Results for: pal-v

Aspen Avionics have announced that their Evolution Flight Display System has been chosen to integrate into Dutch company PAL-V’s Liberty flying car as the digital cockpit of choice. Based in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Aspen Avionics builds digital avionic technology for small commercial and general aviation aircraft, and has developed some of the aerospace industry’s first digital flight displays as drop-in replacements for analog mechanical gauges and controls. Aspen Avionics’ GPS-backed digital cockpits provide a full array of real-time flight data including altitude, air speed, weather, terrain, nearby air traffic, and navigational information. 

According to Aspen International Regional Sales Manager Cory Relling, “We designed the Evolution product display over 15 years ago… With over 20,000 displays installed worldwide, we never imagined that an Aspen primary flight display would be among those installations in the first commercial flying car.”

Photograph: PAL-V

The PAL-V Liberty has been in the works for around 20 years, and is a three wheel flying car. Certified to operate in European ground and airspace, the Liberty converts to a gyroplane by folding out its rotors and propellers, which are attached to the roof and back of the car. The company has been flight testing the vehicle since 2012, and expects to achieve flight certification in the next year or two, possibly rolling out the first models for sale sometime in 2022.

According to Aspen Avionics president and CEO John Uczekaj, “We’re very excited and honored to be part of this historic progression in the aviation industry.” The Aspen Avionics’ Evolution Flight Display System will be included as the PAL-V Liberty’s digital cockpit standard in all models. 

Photograph: PAL-V

Why it’s important: PAL-V has been making massive strides in delivering a vehicle that excels at both flight and ground-based driving. The inclusion of Aspen Avionics’ digital cockpit technology only strengthens the Liberty’s viability as one of the premier flying cars soon to be on the market. With the ability to drive on European roads, and making good progress towards its type certificate for flight, expect to see PAL-V’s Liberty on the street and in the air very soon.

Source // Yahoo News

PAL-V has taken a major step forward with its Liberty prototype by achieving street-legal certification in Europe, moving the company one step closer to commercialization. Starting earlier this year, the company worked with regulatory officials to pass the European road admission tests in a rigorous drive test program that tested the PAL-V Liberty’s brake systems, emissions, and maneuverability.

Mike Stekelenburg, CTO of PAL-V, explained how he experienced this journey: “With the memories in mind of fly and drive testing our proof of concept, the PAL-V One, I was really looking forward to testing the Liberty. We have been cooperating with the road authorities for many years to reach this milestone. The excitement you feel in the team is huge. It was very challenging to make a “folded aircraft” pass all road admission tests.” Stekelenburg adds: “For me, the trick in successfully making flying car is to ensure that the design complies with both air and road regulations. I feel the energy and motivation in our team to push hard for the last few milestones and get the Liberty certified for flying too.”

Hans Joore, test-driver of the PAL-V, states: “When I fired-up the PAL-V for the first time I really got goosebumps! All the effort that we put into it came together at that crucial moment. Hearing the vehicle come to life was just magnificent and driving it was great. It is very smooth and responsive to the steering and with a weight of just 660 kg it accelerates really well. The overall experience is like a sportscar. It feels sensational.”

The company has also been pursuing a type certificate for flight through EASA (the European Aviation Safety Agency), which is expected in 2022. From there, the company will begin delivering the Liberty flying car to customers worldwide. PAL-V states an unprecedented 80% of future PAL-V owners are new to aviation, some having begun flying lessons at the company’s own PAL-V FlyDrive Academy.

Why it matters: Flying cars have until recently seemed like a dream rather than a reality as creative and engineering minds have struggled to bridge the gap between flight and ground-based driving. PAL-V appears to be making massive strides in delivering a vehicle which excels at both. With the ability to drive on European roads, and making good progress towards its type certificate for flight, expect to see PAL-V’s Liberty on the street or in the air very soon.

The PAL-V flying car will go on tour in the Netherlands in August of this year (via road and sky) to demonstrate the advantages of the aircraft to confirmed and prospective buyers alike. The PAL-V most closely resembles that of a gyrocopter in flight, and requires a gyrocopter pilot’s license to operate. While the vehicle can convert from car to aircraft in less than 3 minutes, it is currently only approved to make flights from airports. Unfortunately, taking off from the highway during rush hour isn’t approved just yet.

PAL-V will work with Dienst Wegverkeer (the Netherlands Vehicle Authority) to conduct final inspections that will lead to the car’s authorization to be driven on roads in the Netherlands next month.

Marco van den Bosch, the company’s director, noted in a statement that “Next month, after the certification is finally given, we want to have a tour and visit several cities in the Netherlands.”

The flying car maker intends on first deliveries of the aircraft in early 2021, a delayed date from the initial target of late 2019. This rollout progression may be indicative of the approximate entry to service dates for other aerial mobility aircraft, roughly a year later than anticipated. However, individual scenarios will inevitably vary.

While the PAL-V is truly a “flying car” or “personal aerial vehicle” (PAV) as they are commonly referred to, the application process with Dienst Wegverkeer and the Dutch Aviation authorities that will eventually allow the aircraft to conduct demonstration flights and drives in the Netherlands is a similar process that many aerial mobility manufacturers will need to undergo to bring their products to market. Additionally, the framework for approval in this instance offers the public an opportunity to meet the new products in person and offers opportunities for new feedback that might not have been obtained during earlier design phases.

Why it’s important: The PAL-V’s tour through the Netherlands is reassuring amongst the challenging times of COVID-19 in that the manufacturer is able to move forward with their rollout of the PAL-V as a commercial viable personal aerial vehicle that is currently available for sale.

Source // PAL-V and The Daily Star

Netherlands-based flying car manufacturer, PAL-V has announced plans to set up a manufacturing plant in Gujarat, India, building off of its announcement to test the prototype in the area last week at the Economic Times Summit in Delhi.

The Pal-V Liberty, a road-capable personal gryocopter available starting at $399k USD

The company is in its final stages of certification in Europe as of February 2020.

The announcement also comes with new Memorandums of Understanding (MoU) with the Principal Secretary of State, MK Das. This MoU will greatly help the flying car manufacturer in receiving all the necessary regulatory approvals to set up a new production plant in Gujarat. 

PAL-V chose Gujarat for its world-class infrastructure, relative ease of conducting business, and low cost basis for producing its flying car prototype at scale. The PAL-V Liberty has been under development for the past decade, will have the ability to transform from a car to a flight vehicle in less than 3 minutes, and can fly distances of over 500km.

The Liberty will be able to seat two people with 20kg of baggage. 

Why it matters: This announcement follows recent news from PAL-V last week at the Economic Times Summit in New Delhi and signals a significant investment in India for the final production and testing of its vehicles. In addition, another agreement with Kuwait Airways for suggests that that PAL-V may expect its first customers to be residents of the East. If the company meets its 2021 goal of delivering final vehicles to customers, it would be among one of the first to do so and usher in the era of aerial mobility.

The PAL-V Liberty, a road-capable air and land vehicle available starting at $399k USD.

PAL-V is a Dutch company that’s been developing a personal drivable aircraft for over ten years since its founding in 2008. Since then, PAL-V has been working hard to advance its technology and move forward toward both land and air certification. The PAL-V Liberty can take off within 330m, fly at speeds over 180kph, and can land vertically. The company expects to deliver its first aircraft to the hands of customers by December 2021.

Accroding to PAL-V Co-Chairman Drs Janpieter Koning, company representatives recently met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to demonstrate its technology. “We might start testing in India very soon” said Koning at the Economic Times Global Business Summit in New Delhi. The Economic Times Summit this year covered many topics, including the the disruption caused by the coronavirus outbreak, the impact of artificial intelligence on businesses and employment generation, and corporate preparedness to face disruptive changes.

A panel takes place at the Economic Times Global Business Summit in New Delhi, India

PAL-V hopes begin production in 2021, and according to many sources, is reaching the final stages of the certification process in Europe. The company also recently signed a Memorium of Understanding with Kuwait Airways, which will help provide aviation maintenance service for PAL-V’s customers.

The PAL-V Liberty unfolds its main propellor from its roof

Why it’s important: PAL-V’s Liberty is significant as it’s one of the only personal road-capable aircraft that will soon be available for sale. While other companies such as Terrafugia have pivoted directions, and others are selling private aircraft with a more VTOL-style for a higher price-point, PAL-V has stayed the course in making a personal aircraft that can also serve the daily commute. This may make it one of the first in the industry to begin unit sales to private customers.

Sources // The Economic Times

For the past decade, PAL-V has been developing a flying car for the masses and it appears to be entering the final stages of certification with deliveries expected to begin in 2021. Currently, the company is demonstrating compliance to regulatory agencies across the world, has realized its first production facility, and established the European Road Admission.

The PAL-V Liberty has started its road admission tests and has reached the final stage of air certification.

Robert Dingemanse, CEO of PAL-V: “The term flying cars is used for two different applications. The first flying cars, fly and drive, and are used like cars for personal mobility going from door-to-door between towns and cities. Imagine living in Geneva and driving your flying car from your garage to go to an appointment in Cannes (South-France). Driving 10 minutes to the nearest (grass) airstrip, take-off and be on your way to Cannes. After 2 hours you land near Cannes and in minutes you convert your aircraft back to car-mode. Another 10-minute drive and you arrive at your appointment in the city. A journey that normally takes 5.5 hours will now take only 2.5 hours. On top, you enjoyed the birds-eye view of the Alps, the French countryside, and the freedom of flying. A dream comes true.”

PAL-V says it focused on the following design parameters in making its final certification test article: safety, ease of use, performance, compact body. These factors are essential to make a commercial viable flying car as Dingemanse explained, “No one wants to fly a car that isn’t certified, hard to fly or that doesn’t fit a standard parking spot.”

The company for now has designed PAL-V to take off and land from existing airports but plans to make an entry into the eVTOL space in less than a decade.

Why it matters: If the company meets its 2021 goal of delivering final vehicles to customers, it would be among one of the first to do so and usher in the era of aerial mobility. Flying cars have long been a fantasy, however PAL-V appears to have locked in on a final configuration and is near certifying its vehicle. Expect to see PAL-V’s on the road and in the skies near you very soon!

On the left is the Terrafugia Transition. On the right is the Pal-V Liberty. These are the first two flying cars to reach the market.

Many VTOLs classify as ‘flying cars’ because they are personal-sized point to point vehicles that use the skies as their medium of travel. However, the Pal-V Liberty and the Terrafugia Transition can drive on the road as well as fly through the air.

Terrafugia, founded by graduates of MIT, has been working on the Transition for over a decade. The Transition’s wings fold to become as flush as possible with the body when the car is on the ground, and unfold for flight. Based in New England, Terrafugia was purchased by Volvo’s Chinese parent company, Geely, in 2017.

Terrafugia has begun taking pre-orders for the Transition, with a price around $300,000. The Transition’s main features include the ability to switch from drive mode to flight mode in under one minute, a range of about 400 miles, and a flight top speed of 100mph. On the ground, the Transition is powered by a hybrid engine with speeds also up to 100mph.

The Dutch company Pal-V’s ‘Liberty; is designed more like a personal helicopter. The Pal-V Liberty has three wheels, and long helicopter blades that fold into its body for its drive mode.

The base model of the Liberty is priced at €299,000, but €499,000 for the ‘Pioneer’ edition, which will be delivered first and will include all the available customizable options. Pal-V started taking pre-orders last month. Similar to Tesla, it is currently taking these orders through a queue reservation system, which requires a minimum $2,500 down payment. The Liberty has a top airspeed of 112mph, and top ground speed 100mph and a 100 gallon fuel tank, which is good for about four hours of flight time.

Both companies will begin delivering to customers in 2019.

Why It’s Important: While both of these vehicles are mainly recreational, they represent great steps for the era of personal aerial transportation. Not only will both these vehicles promote the acceptance of personal aircraft, they have also already struggled with many of the certification obstacles that air taxi VTOLs are currently experiencing.

ZeroAvia and Natilus have announced a strategic partnership to jointly develop hydrogen-electric engines for the Natilus Kona blended-wing-body (BWB) cargo aircraft. ZeroAvia’s ZA600 will be the sole hydrogen-electric propulsion source offered for the novel Kona short-haul feeder UAV, with the partnership focused on delivering zero-emission and lower cost operations.

Natilus recently validated the performance of the BWB design with flight testing of a quarter-scale Kona prototype aircraft, following three years of extensive wind-tunnel testing, while ZeroAvia has now conducted eight test flights of its prototype ZA600, 600kW engine in a 19-seat testbed aircraft.

ZeroAvia has already commenced flight testing of a 600kW prototype hydrogen-electric engine, which supports the development and certification of two initial engine classes: a 300-mile range in 9–19 seat aircraft by 2025, and up to 700-mile range in 40–80 seat aircraft by 2027. Based in the US and the UK, ZeroAvia has already secured experimental certificates for three prototype aircraft from the CAA and FAA.

In support of this effort, ZeroAvia also recently announced the creation of a hydrogen production facility at Birmingham Airport (BHX), featuring an on-site hydrogen production aircraft refueling facility, with the potential for multi-modal applications.  

Subject to funding, planning, and regulatory permissions being secured, the ambition would be to use the pioneering plant to support early flight demonstrations, and also refuel road vehicles, potentially including local buses. In advance of this, BHX has commenced talks with a major automotive company about trialing hydrogen buses and cars on its airfield.  

Why it’s important: The Natilus Kona, with its novel BWB design, offers increased volume for hydrogen storage, potentially transforming the air cargo delivery industry to one with low-cost, low carbon emissions, while also extending flight range. The partnership with ZeroAvia will leverage their expertise in hydrogen-electric powertrain technology with Natilus’ unique design to potentially create a scalable, long-range, and zero-emission air cargo delivery solution for the entire industry.

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