Results for: vahana
Airbus Concludes Testing of Vahana at Pendleton
Airbus, one of Pendleton Unmanned Aerial System Range’s largest customers, is moving out Airbus had been utilizing the space at the Pendleton Range to work on Project Vahana; their unmanned air taxi concept. Steve Chrisman, the airport manager and economic development director of the Pendleton Range, confirmed on December 17th that A^3, the Silicon Valley subsidiary of French aviation company...

Airbus Concludes Testing of Vahana at Pendleton

Airbus, one of Pendleton Unmanned Aerial System Range’s largest customers, is moving out
Airbus had been utilizing the space at the Pendleton Range to work on Project Vahana; their unmanned air taxi concept. Steve Chrisman, the airport manager and economic development director of the Pendleton Range, confirmed on December 17th that A^3, the Silicon Valley subsidiary of French aviation company Airbus, had finished up testing for Project Vahana at Pendleton and was moving out of town.
Zach Lovering, VP of A^3’s urban air mobility systems, wrote in a blog post late December that the group had achieved everything that they had set out to do since they first started testing the aircraft in January 2018. Lovering additionally reported that during the time A^3 was testing, Project Vahana had created four to six full-time jobs, although none of the employees would continue with Pendleton.
According to Chrisman, the reasoning behind Airbus’ departure from Pendleton was fully specified, but it was confirmed that the company would forward the information from Project Vahana over to other air-taxi projects being worked on internationally. Although Airbus is moving on, Chrisman said the city’s working relationship with the company was good and both sides could reconnect one day on a future project. Chrisman was optimistic about the future of UAS in Pendleton, quoted as saying:
We’re going to see a lot of movement in the next decade or two.
Airbus’ departure comes in the midst of a multi-million dollar industrial project in the city of Pendleton in anticipation of rapid growth in the UAS industry. According to Chrisman, turnover should be expected at the UAS range in the future, but one of those companies settling down to start a production facility was still expected.
Why it’s important: Airbus’ departure from Pendleton and the conclusion of testing for Project Vahana indicates that the company has drawn all relevant data on the air taxi demonstrator that is required for the time being, and can now augment and advance their current designs with the learnings from the variety of testing that was conducted at Pendleton. Additionally, Pendleton Range now has space and resources available to other aerial mobility companies that are interested in testing their concepts.
Source // East Oregonian
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The Vahana Alpha Two: What Airbus’ Demonstrator Tells Us
At this year’s EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, Airbus highlighted its eVTOL tilt-wing demonstrator, the Vahana Alpha Two. While the Vahana shows great promise, Airbus rep. Amanda Simpson outlines some of UAM’s Challenges. Featuring eight 45-kW electric motors and a slightly reworked design, the sleek single-seater was on display at the Airbus booth in Oshkosh. The eVTOL has been in...

The Vahana Alpha Two: What Airbus’ Demonstrator Tells Us

At this year’s EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, Airbus highlighted its eVTOL tilt-wing demonstrator, the Vahana Alpha Two. While the Vahana shows great promise, Airbus rep. Amanda Simpson outlines some of UAM’s Challenges.
Featuring eight 45-kW electric motors and a slightly reworked design, the sleek single-seater was on display at the Airbus booth in Oshkosh. The eVTOL has been in the works for a while, under Airbus’ Silicon Valley based division, A^3. Amanda Simpson, Airbus America’s Vice President for Research and Technology, was present at Oshkosh and weighed in on some of the issues that any UAM ventures would bring.
The all-electric eVTOL was designed with urban air mobility in mind, but potential obstacles to market include battery life and charging speeds. Said Simpson: “There’s only so much energy you can pump into these things over a given period of time. You have to be able to recharge these vehicles when they land. Does that mean swapping out batteries or plugging it in? Where is that energy coming from? How many times can you recharge a battery before you can’t get the maximum utilization out of it? It’s very easy to measure fuel left in a tank, not so much to determine how many megawatt-hours are left in your battery.”

“There are limitations as to what we can do with (existing) batteries,” said Simpson, “The [UAM] vehicles that are out there have a range of about 30 miles. Battery technology is going to have to come along much further if we are going to have 100 percent electric vehicles.”
While the Vahana was created to answer questions, there are still some that remain according to Simpson. “The question is how to demonstrate the capabilities of the aircraft and how do we work with EASA or the FAA to develop regulations to govern these? How do you work with the cities and the urban infrastructure to provide landing places? How do you develop an app for your phone that will allow you to call and schedule service and the whole infrastructure behind that?”
The answer to these questions will likely determine the direction that UAM takes in the next decade.
Why it’s important: UAM aircraft, including any future models that Airbus incorporates into their fleet, will most likely begin as hybrids. While demonstrators such as the Vahana Alpha Two can run purely on electricity in practice, the limitations in battery technology today are simply too high for the commercial and economic demands that would be brought by a UAM market. How these hurdles are approached by competitors in the UAM market will determine what the transportation industry will look like in the next decade.
Sources // EAA AirVenture, AINonline
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Airbus Vahana Achieves Full Transition Flight
The Airbus Vahana prototype has achieved flight with its wings fully transitioned to horizontal cruise mode. Earlier this year, the Airbus Vahana test aircraft successfully completed a test flight in which the aircraft’s wings rotated partially into horizontal cruise stage, reaching speeds of about 57mph. In the latest test (Vahana’s 66th), the tilt-wing rotates into “full cruise configuration”, allowing the aircraft...

Airbus Vahana Achieves Full Transition Flight

The Airbus Vahana prototype has achieved flight with its wings fully transitioned to horizontal cruise mode.
Earlier this year, the Airbus Vahana test aircraft successfully completed a test flight in which the aircraft’s wings rotated partially into horizontal cruise stage, reaching speeds of about 57mph. In the latest test (Vahana’s 66th), the tilt-wing rotates into “full cruise configuration”, allowing the aircraft to reach speeds of over 100mph. Watch the full flight test video from Airbus here:
This latest test flight marks a significant step forward for Airbus, whose eventual goal is to make the Vahana part of a larger UAM system. The version of the Vahana seen here is planned as a demonstration vehicle for airbus to introduce to the public. Although it only has one seat, the Vahana Alpha Two is piloted autonomously, and features a completely finished interior, which will give riders the full sense of what autonomous flight will be like.

A close-up of the Airbus Alpha Vahana Two
According to Zach Lovering, Vice President of UAM Systems for Airbus, the latest full transition flights “represent everything we set out to achieve when we began our flight test campaign.” The Vahana demonstrator is still undergoing testing in Pendleton, Oregon.
The Airbus Vahana represents just one of Airbus’s many bids for UAM flight. Airbus has several prototypes being tested for various types of UAM, including the Airbus Pop.Up Next modular concept, which is capable of both road and air transport, as well as the Airbus CityAirbus, which is designed for intracity transport and completed its first test flight last month. Both vehicles are capable of autonomous flight.

The Airbus CityAirbus, which completed its first test flight last May.
Why it’s important: The successful test of the Airbus Vahana in cruise represents another step forward for Airbus UAM flight. The Vahana has successfully proven Airbus’s concept for tilt-wing transitions, which is often considered the most difficult aspect of eVTOL design. With this latest achievement, Airbus even more deeply establishes its UAM presence in preparing for the larger industry launch.
Airbus’ New Demonstrator: The Vahana Alpha Two
Airbus A^3, the Silicon Valley-based division of the Airbus, has long been working on developing its eVTOL concept to improve air mobility for passengers in urban areas. Recently, they publicized reaching the 50 flight test milestone for their first full scale demonstrator, the Vahana Alpha One. Just earlier this week, Airbus AA3 released many more photos of its second demonstrator —...

Airbus’ New Demonstrator: The Vahana Alpha Two

Airbus A^3, the Silicon Valley-based division of the Airbus, has long been working on developing its eVTOL concept to improve air mobility for passengers in urban areas. Recently, they publicized reaching the 50 flight test milestone for their first full scale demonstrator, the Vahana Alpha One. Just earlier this week, Airbus AA3 released many more photos of its second demonstrator — named the Alpha Two — to accompany a first sneak peek seen during the publication of the Alpha One milestone.

Airbus’ Vahana Alpha Two eVTOL at Pendleton
“Here you’ll find a first-person perspective of what it might be like to take a seat under the canopy, be personally welcomed by Vahana’s screen, and see the horizon laid out in front of you as you prepare to take off.” Airbus A^3
Interestingly, there will not be a pilot in the cockpit in front of you when you’re on board the Alpha Two. Instead, just a single screen displaying the flight path ahead and an automated flight controls system with real-time autonomous decision-making capabilities. However, for now the Vahana full-scale demonstrator aircraft is remotely controlled in a configuration that the Silicon Valley division of Airbus is flight testing in Pendleton, Oregon.
The new demonstrator will join the first in flight testing at the airport in Pendleton, and also features a complete interior. Aside from enabling experimentation with passenger experience features in the interior, the Vahana Alpha Two also serves as a set of spares for anything that must be replaced on the anginal flight test aircraft, thereby improving the efficiency of the company’s test program. Airbus was generous enough to capture an array of impressive photos at dawn one morning to show us what they have conceived.
“You can just imagine getting to the vertiport for your quick trip to work” Airbus
Airbus also shared a close-up photo of the nose of the Alpha Two, which is loaded with autonomous safety systems able to sense and avoid obstacles in the air. For more photos, check out the A^3 by Airbus media page.
Why it’s important: A finished interior marks another milestone for the Airbus A^3 team, and permits further testing of how passengers will ergonomically integrate with the vehicle. Further, access to the second demonstrator aircraft is expected to accelerate development, such as in the flight control system that is responsible for smoothly transition from vertical to horizontal flight, as well as mitigating any eternal impulses.
Watch Airbus Vahana’s 50th Test Flight
In Vahana’s latest test flight, the vehicle exhibits the capabilities of its tilting wing, transitioning from vertical take-off to horizontal flight. The above video comes from Zach Lovering, project executive for Vahana at A³. The Vahana takes off vertically, tilts its wings for transition into horizontal flight, stops, turns around, and lands. The aircraft flies for 7 minutes at speeds up to 57mph,...

Watch Airbus Vahana’s 50th Test Flight

In Vahana’s latest test flight, the vehicle exhibits the capabilities of its tilting wing, transitioning from vertical take-off to horizontal flight.
The above video comes from Zach Lovering, project executive for Vahana at A³. The Vahana takes off vertically, tilts its wings for transition into horizontal flight, stops, turns around, and lands. The aircraft flies for 7 minutes at speeds up to 57mph, and altitudes of up to 210 feet.
In a recent Vahana blog post, Lovering mentions that these flights are for testing flight controls, navigation, failure detection, and noise mitigation. While the full-scale model has flown 50 test flights, the sub-scale version has flown 1,277 flights. The full-scale version made its first test flight on January 31st, 2018.

Vahana Alpha Two on the Pendleton, Oregon UAS runway, February 2019.
In the last few months, many top aircraft manufacturers have released vehicle footage to the public. Most recently Boeing showed its ‘Personal Air Vehicle’ (developed in collaboration Boeing’s subsidiary Aurora Flight Sciences) taking off, hovering, and landing autonomously. Bell Helicopter brought the ‘Nexus Air Taxi’ to CES 2019 last month, where fans got the chance to sit in the vehicle itself.
Airbus has made progress in of many aspects of Urban Air Mobility, having recently released the blueprint for Airbus Altiscope, an airspace management system, and a small-scale prototype of its Pop.Up Next vehicle in collaboration with Audi. While it’s yet unclear whether Airbus will pursue one of these avenues or all of them, the company has certainly staked its claim on air taxis with the Vahana’s latest test video.

The Airbus Altiscope vision for the future of urban air mobility
Why it’s important: With the release of the latest Vahana flight video featuring the aircraft in flight for 7 mins at speeds up to 57mph, Airbus marks its place among the recent flood of prototype videos released by major companies like Boeing and Bell Helicopter. The video features the Vahana transitioning from vertical to horizontal flight, which Boeing has named as, ‘typically the most significant engineering challenge for any high-speed VTOL aircraft’.
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Source // Airbus Vahana Blog, Boeing Technology Blog
Airbus Vahana
Quick SummaryVahana is a project worked on by the A^3 technological development arm of Airbus which is headquartered in Silicon Valley, CA. Built as a (now-completed) eVTOL technology demonstrator and proof-of-concept for future aircraft like the CityAirbus, Vahana uses variable-angle rotors that provide thrust vertically for takeoff and landing and swivel forward to facilitate accelerated conventional flight.CompanyAirbus CEOA^3 CEO Product...

Airbus Vahana

Quick Summary
Vahana is a project worked on by the A^3 technological development arm of Airbus which is headquartered in Silicon Valley, CA. Built as a (now-completed) eVTOL technology demonstrator and proof-of-concept for future aircraft like the CityAirbus, Vahana uses variable-angle rotors that provide thrust vertically for takeoff and landing and swivel forward to facilitate accelerated conventional flight.
A^3 is a venture created by Airbus, a Colonge, France, company.
Guillaume Faury
Mark Cousin
Stage of Development
Preliminary Design
Project Complete
Technical Details:
Aircraft Type: Winged VTOL
Powerplant: All-Electric
Range: 31 miles
Top Speed: 136mph
Propeller Configuration: 8 propellers; 4 on each of the two tilting wings.
Passenger/Payload Capacity: Single Passenger
Autonomy Level: Autonomous/remote pilot
Dimensions: 20 ft wingspan, 9 ft height
Other Information:
Weight: 1600lbs
Motors: 8 electric motors at 45kW each
From Airbus:
Project Vahana intends to open up urban airways by developing the first certified electric, self-piloted vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) passenger aircraft. We envision Vahana being as a cost-comparable replacement for short-range urban transportation like cars or trains. A core premise of this project is that full automation and sense-and-avoid technology will allow us to achieve higher safety levels by minimizing human error while allowing more vehicles to share the sky. As a platform, Vahana can be as diverse as its wheeled grounded counterpart when being used for cargo delivery, emergency services, search and rescue, or even as a tool to deploy modular infrastructure in disaster sites. There is no other project that we know of that incorporates this much automation in vertical flight. With Airbus’ long history in aircraft certification and safety, we are uniquely positioned to realize large-scale automated flight within urban environments.
Our Take on Vahana
Since its creation, Vahana has achieved multiple important milestones integral to the future of aerial mobility. These have included building a fully-electric aircraft that can autonomously transition from vertical to fixed wing flight, enabling that aircraft to fly for a significant range, and completing over 130 test flights to prove the safety of eVTOL aircraft overall. The work A^3 did with Vahana allowed Airbus to lay the groundwork for larger aircraft such as the Airbus CityAirbus. Although the project is now completed, the Vahana team was able to make many significant discoveries and developments for the future of aerial mobility at airbus.
First Flight: Airbus Vahana
Airbus A^3 Ventures Vahana made its first flight on February 1st at Pendleton UAS. The flight lasted for 53 seconds, and the aircraft reached a height of 16 meters before descending back to the ground safely. Vahana’s aim is to capture the single passenger eVTOL market in partnership with their new California-based motor supplier, MAGicALL. Video of First Flight is...

First Flight: Airbus Vahana

Airbus A^3 Ventures Vahana made its first flight on February 1st at Pendleton UAS. The flight lasted for 53 seconds, and the aircraft reached a height of 16 meters before descending back to the ground safely. Vahana’s aim is to capture the single passenger eVTOL market in partnership with their new California-based motor supplier, MAGicALL. Video of First Flight is here.
Source
Overair Announces Tom Whayne as New CFO
eVTOL development company Overair announced today the appointment of Tom Whayne as chief financial officer (CFO). As CFO, Whayne will oversee all financial operations and provide strategic guidance to the company as it continues its path toward commercialization. Whayne joins OverAir having previously served as chief financial officer of OneWeb, where he led the raise of more than $3 billion of capital...

Overair Announces Tom Whayne as New CFO

eVTOL development company Overair announced today the appointment of Tom Whayne as chief financial officer (CFO). As CFO, Whayne will oversee all financial operations and provide strategic guidance to the company as it continues its path toward commercialization.
Whayne joins OverAir having previously served as chief financial officer of OneWeb, where he led the raise of more than $3 billion of capital to fund the company’s development of a global broadband communications constellation in Low Earth Orbit. Most recently, he was senior vice president and chief strategy officer of Maxar Technologies, an Earth intelligence and space infrastructure company.

“We are immensely proud to welcome Tom to the team,” said Ben Tigner, co-founder and CEO of Overair. “His finance and operating background in orbital platform companies positions him perfectly to help Overair prepare for rapid scaling. Tom’s appointment comes at a pivotal time in our company as we build our full-scale Butterfly prototype.”
In addition to Whayne’s tenure at OneWeb and Maxar, he brings over 20 years of experience as an investment banker. Whayne was a managing director at Credit Suisse First Boston, Morgan Stanley, and Rothschild. He has a bachelor’s degree in economics from Harvard College and a J.D. degree from the University of Virginia School of Law.
Adding Whayne to the team solidifies the strength of Overair’s C-suite and continues the momentum of the company which has made significant progress in the development of its Butterfly aircraft, with full-scale propulsion testing completed in the second quarter of 2022 and current execution of its full-scale prototype program in 2023.
Why it’s important: Overair currently markets the Butterfly as the quietest, most robust and largest-capacity production-eVTOL vehicle and intends for their aircraft to have seating for five passengers and a pilot plus a separate large cargo compartment. The appointment of Tom Whayne will help the company stay its course during capital intensive research and development phases on the road to certification of their eVTOL aircraft.
Beta Technologies to Enhance Focus on Electric Aircraft Certification
Beta Technologies announced recently that they will enhance their focus on the development and certification of a conventional configuration electric aircraft. Beta is labeling the configuration as an eCTOL aircraft (electric conventional takeoff/landing). The company has been flight testing a conventional fixed-wing version of its eVTOL prototype, which will now become the company’s certification candidate. The aircraft, called CX300, will...

Beta Technologies to Enhance Focus on Electric Aircraft Certification

Beta Technologies announced recently that they will enhance their focus on the development and certification of a conventional configuration electric aircraft. Beta is labeling the configuration as an eCTOL aircraft (electric conventional takeoff/landing).

The company has been flight testing a conventional fixed-wing version of its eVTOL prototype, which will now become the company’s certification candidate. The aircraft, called CX300, will generate lift from its wings rather than lifting propellers and has already generated orders from the cargo, medical, and defense sectors.
“We continue to progress our ALIA eVTOL design through certification, in harmony with the eCTOL program,” BETA Technologies Founder and CEO Kyle Clark said. “The two aircraft are common in their design, allowing us to economize validation of our high-performance solutions. With the eCTOL aircraft launch, we have further de-risked our path to commercialization and concurrently provide lower cost, more utility, and optionality to operators. This has given us the confidence to industrialize and invest heavily in production at scale over the last year.”
Beta intends to have the CX300 fully certified and ready for delivery by 2025. The company will continue development and certification efforts of its ALIA-250 eVTOL which will be closely based on the design of the CX300.
The company states that manufacturing will begin at the new South Burlington production facility this summer.
Why it matters: Amid regulatory churn and uncertainty over the future market demand and infrastructure required to support the eVTOL space, manufacturers like Beta are taking a middle ground on the innovation curve. By maintaining a conventional fixed wing configuration, operators can take fully advantage of the cost savings from the implantation of an electric aircraft for commercialization, while developers still pursue eVTOL models simultaneously. With planned certification only two years away, Beta has provided itself with a new road to market entry.
Source // Beta Technologies
Related:
ZeroAvia Achieves ‘Record-Breaking’ Hydrogen Fuel Cell Performance
ZeroAvia has announced that it achieved record-breaking performance in testing of its High Temperature Proton Exchange Membrane (HTPEM) systems. Above: Zero Avia’s 19-seat hydrogen fuel cell aircraft Early testing of the pressurized 20kW HTPEM stack power module in ZeroAvia’s UK R&D location has demonstrated a record 2.5 kW/kg specific power at the cell level, paving the way for 3+ kW/kg system...

ZeroAvia Achieves ‘Record-Breaking’ Hydrogen Fuel Cell Performance

ZeroAvia has announced that it achieved record-breaking performance in testing of its High Temperature Proton Exchange Membrane (HTPEM) systems.

Above: Zero Avia’s 19-seat hydrogen fuel cell aircraft
Early testing of the pressurized 20kW HTPEM stack power module in ZeroAvia’s UK R&D location has demonstrated a record 2.5 kW/kg specific power at the cell level, paving the way for 3+ kW/kg system level densities in the next 24 months.
ZeroAvia’s team has made unprecedented deep tech breakthroughs by delivering a pressurized HTPEM system, innovative conductive coatings enabling the use of aluminum bipolar plates in highly aggressive HTPEM environments, and a novel approach to advanced membrane electrode assembly (MEA).

Related: ZeroAvia Achieves First Flight of its Hydrogen-Electric Prototype
ZeroAvia’s proprietary technology has been developed over the last three years as part of a concentrated effort to build an in-house portfolio of critical technologies for fuel cell aviation. Further R&D will deliver over 3kW/kg fuel cell system specific power, which enables a step change in performance relative to the traditional fuel cell technologies, making fuel cell propulsion commercially viable for large aircraft. Specifically, the HTPEM systems will be prime candidates to support ZeroAvia’s ZA2000 powertrain for 40-80 seat aircraft, as well as a range of rotorcraft and eVTOL applications. This next generation of fuel cells could also be sufficient to enable electric propulsion systems for 100+ seat single-aisle turbofan aircraft such as the Boeing 737 and Airbus A320.
The components used in the ZeroAvia system have already been validated through third-party independent testing at several independent labs, including a leading U.S. Department of Energy national lab. The testing confirms the potential for HTPEM systems to accelerate the development of large hydrogen-electric powertrains for large aircraft.
ZeroAvia’s recent breakthrough first flight of a 19-seat aircraft utilized Low Temperature PEM (LTPEM) fuel cell systems. Today’s LTPEM systems work well for the sub-megawatt scale of these smaller aircraft, but the lower stack core temperatures make it harder to remove heat from the larger systems. HTPEM technology eliminates a number of components from the fuel cell system and reduces cooling drag, thereby enabling commercially relevant payload and range for larger aircraft. ZeroAvia’s HTPEM can also offer greater durability, further reducing operating costs for airlines.

Val Miftakhov, CEO and founder of ZeroAvia, said: “The companies and geographies that seize the lead in high fuel cell temperatures and pressures will lead the industry. This progression is similar to the story of turbine engines, where ever-increasing temperatures and pressures drove higher and higher performance. Hydrogen fuel cell propulsion is the most environmental and economical alternative to existing engines, and HTPEM is the most promising route to delivering these benefits into large aircraft categories. I am confident that what we are demonstrating now is the core building block to delivering zero-emission flight for all categories of aircraft in the long-term.”
Interest in hydrogen combustion power, which differs from the electrically-powered fuel cell solution in ZeroAvia aircraft, has grown considerably in recent months. Hydrogen combustion engines are being developed to remove carbon emissions from flight, but they face the steep environmental penalty of maintaining or increasing the non-CO2 emissions impacts of aviation on the climate. These non-CO2 impacts are thought to have twice the climate impact of carbon emissions alone, according to a report from EASA. A non-combustion, hydrogen-electric approach like ZeroAvia’s eliminates extreme material stresses inherent in modern combustion engines, which dramatically reduces maintenance costs, further improving the economics of the hydrogen-electric propulsion.
Why it’s important: Developing fuel cell technology for aviation is critical to enable true zero-emission commercial flight, and for energy intensive applications – like large fixed wing aircraft and rotorcraft – it is necessary to increase the temperature and pressure within fuel cell stacks in order to have a commercially viable product. Increased temperature and pressure allows for air cooling, reduces cooling drag, simplifies the system, and ultimately enables much more demanding applications. Zeroavia’s demonstration of this increase capability is a major milestone in the technological development and points towards a future world of aviation that runs on hydrogen.
SkyDrive Collaborates with VPorts for Vertiports in Dubai
SkyDrive, a Japanese eVTOL developer, has announced a partnership with VPorts to establish the world’s first Advanced Aerial Mobility Integrator World Center in Dubai. Taking up 37,000 square meters, the Center will be an operations control hub for Advanced Air Mobility Aircraft in Dubai. Above: Concept Vertiport by SkyDrive VPorts Air Traffic Management Inc. (“VPorts”), is a global leader in...

SkyDrive Collaborates with VPorts for Vertiports in Dubai

SkyDrive, a Japanese eVTOL developer, has announced a partnership with VPorts to establish the world’s first Advanced Aerial Mobility Integrator World Center in Dubai. Taking up 37,000 square meters, the Center will be an operations control hub for Advanced Air Mobility Aircraft in Dubai.

Above: Concept Vertiport by SkyDrive
VPorts Air Traffic Management Inc. (“VPorts”), is a global leader in the design, construction, and operation of Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) infrastructure for upcoming vertical aircraft. The company was founded by experts in transportation infrastructure design and construction, city planning, and airport operations and design. The firm’s mission is to “shape the future development of safe advanced air mobility based on sustainable infrastructure.”
According to a recent press release by SkyDrive, the two companies have signed initial agreements to collaborate on the “technical and business” aspects of the upcoming Integrator Center, to leverage its use for the “business
development and market expansion” of both companies. This likely means that SkyDrive will have input into the Center’s design, so that it’s aerial mobility aircraft and flight services can be easily integrated.
Said Tomohiro Fukuzawa, CEO of SkyDrive, “We are pleased to be taking a part in the UAE government’s strategy for AAM, particularly in Dubai as it is one of the fastest growing and leading AAM markets in the world. we are committed to making AAM transportation affordable to all in a highly accessible way, helping commuters access city centers and mobility hubs. By collaborating with VPorts, we are able to secure an air traffic corridor for our vehicle testing with our eVTOL capabilities which would be essential to ensure its safety before deployment in the urban areas.”

Featured above is SkyDrive’s latest concept aircraft, the SD-05. This all-electric VTOL will be capable of carrying two passengers semi-autonomously, with air taxi services scheduled to launch in Osaka, Japan in 2025.
Said Dr. Fethi Chebil, CEO and Founder of VPorts, “We welcome SkyDrive to join us in shaping the future of the AAM sector by leveraging the world’s first Integrator Center, including its facilities and airspace. Our presence in Dubai is in line with our strategy and ambition to build and operate 1,500 vertiports around the world by 2045.”
Why it’s important: With this announcement, SkyDrive is making moves to establish itself as an early global leader in Advanced Aerial Mobility. By working with experts like Vports to establish the World Center, SkyDrive has an opportunity to set a global example in aerial mobility infrastructure and supporting operations.
Source // SkyDrive, VPorts
Related:
- SkyDrive brings their eVTOL Aircraft to South Carolina to break into U.S Markets (February 2023)
- SkyDrive Receives Order for up to 100 eVTOLs from Pacific Group (November 2022)
- SkyDrive Ranks Second in World Startup Competition (September 2022)
Adacel’s Aurora ATM System Approved for use in the Seychelles
Adacel Technologies, an air traffic management and ATC simulation and training systems company, announced last week their Aurora ATM system was delivered to Seychelles Civil Aviation Authority (SCAA) and has successfully passed the Site Acceptance Testing. Seychelles’ new Aurora ATM system, developed to modernize SCAA’s air traffic management system, will enhance ATM service delivery by providing surveillance control with space-...

Adacel’s Aurora ATM System Approved for use in the Seychelles

Adacel Technologies, an air traffic management and ATC simulation and training systems company, announced last week their Aurora ATM system was delivered to Seychelles Civil Aviation Authority (SCAA) and has successfully passed the Site Acceptance Testing.

Seychelles’ new Aurora ATM system, developed to modernize SCAA’s air traffic management system, will enhance ATM service delivery by providing surveillance control with space- and ground-based ADS-B stations. Aurora is a 4D flight profile-based ATM system incorporating all available surveillance sources, with advanced automation capabilities for oceanic, enroute, approach, and tower control.
“We are proud to successfully pass this important milestone with SCAA and look forward to the introduction of the Aurora ATM system into the Seychelles Flight Information Region,” shares Daniel Verret, Adacel’s CEO. “The new system will enhance airspace efficiency, enable higher levels of service to airspace users, and reduce controller workload,” continues Mr. Verret.
Speaking about the implementation of the new Aurora system, SCAA Chief Executive Officer Mr. Garry Albert said: “Reaching this project stage is a great accomplishment for us. By installing this state-of-the-art system, we will modernize the air traffic service to a level that has never been seen before in Seychelles. The collaboration with the professional team from Adacel has ensured that we have one of the most advanced systems. Combining this new technology with SCAA’s well-trained human resources, we will provide an excellent service to our stakeholders from all over the world who fly in our vast oceanic airspace located on the east coast of Africa.”
Why it’s important: The Aurora ATM system is an advancement in modern air traffic control infrastructure which should allow for proving of the system in a lower risk location while also providing data to inform future improved iterations that will be applied not only to fixed wing air traffic but eventually to unmanned aerial mobility service as well. A number of other companies in the air traffic and unmanned air traffic management space are working to further improve their offerings and prepare for increased traffic demands in the future.
Sikorsky to Enter the eVTOL Space with Technology Demonstrator
Sikorsky has announced plans to build a full scale, autonomous, hybrid-electric technology demonstrator to research commercial and military eVTOL missions. The prototype is dubbed under the program name HEX and will feature a gross weight of more than 7,000 pounds. The uncrewed aircraft will act as a test bed for evaluation of eVTOL aircraft design and propulsion systems. The project...

Sikorsky to Enter the eVTOL Space with Technology Demonstrator

Sikorsky has announced plans to build a full scale, autonomous, hybrid-electric technology demonstrator to research commercial and military eVTOL missions. The prototype is dubbed under the program name HEX and will feature a gross weight of more than 7,000 pounds. The uncrewed aircraft will act as a test bed for evaluation of eVTOL aircraft design and propulsion systems. The project also will partner with GE Aerospace and its CT7 turboshaft engine with 1MW-class generator currently under production for the US Army and NASA.

“As Sikorsky celebrates 100 years of flight innovations, it’s fitting to highlight our continued commitment to safe and sustainable transformative flight,” said Paul Lemmo, Sikorsky president. “Sikorsky’s HEX aircraft will provide critical insights into the possibilities of electric systems in VTOL aircraft. Ultimately, we want to show the potential of large, advanced air mobility vehicles to perform utility missions for the U.S. military and transport passengers between cities.”
“Bringing innovative technology is a top priority for GE Aerospace,” said Amy Gowder, President and CEO of Defense & Systems at GE Aerospace. “We are committed to developing hybrid electric propulsion systems that save fuel and optimize performance for the military and commercial applications. We are thrilled to build off our existing work with NASA and the Army to offer to power Sikorsky’s HEX aircraft and bolster the future of flight.”
The Sikorsky Innovations prototyping group will head up the HEX project under the direction of Igor Cherepinsky. Sikorsky’s MATRIX autonomy system will control flight aboard the HEX aircraft. Developed and tested extensively over the past decade, the software, hardware and sensors that comprise the MATRIX system have demonstrated high flight reliability in low-altitude and obstacle-rich scenarios. During the U.S. Army’s Project Convergence 2022 exercise, a MATRIX-controlled Black Hawk helicopter without pilots or crew on board demonstrated optionally piloted resupply missions.
Why it matters: Lockheed Martin owned Sikorsky Helicopters is one of the pillars of the helicopter manufacturing industry and their technical expertise on hovercraft will be invaluable for producing an eVTOL prototype. By partnering with GE Aerospace, Sikorsky also gains a reputable partner for its propulsion platform. Expect to see more news as the HEX technology demonstrator is built up and test flown.
AutoFlight breaks record for furthest eVTOL flight
AutoFlight, an autonomous passenger-carrying eVTOL developer based in China, has just broken the world record for the world’s furthest eVTOL flight at 155 miles. This breaks Joby Aviation’s previous record by just 1 mile. On a single charge, AutoFlight’s electric aircraft was able to complete 155 miles of flight over a pre-defined flight track. During the test flight, like during...

AutoFlight breaks record for furthest eVTOL flight

AutoFlight, an autonomous passenger-carrying eVTOL developer based in China, has just broken the world record for the world’s furthest eVTOL flight at 155 miles. This breaks Joby Aviation’s previous record by just 1 mile.

On a single charge, AutoFlight’s electric aircraft was able to complete 155 miles of flight over a pre-defined flight track. During the test flight, like during Joby’s record-setting flight, the aircraft performed both vertical take-off and landing. Notably, this is the first aircraft of its size with a ‘strut design’ to be perform a high-range flight.
Like during Joby’s flight, the test flight was remotely piloted. According to representatives from AutoFlight, the flight works towards helping the aircraft earn certification with the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) by 2025.
AutoFlight’s president, Omer Bar-Yohay, said: “This flight is both a great celebratory milestone, and a testament to the team’s incredible effort and progress in testing and incrementally pushing the aircraft’s performance envelope. It’s a remarkable achievement that shows our aircraft’s capability, and we are excited to continue working towards our next goals all the way to EASA certification in 2025.”
AutoFlight has already established a manufacturing facility near Shanghai with the capacity to produce 1,000 aircraft per year. Operating since 2017, the company’s leadership includes executives from Eviation, the helicopter division of Airbus, and Uber Elevate.
Why it’s important: Although this record does not break Joby Aviation’s by a large margin, both AutoFlight and Joby now lead the market in eVTOL prototype development. The announcement by AutoFlight puts it on par with Joby as one of the top global eVTOL aircraft makers.
Related:
- AutoFlight Releases New In-Flight Footage of its Prosperity I Proof of Concept (June 2022)
- AutoFlight eVTOL Startup Secures $100M Investment in Series A Funding (November 2021)
- AutoFlight Selects its First Location in Europe (January 2022)
- Joby Completes 150-mile Flight, Begins Part 135 Certification Process (July 2021)
Source // AutoFlight, Revolution.aero
World’s largest hydrogen fuel cell aircraft takes flight
Universal Hydrogen’s hydrogen electric DeHaviland Canada DHC8-Q300 (Dash 8) aircraft has just completed its first flight, powered by magniX electric propulsion units. Universal Hydrogen flew its 40-passenger regional airliner, nicknamed Lightning McClean, using hydrogen fuel cell propulsion at Grant County International Airport (KMWH) for 15 minutes, reaching an altitude of 3,500 MSL. The flight, conducted under an FAA Special Airworthiness Certificate,...

World’s largest hydrogen fuel cell aircraft takes flight

Universal Hydrogen’s hydrogen electric DeHaviland Canada DHC8-Q300 (Dash 8) aircraft has just completed its first flight, powered by magniX electric propulsion units.

Universal Hydrogen flew its 40-passenger regional airliner, nicknamed Lightning McClean, using hydrogen fuel cell propulsion at Grant County International Airport (KMWH) for 15 minutes, reaching an altitude of 3,500 MSL. The flight, conducted under an FAA Special Airworthiness Certificate, was the first in a two-year flight test campaign expected to culminate in 2025 with entry into passenger service of ATR 72 regional aircraft converted to run on hydrogen.
Representatives from Connect Airlines and Amelia, the US and European launch customers for the hydrogen airplanes, were on hand to witness the historic flight. Universal Hydrogen has a rapidly growing order book, today totaling 247 aircraft conversions from 16 customers worldwide, totaling over $1 billion in conversions backlog and over $2 billion in fuel services over the first ten years of operation.

“Today will go down in the history books as the true start to the decarbonization of the global airline industry and we at Connect Airlines are extremely proud of the role that we, as the first US operator, will play in leading the way with Universal Hydrogen,” said John Thomas, CEO of Connect Airlines. Connect, which will begin regional turboprop service this spring, has placed a first-position US order with Universal Hydrogen to convert 75 ATR 72-600 regional airplanes to hydrogen powertrains with purchase rights for 25 additional aircraft conversions. Deliveries will start in 2025. “We have committed to being North America’s first zero-emission airline and this historic flight, taking hydrogen, which can be made with nothing but sunshine and emitting only water, is a key milestone on our journey,” continued Thomas.
“With this technology, and the improvement of government positive regulations I am confident that we can turn the tide of public sentiment and once again make aviation a shining beacon of technological optimism,” added Alain Regourd, President of Amelia.
In this first test flight, one of the airplane’s turbine engines was replaced with Universal Hydrogen’s fuel cell-electric, megawatt-class powertrain. The other remained a conventional engine for safety of flight. The flight was piloted by Alex Kroll, an experienced former U.S. Air Force test pilot and the company’s chief test pilot. “During the second circuit over the airport, we were comfortable with the performance of the hydrogen powertrain, so we were able to throttle back the fossil fuel turbine engine to demonstrate cruise principally on hydrogen power,” said Kroll. “The airplane handled beautifully, and the noise and vibrations from the fuel cell powertrain are significantly lower than from the conventional turbine engine.”
The company’s powertrain is built around Plug Power’s ProGen family of fuel cells specially modified for aviation use. One of the unique aspects of the design is that the powertrain does not use a battery—the fuel cells drive the electric motor directly—drastically reducing weight and cost. The motor, a modified magni650 electric propulsion unit, and power electronics were supplied by Everett-based magniX. Seattle-based AeroTEC assisted with engineering efforts, including design of the modified nacelle structure, aircraft systems design and integration, as well as aircraft modifications and installation of the Universal Hydrogen powertrain onto the flight test aircraft, accomplished in less than 12 months.
Related:
- Universal Hydrogen’s DHC 8-300 Receives Special Airworthiness Certificate
- Magnix Announces Hydrogen Propulsion Development
The test flight comes on the back of successful demonstrations in December 2022 of Universal Hydrogen’s modular hydrogen logistics system conducted at the company’s engineering center in Toulouse, France. “Our business model resolves the chicken-and-egg problem between hydrogen airplanes and hydrogen infrastructure by developing both in parallel and with a uniquely low-cost approach,” said Paul Eremenko, co-founder and CEO of Universal Hydrogen. “The airplanes are converted to hydrogen using an aftermarket retrofit conversion kit, tackling the existing fleet rather than developing a brand new airplane. And hydrogen fueling uses modular capsules compatible with existing freight networks and airport cargo handling equipment, making every airport in the world hydrogen-ready.”
Why it’s important: As well-put in Universal Hydrogen’s press release, “the hydrogen-powered airplane is not just a revolutionary new product; it is a symbol of hope and progress, a beacon of light in a world that desperately needs it. Today marks a new chapter in the history of aviation and the fight against climate change. Universal Hydrogen is leading the charge, and the world is taking notice.”
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