Jaunt Air Mobility designs and manufactures hybrid and electric vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft, and specializes in Reduced rotor Operating Speed aircraft (ROSA™), which combine a fixed-winged aircraft’s efficiency and advanced helicopter performance. The company has recently announced that it has been awarded a Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) contract by the US Air Force program AFWERX, via the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL).

Photograph: Jaunt Air Mobility

Under the contract Jaunt will team with Penn State University and Continuum Dynamics, Inc. (CDI) to employ advanced acoustical analysis techniques to characterize noise from Jaunt’s unique Jaunt Journey Compound Gyrodyne VTOL aircraft concept. This is one of three contracts awarded by AFRL to Jaunt under the leadership of Martin Peryea, CEO of Jaunt Air Mobility.

“The purpose is to gain a comprehensive understanding of the noise sources in our aircraft configurations and the unique noise reduction opportunities,” says Martin Peryea. “We will apply the knowledge to the design of the Jaunt Journey all-electric (eVTOL) aircraft, allowing us to develop the most efficient, ultra-low noise aircraft for our customers in the urban air mobility market as well as cargo, medevac, and close air support military aircraft.”

Leading the Penn State University team is Professor Kenneth Brentner, an internationally renowned expert in aeroacoustics and rotorcraft noise. Dr. Brentner will be assisted by Mr. Dan Wachspress of CDI, the chief developer of CDI’s CHARM comprehensive rotorcraft analysis used throughout the eVTOL industry. Dr. Brentner stated that, “For this research, we will use CDI’s CHARM software coupled with our PSU-WOPWOP and PSU flight simulation software to model the Jaunt test vehicle. This noise prediction system was validated through comparison with NASA acoustic flight tests of six medium to lightweight helicopters in steady and maneuvering flight conditions.”

Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs are highly competitive programs that encourage domestic small businesses to engage in Federal Research/Research and Development (R/R&D) with the potential for commercialization. Through a competitive awards-based program, STTR enables small businesses to explore their technological potential and provide the incentive to profit from its commercialization. Central to the STTR program is the partnership between small businesses and nonprofit research institutions. STTR is to bridge the gap between basic science and the commercialization of resulting innovations.

Why it’s important: Jaunt’s government-funded noise research is equivalently applicable to the commercial applications for which the company’s vehicle is also designed. The technologies fostered by STTR programs such as this grant from the AFRL are essential to the forward progress of aerial mobility. Noise minimization is a key driver of public acceptance, and with this contract, Jaunt can work with aeroacoustic experts to expedite the integration of eVTOL aircraft in our airspaces.

Related: Jaunt Air Mobility and Varon Vehicles Partner for Aerial Mobility in Latin America

Source // Jaunt Air Mobility press release

Jaunt Air Mobility, a growing aerial mobility aircraft designer in based in Dallas, TX, and Varon Vehicles, a pioneer in aerial mobility infrastructure abroad, have partnered to begin to build aerial mobility networks in Latin America.

Although Varon Vehicles has in fact released images of a prototype ‘flying car’ design, the company has always been clear that it’s true goal is not to be a manufacturer of these vehicles, but to partner with expert aircraft OEM’s to create a ‘full transportation system’ for countries like Columbia and others in Latin America. As a partner, Varon’s vision is to provide integration of aerial transport into cities through working with regulatory institutions, designing vertiports, providing customer-end service, and even airspace setting up airspace integration and navigation. Essentially, Varon hopes to be the operator for eVTOL air vehicles for Latin American regions, as Uber might soon be in the United States.

Jaunt’s ‘Journey‘ eVTOL featured in the skies of Cartagena, Columbia

Jaunt Air Mobility, meanwhile, is a celebrated designer of an eVTOL that includes a fixed wing, and uses slowed-rotor compound technology for vertical lift to increase efficiency and limit sound. Through these technologies, Jaunt’s ‘Journey’ eVTOL will be able to cover 70 miles in 25 minutes or less, and take-off and land from anywhere. Jaunt had previously partnered with Uber Elevate, and although Elevate has now been acquired by Joby Aviation, the partnership showed Jaunt’s readiness to enter markets in the U.S and abroad within the next few years. Jaunt believes its ‘Journey’ aircraft will be in operation moving people and aircraft by 2026, with demonstrations beginning in 2023.

Varon Vehicles is currently developing a series of Vertiports in Latin America connected to each other via well-defined low altitude virtual lanes through which aircraft like Jaunt Air Mobility’s eVTOL will fly. Vertiports will be placed both inside and outside existing urban areas to alleviate the pressure for city growth, providing transportation services to multiple customers like logistics companies, tourism companies, hospitals, law enforcement and transportation network companies  for air taxi services, all without the need for per-mile physical construction.

Said Felipe Varon, CEO and Founder of Varon Vehicles, “The Varon Vehicles Infrastructure Network is a new form of mobility infrastructure. Technology now makes it possible to tap into unused low altitude airspace over cities and suburbs in an environmentally friendly manner to provide potentially disruptive transportation services and invaluable connectivity. We have chosen to start implementation in Colombia, where we’re working hand in hand with the Colombian civil aviation authority and a host of regional industry partners, as we bring together technologies, like Jaunt’s, for implementation.”

Over the course of 2021, Jaunt Air Mobility will work with Varon Vehicles to understand the unique transportation needs in Latin American cities and will help define the operations and integration of its Journey aircraft into service. This will kickstart the building blocks necessary for early demonstration of the Jaunt Journey aircraft and Varon Vehicles’ operational vision.

Why it’s important: Although Jaunt Air Mobility had previously partnered with Uber Elevate, it has successfully made a quick pivot to work with Varon Vehicles in Columbia and other Latin American countries. Being this fast to begin integrating its vehicles abroad will give Jaunt a great head start into entering its vehicles into operation. In turn, Varon has received a very well-established partner in Jaunt, which brings to Varon a near-certification ready aircraft that has already received major interest from eVTOL operators in the United States like Uber.

Jaunt Air Mobility and Walle announced that they have formed a partnership to provide advanced aerial mobility transit services in Italy. Furthermore, Walle plans to implement and operate this service by 2026, focusing on routes within 50 km. 

“Walle is a perfect strategic partner; our mission at Jaunt is to produce the safest and most efficient eVTOL on the market and work with operators around the world,” says Martin Peryea, CEO of Jaunt Air Mobility. “We feel confident in our ability to commercialize our aircraft by 2026. The unique configuration of combining a fixed-wing airplane and single slow-rotor technology gives us revolutionary performance and the highest level of safety amongst all the eVTOL contenders.”

Currently, Walle is working with the regulatory authorities and mapping out its first key routes for their aerial mobility service, including a route from Milan Airport to the city center of Milan, as well as one connecting the Port of Naples to Capri’s Island. Walle will also intends on providing their services for the Milano Cortina XXV Winter Olympics in 2026. 

Photograph: Jaunt Air Mobility

“Our goal is to change the future of mobility,” says Domenico Gagliardi, founder and CEO of Walle. “Italy, as in much of Europe, is challenged by the time it takes to travel from outside a city to an urban center, often costing two or more hours one way, and the problem is only growing. ‘Going Vertical’, – to the sky is the obvious answer. We believe the Jaunt Journey by Jaunt Air Mobility offers a solution that meets with our core values of providing a safe, comfortable, and ultra-quiet ride for passengers.”

“We see business travelers and tourists utilizing our services. Our focus is entirely on the customer experience and, we believe safety will be a key in the adoption of this form of transit. Because Jaunt offers patented safety features and the ability to meet commercial, regulatory requirements, success is just around the corner,” stated Marco Pugliese, COO at Walle.

Why it’s important: Walle Mobility is the first Italian startup focused on the aerial mobility market. By partnering with Jaunt Air Mobility, both companies gain a competitive advantage in their respective markets. 

Source // Jaunt Air Mobility and Walle Mobility Press Release

Jaunt Air Mobility signs a memorandum of understanding with VerdeGo Aero of Daytona Beach, FL, to explore the development of a hybrid-electric aircraft. The combined technologies of Jaunt Air Mobility and VerdeGo’s hybrid powertrain offer customers the opportunity to fulfill a variety of market segments and missions. Jaunt and VerdeGo plan to develop a hybrid-electric version of the Jaunt aircraft utilizing VerdeGo’s hybrid-electric diesel (Jet-A) generator system combined with same battery systems being used for the Jaunt Journey. The added energy from the hybrid system will enable significant enhancements to mission capability for passenger, cargo, and military variants.

Rendering of how VerdeGo’s electric propulsion technology will integrate into an Airflow cargo eSTOL

Jaunt’s patented technology offers a proven aerodynamic design of a fixed-wing aircraft with efficient vertical take-off and landing capabilities. VerdeGo’s hybrid power system allows for longer missions, faster turnaround operations, and current infrastructure utilization. VerdeGo’s hybrid power systems run on globally-available Jet-A fuel, which will reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions by 40% when compared to competing turbine products, while providing 4X+ more energy than battery-electric powertrains.

“While confident in the battery-electric Jaunt Journey, for the urban air mobility market, our customers also have different operational mission requirements,” says Martin Peryea, CEO of Jaunt Air Mobility. “VerdeGo’s system offers a unique bridge to meeting those demands.”

The Jaunt Journey
Photograph: Jaunt Air Mobility

According to NASA, Hybrid-electric architectures have shown the potential for significant improvements when applied to fixed-wing aircraft; such improvements include energy consumption, noise, weight, propulsive efficiency, and aero-propulsive interactions, among others. The U.S. Air Force’s chief acquisition officer, Will Roper has stated that with the military’s goals of flying two to four military personnel 100 miles at speeds above 115 mph, it is likely that these aircraft will be hybrid-electric.

Why it’s important: As VerdeGo Aero’s CEO Eric Bartsch said, “the additional range enabled with VerdeGo’s hybrid system applied in the Jaunt aircraft will enable either longer missions or multiple short back-to-back missions without the requirement for energy infrastructure at every landing site. Rapid turnaround, high utilization, and enhanced mission capability make the hybrid aircraft extremely competitive.”

Source // VerdeGo Aero press release

The two companies will perform a joint study on the future of aircraft electrification for UAM

BAE Systems and Jaunt Air Mobility signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), agreeing to explore the development of electric energy management systems in urban aerial mobility. This MoU will also have the two companies collaborate on examining current aircraft power management needs and gain a “deeper understanding of the extension of urban traffic into the airspace.”

Photo by Tom Haines.

BAE Systems, having announced their intentions to enter the electric aviation market a few months prior, have made their next step by involving Jaunt Air. “The collaboration with Jaunt Air Mobility leverages the strengths of two industry-leading companies to develop technology for a new ecosystem,” said Ehtisham Siddiqui, vice president and general manager of Controls and Avionics Solutions at BAE Systems. 

“This strategic collaboration builds on our two decades of heritage as we develop and certify controls and energy management systems for the future of flight.” – Ehtisham Siddiqui

BAE Systems Regional Aircraft – J31 Air to Air. Photo credit: BAE Systems

Jaunt Air Mobility, currently in the process of submitting their own eVTOL as a partner of Uber Elevate, seeks to improve their power systems management through this MoU. Both companies stand to gain a competitive advantage in their respective markets with this agreement, and their alignment in interest is what lead to this collobaration. “BAE Systems’ development and integration expertise in high integrity controls and power management systems gives our business an edge in the development of next generation air vehicles for urban environments,” said Kaydon Stanzione, chief executive officer at Jaunt Air Mobility. 

“Their proven track record from concept design through manufacturing was a major selection consideration for our business as we strive to provide the highest level of safety and efficiency for our aircraft.”  -Kaydon Stanzione

BAE Systems has 20-plus years of experience developing and integrating electric propulsion systems. The company has more than 10,000 electric-hybrid systems on transit buses and marine vessels around the globe, including major cities such as Paris, London, New York, and San Francisco. The company also has more than 40 years of experience in controls and avionics for military and commercial aircraft. 

Jaunt Air Mobility LLC is an aerospace company focused on developing advanced air vehicles that incorporate innovative technologies and management strategies, providing the highest levels of operational efficiencies, safety, and community acceptance. The company is a pioneer and world leader in the aerospace industry with the design and development of its Reduced Rotor Operating Speed Aircraft (ROSA™) solution for urban air mobility.

Why it’s important: WIth the experience in electric propulsion systems provided by BAE and the in-depth knowledge of the UAM market from Jaunt Air Mobility, this MoU is intended to address a lucrative topic in the future, the shift from a hybrid/conventional eVTOL model to a fully electric eVTOL model. The first to develop a working, fully electric eVTOL capable of providing the same benefits as conventional engines will have the ability to dominate both the electric aviation and UAM markets over the next few decades. 

Source // Press Release by BAE Systems

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Personal air transportation has traditionally been limited to private helicopters and private jets, but as electric aerial mobility becomes a reality, the private aviation industry begins the transition toward accommodation and management of electric aircraft.

Because traditional methods of personal air travel such as helicopter and private jet charters are prohibitively expensive, personal travel by air has mainly remained a luxury only for the wealthy. However, eVTOLs (electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft) will be both more affordable to both operate and maintain, making them far more accessible to the public than former options. As a result, these new flight operations will have much higher daily flight volumes than traditional charter, which will create the need for new types of fleet management systems.

Companies that currently manage these aircraft and their charter operations, such as JetEdge, Wing Aviation, FlexJet, and more recently BLADE Urban Air Mobility have a depth of experience in handling the massive task of optimizing fleet management. However, unlike ground transportation companies like Uber, due to their lower volumes and more fluctuating prices, a large proportion of these companies manually manage each chartered flight. This means that although members of their teams are experts in fleet management and optimization, there is no background software that manages charter request reception, quote issuance, and backend operation execution without substantial human intervention. eVTOL aerial mobility companies such as Lilium, Joby Aviation, and others seek to use software to make the air travel experience more similar to the ride-hailing ground transportation experience of today –  a development that is crucial in wide spread commercial applications of aerial mobility.

An Uber demand heat map versus Flight Aware, a route and aircraft tracking system for both public and privately chartered aircraft

It will be interesting to observe moving forward which of these operator companies choose to branch out their expertise into this sector. Will companies like Joby or Lilium create their own fleet management systems from scratch? Or, will they pull simultaneously from ground ride-hailing companies like Uber as well traditional charter operators to create entirely new systems? So far, the latter seems to be the approach by highly successful Joby Aviation, which recently received an airworthiness certification from the USAF for its eVTOL, and acquired Uber Elevate during a similar time period.

Another question will be how traditional charter infrastructure organizations choose to integrate with aerial mobility infrastructure that is being built in major cities. Traditionally, private jet charter patrons have elected to receive ground transportation from an FBO (a private terminal at airports for private charters) to their final destination. However, as eVTOLs begin to get more popular, these charter patrons may soon rather travel by eVTOL to their final destinations rather than wait in traffic. Already, companies like Ross Aviation (an FBO company that has terminals at many major airports around the US), have partnered with BLADE Urban Air Mobility to begin planning eVTOL vertiport infrastructure at their respective FBOs. This indicates that both BLADE’s and Ross’s eventual intent is allow charter patrons to board eVTOLs directly from private jet charters. As the eVTOL industry grows, vertiports throughout major cities will become more prevalent, allowing these charter patrons to fly directly to their hotels, conferences, or business meeting locations without ever needing to step into a car.

A Ross Aviation terminal featured with a potential Vertiport design by Volocopter.

The decisions and responses to the challenges of fleet management will in turn end up transforming eVTOL travel into a common method of transportation used by people from all parts of society. As the world begins to move to a more eVTOL oriented future, companies both past, present, and future will begin to shape the infrastructure world that will enable eVTOL.

Why it’s important: Companies the world over are beginning to make decisions that will enable certain pathways toward the growing world of eVTOL. Experts from aircraft management, companies in ground transportation ride-hailing, and new eVTOL creators will likely combine their efforts to create the eVTOL oriented world of the the future. As the newer companies continue to grow, watching which decisions are made and which partnerships are formed will provide a clearer and clearer picture of the concrete logistics that will make eVTOL work.

Surf Air Mobility, a new developmental department of regional air mobility provider Surf Air, has now acquired aviation hybrid-electric power train developer Ampaire shortly after the company set a record for the longest route to date with an electric aircraft. With this acquisition, Surf Air Mobility, formed in 2020, looks to improve “affordability, accessibility, and environmental footprint of regional travel”.

Surf Air Mobility was recently formed after Surf Air, a short-haul flight service provider, acquired Blackbird, an aviation marketplace that provides passengers the option of chartering private flights. Soon after being formed, Surf Air Mobility acquired a $200 million USD investment from Global Emerging Markets Group in order to go public. Now, Surf Air Mobility looks to provide an (eventually electric) alternative to driving or flying on commercial airlines for trips of 50-500 miles.

According to Surf Air Mobility co-founder and CEO Sudhin Shahani, “We see the near-term opportunity to transform existing turboprop aircraft across the entire industry as the first step to ultimately extend to fully electric aviation across all trip lengths.”

The Ampaire Electric EEL prototype, capable of flying up over 300 statute miles

Before the acquisition, Ampaire was working on developing hybrid-electric power trains for 9-19 seat piston and turboprop aircraft, currently possessing two propulsion testbeds from a modified Cessna 337 Skymaster. Additionally, Ampaire is now developing a megawatt-class, hybrid-electric propulsion conversion for the 19-seat twin-turboprop de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter.

According to Ampaire co-founder and CEO Kevin Noertker, “The same building blocks of the electrified power train from the Twin Otter can be applied to other turboprops in the Part 23 category, for example the Cessna Caravan. We’ll continue working on both.”
With the reduced direct operating costs of hybrid-electric aircraft, Surf Air Mobility will be “able to create a new kind of point-to-point network that opens up previously untenable markets with more direct connections,” says President Fred Reid. “With half of all U.S. flights 500 mi. or less, hybrid-electric technology will have an immediate and broad-reaching impact.”

Why it’s important: Surf Air Mobility’s acquisition of Ampaire will align Ampaire closer with aircraft operators to streamline development and deployment of their electric aircraft. According to the company, it will also enable Ampaire to address a wider range of aircraft for upgrade.
Source // Aviation Week Network

The technology that will allow an air taxi to operate safely with paying passengers on board is becoming increasingly old news. Now that the engineering challenges of designing, building and flying eVTOLs have been conquered, the discussion has shifted toward certification processes, production decisions, infrastructure development, and investment structure to accelerate innovation within the industry.

Archer is one of the eVTOL companies targeted in recent SPAC deals. Image // Archer Aircraft

Over the past week, the industry has vaulted from an exciting demonstration of the commercial air travel technology of 2030 and onward to an industry on the verge of an acceleration of expansion. Proposed or actual aerial mobility investments and instruments committed to advancing the industry have totaled almost $2 billion USD. While commercial aviation continues to feel the squeeze from reduced air travel, with many opting for private or semi-private alternatives, the concept of democratization of aviation that eVTOLs and aerial mobility aircraft would provide is of such interest that investors are becoming creative in acquiring the necessary capital to move the industry forward. 

While each of four landmark recent deals have varying flavors, they share a key theme: innovative fundraising and a mix of public and private capital to achieve massive valuations with lessened risks than conventional fundraising. We examine these key deals made over the past two weeks that support the massive commitments these institutions are undertaking to drive aerial mobility forward at an even faster pace. 

February brought with it multiple novel applications of the increasingly common SPAC business structure used as an instrument for aerial mobility investment. SPACs are unique in that they exist as an entity to take over another company through merger and acquisition deals – and fundraise using an IPO – hence the colloquial term “blank check company”.

The first example of this type of acquisition was revealed in December of 2020 when BLADE UAM and a blank check company backed by KSL Capital (Experience Investments Corp, EXPC) confirmed a BLADE valuation of $825 million. According to SEC filings, the $400 million USD deal maintains a $125 million cash infusion along with the cash in the SPAC.

Next, Atlas Crest Investment Corporation, among other commitments from firms Stellantis and Putnam, focused their fundraise towards Bay Area eVTOL maker Archer. The IPO was joined in part by an announcement from United Airlines to purchase up to $1 billion USD in aircraft from Archer, which is the largest publicly disclosed eVTOL order to date. While this is the first order announcement from a major airline, other airlines work within the space as well: jetBlue Innovation ventures is no stranger to the aerial mobility investment sector, though they have not publicly joined or invested in any of these companies at time of writing.

Second, Reinvent Technology Partners, headlined by respective LinkedIn and Zynga founders Reid Hoffman and Mark Pincus, took aim at eVTOL magnate Joby Aviation, with a $690 million USD IPO providing the necessary funds to begin the merger process with Joby. The resultant company will maintain approximately $800 million USD in disclosed funding to date.

Third, and finally, ex-Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenberg’s New Vista Acquisition Corporation’s SEC filing indicates a $200 million USD raise from their proposed IPO. It’s not readily clear which company New Vista Acquisition Corporation will target, but trends would indicate that a company such as Volocopter, Lilium, or EmbraerX would be of interest to the Chicago based, recently established blank check firm. 

While none of these investment numbers single handedly reach unicorn status, their magnitude is indicative of the trust that many of these institutions place within emerging eVTOL companies. Further, they represent a nimble implementation of fundraising approaches to accomplish an end goal that may have not been possible with conventional methods in a cash-strapped industry emerging from a pandemic. Both SPACs feature leadership teams that have either previously been involved within the technology industry or that have substantial experience leading aerospace companies.

It’s important to point out that the mechanics of these fundraising techniques substantially offload risk for blank check companies, since their disclosures to potential investors include multiple notices that they have no profits and no current operations. However, the ability for such companies to successfully raise the necessary funds is telling in its own right.

Why it’s important: Aerospace companies require huge capital investments to complete certification and initial production and delivery requirements. The expenses incurred with these types of business activities thereby require sizable investments from outside entities for financing, while the current economic status of commercial aviation is cash sparse. Those with sizeable enough reserves are investing at a low, while others who understand the unique opportunities of this timing are seeking alternative fundraising means to accomplish the same goal. While the ink is not dry for all of the SPAC deals outlined, they foreshadow the trend of future progress toward certification and initial commercial operations. However, without a large enough sample size for comparison, it’ll be at least a year before the manifestation of these mergers can adequately be compared and contrasted with a more conservative approach toward development.

Archer, the Palo Alto based eVTOL OEM, has announced it has raised an additional $1.1B in capital from a SPAC merger with Atlas Crest Investment Corp. The merger values Archer at just under $4B ($3.8B) and includes investors including a new automotive joint venture, Stellantis, and United Airlines.

Source: Archer

In addition to the SPAC merger, Archer has announced United Airlines will purchase 200 Archer eVTOL aircraft valued at $1B with purchase options for another 100 units.

“By working with Archer, United is showing the aviation industry that now is the time to embrace cleaner, more efficient modes of transportation,” United CEO Scott Kirby said in a release announcing the Archer SPAC.

Archer has been moving quickly since its founding only three years ago. The company plans to unveil its prototype later this year and certify operations in the United States and deliveries by 2024. The order by United Airlines also marks the first large-scale order by an existing aviation operation. United Airlines sees Archer as a suitable product for meeting its carbon net-zero initiatives and could use aerial mobility as a complementary product offering to its airline network.

Source: Archer

“It’s pretty incredible to think how big this market can be,” Archer co-founder and co-CEO Adam Goldstein said. “The partnership with United really gives us a chance to get to market first and really helps us accelerate our timeline.”

The eVTOL market has exploded in recent years, with Deloitte estimating 200 companies worldwide are developing aircraft. Many are for cargo operations and others focus on passenger travel, which is expected to be a $4 billion market by 2025 and $57 billion by 2035, according to Deloitte as reported to a CNBC article on the news.

Why it matters: The SPAC merger and large order by United marks a significant investment in aerial mobility and brings eVTOL dreams closer to reality. By targeting a $3 per passenger-mile cost basis, Archer believes it can disrupt the urban transportation and offer customers like United Airlines a complementary service for transportation in dense areas and to/from large airports. Expect to see more news on Archer as incoming capital accelerates their developmental and certification efforts.