Results for: kitty hawk
Falck Partners with Kitty Hawk for Development of eVTOLs in EMS
Falck has announced a collaboration with Silicon Valley’s Kitty Hawk, a company known for its advanced eVTOL aircraft. The emergency response and healthcare company partnered with Kitty Hawk to establish a joint innovation platform involving Project Heaviside, Kitty Hawk’s latest eVTOL aircraft, to be used in EMS operations. The partnership builds on Falck’s previous drone initiative, Vertical, which focuses on...

Falck Partners with Kitty Hawk for Development of eVTOLs in EMS

Falck has announced a collaboration with Silicon Valley’s Kitty Hawk, a company known for its advanced eVTOL aircraft. The emergency response and healthcare company partnered with Kitty Hawk to establish a joint innovation platform involving Project Heaviside, Kitty Hawk’s latest eVTOL aircraft, to be used in EMS operations.
The partnership builds on Falck’s previous drone initiative, Vertical, which focuses on assessing the feasibility of drone technology in the prehospital and ambulance services of the future. Now with Project Heaviside, Falck aims to test and evaluate new technologies on a larger scale, making emergency healthcare more accessible and affordable. Project Heaviside is notable even among other eVTOL competitors for its noise level; the aircraft is exceptionally quiet while remaining fast and maneuverable. Project Heaviside has undergone 13 prototype designs and over 700 test flights since its launch. With this partnership, Kitty Hawk will also provide their engineering team with decades of experience in commercial aviation, aerospace, automotive engineering, flight testing, and industrial design.
“The agreement with Kitty Hawk takes us to the next level in our commitment to integrate eVTOL aircraft into our ambulance operations. Kitty Hawk brings the technology, while we at Falck contribute with our ambulance service area as a use case. This combination gives us the best conditions to investigate how we can jointly unleash the potential of new technology and develop the ambulance-borne health solutions which are likely to set the standard in the near future,” said Jakob Riis, CEO of Falck.
According to Sebastian Thrun, Co Founder and CEO of Kitty Hawk, “We are excited to be working with Falck to collaborate on bringing our Heaviside aircraft for emergency services, first in Denmark and then to other areas. Falck is an innovative leader in the area and this agreement marks a first and important step in making eVTOL available to more people.”
Falck expects to introduce Heaviside in a close collaboration with customers in Denmark and Europe, followed later on by those in the United States.
Why it’s important: This new partnership will integrate Kitty Hawk’s Heaviside into Falck’s Emergency Medical Services, which will give Heaviside an opportunity for real-world use, and help decrease Falck’s overall emergency response time. A successful application of the Heaviside within Falck’s program will help enable a successful commercial future for Heaviside, as well as eVTOL as a whole.
Source // PR Newswire
Related:
Kitty Hawk Moves On From its Flyer Program
Kitty Hawk has announced this week it is ending its Flyer program to focus on its heavier prototype, Heaviside launched last year. This update is to no surprise as the bulk of the eVTOL/aerial mobility market has shifted from the inception of the Flyer to larger vehicles with the ability to carry multiple passengers. Heaviside fits the bill with a...

Kitty Hawk Moves On From its Flyer Program

Kitty Hawk has announced this week it is ending its Flyer program to focus on its heavier prototype, Heaviside launched last year. This update is to no surprise as the bulk of the eVTOL/aerial mobility market has shifted from the inception of the Flyer to larger vehicles with the ability to carry multiple passengers. Heaviside fits the bill with a top speed of 180 mph and a range of 100 miles.
“Today, we are winding down the Flyer project,” Kitty Hawk CEO Sebastian Thrun and Flyer President Alex Roetter wrote in a blog announcement. “We have learned what we needed from it—things like vehicle design and testing, manufacturing aircraft, and most of all, how humans would experience eVTOL. We are proud to have built the first electrically-powered VTOL aircraft in the world flown by non-pilots.”
It should be noted, the incredible accomplishments of Kitty Hawk’s Flyer program were important in developing a deep understanding and strategy for bringing a commercial eVTOL vehicle to market. During its history, Kitty Hawk built over 111 prototypes and conducted in excess of 25,000 test flights.
In its blog post detailing the sunset of the Flyer program, Thrun and Roetter say that, with the closing of Flyer, they are “doubling down” on Heaviside. Further, Kitty Hawk and Boeing have been working for the past year on a strategic partnership centered on another prototype design dubbed Cora, a semi-autonomous two-seat aircraft (now renamed Wisk).
Why it matters: With an impressive logbook of flight tests completed and technical understanding of developing eVTOL platforms, Kitty Hawk is well positioned to get their Heaviside prototype into flight test with a strong configuration from the start. With backing from the likes of Google co-founder, Larry Page, as well as their Silicon Valley roots, Kitty Hawk promises to be a continued voice in the aerial mobility space, as they embark on a new chapter for the company.
Kitty Hawk Heaviside
Quick SummaryProject Heaviside is Kitty Hawk's third developed aircraft, joining the Flyer, a recreational vertical takeoff and landing rotorcraft with a single-seat configuration, and the Cora, Kitty Hawk’s two-passenger autonomous aircraft designed to fit the requirements of aerial mobility applications. Heaviside, named after renowned physicist and electrical engineer Oliver Heaviside, is a small eVTOL aircraft designed to quickly takeoff and...

Kitty Hawk Heaviside

Quick Summary
Project Heaviside is Kitty Hawk's third developed aircraft, joining the Flyer, a recreational vertical takeoff and landing rotorcraft with a single-seat configuration, and the Cora, Kitty Hawk’s two-passenger autonomous aircraft designed to fit the requirements of aerial mobility applications. Heaviside, named after renowned physicist and electrical engineer Oliver Heaviside, is a small eVTOL aircraft designed to quickly takeoff and land from nearly any location, but at a noise level acceptable for urban and densely-populated environments.
Stage of Development
Preliminary Design
Technical Details
Aircraft Type: Winged VTOL
Powerplant: Not publicly released
Range: 100 miles
Top Speed: ~220 mph (354 km/h)
Propeller Configuration: Heaviside is powered by 8 all-electric independent lift fans, which enable it to take off and land vertically like a helicopter. Six are distributed along the wing of the vehicle, and two are mounted on the canard, forward of the cockpit.
Passenger/Payload Capacity: 1 pilot
Autonomy Level: Piloted
Wingspan/Dimensions: 20 foot wide (6 meters) / unspecified
Other Information
Power Output: Designed for rapid, low power output flights, Heaviside will be capable of a 15-minute flight that uses less than half the energy of a car. Power demand is highest during vertical takeoff operations, then drastically decreases during winged, horizontal flight.
Noise Output: According to Kitty Hawk, the Heaviside vehicle is roughly 100 times quieter than a regular helicopter. Once in the air, the vehicle blends into the background noise of a city or suburb, barely discernible to the human ear.
Our Take on Heaviside
Kitty Hawk made the first flight of its flagship aircraft Cora (backed by Larry Page) on March 13th, 2018 which sparked a large amount of media attention. Since then, Cora has been picked up by Boeing, which created the joint venture Wisk to begin operating Cora. If the company can successfully navigate the certification process with New Zealand's CAA (Civil Aviation Authority) and argue for equivalency under the United State's Federal Aviation Administration, the company has the potential to be one of the leading manufacturers of flying taxis to both private and commercial users. As one of the longstanding concerns in aerial mobility, noise has been placed at the forefront of Kitty Hawk’s focus for the Heaviside Project, its latest aircraft. With tangible comparisons to more noisy counterparts, the team’s prototype vehicle shows promising results and has potential to gain public acceptance for future implementation. However, other performance characteristics such as the vehicle's flight envelope and payload capabilities still remain unknown.
Kitty Hawk Corp Rebrands as Wisk
Kitty Hawk recently rebranded as Wisk.Aero in a move many news outlets are stating is resultant of turmoil within the company. Regardless, the firms’ planned rollout of aerial mobility solutions in New Zealand is touted on the new wisk.aero website – along with the advantages of New Zealand as a location for piloting urban mobility solutions. Wisk touts the more...

Kitty Hawk Corp Rebrands as Wisk

Kitty Hawk recently rebranded as Wisk.Aero in a move many news outlets are stating is resultant of turmoil within the company. Regardless, the firms’ planned rollout of aerial mobility solutions in New Zealand is touted on the new wisk.aero website – along with the advantages of New Zealand as a location for piloting urban mobility solutions.

Wisk is the result of a rebranding of Kitty Hawk Corporation, 6 months after the company announced a partnership with Boeing.
Wisk touts the more than 1,000 flights that Cora has completed to date, and is the result of the recent partnership announced between Boeing HorizonX (the venture arm of Boeing) and Kitty Hawk Corporation. Wisk’s CEO, Gary Gysin, is among board members that also include Steve Nordlund, Vice President and General Manager of Boeing NeXT, along with Logan Jones, VP of Boeing HorizonX. The mission of Wisk, according to the website, is unchanged from that of Kitty Hawk – less the rebrand.
Additionally, the organization features New Zealand local representatives as well – Anna Kominik serves as the New Zealand country director for the company, helping to advance local policy and establish New Zealand as a global contender among future mobility projects.
However, no timelines are presented for when Cora may operate on its first commercially-serviced route in New Zealand, as the company has publicly announced that no flights with paying customers would occur “until the time is right”. The company says that New Zealand has a “safety-focused regulatory environment” and “a strong history of excellence in airspace management”.
Boeing’s partnership with KittyHawk Corporation may also play well with recent advances made by the company related to the SkyGrid systems – a partnership between Boeing and sparkcognition, the world’s leader in AI. SkyGrid is establishing UTM solutions (low altitude airspace management) that’ll allow for drones and eVTOLs to interact with one another autonomously and deconflict an increased quantity of air traffic. That same UTM technology, when integrated with Wisk’s operating plan in New Zealand, would serve as the basis for a small, commercial eVTOL operation.
Why it’s important: The formal rebranding of Kitty Hawk as Wisk comes almost six months after the June announcement of a partnership between Boeing and the eVTOL maker. Since that announcement, numerous challenges have faced both companies, but the quantity and quality of resource pools and financial support from each will most likely contribute to persistent progress toward officially developing and deploying the systems that are being tested today.
Kitty Hawk’s New Project Heaviside Prioritizes Noise Reduction
Kitty Hawk’s Heaviside eVTOL is designed to be fast, small, and exceedingly quiet. Based in Palo Alto, CA, aircraft manufacturer Kitty Hawk has added a third vehicle to its developmental fleet. Project Heaviside joins the Flyer, a recreational vertical takeoff and landing rotorcraft with a single-seat configuration, and the Cora, Kitty Hawk’s two-passenger autonomous aircraft designed to fit the requirements of...

Kitty Hawk’s New Project Heaviside Prioritizes Noise Reduction

Kitty Hawk’s Heaviside eVTOL is designed to be fast, small, and exceedingly quiet.
Based in Palo Alto, CA, aircraft manufacturer Kitty Hawk has added a third vehicle to its developmental fleet. Project Heaviside joins the Flyer, a recreational vertical takeoff and landing rotorcraft with a single-seat configuration, and the Cora, Kitty Hawk’s two-passenger autonomous aircraft designed to fit the requirements of aerial mobility applications. Cora holds an experimental airworthiness certificate and is currently being tested in New Zealand, with the backing of Boeing as a recent strategic partner for the project.

Learn more about the Kitty Hawk Cora by visiting the Hangar.
Heaviside, named after renowned physicist and electrical engineer Oliver Heaviside, is designed to quickly takeoff and land from nearly any location, but at a noise level acceptable for urban and densely-populated environments. According to Kitty Hawk, the electric aircraft is “roughly 100 times quieter than a regular helicopter.” This would make it almost completely indistinguishable from the background noise of a city or suburb.
Kitty Hawk has not only been working on optimizing the Heaviside vehicle’s noise efficiency, however; it is also designed for rapid, low power output flights. This would make it capable of a 15-minute flight that uses less than half the energy of a car. Damon Vander Lind, the physicist and electrical engineer who has been leading the project, put a strong emphasis on the “land anywhere” feature for vehicles designed with aerial mobility in mind. This would in fact eliminate the need for additional structure or dedicated helipads, and in return facilitate the implementation of these vehicles at a more attainable cost.
The team of engineers has conducted tests directly comparing the decibel level output of their Heaviside prototype, which was been in development for two years, and a typical helicopter. The results showed that, while the maximum decibel level of around 85 was similar for both, the Heaviside aircraft maintained that noise output for seconds compared to minutes during the helicopter’s takeoff. During hovering flight, their prototype was heard at an impressive 40 dB, even less than the typical air-conditioned office. These tests are currently being conducted autonomously, as Heaviside still has a long regulatory road ahead of it. Kitty Hawk CEO Sebastian Thrun has recuruited the expertise of Mike Huerta, who served as FAA Administrator from 2013 to 2018, to help navigate this process.
Why it’s important: As one of the longstanding concerns in aerial mobility, noise has been placed at the forefront of Kitty Hawk’s focus for the Heaviside Project. With tangible comparisons to more noisy counterparts, the team’s prototype vehicle shows promising results and has potential to gain public acceptance for future implementation.
Sources // Kitty Hawk; TechCrunch
Revisiting Kitty Hawk’s Flyer: The Aircraft Now With Over 25,000 Flights
The Kitty Hawk Flyer, a one-man, manually piloted eVTOL designed for recreational use, has recorded over 25,000 flights with no issues. Including both the Flyer’s prototype stage as well as its more finalized design, Kitty Hawk recently announced that their aircraft had successfully been flown with reliability over 25,000 times, indicating that the company believes that their eVTOL is ready...

Revisiting Kitty Hawk’s Flyer: The Aircraft Now With Over 25,000 Flights

The Kitty Hawk Flyer, a one-man, manually piloted eVTOL designed for recreational use, has recorded over 25,000 flights with no issues.
From prototype, to vehicle that has traveled more than 25,000+ times, Flyer is working on making the dream a reality. pic.twitter.com/sBb2kZ7vNw
— Kitty Hawk (@kittyhawkcorp) August 14, 2019
Including both the Flyer’s prototype stage as well as its more finalized design, Kitty Hawk recently announced that their aircraft had successfully been flown with reliability over 25,000 times, indicating that the company believes that their eVTOL is ready to spread through the open market. Currently, the company, based in Mountain View, California, is searching for applications from potential partners who would deploy it in their own communities, such as a travel destination or resort.
Both the Flyer and the Cora, a two-seater autonomous air taxi developed in collaboration with Boeing, could soon be brought to market. For the Flyer, Kitty Hawk has refined the eVTOL to the point where anyone, with or without flight experience, could learn to fly the aircraft within 15 minutes. Public information on the Flyer’s pricing or availability has not been released yet, and will most likely be released after Kitty Hawk has secured a deal with larger partners first.

The Cora, in development by Kitty Hawk and Boeing
The Flyer itself is an all-electric personal hoverbike/eVTOL, with a flight time of 12-20 minutes (at 20 mph), although the actual battery life will depend on outside environmental factors and load. It is powered by 10 independant fans, and can operate at an altitude of about 3-10 feet above the water. The vehicle without load weighs 250 lb, and can fly at a maximum speed of about 20 mph (limited by flight control system).
To learn more about the Flyer, visit our aircraft page here.
Why it’s important: The Flyer is a unique eVTOL in that the aim is to only provide short distance transportation, more for leisure or recreation rather than commute or long-distance travel. While the Flyer cannot meet the expectations of an eVTOL for use in the air taxi industry, the reliability and ease of use of the Flyer could do much to improve public perception on the safety and local impact of UAM in urban areas.
Sources // Forecast Wire
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Boeing and Kitty Hawk Announce Partnership
Yesterday, Kitty Hawk Corporation and Boeing officially announced a strategic partnership to collaborate on Urban Air Mobility. Kitty Hawk Corporation is well known for developing the Cora air taxi, which is fully electric, autonomous, and undergoing testing in New Zealand for commercial flights. Kitty Hawk began developing the Cora air taxi in 2010, completed the aircraft’s development in 2017, and...

Boeing and Kitty Hawk Announce Partnership

Yesterday, Kitty Hawk Corporation and Boeing officially announced a strategic partnership to collaborate on Urban Air Mobility.
Kitty Hawk Corporation is well known for developing the Cora air taxi, which is fully electric, autonomous, and undergoing testing in New Zealand for commercial flights. Kitty Hawk began developing the Cora air taxi in 2010, completed the aircraft’s development in 2017, and signed with Air New Zealand for UAM development in October 2018.
According to the latest press release from Kitty Hawk, the partnership with Boeing will “bring together the innovation of Kitty Hawk’s Cora division with Boeing’s scale and aerospace expertise.” This could mean that Boeing has partnered with Kitty Hawk for the expansion of its Boeing NeXt UAM plans.

Am image from the Boeing NeXt introduction video.
Said Steve Nordlund, vice president and general manager of Boeing NeXt:
“Working with a company like Kitty Hawk brings us closer to our goal of safely advancing the future of mobility…We have a shared vision of how people, goods and ideas will be transported in the future.”
The press release names Boeing NeXt as “laying the foundation for a next-generation mobility ecosystem.”
Boeing also acquired eVTOL developer Aurora Flight Sciences in 2017. Since then, Aurora has been working on the Boeing Passenger Air Vehicle (PAV), which became one of the first prototype eVTOLS to successfully achieve autonomous hover flight in January of this year. Notably, both the Kitty Hawk Cora and the Boeing PAV feature multi-position fixed rotor designs (no tilting parts):

The Boeing PAV (left) and the Kitty Hawk Cora (right)
The recent partnership with Kitty Hawk represents just one of Boeing’s strategies for entering the Urban Air Mobility market. Aside from developing the PAV, Boeing also recently tested an autonomous cargo drone, and partnered with AI company SparkCognition to form SkyGrid, a blockchain powered airspace management system.
Why it’s important: A partnership with Boeing spells immense news for a company like Kitty Hawk. Boeing, being one of the largest aerospace manufacturers in the world, has the capability to fully develop an entire UAM eco-system, as it is planning with the Boeing NeXt program. With the new partnership, Kitty Hawk Cora may become a part of that ecosystem.
Kitty Hawk Shares 2018 Recap; says Cora has Ballistic Parachute
Kitty Hawk Aero announced their 2018 recap today, marking the conclusion of a packed year for the Larry Page-backed company. Included in the recap was the announcement that Cora has a Ballistic Parachute Recovery system, not unlike what Cirrus Aircraft use today to achieve their high safety records. Kitty Hawk has not previously disclosed that Cora has such a recovery...

Kitty Hawk Shares 2018 Recap; says Cora has Ballistic Parachute

Kitty Hawk Aero announced their 2018 recap today, marking the conclusion of a packed year for the Larry Page-backed company.
Included in the recap was the announcement that Cora has a Ballistic Parachute Recovery system, not unlike what Cirrus Aircraft use today to achieve their high safety records. Kitty Hawk has not previously disclosed that Cora has such a recovery system in place.
Additionally, the recap included some concrete numbers for Kitty Hawk’s accomplishments over the last year: more than 700 test flights conducted, with at least five Cora’s built (shown in their recap video) and one partnership signed with Air New Zealand. One of the main points that Kitty Hawk emphasized as part of their recap was that Cora was situated between the confluence of rotor, fixed-wing, and autonomous car disciplines.
The Kitty Hawk Cora eVTOL is powered by 12 rotors that are oriented vertically and mounted to the wings of the aircraft. One pusher-configured propellor provides for forward thrust during conventional flight. The estimated cruising speed of Cora is approximately 180 km/h, and a “triple redundant flight computer” system allows for safety of flight path control, even in the case that one or two computer systems malfunction.
Kitty Hawk’s recap video is here. To learn more about the Kitty Hawk Cora, visit The Hangar – the one page market overview of the urban aviation industry.
Why it’s important: Kitty Hawk’s year-in-review for 2018 contained a fair amount of information that was already known to the public, but a few announcements – such as the number of flight tests conducted, and the mention that the aircraft has a ballistic parachute recovery system – have not been shared before. With the quantity of flight testing complete and the quality of experience of the many team members of Kitty Hawk working on this product, expect 2019 to be full of continued certification and flight testing efforts.
Joby and Kitty Hawk Secure Funding from Pentagon
Kitty Hawk and Joby Aviation have received nearly $2m from the Defense Innovation Unit Experimental (DIUx). DIUx is a Pentagon organization “founded to help America’s military make faster use of emerging technologies”. None of those involved disclosed the funding details at that time. DIUx’s plan for small electric aircraft pragmatic, according to a document that detailed the funding program. “These vehicles will …...

Joby and Kitty Hawk Secure Funding from Pentagon

Kitty Hawk and Joby Aviation have received nearly $2m from the Defense Innovation Unit Experimental (DIUx). DIUx is a Pentagon organization “founded to help America’s military make faster use of emerging technologies”. None of those involved disclosed the funding details at that time.
DIUx’s plan for small electric aircraft pragmatic, according to a document that detailed the funding program. “These vehicles will … offer a niche capability for specific tactical applications with a low acoustic signature, near instantaneous start/stop, ability to spread an assault force across multiple vehicles, and automated systems.”
Joby Aviation received $970,000 from the DIUx in January last year. Kitty Hawk received $1m a few months later. However, neither company is having issues with funding; Larry Page is bankrolling Kitty Hawk, and Joby closed a $100m investment round in February this year with a number of venture capital companies.
From the Gaurdian website: “Experimental airworthiness certificates granted by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), previously unreported, detail exactly how and where the aircraft are being tested.”

“Although neither vehicle can automatically sense and avoid birds or other aircraft, both are programmed to return safely back to base if their remote control systems fail. Joby’s S4 also has a full-aircraft parachute in case it suffers “a catastrophic failure”.
The S4 will mostly fly over agricultural areas and the open ocean from the ranch of Joby’s CEO, JoeBen Bevirt, located in the hills above Santa Cruz. It will also operate out of Fort Hunter Liggett, a large US army base 150 miles south of San Francisco. The FAA application says Joby has a “Department of Defense contract to perform test operations” inside the base’s airspace. Joby did not respond to multiple requests for clarification.
In May, Uber announced that it was co-developing an ultra-quiet rotor for a flying taxi with the US army.
Lt Col Michelle Baldanza, a defense department spokesperson, would say only: “DIUx is working with various personal aerial vehicle companies, all of which are selected via a competitive process open to any commercial entity.” The FAA airworthiness certificates for both vehicles specify: “No weapons may be added to the [unmanned aircraft].”
Why it’s important: A large amount of government interest is involved with two of the industry’s largest players. While there are statements that no weapons will be added to the aircraft at this time, future developments must eventually start to shift toward military applications for these planned small personal aerial vehicles.
Source
- The Gaurdian
Watch: Kitty Hawk Flight Test
March 2017 || 1 min read The Kitty Hawk Flyer is an all-electric aircraft backed by Google founder Larry Page. It is designed to fly over water with a range of 50 miles or 20 minutes of flight time. It doesn’t require a pilot’s license and takes minutes to learn how to fly. The vehicle will be available for purchase...

Watch: Kitty Hawk Flight Test

March 2017 || 1 min read
The Kitty Hawk Flyer is an all-electric aircraft backed by Google founder Larry Page. It is designed to fly over water with a range of 50 miles or 20 minutes of flight time. It doesn’t require a pilot’s license and takes minutes to learn how to fly. The vehicle will be available for purchase at the end of 2017.
Flying car pioneer Kittyhawk is closing down
Kittyhawk, the eVTOL air taxi company building a single-person, remotely-piloted electric aircraft in Palo Alto, CA, has just announced it is shutting down. Founded by self-driving car pioneer Sebastian Thrun and backed by Google co-founder Larry Page, Kittyhawk had been advancing aviation for more than a decade and had built and flown more than 100 aircraft. Wisk, the company’s joint...

Flying car pioneer Kittyhawk is closing down

Kittyhawk, the eVTOL air taxi company building a single-person, remotely-piloted electric aircraft in Palo Alto, CA, has just announced it is shutting down.
Founded by self-driving car pioneer Sebastian Thrun and backed by Google co-founder Larry Page, Kittyhawk had been advancing aviation for more than a decade and had built and flown more than 100 aircraft.
We have made the decision to wind down Kittyhawk. We're still working on the details of what's next.
— Kittyhawk (@kittyhawkcorp) September 21, 2022
Wisk, the company’s joint venture with Boeing Co. formed in 2019, will continue to live on. Boeing has already invested $450 million in the partnership and earlier this week the two presented their vision for a world where eVTOLs can coexist with larger commercial aircraft.
“Kittyhawk’s decision to cease operations does not change Boeing’s commitment to Wisk,” a spokeswoman for the plane manufacturer said in an email. “We are proud to be a founding member of Wisk Aero and are excited to see the work they are doing to drive innovation and sustainability through the future of electric air travel.”
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Insider has reported that Kitty Hawk had already shut down work on the 100-mile-capable Heaviside vehicle and that Page had become increasingly hands-off from the company, but did continue to focus on research and development efforts after the end of the Heaviside project. Other historic vehicles to be designed, built, and flown by Kittyhawk included the Flyer and Cora vehicles.
Related:
- Wisk Aero Continues Global Expansion with Launch of Montreal Hub (August 2022)
- Wisk’s 6th Generation eVTOL revealed on CBS’s 60 Minutes (April 2022)
- Wisk Looks to Resume Flight Tests for Cora (May 2020)
- Kitty Hawk Moves On From its Flyer Program (June 2020)
Why it’s important: The closure of Kittyhawk marks the end of an era for one of the early leaders in the aerial mobility industry. With its Flyer and Cora aircraft, the company helped pave the way for many of the other startups, including Joby Aviation, Archer Aviation, and Lilium. However, the continued development work that is being done via spinoff company Wisk in collaboration with Boeing maintains a promising outlook for the future of urban aviation.
USAF Issues Airworthiness Approval for KittyHawk Heaviside
KittyHawk, famously funded in part by Google co-founder Larry Page, has officially received airworthiness approval for its ‘Heaviside’ eVTOL from the U.S Air Force. This means that the KittyHawk Heaviside prototype is no longer only experimental, and can be used for revenue-generating flight tests for the U.S military. The Heaviside is an expertly engineered eVTOL (electric vertical take-off and landing)...

USAF Issues Airworthiness Approval for KittyHawk Heaviside

KittyHawk, famously funded in part by Google co-founder Larry Page, has officially received airworthiness approval for its ‘Heaviside’ eVTOL from the U.S Air Force. This means that the KittyHawk Heaviside prototype is no longer only experimental, and can be used for revenue-generating flight tests for the U.S military.
The Heaviside is an expertly engineered eVTOL (electric vertical take-off and landing) aircraft, featuring 8 tilting rotors that power both vertical and forward flight. The Heaviside for now is single-passenger aircraft, and will feature autonomous and remote piloting capabilities that will allow it to fly up to 100 miles on a single charge, at speeds up to 180mph. Noise emissions are 100 times quieter than a traditional helicopter, and the aircraft can take in only 30 foot by 30 foot area.
With the new airworthiness approval from the U.S Air Force, KittyHawk will be able to fly paid technology development missions for the U.S military. These missions will test new technologies and operational concepts that will expand KittyHawk’s offerings to both the world and the Air Force itself. For example, one potential application stated by Colonel Nathan Diller is the use of the Heaviside to perform communications relays that could help transmit data in areas without infrastructure. The current version of the approval is for remote operations, although the Air Force is also interested in the Heaviside’s use in personel transport.
KittyHawk is a well-funded and highly established eVTOL developer, considering that the Heaviside is not its only successful aircraft. KittyHawk was also maker of the Cora passenger eVTOL. The Cora aircraft is well on its way to commercial operations, having recently been taken over by Wisk, a new joint venture between Boeing and KittyHawk.
Why it’s important: KittyHawk is now the third eVTOL aircraft to receive an airworthiness approval certification from the U.S Air Force. Other aircraft are Beta Technologies’ Alia, the Joby Aviation eVTOL, and the Lift Hexa. Although the military is also interested in larger aircraft, it is certainly interested in 1 to 2 passenger aircraft like the Heaviside. Awarding Heaviside airworthiness approval marks the it as one of the furthest-progressed eVTOL aircraft in development.
Source // Janes, KittyHawk Aerospace
Related:
Air New Zealand Signs Agreement with Kittyhawk
This week, Air New Zealand and Kittyhawk signed an agreement to develop autonomous electric air taxi services for New Zealand’s cities. As a reminder, Kittyhawk is the developer the Cora, an electric vertical take-off and landing air taxi with a range of about 62 miles and a top speed of 110mph. This makes it perfect for short range trips that...

Air New Zealand Signs Agreement with Kittyhawk

This week, Air New Zealand and Kittyhawk signed an agreement to develop autonomous electric air taxi services for New Zealand’s cities.
As a reminder, Kittyhawk is the developer the Cora, an electric vertical take-off and landing air taxi with a range of about 62 miles and a top speed of 110mph. This makes it perfect for short range trips that will make “bumper to bumper traffic a relic of the past”, according to Kittyhawk’s website. Kittyhawk is funded by Google Founder Larry Page.
The new agreement with Air New Zealand does not specify a timeline for the release of air taxi services, but does state clearly the goal of jointly creating the reality of autonomous electric air taxis for the future of New Zealand.
Back in May, only a few months after Cora’s unveiling, Kittyhawk’s New Zealand operator Zephyr Airworks had already signed an agreement with the government of New Zealand to begin the testing and certification process. It’s signing with Air New Zealand represents the next great step in Cora’s journey to the skies.
“Both companies see the potential for our airspace to free people from the constraints of traffic and its associated social, economic and environmental impacts”-Air New Zealand CEO Christopher Luxon.
“We are combining our expertise to shape a complete experience that takes you from app to arrival, the next step in bringing the freedom of flight to your life.” -Kittyhawk Press Release October 15th.
Why it’s important:
Traditional commercial airlines are beginning to realize that the air taxi age is coming, and don’t want to miss out on the new market. Air New Zealand recognizes that startups like Kittyhawk are better suited to attack this new industry, and so are pairing up with those companies for technological development. Since developing eVTOLs is so cost intensive, partnerships with bigger aviation companies like Air New Zealand are necessary, and benefit both the parties. They allow startups to execute their vision, and give the airlines a jumpstart into the future of air transport.
KittyHawk Flyer
Quick SummaryThe Kitty Hawk Flyer is a personal Hover bike intended for recreational use. It can be operated by anyone, and does not require a pilot's license to be flown. A number of public demonstration flights have already occurred.CompanyKitty Hawk CEOProduct NameKitty Hawk, a California-based corporation, operated by Zephyr Airworks in New Zealand.Sebastian ThrunFlyerStage of DevelopmentPreliminary DesignPrototype BuildFlight TestingCertificationCommercially OperatingTechnical...

KittyHawk Flyer

Quick Summary
The Kitty Hawk Flyer is a personal Hover bike intended for recreational use. It can be operated by anyone, and does not require a pilot's license to be flown. A number of public demonstration flights have already occurred.
Stage of Development
Preliminary Design
Technical Details
Aircraft Type: VTOL, no fixed wing
Powerplant: electric motors
Range: 12-20 minute
Top Speed: >20 mph
Propeller Configuration: 8 propellers, octocopter
Passenger/Payload Capacity: Designed for one flyer
Autonomy Level: pilot-assisted
Dimensions: 13ft wingspan, 8ft length
Other Information
Height Limit: Operates between 3-10 ft off the surface of water
Vertical take-off and landing: Powered by 10 independent lift fans
Battery Life: Battery life will depend on participant weight, environmental factors, and forward speed.
Regulation: Part 103 Ultralight
Funding: $6.5M (unconfirmed), Larry Page is backing this project, so most likely more resources are available.
Our Take on the Flyer
While the Kitty Hawk Flyer's price has not yet been disclosed, the Kitty Hawk website is taking deposits for the Founder's Series Flyer - an invite only group that will have first access to the machine. Since the Flyer is so easy to use, and a number of public flights have already occurred, it is likely not long until we'll see this group of individuals purchasing, owning, and flying their new Flyers. Additionally, since the Flyer is certified under FAA CFR Part 103 - Ultralight - it requires no license to operate, although training is absolutely recommended. Expect widespread public adoption of using Flyers in the same realm as going skydiving - possibly something to rent out for an afternoon to have fun with. As for individual purchases open to the general public, that'll have to wait, for now.
References
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May 27, 2023Watch: Kittyhawk Announces Sister Brand Cora
Larry Page backed Kittyhawk Aero recently announced a sister brand, Cora, that intends on producing an “everyday air taxi”. Cora is currently working with the New Zealand government on manufacturing the vehicle and flight tests have already taken place. The timeline for entry to service is “somewhere around five years” said Kitty Hawk CEO Sebastian Thrun – but that could...

Watch: Kittyhawk Announces Sister Brand Cora

Larry Page backed Kittyhawk Aero recently announced a sister brand, Cora, that intends on producing an “everyday air taxi”. Cora is currently working with the New Zealand government on manufacturing the vehicle and flight tests have already taken place. The timeline for entry to service is “somewhere around five years” said Kitty Hawk CEO Sebastian Thrun – but that could time frame could be shortened to three years pending the progression of the certification process with the New Zealand Civil Aviation Authority. The fully autonomous Cora utilizes a combination of vertical and horizontally – oriented propulsors to allow Cora to liftoff vertically and then slowly transition to flight speeds using only its pusher propellor.
Watch Cora’s introduction here:
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