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

Airbus Partners With Shenzhen to Provide Helicopter Service for Public Transport

May 22, 2019

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...

Airbus Partners With Shenzhen to Provide Helicopter Service for Public Transport

22 May 2019 || 4 min read

The Shenzhen Municipal Commerce Bureau has decided to incorporate helicopters into its city’s public transport system, making it the first city in China to do so. Partnering with Airbus, the city plans to open helicopter services up for their residents by the end of 2019. Airbus, having earlier partnered with BLADE to provide the helicopters for BLADE’s helicopter service in...

Airbus Partners With Shenzhen to Provide Helicopter Service for Public Transport

22 May 2019 || 4 min read

The Shenzhen Municipal Commerce Bureau has decided to incorporate helicopters into its city’s public transport system, making it the first city in China to do so. Partnering with Airbus, the city plans to open helicopter services up for their residents by the end of 2019.

“Airbus is collaborating closely with China on helicopters. We would like to start introducing this UAM service with existing helicopters and in parallel develop the new electronic vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) and next-generation vehicles,” says Airbus Head of UAM Eduardo Dominguez Puerta

Airbus, having earlier partnered with BLADE to provide the helicopters for BLADE’s helicopter service in the United States, will now expand with a similar service in China. Said Airbus Head of Urban Air Mobility Eduardo Dominguez Puerta: “I hope that we can prove together at the end of this year that this is not science fiction, but an existing reality and an option for people in Shenzhen.”

An image of BLADE’s helicopter service, providing a similar transportation service in locations across the United States.

The reception of this new service in China is still varied. A resident in the Bao’an district said the service would be ‘interesting to try out’, but also expressed worries that noise levels could be detrimental, which is one of the main concerns with implementing UAM across urban cities. While Airbus will undoubtedly work with the Municipal Commerce Bureau in order to meet all the requirements and certifications, the fact that many helicopters create noise pollution could be worrying when implementing them into a public transport service. Ideally however, helicopters would eventually be replaced with eVTOLs which are far quieter.

Whike further specifics have not yet been provided about the new program, Puerta intends for the service in Shenzhen to be “more acceptable to the public” in terms of financials and practicality, possibly meaning that ordering a helicopter may be both affordable and reasonable to the average Shenzhen denizen. The helicopter service could also possibly be paired with other ground transportation methods, such as Shenzhen’s currently existing all-electric bus and/or taxi service. The end goal would be a “seamless end-to-end transport solution”, according to Puerta.

Part of Shenzhen’s public transportation upgrades include its all-electric bus fleet

Why it’s important: The new service in Shenzhen will be another branch of Airbus’ initiative to make urban air mobility a widespread reality. Actively working on both new forms of transportation, Airbus is making important moves within the UAM industry. The reception to this service, specifically in terms of practicality and noise factors, could be the main factor in deciding if other metropolitan cities in China will also adopt a similar service in the future.

Sources // Global Construction Review

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Drone Deliveries Take Flight in Finland and China

21 May 2019 || 3 min read

In China, eHang has partnered with DHL to develop an autonomous drone delivery route. In Finland, Wing deliveries are soon to begin in Helsinki. Learn more below: Chinese comany eHang is most well known for the eHang 184 passenger drone. However, eHang also is the maker of a wide range of commercial drones. DHL will now work with eHang to...

Drone Deliveries Take Flight in Finland and China

21 May 2019 || 3 min read

In China, eHang has partnered with DHL to develop an autonomous drone delivery route. In Finland, Wing deliveries are soon to begin in Helsinki. Learn more below:

Chinese comany eHang is most well known for the eHang 184 passenger drone. However, eHang also is the maker of a wide range of commercial drones. DHL will now work with eHang to develop a drone delivery route for an anonymous DHL customer. The route will run about 8km from the DHL fulfillment center in Guangdong to the customer’s premises. The implentation of the fully autonomous route will reduce the 40 minute trip down to 8 minutes, and will cut costs of each delivery by about 80%. Learn more about how the system works here:

Meanwhile, in Finland, Wing has announced that it will soon commence delivery service in Hesinki, the nation’s capital. Although flights will be limited to certain destinations and products, the launch announced for next month aligns with Wing’s original predicted launch date. Beginning next month, people in the densely populated Vuossari District will be able to order deliveries to their homes from Herkku Food Mark and Cafe Monami. Notably, Wing recently attained commercial certification in the United States, and has already begun operating in Australia. According to Wing, the ultimate goal in Hesinki is to solve the city’s congestion’s problems.

“Vuosaari is an inspiring locale for Wing in several ways…The density of Vuosaari’s population makes it a great place to launch our first service to multi-family housing communities as well.” -Wing Medium page

A Wing drone delivery in progress

Why it’s important: The quickening pace of drone delivery services worldwide marks a major step for autonomous urban flight. As these services prove to be economically viable and safe, regulations and social acceptance of larger vehicles carrying passengers will come more quickly. Ultimately, urban drone deliveries pave the way for electric on-demand flight.

Sources // Wing, eHang, TechCrunch, Dronebelow

Airbus and RATP Group Sign MoU for Study on the Viability of UAM

20 May 2019 || 3 min read

At the Tech for Good Summit in Paris, Guillaume Faury, CEO of Airbus, and Catherine Guillouard, CEO of RATP Group, signed a memorandum of understanding to launch a joint study on the viability of incorporating Urban Air Mobility into our daily lives. The study will examine the feasibility of UAM through the lens of Mobility-as-a-Service, or MaaS, which is the...

Airbus and RATP Group Sign MoU for Study on the Viability of UAM

20 May 2019 || 3 min read

The CityBus, just one of Airbus’ designs for creating a vehicle for UAM

The study will examine the feasibility of UAM through the lens of Mobility-as-a-Service, or MaaS, which is the movement of trending towards transportation as a service, like Uber or Lyft, rather than using personal modes of transportation. In other words, both Airbus and RATP Group will specifically examine the development of UAM as a service, looking at controlled costs and accessibility factors for integrating UAM into our infrastructural ecosystem.

“Beyond mass transport, which remains our core business, it is important for RATP Group to promote its human and technical know-how to develop new forms of mobility and new services to support the smart cities of tomorrow. We are delighted to be working on this with Airbus, the world leader in the aerospace industry, which will provide its unique expertise in the aviation sector”, says Catherine Guillouard, CEO of RATP group.

Both Airbus and RATP Group have vested interests in making UAM a reality. Airbus is currently in the middle of developing several different types of eVTOL aircraft, many for the purpose of servicing urban air transport. The RATP Group is currently in charge of most of the public transport in Paris, as well as the rest of the Île-de-France region. The Paris Métro, as well as various tram and bus services, and part of the Réseau Express Régional (RER) network are all under the operation of the RATP Group. In the Île-de-France region alone, RATP is responsible for about 3 billion passengers per year.

“Autonomous flights or flying vehicles are no longer the reserves of science-fiction. We are developing technology demonstrators to allow populations to connect faster. We already have the technical blocks but we have to align them and integrate them into the user’s everyday life without compromising the safety, which is our priority. RATP is one of the major players in urban mobility. Its knowledge regarding passengers, their needs and related services, make them the ideal partner for Airbus”, says Guillaume Faury, CEO of Airbus.

Why it’s important: The joint study by Airbus and RATP Group will be extremely beneficial for gaining an understanding of how the future of UAM will proceed. The financial and physical viability of the endeavor of integrating UAM into a city or region’s intrastructure is still for the most part unexplored, as many companies have still yet to finish development of their aircraft before taking the next step. A study with insight from both a public transportation operator and an aircraft manufacturer will provide useful information for how to proceed in making UAM an affordable widespread reality.

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

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Quick Summary

Stage of Development

Technical Details

Our Take on the Bell Nexus

References

The Latest News from TransportUP

Airbus Partners With Shenzhen to Provide Helicopter Service for Public Transport

Drone Deliveries Take Flight in Finland and China

Airbus and RATP Group Sign MoU for Study on the Viability of UAM

Trump’s 2020 Federal Budget Funds Urban Air Mobility

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The Shenzhen Municipal Commerce Bureau has decided to incorporate helicopters into its city’s public transport system, making it the first city in China to do so. Partnering with Airbus, the city plans to open helicopter services up for their residents by the end of 2019.

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