has released its Nexus Air Taxi prototype at CES 2019.

The vertical mobility company claims that the Nexus air taxi will weigh roughly 6,000 pounds, be able to fly at 150mph, and have a range of 150 miles. Bell Flight also announced that the air taxi will use augmented reality, as well as intelligent interior design to provide a signature passenger experience that doesn’t compromise safety.

Image // Bell Flight

One of the important design selections that Bell Flight revealed was the decision to use a hybrid-electric propulsion system on the Nexus: featuring 6 ducted fans that have variable tilt angles to facilitate vertical takeoff and landing, as well as accelerated forward flight. The blades will be 8 feet in diameter. The Nexus builds from Bell Flight’s reveal of the passenger cabin of their “Air Taxi” at CES in 2018, which would eventually become the passenger cabin of the Nexus.

There are a few important distinctions that Bell Flight has underscored in the design of the Nexus; namely, the decision to bypass autonomous operation (at least in the early stages of flight operations) and also to use a hybrid-electric propulsion system. Other urban aviation companies are pursuing one of these design selections, but hardly any have down-selected both. The Nexus will carry four passengers and have one pilot, which fits with Uber’s eCRM standards for revenue-generating commercial air taxi operations. A commonly cited shortcoming of many air taxi designs is the passenger capacity – at least 3 (and preferably 4) are needed if a pilot is to be onboard the aircraft in order for commercial operations to prove profitable.

Image // Bell Flight

Additionally, Bell Flight has outsourced a larger portion of their design than many other eVTOL companies have – companies like Garmin, Thales, Moog, and Safran will provide avionics, flight control computers, flight control hardware, and the non-electric propulsion system, along with EPS providing batteries. Lastly, the design also keeps safety in mind: if one of the rotors fails, the aircraft will be able to land itself, and if the gas-turbine should cease operation, the small onboard battery will have enough power to allow the Nexus to land safely as well. Even the battery itself has containment cells that should prevent the spread of any undesired combustion.

Image // Bell Flight

Bell Flight’s experience in mass-producing helicopters and other aircraft will prove valuable as the company begins their production phase. Common among urban aviation manufacturing challenges is complex geometry composite fabrication at scale, as well as integration of entirely new systems, like that of the hybrid electric propulsion planned to be used on the Nexus.

Image // Bell Flight

Why it’s important: Bell Flight has finally released their prototype for their Air Taxi, which was kept under wraps less the release of the cabin mock-up of the then “Bell Air Taxi” at CES in 2018. The company’s announcement that the aircraft will be hybrid-electric, along with the confirmation that Bell Flight will be partnering with a number of well-respected aerospace companies on their eVTOL design adds much-desired clarity and definition to the path forward for Bell.

Learn more about the Bell Nexus here.

Bell Recruits Moog for Air Taxi Flight Actuation

16 December 2018 || 3 min read

Bell has added yet another partner to the growing list that will be developing its Air Taxi. Moog’s role will be to design the Flight Control Actuation System. As a reminder, Bell has yet to unveil the full version of its Air Taxi. For now, it has shown mockups of the planned interior of the aircraft, which was featured with...

Bell Recruits Moog for Air Taxi Flight Actuation

16 December 2018 || 3 min read

Bell has added yet another partner to the growing list that will be developing its Air Taxi. Moog’s role will be to design the Flight Control Actuation System.

As a reminder, Bell has yet to unveil the full version of its Air Taxi. For now, it has shown mockups of the planned interior of the aircraft, which was featured with an immersive VR experience at both CES and South by Southwest earlier this year. Bell has commented that it has not yet unveiled the full aircraft design because it would like to keep its propulsion system design private.

Bell’s Air Taxi interior is impressive, utilizing augmented reality as well as a control panel made up nearly entirely of screens.

Moog, the latest partner to Bell in addition to Safran, Garmin, EPS, and Thales, is an expert aircraft designer and supplier. For over 50 years, Moog Aircraft has provided many kinds of motion control technology ranging in use from commercial aircraft to power-generation turbines and even Formula One racing. While Bell will be responsible for the design, development and production of the VTOL systems, Moog will include providing the all-electric, fly-by-wire actuators and electronics used to direct and control the aircraft’s propulsion system and aero-surfaces.

Bell Partners with Moog Aircraft for Flight Control Actuation Systems

“We are absolutely delighted that Moog has been selected by Bell to partner on this exciting program to explore and develop the on-demand mobility market. –Ralph Elbert, group vice president & GM of Moog Aircraft

“Bell continues to identify solutions and teammates that will achieve new possibilities together,” Scott Drennan, vice president of Innovation at Bell. “Within this collaboration, Moog will ensure an advanced, fully integrated actuation system which will provide a safe, reliable and affordable solution for our aircraft.”

Why its important: With the addition of Moog to its team, Bell has brought the number of partners on its air taxi project up to five. Also included are Thales for flight controls, Garmin for avionics, Safran for hybrid propulsion, and EPS for energy storage. Moog’s long-time expertise will help Bell develop flight technologies that meet cost, performance, weight, and reliability requirements for on-demand urban aviation.

Bell Adds Electric Power Systems as a Partner for its Air Taxi

08 November 2018 || 4 min read

Bell has added yet another company to its growing list of partners for the Bell Air Taxi project. This time, it’s Electric Power Systems (EPS). Bell’s original design for the air taxi was full electric, but since further feasibility analysis, it has made the switch to hybrid electric. Bell also made this move to try to stick to its goal...

Bell Adds Electric Power Systems as a Partner for its Air Taxi

08 November 2018 || 4 min read

Bell has added yet another company to its growing list of partners for the Bell Air Taxi project. This time, it’s Electric Power Systems (EPS).

Bell’s original design for the air taxi was full electric, but since further feasibility analysis, it has made the switch to hybrid electric. Bell also made this move to try to stick to its goal of multi-city testing by 2020.

Electric Power systems is a wide team of consulting engineers with years of experience in design, construction, and periodic maintenance of electric power supply systems. By partnering with EPS, Bell hopes to create the most cost-efficient and reliable battery management system for the upcoming Bell Air Taxi. Said Scott Brennan, Bell’s Vice President of Innovation:

“This collaboration with EPS is intended to further enhance the safety and performance of our aircraft through unique power storage capabilities”

Bell’s Mockup of the Air Taxi’s Control Panel

“As we forge relationships with new teammates, we move one step closer to bringing viable urban air mobility to the everyday commuter.”-Scott Drennan, Bell Vice President of Innovation.

…

As a reminder, Bell is one of the partners for Uber Elevate on the UberAir project. Bell will also be working with Safran for the Air Taxi’s hybrid propulsion system, Garmin for autonomous vehicle management, and Thales for flight control system avionics.

Bell has yet remained somewhat secretive about its air taxi design. While many companies have released mockups and even flight demonstrations of their air taxi concepts, Bell has chosen only to show the interior of the aircraft, saying that for now it would like to keep its propulsion design to itself. However, the air taxi interior shows a very futuristic design featuring augmented reality and a control panel completely made up of screens. Read more about the Bell Air Taxi.

A visual from the VR demonstration of Bell’s Air Taxi experience

Why it’s important: Although Uber Elevate has announced Bell as one of its contractors for UberAir, it will also work with Karem Aircraft, Boeing’s Aurora Flight Sciences, Embraer, and Pipistrel Aircraft. According to Elevate’s website, Uber will work with all of these companies to develop its own (initially piloted) aircraft. It’s still a little unclear how all these companies are working with Uber, but the fact that Bell has consistently been adding more and more partners may suggest that it will be the main producer of UberAir VTOLs. Regardless, Uber is aiming for a strict 2023 operations launch, and will begin flight testing in 2020.

Bell Announces Partnership with Thales for Air Taxi Development

23 October 2018 || 4 min read

This morning (Tuesday October 23rd), Bell Announced a partnership with the Thales Group to further develop flight control systems for its VTOL aircraft, including the Bell Air Taxi. The Thales Group is a high-technology solutions provider specializing in many areas from aerospace to connected cars to deep-sea exploration. Part of its core value is helping to make the world safer...

Bell Announces Partnership with Thales for Air Taxi Development

23 October 2018 || 4 min read

This morning (Tuesday October 23rd), Bell Announced a partnership with the Thales Group to further develop flight control systems for its VTOL aircraft, including the Bell Air Taxi.

The Thales Group is a high-technology solutions provider specializing in many areas from aerospace to connected cars to deep-sea exploration. Part of its core value is helping to make the world safer through the mastery of complex technologies. As noted by Bell, Thales has is a global leader in commercial and military avionics and air traffic management.

“Thales designs systems that strive for the highest standards for future air mobility.”–Bell Press Release October 23rd.

Thales hopes to bring expertise in safety and autonomy to the Bell team. According to Thales Vice President for Avionics in Canada, Michel Grenier: “Thales is playing a leading role in shaping the autonomous world”. While Thales will specifically lead flight controls technology, the other announced partners, Garmin and Safran, will head navigation and propulsion. Thales plans to work with Bell on piloted flight as well as eventual autonomous flight technologies for the air taxi.

Thales reported sales of €15.8 billion in 2017.

As a reminder, Bell has also partnered with Uber Elevate. Uber and Bell hope to reach testing in multiple cities by 2020.

Bell has remained somewhat secretive about its air taxi design. While many companies have released mockups and even flight demonstrations of their air taxi concepts, Bell has chosen only to show the interior of the aircraft, saying that for now it would like to keep its propulsion design to itself. However, the air taxi interior shows a very futuristic design featuring augmented reality and a control panel completely made up of screens.

Bell Air Taxi Concept at CES

The Bell Air Taxi control panel

“Our collaboration with Thales is intended to ensure affordable flight controls system that will be designed to meet the needs of future piloted and fully autonomous on-demand mobility vehicles.” –Scott Drennan

Why its important: Given the trends in Bell’s chosen partnerships, Bell may plan to design its own software for on-demand mobility and airspace management. This gives extra insight into what kind of value Uber adds to the partnership–customer service, management, and intake.

Bell V-247 VTOL Unveiled

03 October 2018 || 4 min read

Bell has just released plans for an autonomous VTOL built for the toughest of Marine Corps missions. The Bell V-247 ‘Vigilante’ is one of the largest unmanned VTOLs ever made. The tilt rotor combat drone is designed for a wide range of purposes including reconnaissance scouting, remote air strikes, cargo delivery, and more. It’s a versatile aircraft, made to launch...

Bell V-247 VTOL Unveiled

03 October 2018 || 4 min read

Bell has just released plans for an autonomous VTOL built for the toughest of Marine Corps missions.

The Bell V-247 ‘Vigilante’ is one of the largest unmanned VTOLs ever made. The tilt rotor combat drone is designed for a wide range of purposes including reconnaissance scouting, remote air strikes, cargo delivery, and more. It’s a versatile aircraft, made to launch from helicopter-carrying amphibious assault ships and more. It has more power and durability than any urban mobility eVTOL with a maximum speed of over 345mph, a maximum altitude of more than 25,000ft, and a payload capacity of 2,000lbs.

Bell exhibited the V-247 to the Marine Corps and the public on September 25th at the Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia. Bell has been working on the V-247 since 2016. This was around the same time the Marine Corps announced its MUX ( Marine Air Ground Task Force Unmanned Aircraft System Expeditionary) VTOL program. Bell is currently the top option for the contract with MUX, having already sold its V-22 Osprey into marine use.

A side view of the V-247 mock up

Bell is also working on an air taxi passenger vehicle. It has only revealed the interior of this vehicle for now, saying that it wants to keep its particular propulsion system configuration to itself until a later date. However, Bell has also been working on its FCX-001 concept private passenger helicopter, which is similarly designed for vertical flight by utilizing hybridized propulsion, shape-shifting rotor blades, gull-wing doors, and augmented reality in the cockpit to control the aircraft. Bell is one of the companies working with Uber to develop its on-demand eVTOL network.

The Bell Air Taxi interior concept

The Bell FCX-001 Concept Helicopter

Why it’s Important:
While the Bell V-247 is obviously not designed for urban mobility, the VTOL structural, electrical, and aerodynamic components are similarly relevant to flying cars. Large companies like Bell putting their money into these technologies will make the development of these vehicles more prevalent and rapid. Throughout history, many of the greatest technological innovations have been the result of military research. The development of VTOLs for public use may follow this path as well.

Bell and NASA Partner for UAV Development

09 September 2018 || 3 min read

NASA will be working with Bell Helicopter and others to overcome the current obstacles to commercial UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) operation. On August 29th, it announced funding up to $11 million to work with Bell. NASA names these main obstacles as technological advancements, systems integration, and certification of aircraft and avionics. Through this collaboration, NASA and Bell hope to deliver new technologies for unmanned aerial systems including integrated Detect and Avoid (DAA)...

Bell and NASA Partner for UAV Development

09 September 2018 || 3 min read

Through this collaboration, NASA and Bell hope to deliver new technologies for unmanned aerial systems including integrated Detect and Avoid (DAA) and Command and Control (C2) technologies. Bell seeks to use the technologies it develops alongside NASA in its new Autonomous Pod Transport 70 (APT70). The APT70 is a tail-sitting VTOL with load capacity up to 70lbs, and a top speed up to 100mph. It vertically lifts into the air like a drone, and then rotates into a horizontal flight position to fly like a bi-plane using its built-in fixed wing. A near-final version of the APT70 will conduct a flight demonstration in 2020.

Bell’s Autonomous Transport Pod Prototype

Bell showcased its prototype at XPONENTIAL 2018 aerospace show last May, positioning as having potential military use as well as commercial cargo use. In a military capacity, the ATP could eliminate the need for resupply by vehicle, bringing troops items like goggles, body armor, and batteries.

Bell Autonomous Transport Pod Concept Model

The collaboration between Bell and NASA will be managed at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California. Other partners include Textron Systems, Xwing, and the University of Massachusetts Amherst’s Center for Collaborative Adaptive Sensing of the Atmosphere (CASA). Bell will lead the design, development, production and systems integration of APT, while Textron Systems will supply command and control operations, Xwing will provide detect and avoid technologies, and CASA will provide weather avoidance technology.

Why it’s important: The Bell ATP70 is one of the first unmanned VTOLs featuring a fixed wing. Unlike many existing UAVs that carry payloads, it has the capability of horizontal flight, making it faster and more efficient, and giving it higher range. The development of technology and certifications for unmanned eVTOLs with fixed-wing capabilities paves the way for similar aircraft with passenger carrying abilities.

Bell will also be using the new technologies developed with NASA in its Air Taxi design. Learn more about the Bell Air Taxi here.

Bell’s Patent Application May Reveal Air Taxi Design

16 August 2018 || 2 min read

A patent filed by Bell Flight in January of 2018 may hint at the design of its air taxi concept. US Patent 2018/0208305 shows a three fanned air taxi that has tilting rotors – one on each wingtip and one at the tail of the aircraft – that would enable vertical takeoff and landing. Furthermore, the patent includes provisions for...

The Bell Air Taxi – An Engineer’s View

23 July 2018 || 4 min read

While much fanfare has accompanied the unveiling of the Bell Air Taxi in the past months, hardly any insight has been provided into the technical design process or details of the air taxi. Bell is a partner in the Uber Elevate initiative, who is targeting a 2023 launch. Accordingly, Bell needs to have their air taxi ready for testing in two years. Before...

The Bell Air Taxi – An Engineer’s View

23 July 2018 || 4 min read

While much fanfare has accompanied the unveiling of the Bell Air Taxi in the past months, hardly any insight has been provided into the technical design process or details of the air taxi.

Bell is a partner in the Uber Elevate initiative, who is targeting a 2023 launch. Accordingly, Bell needs to have their air taxi ready for testing in two years.

Before working on Bell’s Air Taxi, Kyle Heironimus, an electric-propulsion lead at Bell, worked on the UH-1 Iroquois, V-22 Osprey and the 505 Jet Ranger X. Here are some excerpts from an interview with Avionics International that describe the design process and details at Bell:

Walk me through your day-to-day at Bell.

I currently function as the Bell air taxi electric-propulsion lead. My typical day is spent interfacing with our multi-disciplinary team within Bell and with a wide range of typical and non-typical aviation suppliers. Right now, I see my job as helping to pull together all of the various technical experts required to bring a hybrid electric propulsion system to life.

Explain the strategy behind the plan to put hybrid-electric propulsion on the air taxi.

We see the flexibility that a hybrid-electric system provides as necessary to build an aircraft that meets the full range of missions that we are going to fly. Of course, battery electric VTOL aircraft are already flying; however, their capabilities are significantly limited by the batteries available today. Simply put, today’s batteries are too heavy for a meaningful VTOL mission. We believe that demonstrating a hybrid-electric propulsion system positions us and our partners to take advantage of the best of current propulsion technology as well as new emerging electric motor and control technology.

Is Bell developing all of the avionics in house or working with vendors?

Bell is working with a variety of industry partners, including our own in-house experts to evaluate the best path forward for the platform. We certainly aren’t the only ones who want to shape this new market.

Heironimus with a Bell 505. Photo courtesy of Bell

Project five years from now: What will be the most significant change?

From my standpoint, increased power and energy density of electric propulsion and control components will be key to unlocking eVTOL. I certainly don’t hold the crystal ball, but in five years I hope to see components and systems reaching weights that are not only economically viable for specific missions, but are so good that they supplant legacy solutions in cost, weight and performance. Bell is well on its way to designing and certifying eVTOL aircraft.

Why it’s important: Bell is a leader in the vertical flight industry, but has kept most of the developments of their Air Taxi under wraps. The only public reveal to date is of their proposed cabin concept, which drew a large amount of attention. If the Uber Elevate goal of 2023 is to be met, expect Bell unveiling their Air Taxi by 2020, at the latest – the quantity of flight testing required to certify and commercially implement these air taxis in urban areas across the world is almost as large a task as successfully designing and manufacturing them.

Learn more about the Bell Air Taxi here.

Source

Avionics International

Bell Nexus

23 June 2018 || < 1 min read

Bell Nexus

23 June 2018 || < 1 min read

Quick Summary

The Bell Nexus is Bell Flight's Air Taxi, unveiled at CES 2019. The Nexus Air Taxi will carry four passengers with one pilot a distance of approximately 150 miles using 6 ducted fans and a hybrid electric propulsion system.

Bell Flight, a Fort Worth, TX, USA Company

Stage of Development

Preliminary Design

Prototype Build

Flight Testing

Certification

Commercially Operating

Technical Details

Powerplant: Hybrid-Electric

Rotors: 6, 8-feet in diameter

Passenger Capacity: 4 persons

Pilot: One

Range: 150 miles

Top Speed: 150 mph

Key Suppliers: Moog (flight control hardware), Thales (flight control software), EPS (battery), Safran (gas-turbine propulsion system), Garmin (avionics).

General Comments: Bell Flight's experience in mass-producing helicopters and other aircraft will prove valuable as the company begins their production phase. Common among urban aviation manufacturing challenges is complex geometry composite fabrication at scale, as well as integration of entirely new systems, like that of the hybrid electric propulsion planned to be used on the Nexus.

Our Take on the Bell Nexus

Bell Flight has released their prototype for their Air Taxi, which was kept under wraps less the release of the cabin mock-up of the then "Bell Air Taxi" at CES in 2018. The company's announcement that the aircraft will be hybrid-electric, along with the confirmation that Bell Flight will be partnering with a number of well-respected aerospace companies on their eVTOL design adds much-desired clarity and definition to the path forward for Bell.

References

The Latest News from TransportUP

Bell and Safran to Collaborate on Hybrid eVTOL Propulsion

20 June 2018 || 2 min read

Bell and Safran announced on Tuesday that they’d be working together on Bell’s new eVTOL system. Bell will be responsible for the design cycle, including manufacturing of the eVTOL, with Safran providing “a disruptive propulsion system”, according to Safran’s press release. Scott Brennan, Bell’s Director of Innovation, commented at a transit conference in Cologne: “This announcement is another proof point...

Bell and Safran to Collaborate on Hybrid eVTOL Propulsion

20 June 2018 || 2 min read

Scott Brennan, Bell’s Director of Innovation, commented at a transit conference in Cologne: “This announcement is another proof point of our commitment to providing transportation of people and logistics in new, innovative and more efficient ways. Our work with Safran is a historical milestone for future transport solutions.”

While the announcement will undoubtedly aid Bell with their propulsion system, not much has been publicly released regarding their VTOL concept since the unveiling of the cabin of their Air Taxi at CES in January 2018 – detailed in TransportUP’s article here. This partnership leverages experience from Safran, but may also be Bell acknowledging the technical difficulties of hybridized eVTOL transport design and searching for heavy hitters in industry to provide a tailor-made solution.

Why it’s important: This announcement marks a large partnership between a propulsion and aerospace design company. While these partnerships are very common in the traditional aerospace industry, many eVTOL manufacturers are opting to insource their propulsion system to maintain complete control over the product that they’re designing. The Bell Safran partnership will certainly bring more experience and focused expertise to the table, but may also induce additional coordination challenges as integration of the eVTOL amplifies any small discrepancies that occurred during the design process.

Source

Safran Press Release

Canada Invests in Bell’s Flying Taxis

23 April 2018 || 2 min read

Canada is investing in flying taxis. On April 19th, the Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada group (ISED) committed to a $39.2M investment over 5 years to a group of academic and industrial companies led by Bell. The investment marks one of the first commitments by a government to back the advancement of flying car technology, and represents a large...

Bell Targets 2025 Entry to Market of their Flying Taxi

19 March 2018 || 1 min read

Bell Helicopters has stated that their new concept eVTOL flying taxi should enter the personal urban transportation market by 2025. While Bell showcased an image of its four-place passenger pod, no hints of a planned propulsion system have been released to date. Bell’s entry to the flying car market marks yet another instance of an aerospace company entering the lucrative...

Uber Elevate Partner Karem Aircraft Raises $25 Million in Series A Round

18 July 2019 || 4 min read

Karem Aircraft has raised $25 million in its Series A to develop the Butterfly Air Taxi. Selected by Uber last year for the UberAIR Initiative, Karem’s new venture is entirely focused on bringing its air taxi to market as soon as possible. The latest funding round was led by Korean defense technology company Hanwha Systems, which recently placed a $25...

Uber Elevate Partner Karem Aircraft Raises $25 Million in Series A Round

18 July 2019 || 4 min read

Karem Aircraft has raised $25 million in its Series A to develop the Butterfly Air Taxi. Selected by Uber last year for the UberAIR Initiative, Karem’s new venture is entirely focused on bringing its air taxi to market as soon as possible.

Karem Aircraft’s Butterfly

The latest funding round was led by Korean defense technology company Hanwha Systems, which recently placed a $25 million equity investment in another UAM venture as well. “Karem’s technology for making safe, quiet, and efficient air taxi vehicles excites all of us,” Uber Elevate head Eric Allison said in a statement. “Hanwha’s Series A investment in Karem’s new air taxi entity accelerates efforts to bring the Butterfly to market, and we look forward to flying riders in places like Dallas, Los Angeles, and Melbourne in the near future.”

A small scale model of the Karem Butterfly at the Uber Elevate 2019 conference in Washington D.C.

According to Uber, the UberAIR partner air taxis should be ready for testing by next year, and should be commercially available in Los Angeles, Dallas, and Melbourne, Australia by 2023. To meet this deadline, Karem Aircraft is now solely focused on developing the Butterfly, the electric quad tiltrotor specifically designed for UberAIR.

“The new company will be able to focus exclusively on bringing Butterfly to market, leveraging Karem’s optimum speed rotor technology, Hanwha’s industrial scale, and Uber’s ridesharing network,” says Ben Tigner, CEO of the new venture. “We look forward to the day when riders will be able to commute to work by flying above the traffic in one of our vehicles. Karem Aircraft will continue to serve the needs of its military customers; we are confident that each company is on a path for long-term success so that our technology can be applied in two distinct but important use cases.”

Why it’s important: Uber has placed a high priority on the development of an air taxi service in urban areas. With 2023 approaching quickly, it is very important to ensure safety, efficiency, and quality control with Uber’s intended aerial ride-share service in a timely manner. With this news of increased funding, Karem should be able to proceed with developing and testing their air tax concept.

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TransportUP Urban Air Mobility Showcase – EAA AirVenture 2019

18 July 2019 || < 1 min read

TransportUP Urban Air Mobility Showcase – EAA AirVenture 2019

18 July 2019 || < 1 min read

TransportUP is hosting the Urban Air Mobility Showcase - the center of air taxi, flying car, and eVTOL activity - in Aviation Gateway Park at EAA AirVenture 2019, The World's Largest Airshow.

Of the world's leading UAM Companies

AeroMobil
Creator of the 4.0 STOL and 5.0 VTOL. Based in Bratislava, Slovakia
Airbus Vahana
From Airbus’ A^3 Ventures Arm.
Ampaire
Electrification of Aviation – Creator of one of the first electric GA Aircraft on the planet
Assen Aero
Creator of the Assen A1 Hoverbike
Athena Aero
Phase III GoFly Competitor
AutoFlightX
Gilching, Germany based UAM Airframer
Beta Technologies
Electrification of Aviation
Electric Jet Aircraft
This is where the text for your Feature List Item should go. It's best to keep it short and sweet.
EmbraerX
EmbraerX’s Innovation Arm
Lilium
Creator of the Lilium Jet
TransportUP
The Latest News for Urban Aviation
VerdeGo.Aero
Integrated Distributed Electric Propulsion (IDEP) Creator

UAMS Presentation Schedule

All speaking events will be held in The Forum in Aviation Gateway Park at AirVenture 2019. Zone I10 on the AirVenture Map.

Monday, July 22

3PM - Assen Andonov, Founder and CEO, Assen Aero

Tuesday, July 23

1PM - Airframers Executive Roundtable

2PM - Policy Executive Roundtable

Wednesday, July 24

830AM - Felipe Varon, Founder & CEO, Varon Vehicles

10AM - Kevin Noertker, Co-Founder and CEO, Ampaire

11AM - Lochie Ferrier, Beta Technologies

Thursday, July 25

2PM - Stefan Vadocz, CCO, AeroMobil

3PM - Brandon Keene, CTO, BLADE UAM

Friday, July 26

10AM - Olivier Journet, CTO, Electric Visionary Aircrafts

Airframers Roundtable: The Future of Urban Aviation Aircraft

Designing, manufacturing, and flight testing the aircraft of tomorrow won't be easy. These panelists will discuss how they plan to solve the unique challenges of bringing commercial UAM operations to market.

Remo Berger
Chief Commercial Officer – Lillium
John Graber
Surefly Business Leader – Workhorse
Peter Berger
Director of Innovation – EmbraerX
Stephane Fymat
VP Product Management and Marketing – BendixKing
Naish Gaubatz (Moderator)
Editor – TransportUP

Shaping Regulatory Environments, Airspace, and Network Infrastructure: Policy Roundtable

Learn about the integration of UAM solutions into the National Airspace System, and how traffic management and eVTOL certification has progressed over the last year.

Starr Ginn
UAM Grand Challenge Lead – NASA
Brandon Keene
Chief Technology Officer – BLADE UAM
Earl Lawrence
Executive Director – Aircraft Certification
Wyatt Smith
Head of Business Development, Uber
Sean Elliott
VP Advocacy & Safety, Co-Chair GAJSC, EAA
David Chaimson (Moderator)
VP Marketing and Business Development, EAA

Learn more about UAM with TransportUP's Weekly Newsletter. Subscribe here!

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Flyboard Air Soars Over Crowds at Bastille Day in France

17 July 2019 || 4 min read

On Bastille Day, a national holiday and pride celebration in France, inventor Franky Zapata flew over crowds on the jet-powered ‘Flyboard Air’. Franky Zapata, a flying enthusiast, has recently found success by starting a new business selling customizable hydro-powered flying kits for jet skis. Now, he has turned to making boards that are completely standalone, using a combination of turbines...

Flyboard Air Soars Over Crowds at Bastille Day in France

17 July 2019 || 4 min read

On Bastille Day, a national holiday and pride celebration in France, inventor Franky Zapata flew over crowds on the jet-powered ‘Flyboard Air’.

Franky Zapata, a flying enthusiast, has recently found success by starting a new business selling customizable hydro-powered flying kits for jet skis. Now, he has turned to making boards that are completely standalone, using a combination of turbines and electric engines to fly through the air at high speed.

At Bastille Day, a celebration of national pride for France, Zapata exhibited the capabilities of the Flyboard Air, posing as a ‘flying soldier’ to demonstrate the potential use for specialized military operations. While so far all of Zapata’s flying products have been recreational, the Flyboard Air offers a level of mobility which could be used for military, medical response, and industrial surveillance.

In attendance at the Bastille Day demonstration was French president Emmanuel Macron. According Armed Forces Minister Florence Parly, the French military is considering using the Flyboard for various uses, which may include assault operations. Watch the full demonstration flight in this video from a tweet by Macron:

The Flyboard Air is powered by a series of turbine jet engines, and is controlled by a combination of throttle and the human body itself. Previous challenges to designing such a compact personal aerial vehicle have included the storage of energy needed to sustain flight, the difficulty of aircraft control, and of course, safety issues. To address this, the Zapata team claims to have a redundant flight system through which the aircraft can still easily fly with only one engine, and can complete a safe auto-landing in the event of two engine losses.

According to the Zapata site, the Flyboard Air should be able to fly up to 120mph, reach heights of nearly 10,000 feet, and stay in the air for a maximum of 30 minutes.

Why it’s important: While the Flyboard Air may not be directly applicable in Urban Air Mobility in the near future, the engineering potential in its propulsion design has important implications for UAM. The Flyboard Air shows that even the lightest of aircraft can sustain powered flight, meaning a great deal for UAM engineering challenges.

Sources // CNN, Gizmodo, Emmanuel Macron on Twitter.

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Quick Summary

Stage of Development

Technical Details

Our Take on the Bell Nexus

References

The Latest News from TransportUP

Uber Elevate Partner Karem Aircraft Raises $25 Million in Series A Round

Flyboard Air Soars Over Crowds at Bastille Day in France

Drone Racing and Urban Air Mobility

Vertical Aerospace Confirms Partnership with Honeywell

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Karem Aircraft has raised $25 million in its Series A to develop the Butterfly Air Taxi. Selected by Uber last year for the UberAIR Initiative, Karem’s new venture is entirely focused on bringing its air taxi to market as soon as possible.

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TransportUP is hosting the Urban Air Mobility Showcase - the center of air taxi, flying car, and eVTOL activity - in Aviation Gateway Park at EAA AirVenture 2019, The World's Largest Airshow.

Of the world's leading UAM Companies

AeroMobil

Airbus Vahana

Ampaire

Assen Aero

Athena Aero

AutoFlightX

Beta Technologies

Electric Jet Aircraft

EmbraerX

Lilium

TransportUP

VerdeGo.Aero

UAMS Presentation Schedule

Airframers Roundtable: The Future of Urban Aviation Aircraft

Remo Berger

John Graber

Peter Berger

Stephane Fymat

Naish Gaubatz (Moderator)

Shaping Regulatory Environments, Airspace, and Network Infrastructure: Policy Roundtable

Starr Ginn

Brandon Keene

Earl Lawrence

Wyatt Smith

Sean Elliott

David Chaimson (Moderator)

Learn more about UAM with TransportUP's Weekly Newsletter. Subscribe here!

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On Bastille Day, a national holiday and pride celebration in France, inventor Franky Zapata flew over crowds on the jet-powered ‘Flyboard Air’.

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