Pipistrel, the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) of multiple commercially-available electric aircraft, has now launched a maintenance school exclusively for electric aircraft.

Pipistrel conducts its first electric aircraft maintenance training session.

Pipistrel has been creating electric aircraft for several years already. In fact, they are a market leader for electric aircraft, having already broken world records for distance and performance. In addition to producing all-electric trainer and recreational aircraft, the company has certified its aviation electric motor, worked on developing electric aviation charging infrastructure, partnered with Uber Elevate for its air taxi project, and even begun taking orders for its Nuuva V300 cargo eVTOL.

Now, Pipistrel has further extended its reach into the electric aviation industry by founding the world’s first school for electric aircraft maintenance. The course is five days long, and designed for traditional aircraft mechanics who wish to expand their expertise. Pipistrel’s goal with this program is to train technicians who can then bring their knowledge to other parts of the world where electric aircraft like the Pipistrel Velis Electro and electric VTOL aircraft may soon become more common.

Students in Pipistrel’s new program learn to work on an electric motor.

Pipistrel said in a press release, “Organizing a seminar of this kind is a great achievement and honor for Pipistrel. The road to this point was very long and required cooperation of many individuals and institutions.” The company has already conducted two courses with a third slated for February.

Why it’s important: As electric aircraft become more prevalent, and the age of urban eVTOL aircraft begins to emerge, experts in maintaining and repairing electric air vehicles and their components will become increasingly valuable and sought after. By launching this school now, Pipistrel will put itself ahead of the game for providing electric aircraft maintenance expertise and training.

Source // AVWeb

EHang Holdings Limited (Nasdaq: EH) , a leading autonomous aerial vehicle (“AAV”) technology platform company, has announced strategic partnerships with Zhuhai Da Heng Qin Pan-Tourism Development Co., Ltd., Zhuhai Huafa Sports Operations Management Co., Ltd. and Flying World (Zhuhai) Technology Co., Ltd. to jointly initiate Urban Air Mobility (“UAM”) operations for aerial sightseeing and other air mobility services in the Hengqin New Area, the largest island and a Free Trade Zone in southeast Zhuhai in Guangdong Province of China. By establishing AAV experience centers and a suite of supporting service systems, EHang seeks to integrate its AAVs into the daily life of the local population.

The EHang 216 passenger AAV (Autonomous Aerial Vehicle)

During a signing ceremony held on January 8, a fleet of EHang 216 AAVs made passenger-carrying flights in Tianqin Park in Hengqin. The flights were observed by local government officials, enterprise representatives, media outlets, and local residents. A total of 36 passengers flew in the autonomous EHang 216, enjoying safe and comfortable aerial sightseeing trips. Through this event, EHang fully demonstrated its cutting-edge technology for the centralized management of multiple simultaneous flights of AAVs in distributed operations under command-and-control systems.

Li Weihui, Deputy Secretary of the Hengqin New Area, said, “We warmly welcome the arrival of EHang passenger-grade AAVs to Hengqin. We believe this new style of intelligent air mobility will have more and better uses and will flourish in our beautiful Hengqin.”

Resting on the west bank of the Pearl River estuary, the Hengqin New Area is regarded as the core of Pearl River Delta and boasts a unique geographical location adjacent to Hong Kong and Macau. With an advantageous geographical location, pleasant natural scenery, and rich tourism resources, it boasts favorable conditions and market demand for the development of short- and medium-haul urban air transportation. According to the Outline of the Development Plan for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and the Overall Development Plan of Hengqin issued by the State Council of the People’s Republic of China, Hengqin will become a demonstration area for in-depth cooperation among Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao and an international leisure and tourism destination suitable for living, working and travel, accelerating the integrated development of tourism in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

Lu Ting, CEO of Flying World (Zhuhai) Technology Co., Ltd., commented, “We are excited to cooperate with EHang and other strategic partners. By leveraging EHang’s world’s leading AAV technology and strong support from local government, we see promising market development potential and are confident that we can integrate air mobility services into the leisure and tourism industry in Hengqin. We believe this effort can gradually expand across the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area to form synergistic operations and development.”

Watch the video of EHang 216 AAVs conducting passenger-carrying flights in Hengqin below:

Why it’s important: With this announcement, EHang furthers its trend as a trailblazer for aerial mobility initiatives in China and internationally. While EHang’s eventual goal is for these aircraft to be used for commuting, tourism represents a very high-potential immediate use case for these aircraft, since they are more economical, less impactful on the environment, and much quieter than helicopters, which currently service the tourism segment. Additionally, Hengqin is being added to a list of many cities in which EHang has already launched operations, helping them lay the groundwork for their vision of urban air transport throughout China and internationally.

Related: 

• EHang Launches Aerial Tourism Program with Greenland Hong Kong
• Linz, Austria to be added to List of EHang’s Pilot Cities
• EHang 216 Makes its Korean Debut

Source // EHang

BLADE Urban Air Mobility and fixed base operator Ross Aviation have entered into a strategic partnership to further the roll-out of urban air mobility services in certain areas. These regions will include areas where Ross Aviation and Blade operations overlap.

Passengers disembark a BLADE helicopter arriving in Manhattan

BLADE is a market leader in modern urban air mobility, having already created a large network of on-demand, by-the seat helicopter transportation options within many of the world’s major cities. By partnering with Ross Aviation, a nationwide operator of fixed base operation terminals at seventeen different airports, BLADE will launch a pilot program offering daily helicopter flights between Ross Aviation’s West Terminal at the Westchester County Airport and Blade heliport terminals in Manhattan to serve commuters from the Westchester/Connecticut area.

In addition, the two companies will create blueprints for an eVTOL vertiport located at the Westchester airport, as BLADE eventually plans to phase out its helicopter fleet in favor of eVTOL aircraft. The plans will include the infrastructure required to hangar, charge, stage and deploy eVTOLs.

Vision of an urban eVTOL Vertiport, created by Volocopter

According to Rob Wiesenthal, CEO of BLADE: “Even with the expected increase of remote working post-pandemic, we believe that intermittent commuting of one to two times per week between the suburbs and New York City will be a reality. Congestion on tri-state area roads is now estimated at 90% of pre-pandemic levels. Given the combination of being near Uber Black pricing at $175, and the time savings of an approximately 12-minute flight, this service makes sense today and over the long term.”

A passenger on a BLADE Urban Air Mobility flight

A recent press release detailed the companies’ plan to launch a pilot program offering daily helicopter flights between Ross Aviation’s West Terminal at the Westchester County Airport (the “Airport”) and Blade heliport terminals in Manhattan. “In 2019 alone, these commuters took more than 40 million trips commuting to and from New York City, the majority driving alone in a car for 1-2 hours in each direction.
Blade expects the five-day-per-week service to begin as early as March 2021, transforming that 1-2 hour drive into a 10-15 minute flight.” Blade also has plans to offer commuter passes in an effort to reduce the per seat cost to $95.

Why it’s important: The collaboration of these two companies represents the beginning of the transition from traditional urban travel to the advent of eVTOL. Through this partnership, BLADE will utilize Ross Aviation’s operator expertise to first introduce its helicopter fleet to commuting, and then eventually, its eVTOL fleet.

Related: 

• BLADE Urban Air Mobility To be Listed on NASDAQ
• BLADE Announces Charters at Operating Cost for those affected by COVID-19

Together, the Japan Aerospace Exploratory Agency (JAXA) and major Japanese transportation company Yamato Holdings have created a standardized cargo pod to be used on eVTOL platforms within Japan. The two organizations have worked together in designing and evaluating the aerodynamic shape of the pod concept, which they have named the PUPA8801.

The Yamato Holdings Cargo Pod, shown here with modules being loaded onto a truck from an eVTOL.

The PUPA8801 is capable of carrying up to 400 kilograms (880 pounds) of cargo, which would make any multi-copter to carry it extremely competitive in the growing aerial logistics market. JAXA and Yamato created the pod to be as useful for intermodal travel as possible, which meant the unit had to be both aerodynamic for flight, and as rectangular as possible for efficiency of storage on a truck or other ground-based transportation. In addition, the unit had to be easily detachable and attachable to a wide variety of transportation options. For this, JAXA and Yamato took inspiration from years of experience in the existing intermodal transportation industry.

The PUPA8801 Cargo Pod had to be both aerodynamic for flight, and as rectangular as possible for storage on ground-based transportation.

This partnership is by no means JAXA or Japan’s first effort to promote aerial mobility. As early as 2018, Japan has been forming key partnerships, creating government summits, and writing important reports to help lay the groundwork for aerial mobility in the country’s future. Several major international companies have also either invested in aerial mobility in Japan or collaborated with the Japanese government, such as Uber, Subaru, Boeing, Bell, Volocopter, and more.

Why it’s important: Aerial mobility in Japan will eventually transition from small UAS package delivery to larger cargo delivery, and then from there to multi-copter passenger operations. By creating this cargo pod concept and many other aerial mobility initiatives, Japan indicates both its understanding of the industry, and its commitment to developing its future. Additionally, with this announcement, Yamato Holdings has begun to make a name for itself within aerial logistics, placing itself as a market provider for an important component of large UAS cargo delivery.

Related: 

• Flying Cars to come to Japan Within a Decade
• Japan’s Flying Car Team now includes Subaru, Boeing, and More
• XTI Aircraft Receives Japanese Patent for TriFan 600 eVTOL

Source // JAXA

Elroy Air, the developer of a fixed wing, fully autonomous, cargo VTOL has been awarded a Phase 3 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract from the U.S. Air Force. The contract was awarded by Agility Prime, a branch of the U.S Air Force dedicated to developing eVTOL technology for both military and civilian use.

Financial and flight testing assistance from Agility Prime has proved vital for many of the top aircraft in development in the aerial mobility market, most recently including Joby Aviation, which has now received an airworthiness certification through Agility Prime. The organization has given companies like Joby Aviation and Elroy Air direct and indirect funding, access to testing facilities and programs, and has allowed them to begin operations of their aircraft within the military, which will help them prove out their technology for commercial use.

Elroy Air’s advanced eVTOL delivery technology has been in development for several years, and is aimed at delivering cargo to locations that are difficult to access by other means. Use applications include tactical delivery missions, disaster relief, and humanitarian aid. The aircraft can carry up to 500 pounds of cargo, travel up to 300 nautical miles on a charge, and can be remotely or autonomously piloted.

Elroy Air CEO David Merrill poses with the Elroy Chaparral Aircraft

Said David Merrill, CEO of Elroy Air, “We are enthusiastic to expand our existing partnership with the US Air Force. The Agility Prime program has a mandate to field a substantial fleet of electric and hybrid-electric VTOL aircraft systems in the next three years, to address operational situations that are challenging with today’s aircraft. Elroy Air’s Chaparral will enable a new concept of operations (CONOPS) for flying cargo and observation equipment in difficult-to-access areas. These systems will make ultra-responsive logistics possible, transforming the capabilities of the supply chain for the Air Force’s defense and humanitarian aid missions.

Why it’s important: With this announcement, Agility Prime further displays its commitment to enabling a wide range of electric VTOL and distributed electric propulsion solutions. Further backing from the U.S Air Force will help Elroy Air and other VTOL companies attain more use cases, become even more legitimate, and bring their flight technologies to commercial applications even sooner. Also working with Agility Prime is Beta Technologies and Joby Aviation.

The mission of Iris Automation is to make flying safer by creating automated collision avoidance technologies. So far, the company has created these ‘Detect and Avoid’ (DAA) systems using lightweight cameras and processing systems for part 107 drone operators to allow them to fly more safely beyond the line of sight. In the future, this technology may enable safe flight for many kinds of urban aircraft in highly trafficked airspace.

Visualization of the capabilities of Iris Automation’s Detect and Avoid system

On December 15th, Iris Automation announced that it has now raised a total of $13 million in its Series B venture capital funding. The funding includes follow-on investment by Bessemer Venture Partners, Bee Partners, OCA Ventures, and new investors Sony Innovation Fund and Verizon Ventures. Said Jon Damush, CEO of Iris: “We are incredibly excited about this show of support from our current and new investors, particularly during this unprecedented global pandemic. We have always known that our approach to the problem solves a critical missing link for unpiloted systems, and plan to deploy this capital to further expand our capabilities and improve safety for unpiloted systems as global regulators work to integrate UAS into existing airspaces. The investment clearly illustrates investor confidence in growth of the sector and specifically Iris’ role in the ecosystem.”

Casia’s current attachable detect and avoid system for part 107 drone operations

This announcement comes at a very opportune time, as regulators in congress recently acknowledged DAA technologies as essential to safely integrating unmanned aerial systems into National Airspace (within the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021). With the investment, Iris plans on expanding machine learning and AI capabilities, improving detection and classification capabilities for a wider range of environments and situations, and building out fulfillment capabilities to produce, deliver and support the growing installed base of aircraft OEM partners and end use customers.

Why it’s important: Automated Detect and Avoid (DAA) technologies represent an essential part of the future for safely operating VTOL and all kinds of aircraft within dense urban airspace. While intelligent algorithms will exist that will help direct and manage air traffic, DAA will add an extra layer of necessary protection that will even further improve aircraft safety. With this latest set of investments, Iris Automation places itself even further ahead in the market for creating and producing effective versions of this technology.

Related:

• How Iris Automation’s DAA Tech Could Make Aerial Mobility Safer
• Iris Automation Showcases BVLOS Tech to City of Reno

Source // Iris Automation

BLADE Urban Air Mobility, a modern by-the-seat helicopter mobility company, has officially announced that its stock will soon be added to the NASDAQ for public trading. Blade expects this transaction to provide $400 million in gross proceeds, with trading starting in early 2021.

Passengers board a BLADE urban flight in Los Angeles. BLADE in Los Angeles allows for direct-to-destination airport transfers and more.

BLADE Urban Air Mobility is a pioneer in technology-enabled air mobility, providing affordable, on-demand, by-the-seat helicopter flights in urban areas, as well as other services. Recently, recognizing the global growth trend in urban air mobility, the company doubled down on its investment in urban air mobility technologies by creating its own urban air mobility initiative. This initiative will use Blade’s infrastructure, fleet, passenger, and route management protocols and assets to lay the groundwork for the air mobility demand that will be created by eVTOL technologies, with BLADE eventually planning to transition to eVTOL itself. BLADE notes that the urban air mobility industry is expected to be a $125 billion market by 2025 and grow to $650 billion over the next decade.

A BLADE helicopter disembarks in NYC

According to BLADE, funds from the NASDAQ raise will enable the company to expand new urban air mobility routes, its network of captive passenger infrastructure, as well as its consumer-to-cockpit technology stack, “accelerating its transition from use of conventional aircraft to eVTOL aircraft”. The company has already developed exclusive passenger terminal infrastructure in key markets, providing a
competitive advantage in locations that are geographically constrained from adding additional heliports, as well as received $38 million from Airbus and real estate company Colony Northstar to begin building additional Vertiport Infrastructure.

Why it’s important: These new funds will allow BLADE to further lay the groundwork for the massive increase in demand for urban air travel that will be brought on by eVTOL. Once eVTOL aircraft become certified for commercial passenger flight, BLADE will already be a major market leader in fleet and passenger management, infrastructure development and more, having already offered technology-enabled on-demand flights for several years.

After recently coming out of stealth mode, Santa-Cruz based Joby Aviation has purchased Uber Elevate (Uber’s air taxi hailing initiative), and received airworthiness certification from the U.S military, all in just one week of announcements.

Joby Aviation’s full-scale production-ready prototype in flight

For years, Joby Aviation existed on the eVTOL market, but little news was released on the eVTOL aircraft and its creator company. Then in January of this year, Joby announced $590 million in funding, partly from Toyota Corp. Now, the company has raised almost $1 Billion, and has made industry history by becoming the first company to receive air worthiness certification from the U.S military. Although the air worthiness certificate from the military is not certification to carry civilians or cargo commercially, it gives a significant stamp of safety approval on the aircraft, and may fast track its journey to certification by the FAA. With this certificate, the Joby Aviation eVTOL can now provide transportation of both personal and cargo for the U.S armed forces. This will give Joby the opportunity to further prove the safety and functionality of its electric aircraft, and make any necessary improvements before receiving FAA certification. The certification was mainly pushed by Agility Prime, a branch of the U.S air force that has been collaborating with partners in the eVTOL industry to help enable this new flight technology for the United States both for commercial and military applications.

In a landslide move, Joby Aviation has also acquired Uber Elevate, which is Uber’s initiative to make a network of on-demand air taxi transportation in major cities throughout the globe. Under the terms of the agreement, Uber as a company will remain a part of the partnership and the final overall product. What has been transferred to Joby is the groundwork Uber has laid to create air taxi networks in cities like Melbourne in Australia, and Dallas and Los Angeles in the United States. The end product will integrate both Uber’s ground transportation app and Joby’s air transportation app to provide a seamless travel experience for passengers. To grow this partnership, Uber has invested an additional $75 million in Joby Aviation, as well as a previously undisclosed $50 million made in January.

Why it’s important: While Joby Aviation remained secretive for much of its existence, the company is now leading the market for eVTOL aircraft in the United States. Uber Elevate was the world’s largest focused effort to make eVTOL available commercially, bringing together stakeholders in local and state governments, and real estate and technology companies around the world. With these resources now available to Joby, its path to market will be significantly expedited. Additionally, airworthiness certification from the U.S military will give Joby access to both direct and indirect funding, allow it to even more greatly prove safety during service for military operations, and help it bridge the gap into FAA certification for commercial operations. With these moves, Joby places itself at the front of the market for eVTOL within the U.S, and among the top companies in the world globally.

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

Airflow, a company founded by the former developers of the Airbus Vahana project, is creating an hybrid-electric, short take-off and landing (STOL) cargo aircraft for medium-distance cargo transport. According to Airflow’s founders, the idea behind the eSTOL is to solve the need for cost-efficient, high-speed, middle mile transportation, without the need for increased airport infrastructure. For example, the eSTOL could provide transport directly between e-commerce warehouses on the outskirts of major cities.

To create this aircraft, which will use innovative distributed electric propulsion, Airflow has partnered with VerdeGo Aero. Founded by grandson of famous aviator Charles Lindbergh, VerdeGo Aero is one of the only companies providing IDEP (integrated distributed electric propulsion) solutions to new aircraft developers. VerdeGo has been gaining momentum in the IDEP industry, having partnered with Seyer Industries, Continental Aerospace, and XTI Aircraft for its new cargo VTOL. The company also recently ramped up its development process by optimizing its Hybrid Electric powertrain and propulsion system for production and commercial use.

While the Airflow eSTOL is not a VTOL aircraft, it seeks to solve many of the same cargo transport infrastructure problems that VTOL might, using the same innovative electric propulsion technology to limit infrastu. Airflow believes that by integrating middle-mile air transportation directly into warehouses, companies can move goods around much faster without major infrastructure development or operational costs. The below photo shows how warehouses might integrate an eSTOL directly into their rooftops:

How warehouses rooftops could integrate with Airflow eSTOL operations

VerdeGo Aero’s diesel (Jet-A) hybrid system combines a 180KW generator with a high-power battery pack that reduces emissions and fuel burn by 35% compared to conventional turbine powertrains. Integrating VerdeGo’s hybrid-electric powertrain to the eSTOL platform enhances the aircraft’s mission capabilities by extending range to four to ten times that of a battery-electric system.

Said Marc Ausman, CEO of Airflow: “Our ability to rapidly move cargo from a warehouse directly to another warehouse helps e-commerce companies centralize inventory and reduce carrying costs. These capabilities are made possible by continued strategic partnerships like VerdeGo Aero”

Why it’s important: Like VTOL aircraft, the Airflow eSTOL will enable air travel directly between destinations, allowing companies to more efficiently and more quickly transport goods. Distributed hybrid-electric propulsion will make this technology possible for eSTOL as well as eVTOL, and by forming partnerships with Airflow as well as other key companies, VerdeGo begins to show mastery of the emerging market for this key technology.

Australian startup Airspeeder has been working on building an eVTOL ‘flying race car’ for several years. Now, after gaining many rounds of funding, several partnerships, and constructing multiple prototypes, the company is nearing completion of its full-scale air racer.

The completed ‘Alauda MK4’ will be a single-seater, lightweight, manned racing aircraft capable of flying at speeds up to 130km/h (80mph), up to 12 minutes per swappable battery. Airspeeder’s goal is to build momentum for the world of eVTOL by creating a high-speed racing grand prix series with its aircraft. Alauda MK4s will be equipped with Acronis cybersecurity software, which will allow for near-field head to head racing while preventing collisions.

In its latest developments, Airspeeder has hired Aaron Mourney, a new workshop technician, and Mitch Bannink as Chief Remote Pilot. The hiring of Bannink is particularly significant, as it indicates that Airspeeder is reaching the flight testing stage for the MK4. Airspeeder has already picked locations for its first air races, hoping to begin races as early as next year, and has even begun to seek out pilots to participate from backgrounds in military, civil UAV, motorsports and even E-Sports.

Airspeeder’s MK4 racer in the hangar

Why it’s important: Airspeeder is calling its MK4 aircraft the ‘Formula 1 of the skies’; as the intention of the air race series is push forward the industry of sustainable electric flight. The ultimate goal of Airspeeder is to make ‘flying cars’ a reality sooner rather than later, through the medium of motorsport, just as auto motorsport encouraged the development of affordable and accessible auto transport.

XTI Aircraft, famous for developing the XTI TriFan 600 VTOL passenger aircraft, is now creating a smaller, logistics & cargo version of its aircraft using VerdeGo Aero’s propulsion solutions.

Although both companies were originally developing their own eVTOL aircraft, VerdeGo transitioned to becoming a provider of IDEP (integrated distributed electric propulsion) systems in September of 2018. Since then, VerdeGo has become a prominent leader in providing electric and hybrid-electric propulsion systems for new kinds of VTOL aircraft, and has formed partnerships with major industry players such as Seyer Industries and Continental Aerospace. Most recently, VerdeGo tested a production-ready version of its hybrid-electric powertrain, and optimized its diesel-hybrid generator for commercial applications.

VerdeGo’s partnership with XTI may be its most important yet. For several years, XTI has been working to develop the XTI TriFan 600, a passenger hybrid-electric VTOL with impressive passenger capacity and speed and range performance statistics. Now, XTI has chosen to extend its offerings by adding a smaller, autonomous, cargo & logistics aircraft called the TriFan 200. This may be a very wise move for the company as it will help their flight technology reach more market segments and applications. The TriFan 200 will be powered by VerdeGo’s diesel (Jet-A) hybrid-electric powertrain.

The XTI 200 cargo & logistics aircraft, interior and exterior. The aircraft will use VerdeGo’s diesel (Jet-A) hybrid-electric powertrain (left).

According to a recent press release by VerdeGo, XTI and VerdeGo’s collaboration on the TriFan 200 will lead to outstanding operational flexibility, operating economics, and mission capability. When the program reaches commercial development and certification, the TriFan 200 aircraft will be an unmanned autonomous aircraft capable of transporting 500 lbs of cargo on missions of more than 200 nautical miles. Said Robert Labelle, CEO of XTI, “The TriFan 200 aircraft will open up a significant new market for XTI to address the needs of cargo and logistics operators globally. We are excited to be partnered with VerdeGo to leverage their experience with hybrid powertrains combined with our experience from the TriFan 600
program to create an efficient, economical, profitable VTOL aircraft for fleet operators
worldwide.”

Rendering of the XTI TriFan 200 pre-flight

Why it’s important: As the era of electric and hybrid-electric VTOL aircraft inches closer to reality, it’s becoming apparent that initial use cases (especially for autonomy) will often be for cargo and logistics missions. The XTI TriFan 200 will fit this market need perfectly, allowing companies to move cargo far more quickly and efficiently than ever before. Specifically, the TriFan 200 will rapidly connect global air cargo hubs with distribution points throughout major cities, reducing the need for ground transportation of urgent deliveries. With this partnership, XTI furthers its market offerings, and VerdeGo Aero proves its capability to provide effective propulsion systems.

Bye Aerospace, a growing developer and manufacturer of all-electric aircraft, has partnered with aviation propulsion expert Safran to power its eFlyer2 and eFlyer4 aircraft. The eFlyer2 is an advanced, all-electric trainer aircraft that has already been in the skies quite often for extensive flight testing. A $5,000 deposit is required to pre-order the aircraft, and 711 of these purchase deposits have already been made. According to Bye Aerospace, the purpose of the eFlyer is to create an environmentally sustainable aircraft for flight training and recreational purposes.

Bye Aerospace’s ‘eFlyer2’ all-electric trainer aircraft. Photo: Bye Aerospace

Safran, a global leader in aviation propulsion technologies, has spent much of the past few years preparing both for growing eVTOL markets and for electric propulsion in general aviation aircraft. The company has already established several partnerships for electric propulsion, including with electric aircraft developers Zunum Aero, VoltAero, Bell, and even Boeing. With these partnerships, Safran has created development efforts for eVTOL and for traditional aircraft electric propulsion, as well as created its own electric motor specifically for eVTOL.

According to Safran, its ENGINeUS ^TM product line includes a broad range of electric motors with power outputs from single digit to 500 kW. The ENGINeUS ^TM 100, which will equip eFlyer 2 & eFlyer 4, has particularly high performance and features a fully integrated motor controller within the motor package. The thermal management is provided by an optimized air-cooling system, jointly integrated by Safran & Bye Aerospace into the aircraft structure. Said George E. Bye, CEO of Bye Aerospace, “Bye Aerospace has concluded that Safran’s ENGINeUS ^TM 100 smart electric motor is the optimal production solution to meet the requirements of our rigorous FAA and EASA certification schedules for eFlyer 2 and eFlyer 4…We must continue forward at a high-tempo pace to meet the demands of aviation enthusiasts worldwide who have been waiting years for all-electric airplanes to come to market.”

Why it’s important: Companies like Bye Aerospace are expanding the envelope for what kind of performance specifications are possible using all-electric motors. By creating electric systems for traditional fixed wing aircraft, Bye Aerospace is getting electric flight tech in the air sooner rather than later, which will help pave the way for future applications for electric propulsion in new eVTOL aircraft and more. Notably, Bye Aerospace joins Pipistrel, MagniX, and VoltAero by flight testing and even beginning to sell all-electric aircraft.

In addition to a powerful vertical lift rotor, the new UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) from Kawasaki features two forward thrust rotors and a fixed wing for horizontal flight. It’s powered by the same supercharged H2R engine used by the company’s ‘Ninja’ motorcycle.

Kawasaki’s new unmanned helicopter is powered by the same supercharged H2R engine as it’s Ninja motorcycle

According to Kawasaki Heavy Industries (the department of Kawasaki responsible for creating this aircraft) the two forward-facing rotors in combination with the fixed wing will give a significant amount of extra performance to the vehicle, allowing it to traverse larger distances at higher speeds. Although Kawasaki is not traditionally in the business of making unmanned aircraft, it has an impressive history both in making recreational sport motorcycles and high-performance aircraft for both civilian and military applications.

This newest aircraft, called the K-Racer IV, has already successfully completed test flights, and is likely built to compete with Yamaha unmanned helicopters that are built for agriculture applications. During the flight tests, the helicopter performed a vertical take-off, a flyby around the airfield, and a vertical landing. Notably, the K-Racer IV can be flown either remotely or autonomously, and both modes were tested during recent flights.

The Kawasaki K-Racer IV can be flown remotely or autonomously

Although this aircraft may not directly lead to larger passenger autonomous aircraft, it shows that Kawasaki is investing a significant amount of R&D funds into autonomous flight tech. With Japan having shown great public interest in aerial mobility, and Kawasaki being one of the country’s leading providers of traditional helicopters, Kawasaki may eventually lean in to creating autonomous passenger aircraft when the technology becomes more common. The K-Racer IV could sere as a strong foundation for those future VTOL aircraft.

Why it’s important: As the aerial mobility industry advances, more and more large aviation industry players are investing in combinations of VTOL and fixed wing flight. The VTOL fixed wing combination, once totally unfamiliar, is now becoming a common marker for innovation amongst these companies. With Kawasaki in the mix, the coming age of VTOL aircraft inches closer to reality, and competition for aircraft manufacturing becomes a little more fierce.

Honeywell, in an effort to further diversity its urban aerial mobility offerings, has purchased Ballard Systems. Ballard specializes in creating hydrogen fuel cell power supply systems for unmanned aerial vehicles.

The UAV hydrogen fuel cell system by Ballard Systems

Most drones (aka unmanned aerial vehicles) are usually powered by rechargeable lithium batteries. This is also true for the aerial mobility industry, with most passengers air taxis being developed with rechargeable battery systems. However, these batteries have disadvantages including longer recharge times, recharging infrastructure requirements, and heavier weights. Ballard Systems is one of the few companies developing hydrogen fuel cells of the size and weight required by UAV operations.

An unmanned multicopter powered by Ballard Systems’ hydrogen fuel cells.

Given Honeywell’s vested interest in developing aerial mobility technologies, the company may eventually add Ballard’s hydrogen power solutions to passenger aerial mobility aircraft as well. Passenger air taxis currently in development that will use hydrogen power include the Skai by Alaka’i Technologies and the Urban Aeronautics CityHawk. These companies chose hydrogen systems for their energy efficiency by weight versus batteries; for example, a pound of liquid hydrogen can output more energy than can a lithium-ion battery of the same weight. Even aerospace giant Airbus recently announced three new hydrogen-powered airplane concepts that it plans to put into operation by 2035.

Hyrdogen fuel cell -powered Aircraft concepts. Top left: Urban Aeronautics CityHawk. Top right: Alaka’i Skai. Bottom: Airbus ZeroE

Fuel cells developed by Ballard have already proven to as much as triple the flight times of many UAVs. Said Mike Madsen, president and chief executive officer, Honeywell Aerospace, “Adding Ballard Unmanned Systems to the Honeywell family is another example of our commitment to invest in the growing UAS segment. We can now begin producing top-quality, scalable power systems for our UAS customers and eventually adapt these systems for other future aerospace, defense and adjacent segment applications.”

Honeywell is also developing UAM electric motors, compact fly-by-wire systems for UAM, cooling systems, and even autonomous landing and visual flight control softwares for aerial mobility. It has even established partnerships with several prominent eVTOL developers, including Vertical Aerospace and Pipistrel.

Why it’s important: With this latest announcement, Honeywell further extends itself into the growing world of aerial mobility. With several key investments already made into avionics and hardware for aerial mobility aircraft, this purchase signals Honeywell’s interest in future power systems as well as software and hardware.