Airbus has selected MagicaLL, a company that develops electric motors specialized for flight, to provide propulsion motors for Airbus’s CityAirbus NextGen eVTOL.

Above: A mockup of the Airbus CityAirbus NextGen. In this image, several of the electric motor locations can be seen along the wings and tail wing of the aircraft.

While other companies making electric motors for aviation do exist such as MagniX, Airbus has selected California-based company MAGicALL to design and manufacture the motors of its all-electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft. In particular, Airbus has chosen a tailored version of MAGicALL’s ‘MAGiDRIVE’ motor, which provides 50 Nm/kg of torque at a very light weight, includes an enclosed electronic power control system, and features air-cooling and low vibration capabilities that could allow the CityAirbus NextGen to travel at speeds of 75mph with no more noise emissions than a household vacuum cleaner.

The two companies have already begun work on the customized version of the MAGICaALL motor that will be used with the CityAirbus NextGen. According to Airbus, these customizations will enable the latest prototype to ‘benefit from features that match its unique design’, increasing both performance and reliability.

Also according to Airbus, MAGicALL’s motors will contribute to the seamless architecture of Airbus’ eVTOL prototype as its MAGiDRIVE includes both the motor itself and its control system in a single fully enclosed unit.

Said Joerg P. Mueller, Airbus’ Head of Urban Air Mobility, “We are proud to benefit from the experience of MAGicALL to develop the electric propulsion system of CityAirbus NextGen. The electric motors are a major component of our prototype: the high torque and low weight of the MAGiDRIVE as well as its robust design will be highly beneficial for the overall efficiency of the aircraft.”

Above: A rear view of the CityAirbus NextGen that shows the locations of its eight total electric motors.

MAGicALL has been designing and manufacturing electric motors for vehicles since 2004, and was Airbus’ previous partner in its experimental ‘Airbus Vahana‘ project, which featured a tilt-wing eVTOL that eventually led to the CityAirbus NextGen. MAgicALL has also partnered with Bell on its Air Transport Pod (ATP) project, which features a large unmanned aircraft that can carry up to 70lbs of cargo.

Why it’s important: This announcement comes as the latest chapter in a recent slew of news from Airbus regarding its eVTOL program. Within the last two weeks, Airbus has announced the formation of an Air Mobility Initiative in Germany, and also a major partnership with ITA airways in Italy. These plans, along with the NextGen’s growing technological momentum with MAGicALL, suggest that Airbus is making a major push toward commercial rollout of its aircraft.

Read more about the CityAirbus NextGen here.

Source // Airbus, Auto Evolution

Related:

• Airbus Forms Air Mobility Initiative in Germany (May 2022)
• Airbus Partners with ITA Airways for Aerial Mobility in Italy (April 2022)
• Thales and Diehl Aerospace to Develop Flight Computers for CityAirbus NextGen (November 2021)
• Airbus Unveils Latest eVTOL Prototype (November 2021)

Reveled in September, Airbus announced the next iteration of its eVTOL development, the CityAirbus NextGen. This fully electric vehicle is equipped with fixed wings, a V-shaped tail, and eight electrically powered propellers as part of its uniquely designed distributed propulsion system. It is designed to carry up to four passengers in zero-emissions flight for multiple applications.

As more information about NextGen comes out, this week Airbus announced it has selected Thales and Diehl Aerospace to design and develop the primary and secondary flight control computers for the eVTOL aircraft, respectively. The two flight control computers will be redundant and completely independent of one another to improve system-level safety of NextGen.

“I’m delighted to announce today the first system partnership for the development of our CityAirbus NextGen” Joerg P. Mueller, head of urban air mobility at Airbus said in the release. “UAM is a joint effort. Nobody can do it alone. Airbus is reaching out to potential partners from the industry to design and build an optimised vehicle for safe and efficient air transport in urban environments. With Thales and Diehl, we are proud to have two excellent partners with a lot of expertise on board.”

Thales and Airbus have a long standing relationship from the company’s commercial aerospace business. Thales has been responsible for developing Airbus’ now industry-leading fly-by-wire flight controls beginning with the A310 some 40 years ago. Diehl also has deep ties with Airbus and Thales and has extensive experience developing avionics systems on commercial airliners and helicopters.

“We are thrilled to see that our close cooperation with Airbus and Diehl is once again delivering concrete results through an agreement that will add a whole new dimension to air mobility,” Yannick Assouad, Thales Executive Vice President, Avionics, said, commenting on the new partnership. “With this safe and innovative flight control solution, we are working together to build an airspace environment we can all trust.”

Why it matters: Thales and Diehl’s partnership with CityAirbus brings decades of avionics prowess in fly-by-wire technology and systems architecture to the eVTOL space. With EASA working on special rules for the certification of aerial mobility crafts and Airbus’ relationship with the regulator, CityAirbus is likely to be a technological and commercial success. Expect more partnerships coming from CityAirbus NextGen to be announced as details of the development emerge.

Earlier this year, CityAirbus eVTOL demonstrated its first untethered flight. Only weeks later, the company has announced it successfully completed its first autonomous flight. This is an extraordinary accomplishment for Airbus as it seeks to bring its aerial mobility prototype to market and demonstrates the ability to fly without an operator on-board. Nonetheless, the company states it plans to initially operate the vehicle with a pilot on-board for “mainly for psychological reasons,” an Airbus spokesperson said.

A recently published YouTube video, shown below, demonstrates the vehicles is able to takeoff, hover, and land all with the push of a single button. While Airbus has only demonstrated these simple maneuvers, the company intends to conduct more extensive flight testing at its Airbus Helicopters facility in Manching, Germany.

“We will extend the flight envelope of the aircraft, so we will fly forward and we will fly at medium and higher speeds than we did here in Donauwörth. There we have a secured area to do this kind of flight envelope expansion we need to do,” Bebesel says.

CityAirbus marks the second full-scale eVTOL prototype revealed by the company following its successful completion of a 138-flight test program with its Vahana eVTOL vehicle.

Why it matters: CityAirbus marks the second full-scale eVTOL prototype from the company, after Airbus Vahana. With demonstrated flight tests in both piloted and autonomous regimes, Airbus promises to be adaptable to current and future market demands in aerial mobility. If all goes well, the current prototype will continue flight testing for the remainder of the year in order to demonstrate the ability to perform safe operations without the need for an operator.

Airbus has recently released new footage of the CityAirbus eVTOL performing untethered flight at a facility in Donauwörth, Germany. Watch the footage below.

The footage was shared by Airbus Helicopters CEO Bruno Even on his personal Twitter Account. The CityAirbus was quoted as being “a key element in our innovation roadmap in order to develop the techno-bricks necessary for achieving sustainable aviation.” Additionally, according to an Airbus spokesperson, the flight in the footage was in line with the previous flight tests, with no setbacks. Interestingly, it was also the first time Evens personally oversaw the flight of the impressive eVTOL demonstrator. 

The CityAirbus project, part of Airbus’ designs to develop a workable and mass-producible commercial electric air taxi service, explores many aspects for Airbus’ future program. The demonstrator features a four-seat, multicopter design, with eight propellers encased within four ducted propulsion units, and a top speed of 75mph. Airbus is also experimenting with integrated technology for autonomous flight. 

Watch CityAirbus’ first untethered flight here.

For more information on the demonstrator, visit our aircraft page here

The demonstrator features a four-seat, multicopter design, with eight propellers encased within four ducted propulsion units, and a top speed of 75mph.

Why it’s important: As confirmed early summer, Airbus remains committed to the development of the CityAirbus program and air mobility in general. As announced by an Airbus  spokesperson, “Airbus considers new forms of air transport such as UAM [urban air mobility] an opportunity to develop key technologies for the future of VTOL platforms, including electric flight and autonomy.”

Source // @BrunoEven (Bruno Even), Twitter

Volocopter has partnered with Singapore’s Institute of Technical Education (ITE) to launch a VoloCity public exhibition including free guided tours in the Lion City. This is Volocopter’s first exhibition to feature its commercial air taxi model in Asia, and the company’s first-ever long-term exhibition to open its doors to the public anywhere in the world.

Starting August 2022, Volocopter will be offering free guided tours on a regular basis. The company invites anyone interested in taking one to sign up here.

Located at Aerospace Hub, ITE College Central, the exhibition features a 3D VoloPort scale model and detailed information on both the UAM industry and Volocopter. Visitors will also have the chance to sit in the aircraft and get a sense of what this new form of transportation will be like.

Minister for Trade and Industry Mr Gan Kim Yong, and German Ambassador to Singapore Dr. Norbert Riedel, both attended the opening ceremony alongside other senior representatives from Singapore government agencies and Volocopter’s partners.

Gan Kim Yong said: “Singapore welcomes innovative companies like Volocopter which seek to build entirely new industries here. We are excited about the prospects of developing an Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) ecosystem in Singapore, and hope that through this exhibit, the public can learn more about this new form of urban mobility.”

Singapore is one of the first launch cities for Volocopter. The German company conducted Asia’s first crewed public test flight of an air taxi in a city centre over Singapore’s iconic Marina Bay in 2019, and has been working very closely with the city. It is committed to launching the UAM services in Singapore in the next couple of years. It has recently released a dedicated roadmap that revealed its UAM services could generate an estimated SGD 4.18 billion in cumulative economic benefits and create up to 1,300 jobs in Singapore by 2030.

Why it’s important: Earlier this year, Volocopter Completed the first full-scale flight of its VoloCity eVTOL and it’s now ready for regular public visbility. According to Chief Commercial Officer, Christian Bauer, “This is the perfect time to showcase our VoloCity in Singapore, as our latest local market survey showed a significant uptick in the proportion of respondents who are excited to try an air taxi service. We hope to increase public awareness and education on this new form of mobility and the many ways it will benefit Singapore. We are partnering with local institutions and organizations as we build our UAM ecosystem.”

Airbus, developer of the CityAirbus NextGen eVTOL, has set up partnerships with governments and other key stakeholders in Germany to soon begin conducting demonstration flights and eventually offer full aerial mobility services between major cities in the area.

Above: A CityAirbus NextGen eVTOL travels above the streets of Munich, Germany

Earlier this week, Airbus announced the creation of its air mobility initiative in Germany, which includes members such as the City of Ingolstadt, and companies like Deutsche Bahn (DB), Deutsche Flugsicherung, Diehl Aerospace, Droniq, Munich Airport, Red Cross, and Telekom. The initiative, which is being referred to as the ‘Air Mobility Initiative’ (AMI) is supported by the Free State of Bavaria and the Federal Republic of Germany.

The purpose of the initiative is to ‘set up a series of research projects aimed at making urban air mobility within and between cities in Germany a reality’. According to Airbus, the joint projects are centered around three main areas: electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft development, unmanned traffic management (UTM) services, and airport & city integration including vertiports.

Said Markus May, Head of Operations for urban air mobility at Airbus: “In many parts of the world, eVTOLs will offer a whole new mobility service in the near future. Airbus and the AMI partners are aware that the introduction of such a system requires the cooperation of many players with different competences. Our goal is to build a transport service that benefits society and this is what we are setting up here in Bavaria.”

Above: Rendering of the CityAirbus NextGen eVTOL

The AMI partners will begin the initiative by addressing the technological, infrastructural, legal, and social prerequisites for the future implementation of advanced air mobility in Bavaria. Subsequently, the knowledge gained will be applied to demonstration flights with the CityAirbus eVTOL aircraft under real urban conditions. Work on this project began in January of 2022, with test flights of the demonstration project set to be carried out in the region around Ingolstadt.

So far, the AMI is funded with a total of €17 million from the Free State of Bavaria and €24 million from the Federal Government. Airbus says that together with the industry’s own funds, this results in a total investment of about €86 million in the project over a period of three years.

Why it’s important: With this latest German initiative, Airbus adds to its eVTOL rollout plans throughout Europe. Just last week, Airbus announced a partnership with Italian ITA Airways to begin setting up eVTOL air mobility infrastructure in Italy as well. Although Airbus took its time developing its final aircraft concept, the company is now using its global prestige to begin setting up eVTOL aerial mobility infrastructure throughout the European region.

Source // Airbus

Related:

• Airbus Partners with ITA Airways for Aerial Mobility in Italy (April 2022)
• Thales and Diehl Aerospace to Develop Flight Computers for CityAirbus NextGen (November 2021)
• Airbus Unveils Latest eVTOL Prototype (September 2021)

Having recently dialed up work on its Airbus CityAirbus eVTOL aircraft, Airbus has now announced a partnership with ITA Airways, a premier airline in Italy, to begin exploring the creation of urban aerial mobility services in the country.

Above: The Airbus CityAirbus NextGen, featured with potential ITA Airways branding

The new partnership between ITA and Airbus will ‘identify strategic use cases for emission-free mobility solutions’ in Italy, foreseeing a joint approach of the two companies in onboarding additional Italian mobility stakeholders for the launch of Airbus’ CityAirbus eVTOL operations. Together, the two companies will also identify pilot use cases in Italy, with the aim of bolstering public acceptance of UAM via demonstrations of the value these services could add to communities.

It is possible that Airbus and ITA will consider options such as implementing Airbus eVTOL aircraft for ITA airliner passengers to travel directly to and from large airports to vertiports in the centers of metropolitan areas.

Said Guillaume Faury, CEO of Airbus, “This agreement is testimony to the strong relationship between Airbus and ITA Airways. It is an opportunity to leverage our shared ambition – pioneering sustainable aerospace – and advance new air mobility solutions for zero-emission vertical flight in support of our cities and communities later this decade.”

Alfredo Altavilla, Chairman of ITA Airways, commented: “The partnership between ITA Airways and Airbus started with the evolution toward more modern, more comfortable and environmentally-friendly commercial aircraft, equipped with cutting-edge technologies. With this agreement, our partnership expands to the segment of urban air mobility for a wider, customer-centric, innovative and sustainable offer for our customers.”

Why it’s Important: The establishment of this partnership signals Airbus’ readiness to begin creating the organizational infrastructure that will be required to support upcoming UAM services. Most recently, Airbus has been collecting manufacturing and development partners for its aircraft (such as Thales, Dhiehl, and Spirit Aerosystems), but this partnership with ITA is Airbus’ first in the world of air passenger transport companies. Overall, this partnership likely means that Airbus is getting closer than ever to a commercially ready eVTOL aircraft, to the point where it is ready to begin setting up commercial operator partnerships.

Source // Airbus

Related:

• Airbus partners with Spirit AeroSystems to develop the wings of CityAirbus NextGen (March 2022)
• Thales and Diehl Aerospace to Develop Flight Computers for CityAirbus NextGen (November 2021)
• Airbus Unveils Latest eVTOL Prototype (September 2021)

Volcopter, the German-based eVTOL manufacturer, has completed its first flight of Volocity. The VoloCity will be the fourth-generation electrical take-off and landing aircraft (eVTOL) by the company since its founding.

Volocity is propelled by 18 rotors, with redundancy in all critical systems, a low noise signature and a rigid commitment to the inner-city mission. According to Volocopter, “the VoloCity will become the first commercially licensed Volocopter, developed according to the high standards and requirements of the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). Our intensive testing programme has informed the innovative design and the outstanding overall performance of the VoloCity. Quiet, safe, and comfortable, the Volocity engenders Urban Air Mobility.”

VoloCity was announced in 2019 and released a re-design in 2020 and intends to be fully certified and ready for commercial entry to service in conjunction with the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Volocopter commented on a blog post of the first flight, “Today, we celebrate a remarkable achievement: the culmination of our aspiration to create a better future in which electric aircraft and emission-free flights are the new dimension of global mobility. As Volocopter taxis toward this new frontier, it will make urban flights just a few smartphone clicks away. These moments demonstrate how our pioneering spirit will bring our vision to life before our very eyes. And it’s just the push we need as we enter the final leg of the race to commercial launch.”

Why it matters: While not the most exciting of flights, the short hover test marks a significant milestone for Volocopter’s VoloCity program as it transitions from a concept to a real aircraft. As testing progresses, expect to see VoloCity’s flight envelope expand to meet the desired operating characteristics and work begin towards EASA certification in 2024.

HyPoint, a growing expert in providing hydrogen fuel-cell propulsion solutions to all kinds of upcoming aircraft including long-range eVTOLs, has recently announced a partnership with Gloyer-Taylor Laboratories to greatly increase hydrogen fuel storage capacity on its partnered aircraft.

Image: HyPoint’s website highlights the types of aircraft that could use its hydrogen fuel-cell solutions

HyPoint has been working for several years to develop more advanced hydrogen fuel cells that focus on maintaining the weight and energy efficiency requirements for many upcoming aircraft, rangining from infracity aerial mobility aircraft to longer range eVTOLs and more.

Now, HyPoint has found a new partner in Gloyer-Taylor Laboratories, which specializes in making carbon fiber hydrogen fuel tanks that can store up to 10 times the amount of liquid hydrogen fuel as compared to existing tanks of the same mass. In particular, HyPoint envisions using GTL’s new advanced carbon composite BHL Cryotank, which have demonstrated a 75% mass reduction as compared to existing tanks. The new BHL tanks will be integrated seamlessly with HyPoint’s air-cooled aviation fuel cell systems.

Image: Zachary Taylor, vice president of engineering at Gloyer-Taylor Laboratories, poses with one of GTL’s larger BHL tanks, which only weighs 148lbs.

HyPoint has already established several partnerships with eVTOL aircraft makers and advanced aerial mobility developers, including XTI Aircraft, Bartini, McFly.aero, AMSL Aero, and Piasecki Aircraft, and Urban Aeronautics.

Said Dr. Alex Ivanenko, founder and CEO of HyPoint: “Reducing weight is the most important factor for enabling longer-distance air travel with fewer stops to refuel. Our hydrogen fuel cell system offers better specific power performance compared with any alternative available today, opening the door to short-haul zero-emission hydrogen flight and urban air mobility. This partnership with GTL goes even further by offering aircraft and eVTOL makers a liquid hydrogen tank that is stronger and lighter than anything else on the market, thereby significantly increasing fuel capacity. By utilizing this new fuel tank technology, longer-haul aircraft may be able to utilize hydrogen for the first time while eVTOL makers can effectively multiply their flight range and operational time.”

Why it’s important: With its significant achievement of decreasing fuel tank mass by factors of around 75% percent, Gloyer-Taylor Laboratories has made itself a highly appealing partner for any company aiming to create hydrogen propulsion solutions for aviation and new aerial mobility aircraft. By partnering with GTL, HyPoint, which is seeking to become an industry expert in hydrogen fuel-cell solutions for eVTOL, may be able to offer eVTOL makers greatly increased range and performance for their aircraft.

Related:

• HyPoint and Piasecki Aircraft Announce Partnership for Development of Hydrogen Fuel Cell System
• Urban Aeronautics Partners with HyPoint to Design Hydrogen-Powered CityHawk

GPMS, a firm that develops technology that optimizes information flow in the aircraft maintenance and analytics business, announced today that Transport Canada Civil Aviation has issued a Supplemental Type Certificate for GPMS’s Foresight MX, the company’s enhanced Health & Usage Monitoring System (HUMS) solution, on the Airbus H125 helicopter. The certificate was based on a prior Federal Aviation Administration STC and covers the installation of Foresight MX on the Airbus H125/AS350 B3 platform.

GPMS President Jed Kalkstein characterized how the approval would impact H125 operators in a positive manner: “With this STC, H125 operators in Canada like East West Helicopter/Panterra Heli Support will be able to adopt Foresight MX on their fleet and begin to maximize aircraft readiness, lower maintenance costs, and enhance safety in their operations.”

East West Helicopter completed the initial installation with support from its associated Canadian company, Panterra Heli Support. Enabled by FAA and TCCA STC’s, the company has partnered with NS AIR Leasing to futureproof its fleet of H125 series aircraft that will operate in both Canada and the United States.

Kalkstein explained that East West Helicopters highlights the unique value that Foresight MX delivers to different aspects of the industry. “As a lessor, they see the value of Foresight MX providing insight into their fleet assets and can be confident knowing that their customers have state-of-the-art predictive health monitoring available around the clock, around the world,” he said.

GPMS will be showcasing their technology at Heli-Expo 2022 in Dallas, TX, offering live demos and information on how their platform, dubbed Foresight MX, increases value to their customers.

Why it’s important: GPMS already has STC’s on a range of helicopter platforms including Airbus H125/AS350 B3, Bell 407 GX/GXP/GXi, Bell 429, Bell 412/212, and MD530, showcasing the benefits of predictive analytics tools that enable operators to more intelligently optimize the methods of maintenance and operation of their most costly investments – their airframes and powerplants. This same technology could easily be applied to aerial mobility systems to decrease maintenance downtime and improve the overall efficiency.

Volocopter announced on November 17^th that the VoloCity will be featured in the upcoming Microsoft Flight Simulator. The announcement occurred at CoMotion LA, from Christian Bauer, Volocopter CCO. “We partnered with the experts at Urban Movement Labs to approach important stakeholders in Los Angeles, a highly relevant US city for us. Now, we are bringing our aircraft to the city to empower people with knowledge about UAM and first-hand experience with our aircraft. We are providing this learning opportunity onsite at CoMotion LA and virtually also to people across the world on 18 November with the new Microsoft Flight Simulator release, where Volocopter is included as the first electric air taxi.”

Earlier this year, Volocopter announced its partnership with Urban Movement Labs (UML), a nonprofit organization facilitating the deployment of new mobility technologies in Los Angeles. Volocopter is working with UML to network with key interest groups on the federal and city levels. This collaboration opens the door for discussions between Volocopter and local entities interested in launching UAM services in the future.

Depiction of Volocopter in MS Flight Simulator. Image // Volocopter

“Our partnership with Volocopter expands the work we are executing as a part of the UAM Partnership with the City of Los Angeles.  This work will inform the future UAM ecosystem in L.A. using a community-first strategy, conducted with Angelenos for Angelenos. By working together with Urban Movement Labs, Volocopter is showing their commitment to keeping the community in mind, and we are proud to be partnering with these pioneers on this journey and facilitating their market entry,” says Sam Morrissey, Executive Director at Urban Movement Labs.

In January of this year, Volocopter announced its intention to bring air taxis to US cities. In July, Volocopter conducted the first-ever crewed public test flight of a fully electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) air taxi in the US. Soon, people in LA and worldwide will also be able to experience virtual flights in the VoloCity in the newest release of Microsoft Flight Simulator (MSFS). In a partnership with the MSFS team, Volocopter’s VoloCity will be the first rotor-based vehicle in MSFS.

“Volocopter’s vision of urban air mobility is compelling, and we are delighted to present a hands-on preview of the aircraft inside Microsoft Flight Simulator. We had a great time working closely with the engineering and design teams at Volocopter during the last 6 months and are pleased with how accurate the electric VoloCity was realized in Microsoft Flight Simulator. Starting tomorrow, flight simmers and aviation enthusiasts everywhere can experience this extraordinary aircraft for the first time,” says Jorg Neumann, Head of Microsoft Flight Simulator.

Why it’s important: The cross-branding of Volcopter’s leading eVTOL product with the digital reflection of the airplane in Microsoft Flight Simulator is another means for the aerial mobility industry to expand and reinforce its influence among aviation, and on a larger scale, mobility as a whole. Partnerships between companies such as Microsoft and Volocopter will grow the sphere of influence of aerial mobility and provide an engaging, fast-paced means for learning and interaction with the next generation of transportation methods. This also means a wider age range of audience.