Russian startup Flyter has taken the next important step in testing the design of its 2-seater PAC 720-200. 

The Flyter PAC 720-200 is capable of carrying 440 lbs with a max range of 560 miles.

Flyter has been around since February 2018. Since then, it unveiled its concept for the PAC 720-200, a two-seater VTOL aircraft that flies like a small plane but can take off like a helicopter. Flyter’s goal is to make an aircraft that can both use airports as well as access more remote locations.

The Flyter 720-200 features a total of eight downward-facing lift propellors. Flyter states that although the it would have liked to use only four props, efficiency and thrust requirements led to the four-prop design.

In the latest test, Flyter successfully proves many of the predicted thrust and efficiency calculations. The design itself is unique in that propellors sit under the wing rather than on top of it, and the test proved the functionality of this concept. While many eVTOL prototypes (such as the Boeing PAV) use only upward facing propellors and others use a combination of upward and downward facing propellors, Flyter is one of the only companies to use solely downward facing propellors.

Watch the company’s full description of the flight test below:

Flyter is also one of the only eVTOL developers in Russia, and is proceeding with testing on schedule. The company begun taking investors in April of this year. Rather than targeting an urban air taxi market, Flyter’s strategy is to provide a vehicle that can access remote locations of Russia. The company will make both a passenger and autonomous cargo version of the PAC 720-200, and intends to use hybrid power for maximum range.

For more about Flyter, visit its website here.

Why it’s important: Since Flyter is one of the only eVTOL developers in Russia, it has a good chance of being first to capture VTOL flight demand there. Through its latest round successful of testing, Flyter sets a precedent for future progress, securing itself as a technology leader in Russia. Flyter’s next steps will involve continuous testing and eventual prototyping and certification.

Famous for creating a civilian version of the Osprey V-22, Leonardo S.p.A recently unveiled a new kind of heliport designed for urban aerial mobility.

Leonardo’s new rotorcraft terminal will support the development of a network of point-to-point connections for both urban transfers and connections between cities.

At the Dubai Air Show earlier this week, Leonardo, in collaboration with Falcon Aviation Services, released its concept for a ‘rotorcraft dedicated’ terminal. According to Leonardo, the new terminal initiative is meant “meet the growing demands for sustainable and modern vertical lift mobility.” and enable “greater access to urban areas.”

Built specifically for VTOL aircraft, the terminal concept combines a helipad, lounge, and show room into a single heliport, built to be placed in densely populated urban areas. Leonardo envisions that the terminal will support both point-to-point travel within cities as well as connections between them. The terminal is made of recyclable materials, and can even be moved between urban locations according to flight demands.

Alongside this new vision for urban air transport infrastructure, Leonardo is developing the AW609, a pressurized, passenger version of the existing military Osprey V-22. Once completed, the AW609 will be the world’s fastest commercial rotorcraft. Leonardo is currently working with the FAA on certification, and expects to be able to begin commercial flights in 2020.

The Leonardo AW609 passenger tilt-rotor aircraft. The AW609 is pressurized, and fitted with a luxury interior.

Why it’s important: Although Leonardo’s concept terminal is not the first ‘Vertiport’ imagined, it may be one of the first in commercial use. Unlike existing concepts, which are specifically designed for new eVTOLs, the Leonardo/Falcon Aviation terminal will support all types of vertical lift aircraft. This means that it will soon commence service for helicopter flights, providing an excellent proving ground for future aircraft.

Sources // Leonardo

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In partnership with Vanquish motor yachts and ILand Miami water landing vessels, BLADE Urban Air Mobility will enable passengers to fly directly to Miami Beach Hotels.

In an exciting new service release, BLADE Urban Air Mobility will allow customers to skip over major traffic jams to major Miami Beach hotels through its newest on-water helistop, available through March.

The newest water-port will enable passengers on BLADE helicopters to fly directly from local airports like to off-shore their hotels, potentially saving them hours sitting in traffic caused by upcoming events like the Super Bowl, Art Basel, and the Miami Open. The Super Bowl in particular has been known to cause major gridlock, with 150,000 non-residents arriving in Atlanta for last year’s game. Cities have often been forced to redesign entire public transportation systems for these occasions.

Once passengers land after a short flight from Miami International, Palm Beach Airport, or Ft Lauderdale, a powerful Vanquish yacht will take them to the dock of their hotel. The entire trip from airport to hotel, including the yacht transfer, will take only 15 minutes.

An ILand Miami water landing vessel (left) and a Vanquish motor yacht (right)

The Airport to yacht to hotel trip, which takes less than 15 minutes.

This newest service by BLADE represents its commitment to the Urban Air Mobility vision. Through new technology and excellent logistics management, BLADE is making urban transportation a speedy pleasure rather than a lengthy ordeal, and has its eyes set on the future of incorporating eVTOL aircraft. Earlier this year, BLADE rebranded to focus more directly on Urban Air Mobility, making it one of the very first UAM companies in commercial operation. BLADE also operates in New York and surrounding areas, as well as cities on the West Coast such as Las Vegas and most recently Los Angeles and nearby destinations.

Read more of the latest news from BLADE here.

Why it’s important: BLADE is one of the first companies in the world to successfully operate an on-demand urban air mobility service. With the business model in successful operation, BLADE can simply integrate new eVTOL vehicles to create the full on-demand UAM network imagined by Uber Elevate and many other new air taxi companies. BLADE’s new offering in Miami further proves its capability of providing rapid and convenient point to point travel.

Sources // The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, BLADE Urban Air Mobility

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Through a partnership with MagniX, Habour Air is about to become the world’s first all-electric airline. 

In March of 2019, the world’s largest seaplane operator, Habour Air, announced its intention to become world’s first completely electric airline. Together with MagniX, an aviation electric motor developer, Harbour plans to convert its entire fleet of 53 airplanes into electric aircraft by 2022.

Late last week, Habour Air announced that the first prototype of its 750 horsepower electric seaplane will be ready for its first test flight in December. Under assembly in a 1930s-era hangar at Vancouver International Airport’s South Terminal, Harbour’s first e-plane is a De Havilland DHC-2 Beaver prototype painted in electric green and indigo blue.

The latest prototype of the Habour Air’s e-plane comes in strong at 750hp following successful MagniX 350hp electric motor tests on a Cessna Caravan. The newest engine to be featured in the upcoming prototype is the magni500 with 540kW output, and is being installed in a 60-year-old De Havilland DHC-2 Beaver bush plane that originally had a radial engine.

Harbour Air was founded in 1982, and has since become a signature mode of transportation for residents in Vancouver, Seattle, Whistler and more, carrying 500,000 passengers a year for a total of over 30,000 annual flights. For years Harbour Air has focused on eco-friendliness, making itself one of the top completely carbon-neutral airlines in North America.

Said Greg McDougell, founder and CEO of Habour Air:

“Through our commitment to making a positive impact on people’s lives, the communities where we operate and the environment, we are once again pushing the boundaries of aviation by becoming the first aircraft to be powered by electric propulsion.”

Rush hour at Harbour Air’s Fraser River runway, adjacent to Vancouver International Airport’s South Terminal.

CEO of MagniX Roei Ganzarski hopes that his company will be able to cause disruptions throughout the regional airline industry by allowing for cleaner, more reliable, and more cost-effective means of flight. So far, the company has developed two types of output motors, as well as begun to make connections with other electric regional aircraft companies such as Eviation. Said Ganzarski:

“This is about building a generational business that will have a positive impact on society. We want to be able to tell our grandkids that they’re all flying on clean, low-cost aircraft because of what we did in 2018 and 2019.”

A MagniX Electric Motor installed on a Cessna-class plane.

Why it’s important: Although converting to a completely electric fleet as early as 2022 may seem like a lofty goal, the test flight of Habour Air’s first electric plane is coming up right on schedule. With continued success, MagniX will make a name for itself in the aviation electric motor industry, eventually possibly expanding into UAM aircraft as well.

Sources // Bloomberg, AvWeb

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Just six months after unveiling the latest version of its prototype, Munich based air taxi company Lilium has released footage of its five-passenger jet making the transition from vertical to horizontal flight:

The Lilium jet can seat 5 passengers, fly at 186mph, is all-electric, and  has a range of nearly 200 miles. Lilium plans to build not just the aircraft itself, but an entire urban and regional air mobility system in Europe that will allow people to fly anywhere at the tap of a button.

Lilium has been working on its jet air taxi since 2015, and flew the first two-seater prototype in 2017. Since then, the company has gained great prestige by hiring former executives from Gett, Tesla, Airbus, Audi, BMW, and Rolls Royce Aerospace. Lilium has established its software engineering headquarters in London, and is currently seeking to raise an additional $500 million.

The latest prototype, which exhibited speeds of over 100km/h earlier this week, features a total of 36 ducted funs, which are built into the wing itself. During vertical take-off, these point straight down, and then tilt slowly upward to become flush with the wing and provide horizontal thrust as in a tradition airplane. Because these small motors are electric, they feature some of the best power-to-weight ratios in the entire aviation industry, with a total of 2000 horsepower available.

The Lilium Jet’s tilting fans

“The Lilium Jet continues to meet our expectations, delivering excellent in-flight performance and remarkably smooth transition from vertical to horizontal flight. ”         –Leandro Bigarella, Head of Flight Testing. 

This test marks the completion of the Lilium Jet’s first phase of testing, which has consisted of over 100 ground and air tests. The company will now move into the next stage of testing where the aircraft will endure higher speed operations and eventually attain certification.

“It’s been thrilling to watch the Lilium Jet progress so rapidly and to see our first flying taxi manufacturing facility. We are taking tangible and concrete steps towards making our vision of regional air mobility a reality and we’re doing it on time.” –Daniel Wiegand, co-founder and CEO

With this latest announcement, Lilium has also announced the completion of its first large-scale manufacturing facility, which is 3000 square feet. It has also begun construction of a much larger facility, and hired Yves Yemsi, former Head of Program Quality for the Airbus A350, as Chief Program Officer.

Lilium plans to launch commercial services in multiple cities around the world by 2025. To learn more about the Jet and its mission, visit the Lilium website.

Why it’s important: Many industry experts have named the transition from vertical to horizontal flight as one of the greatest engineering challenges in VTOL design. Lilium has now overcome this important barrier, marking its jet as one of the highest-performing eVTOL prototypes in the industry. With this latest announcement, Lilium continues to make timely progress toward its planned 2025 commercial launch.

On October 28th through 30th in Las Vegas, Nevada, industry experts and stakeholders throughout the UAV industry will meet and gather to push the industry forward. 

The 5^th Annual Commercial UAV Expo, October 28-30 in Las Vegas, has become the industry’s biggest gathering where attendees can see the latest innovations and applications of commercial drone technology and a glimpse into the future of Urban Air Mobility (UAM). In addition to 190 of the world’s top UAS vendors along with 2,500+ attendees from 60 nations, keynoters include Jim Bridenstine, NASA Administrator and Bala Ganesh, VP Advanced Technology Group at UPS who will discuss urban air mobility and package delivery. Speakers from Uber, Urban Air Mobility News and many UAS CEOs will highlight the sessions. Live Outdoor Flying Demonstrations, Workshops and Demo Room presentations are set to provide attendees with a real sense of how the present and future of the UAS industry is taking shape, both in the Americas and globally. 

The Expo is one of the largest in the world for commercial UAV applications. Among the attendees are exhibitors and stakeholders of construction, energy & utilities, forestry & agriculture, infrastructure & transportation, public safety & emergency services, security, surveying & mapping, and more. Read the full list of exhibitors here.

As part of the conference, UAV industry experts will share key insights into the issues asset owners face when implementing unmanned aerial systems, including systems selection and integration; developing enterprise workflows, guidelines and policies; data management and integration; and legal, safety and regulatory considerations. Plenary sessions and panels cover topics of interest to all end-users regardless of industry, while breakout sessions focus on UAV technology, applications and opportunities in the various UAS applicable markets.

Anyone who is interested in furthering the UAV industry or already has a company invested in UAV technology will have an opportunity to collaborate and meet with experts from all areas of the field. The Expo is free to attendees who register by October 27. Register for the conference here.

Why it’s important: The Commercial UAV expo represents one of the world’s largest gatherings of UAV industry experts and proponent companies. While larger vehicles are in development, the emergence of UAV technology for commercial applications sets the groundwork for for urban aerial mobility, putting the beginnings of this technology to the test and showing its potential.

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Sources: Commercial UAV Expo Las Vegas

New Images and information about  the Zeva Zero, a flying-saucer shaped  eVTOL, have been released. 

The Zeva Zero has been in development since the company’s founding in 2018. Unlike many eVTOLs, it features a disc-like structure, and is designed for a single passenger. When it transitions to horizontal flight, the entire body of the Zeva Zero tilts with its rotors, and the fuselage itself is used for lift:

How the Zeva Zero will transition from vertical to horizontal flight.

Along with these latest images of the Zeva Zero under construction, the team has also released more details on how the personal aircraft will work. Specifically, the team highlights how its design will enable stable flight for passengers, describes how the aircraft’s body will create lift, and clarifies its aim at the ‘solo commuter’ market segment. Unlike many other companies, Zeva is making its aircraft for private ownership, giving riders access to direct point-to-point transport.

The Zeva team is right on schedule, having announced the future release of its prototype this week as early as August 2018. Zeva is participating in the Boeing GoFly personal flight competition, which challenges teams to build functional prototypes for flight demonstrations in early 2020. Notably, Boeing GoFly is offering $2 million in prizes to teams that can create a ““safe, quiet, ultra-compact, near-VTOL personal flying device capable of flying 20 miles while carrying a single person”.

The Zeva team completed its first small scale prototype in January of this year:

Why it’s important: The Zeva Zero is one of the only eVTOLs in development that’s designed for private ownership rather than a shared air taxi service. It’s disc-like design is also extremely unique; making it one of the only eVTOLs that uses its body to create lift. These design choices may help Zeva carve out an important segment of the growing industry.

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