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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Related:

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

Lilium has partnered with Honeywell and DENSO, who will co-develop and manufacture the Lilium Jet’s electric motor (e-motor) that will power the Lilium Jet’s engines. Honeywell is already developing the Lilium Jet’s avionics and flight control systems and has been invested in Lilium since 2021.

The Lilium e-motor is a proprietary, high-performance system, on which Lilium, DENSO and Honeywell teams have been working for nearly two years. It is expected to bring exceptional performance and reliability with zero operating emissions typically associated with commercial jet engines. An air-cooled design offers structural simplicity and ease of maintenance compared with traditional liquid cooling systems, and therefore has the potential to significantly reduce aircraft operating costs.

The e-motor has its rotor and stator in a centrifugal or ‘radial’ configuration, compared to traditional axial designs. This lowers the component’s weight, manufacturing costs and susceptibility to foreign object damage. It also boasts industry-leading power density, with the first prototypes designed to extract over 100kW of power from a system weighing just over 4kg.

Yves Yemsi, Chief Operating Officer of Lilium said: “Lilium’s Procurement strategy is to engage with the technology providers with the most suitable expertise. We are already making great progress with Honeywell on its Honeywell Anthem integrated flight deck and flight control computers, and we are delighted to deepen our relationship by also partnering with Honeywell and DENSO on our e-motor. The collaboration with these two powerhouses takes us further along the path to revolutionizing regional air mobility.”

Stéphane Fymat, vice president and general manager of Urban Air Mobility, Honeywell Aerospace said: “Honeywell has been at the forefront of innovation in aviation for a century, and we are proud to closely collaborate with DENSO and help usher in the age of electric flight. Lilium’s innovation, combined with our experience in aerospace, will help to bring about cleaner, more sustainable ways for people to travel for centuries to come.”

Koji Ishizuka, senior director of the Electric Sora-Mobi Business Promotion Department at DENSO, said: “DENSO’s focus is powering the shift to a green, safe and seamless mobility future for all. We’re grateful to work with Honeywell and Lilium on making air travel cleaner and more efficient, and in doing so, we have the opportunity to apply our electrification expertise to vehicles on land and in the sky.”

Why it’s important: Honeywell is a leader in aerospace technologies with over 100 years of experience, and already has an alliance with automotive giant DENSO to develop aerospace electric propulsion solutions. Through this collaboration, the Lilium Jet’s e-motor will benefit from Honeywell’s aerospace expertise as well as DENSO’s experience in high-quality volume production.

Lilium has engaged with Honeywell, a world-leading manufacturer of electronics, engines, and mechanical systems for aircraft, to develop the 7-Seater Lilium eVTOL Jet’s avionics and flight control systems. Honeywell’s Compact Fly-by-Wire System will act as the flight control system on the all-electric 7-Seater Lilium Jet, responsible for controlling its moveable parts, including the 36 control surfaces and ducted fans that provide its high levels of maneuverability in every stage of flight.

Credit // Lilium

Honeywell, one of the first major aerospace manufacturers to create a dedicated Urban Air Mobility business unit, has designed a flight control system that draws on its decades of experience providing such systems for commercial airliners. This system, which has been tailored for the Lilium Jet’s unique design, will play a crucial role in ensuring smooth, comfortable, and emission-free air travel for passengers.

Yves Yemsi, Chief Program Officer at Lilium highlights that “Honeywell will integrate an advanced flight deck tailored for Lilium Jet as the central interface to the pilot with a vehicle management computer and a high integrity flight controls computing platform to provide a state-of-the-art Fly-By-Wire solution for the Lilium Jet.”

Alongside the flight control system, Honeywell is delivering the next generation of integrated avionics systems, which will provide a simplified user interface for the pilot to fly the Lilium Jet. The selection of Honeywell’s next-generation UAM avionics system is the result of ongoing collaboration between Lilium and Honeywell to converge on the specific technical requirements suitable for the Lilium Jet. The avionics system is designed to reduce training time and will support operation by a single pilot, freeing up greater passenger capacity.

“At Honeywell, we believe in the promise of the Urban Air Mobility segment and we see the enormous potential it has to bring about a new age of aviation and forever transform the way we think about flight and transportation,” said Stéphane Fymat, vice president and general manager of Urban Air Mobility, Honeywell. “Lilium shares that vision with us, which has enabled us to forge a fantastic relationship. We’re extremely excited for our avionics to be on board the Lilium Jet, where they will help ensure not only safe operation, but also make it easier for pilots to fly and provide a more comfortable journey for those onboard.”

In addition to its selection as a provider of the flight control system for the 7-Seater Lilium Jet, Honeywell is also participating in the common stock PIPE offering in connection with Lilium’s SPAC transaction, and is providing similar systems to Pipistrel, Vertical Aerospace, and Volocopter.

Following Toray Industries, Aciturri, and Lufthansa Aviation Training, Honeywell is the latest in a series of world-class Lilium suppliers whose technology and services have been certified in aerospace around the world for decades. They are joined by infrastructure leaders, such as the Tavistock Development Company, and Ferrovial, a leading airport operator, who have provided approximately $200 million in commitments to support the development of up to 14 eVTOL ertiports in Florida.

Why it’s important: As stated by Yemsi, “the avionics and flight control computers from Honeywell will be a key element for the Lilium Jet’s electronic architecture.” Honeywell has a decades-long track record of developing and certifying avionics and safety systems for leading aerospace companies, and is quickly becoming a leader in eVTOL aerial mobility technology by providing these advanced systems to many rapidly evolving top aerial mobility companies.

DENSO, a leading mobility supplier, has signed a long-term agreement with aerospace leader Honeywell, establishing an alliance focused on electric propulsion units to meet new aerospace needs. Drawing from their automotive and aerospace backgrounds, the companies will develop and manufacture electric propulsion systems for aircraft, initially prioritizing the urban air mobility (UAM) segment with a focus on air taxis and delivery vehicles. The formal alliance follows the companies’ initial teaming agreement announced in 2019.

DENSO and Honeywell are in advanced discussions with current and prospective customers and intend to deliver flight test configurations of the electric propulsion systems within the next year. This focus on electrified power sources will not only help the companies fulfill UAM’s promise of providing cleaner, safer, more efficient, quieter and freer-moving transportation in and between cities, but also strengthen each company’s efforts to achieve carbon neutrality by 2035.

Electric Propulsion Unit (EPU) equipped in the propeller section of both wings. Credit // DANSO, Honeywell

“Mobility needs are changing and this collaboration represents how DENSO is evolving to meet them,” said Jiro Ebihara, a senior executive officer and head of the Electrification Systems Business Group at DENSO Corporation. “While we have committed to achieve a carbon-neutral society, we still need to reduce traffic and offer eco-friendly movement in population-dense areas. Working with Honeywell will help address both these issues and furthers our goal of creating mobility that is green and offers peace of mind.”

The alliance with Honeywell enhances DENSO’s Second Founding, the company’s strategy to provide value beyond a vehicle-centric focus and produce the core technologies for future mobility. It also bolsters DENSO’s two great causes: “Green” – acting environmentally friendly – and “Peace of Mind” – creating a safer and more seamless world for all. These guide DENSO as it leverages its 30-plus years of electrification know-how to create cleaner, more efficient mobility and will help the company reach its 2035 goal to be carbon neutral. Honeywell has also pledged to be carbon neutral in its facilities and operations by 2035. The two companies plan on working together to “seek customers who can help transform how the world moves, making transportation safer, more sustainable and efficient.”

Why it’s important: DENSO’s ability to produce quality components at mass scale paired with Honeywell’s storied aerospace expertise makes for an alliance ready to take UAM to new heights. Additionally, the alliance’s electric propulsion systems will integrate seamlessly with Honeywell’s fly-by-wire, avionics and actuation systems, extracting the most thrust and lift from every watt of electricity. Honeywell has already formed numerous partnerships and contracts with OEMs including Pipistrel and Vertical Aerospace after the creation of its new aerial mobility business unit, which demonstrates the company’s bullish outlook and commitment to the budding industry.

Source // DENSO, Honeywell press release

Pipistrel has selected Honeywell’s next-generation Attitude Heading Reference System and Air Data Module for its Nuuva V300 cargo unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). The technologies provide critical navigation and motion-sensing data and will work in tandem with Honeywell’s Compact Fly-By-Wire system onboard the aircraft.

As described by Honeywell, “if the fly-by-wire system operates as the ‘brain’ of an aircraft’s flight controls, the Attitude Heading Reference System (AH-2000) and Air Data Module (ADM) act as the ‘heart,’ supplying critical motion data to all avionics systems and many mechanical systems. Both the AH-2000 and ADM are key enablers for safe and efficient vehicle operations with potential to serve several flight applications, including urban air mobility vehicles, commercial aircraft, business jets and helicopters.”

“Nuuva V300’s groundbreaking operational concept requires highly accurate, dependable and robust navigation sensors, and the AH-2000 and ADM are key enablers of this functionality,” said Tine Tomažič, chief technology officer, Pipistrel. “This technology allows us to deliver simple and intuitive mouse-click control to fly the vehicle, eliminating the need for operators to be trained with traditional piloting skills, which helps ensure rapid scale-up of operations for our customers.”

Pipistrel’s Nuuva V300 is a long-range, large-capacity, autonomous UAV. It will take off and land vertically with battery power, meaning it does not require a runway, and has significantly lower operating costs than helicopters. It can carry loads up to 460 kilograms (around 1,000 pounds) for more than 300 kilometers (about 186 miles), making it an ideal solution for deliveries to areas traditionally accessible only by helicopter.

“Unmanned aircraft, especially those delivering packages, must be equipped with high-performing inertial systems to ensure fly-by-wire systems are provided the best possible information on location, speed and position,” said Matt Picchetti, vice president and general manager, Navigation & Sensors, Honeywell Aerospace. “Vehicles like Nuuva V300 will change the way logistics companies fulfill package deliveries, and we’re proud to add our growing list of onboard technologies to enhance safety and make flying easier.”

Related: Pipistrel Selects Honeywell’s Compact Fly-By-Wire System for its Nuuva V300 Prototype

The AH-2000 uses Honeywell’s next-generation, industry-leading, Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS)-based inertial sensors to deliver aircraft attitude and velocity information. It delivers safety-critical attitude and velocity data to drive the fly-by-wire flight control system and provides navigation data to the fly-by-wire guidance system. This data provides the high level of safety normally seen on commercial aircraft but in a more compact size. This data is necessary for fly-by-wire control, navigation and cockpit displays.

For more information on Honeywell’s advanced solutions, visit the UAS/UAM page on the Honeywell Aerospace website.

Why it’s important: Honeywell is a major player in the emerging UAM segment, offering a full line of avionics, flight control, navigation, radar, communications, actuation, cooling, motors and turbo-electric propulsion systems — all tailored for piloted vertical take-off and landing, urban air mobility and unmanned cargo vehicles. As a major aerospace industry player, the company’s continued pursuit of aerial mobility technology bodes well for both Pipistrel as a customer of Honeywell and the UAM market as a whole.

Honeywell, in an effort to further diversity its urban aerial mobility offerings, has purchased Ballard Systems. Ballard specializes in creating hydrogen fuel cell power supply systems for unmanned aerial vehicles.

The UAV hydrogen fuel cell system by Ballard Systems

Most drones (aka unmanned aerial vehicles) are usually powered by rechargeable lithium batteries. This is also true for the aerial mobility industry, with most passengers air taxis being developed with rechargeable battery systems. However, these batteries have disadvantages including longer recharge times, recharging infrastructure requirements, and heavier weights. Ballard Systems is one of the few companies developing hydrogen fuel cells of the size and weight required by UAV operations.

An unmanned multicopter powered by Ballard Systems’ hydrogen fuel cells.

Given Honeywell’s vested interest in developing aerial mobility technologies, the company may eventually add Ballard’s hydrogen power solutions to passenger aerial mobility aircraft as well. Passenger air taxis currently in development that will use hydrogen power include the Skai by Alaka’i Technologies and the Urban Aeronautics CityHawk. These companies chose hydrogen systems for their energy efficiency by weight versus batteries; for example, a pound of liquid hydrogen can output more energy than can a lithium-ion battery of the same weight. Even aerospace giant Airbus recently announced three new hydrogen-powered airplane concepts that it plans to put into operation by 2035.

Hyrdogen fuel cell -powered Aircraft concepts. Top left: Urban Aeronautics CityHawk. Top right: Alaka’i Skai. Bottom: Airbus ZeroE

Fuel cells developed by Ballard have already proven to as much as triple the flight times of many UAVs. Said Mike Madsen, president and chief executive officer, Honeywell Aerospace, “Adding Ballard Unmanned Systems to the Honeywell family is another example of our commitment to invest in the growing UAS segment. We can now begin producing top-quality, scalable power systems for our UAS customers and eventually adapt these systems for other future aerospace, defense and adjacent segment applications.”

Honeywell is also developing UAM electric motors, compact fly-by-wire systems for UAM, cooling systems, and even autonomous landing and visual flight control softwares for aerial mobility. It has even established partnerships with several prominent eVTOL developers, including Vertical Aerospace and Pipistrel.

Why it’s important: With this latest announcement, Honeywell further extends itself into the growing world of aerial mobility. With several key investments already made into avionics and hardware for aerial mobility aircraft, this purchase signals Honeywell’s interest in future power systems as well as software and hardware.

Pipistrel has selected Honeywell’s Compact Fly-By-Wire system for its Nuuva V300 cargo unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). The Fly-By-Wire (FBW) avionics will provide the flight control “brains” to the eVTOL prototype and will offer the capability for safe and efficient autonomous operation.

Pipistrel has selected Honeywell to supply a FBW flight control solution for its Nuuva V300 VTOL prototype.

“After years of excellent cooperation in the UAM sector, we chose to work with Honeywell in the development of the Nuuva V300 as well,” said Ivo Boscarol, founder and CEO of Pipistrel Group. “We see this cargo aircraft paving the way for the passenger-carrying Pipistrel 801, our proposed air taxi for Uber Elevate, as both aircraft share similar architectures. Honeywell’s expertise and the proven capabilities of its Compact Fly-By-Wire system will provide airliner levels of safety for our novel air vehicles.”

Honeywell’s compact FBW product offering draws on its decades of experience developing similar flight controls suites for major aerospace OEM’s, but in the form factor of a paperback book. The product is intended for small autonomous cargo and aerial mobility platforms. FBW controls a vehicle’s control surfaces via flight control electronics in lieu of heavy hydraulics, control cables, or push rods. This solution greatly reduces maintenance costs for operators and provides the weight savings needed to make aerial mobility commercially viable.

The Pipistrel Nuuva V300 can carry up to a 660 pound (300 kilograms) payload.

“One of the toughest challenges logistics companies face today is meeting the demand for same-day delivery. Vehicles like Pipistrel’s Nuuva V300 are going to be a real breakthrough in the race to solve this problem,” said Stéphane Fymat, vice president and general manager, unmanned aerial systems (UAS)/UAM, Honeywell Aerospace. “We listened to our customers and built a product that meets the unique needs of this segment, and we’re extremely proud that our Compact Fly-By-Wire system will be guiding these vehicles as they take to the skies.”

Pipstrel’s Nuuva V300 is a long-range, large-capacity, autonomous UAV. It can carry payloads up to 660 pounds and has a range of 186 miles making it an ideal candidate for remote cargo delivery and areas once only reached by helicopters.

Other UAM companies using the Compact Fly-By-Wire system include Vertical Aerospace and Volocopter. Honeywell is also developing systems for autonomous landing, cooling, visual flight control, and even electric engines.

Why it matters: Pipstrel draws on Honeywell’s resume to deliver its flight controls package. Honeywell is well known and well regarded throughout the aerospace industry for its long history in avionics and system components found in traditional commercial and business aviation, and with this announcement further extends itself into the aerial mobility business. For Pipistrel, outsourcing flight control electronics will greatly reduce developmental costs of building its aircraft. Earlier this year, the company began accepting orders for the Nuuva 300 prototype.

Honeywell, a leader in the aerospace industry for avionics, has now created a dedicated business unit within its company specifically for drones and aerial mobility technology. As well as providing flight electronics, Honeywell is also developing important offerings relating to unmanned aerial systems as a whole.

The ‘aerial mobility and unmanned aerial systems’ business unit will have its own set of company resources, including engineerings and sales teams. Honeywell sees the new business unit as necessary, having valued the aerial mobility hardware and software industry at $120 billion by 2030. The company believes that with the creation of the new business unit this early, it could capture 20% of that valuation.

An example of what kind of software/hardware systems Honeywell is already starting to make for aerial mobility vehicles.

Said Mike Madsen, president and CEO of Honeywell Aerospace: “Urban Air Mobility and Unmanned Aerial Systems will play an increasing role in the future of aerospace, with potential applications in all-electric urban air taxi vehicles, hybrid-electric unmanned cargo drones, optionally piloted airplanes, delivery drones and everything in between.”

According to the company, Honeywell UAM will “develop new products and services uniquely for these markets” and act as a systems integrator for existing Honeywell products and services that could be used by the UAS and UAM industries. Offerings will include avionics, electric and hybrid-electric propulsion and thermal management, flight services and ground operations services.

A compact urban aerial mobility fly-by-wire system developed by Honeywell

Since entering the aerial mobility space, Honeywell has made vast progress already into creating offerings for new upcoming vehicles and companies. In the last year, Honeywell has announced projects for eVTOL cooling systems, visual flight control hardware, autonomous landing, air taxi fly-by-wire packages, and even electric engines designed specifically for aerial mobility. It has also established partnerships with several key aircraft developers including Pipistrel, Vertical Aerospace, Volocopter, and Eviation.

Learn more about the new aerial mobility business unit at Honeywell’s website:

Why it’s important: With the establishment of this aerial mobility business unit, Honeywell further reaches its arms into the future of urban aviation. By partnering with and contributing to early-stage air taxi companies now, as well as building key initial technologies, Honeywell has begun to ensure its place in the future of aerial mobility. So far, it has already done much to contribute large-company resources to this growing industry.

Honeywell has introduced its innovative new thermal management system, the Micro Vapor Cycle System (MicroVCS). The MicroVCS is an efficient, lightweight thermal management system that uses advanced technology to push cold air or liquid to cool compartments, electric components and power systems. Designed specifically for the emerging aerial mobility industry, the MicroVCS is both lighter and completely oil-free with fewer moving parts, meaning that maintenance and repair are much simpler; an important factor to consider when air taxis will most likely record flights at a higher rate than conventional aircraft. 

“Aircraft in the emerging UAM or all-electric categories will need to be lightweight and avoid significant downtime for maintenance. It will also be extremely important to maintain battery temperature and ensure passenger comfort,” said Tom Hart, VP and general manager of Air & Thermal Systems at Honeywell Aerospace. “Our new MicroVCS is up to 35% lighter and 20% more efficient than existing systems, which helps address these major concerns.”

Notably, the MicroVCS will first be implemented in Eviation’s Alice, an all electric commuter aircraft. According to Omer Bar-Yohay, CEO at Eviation, “In an all-electric aircraft, every ounce counts, so we needed an efficient way to provide cooling comfort for passengers in our fleet without adding excessive weight. Our adoption of the MicroVCS will ensure better aircraft uptime and reduce our overall operating costs while enhancing our passengers’ experience.”

Why it’s important: The MicroVCS is the latest in a series of products Honeywell is developing specifically for aerial mobility. Others include a Compact Fly-by-Wire System, RDR-84K Radar, actuators, and lightweight inertial navigation systems. Having been a reliable and experienced aircraft systems manufacturer for decades, Honeywell’s contributions to the aerial mobility industry will be vital for the continued success of the industry.

Source // Intelligent Aerospace