AutoFlightX, the developer of eVTOL aircraft and large-scale drones since 2018, is continuing to create ever bigger autonomous aircraft with the release of its V400 eVTOL aircraft this week. The company prides itself on being one of the aerial mobility industry’s top developers of high-capacity, fixed-wing eVTOL cargo drones, with plans to create and deploy a passenger-ready model by 2025.

On September 13th, 2020, AutoFlightX unveiled the V400 “Albatross” at the World UAV Federation’s 2020 Drone World Congress in Shenzhen, China. This aircraft is the company’s biggest commercially produced aircraft yet, with a wingspan of 30 feet and a payload capacity of up to 220 lbs. The Albatross will come in both a completely electric version with a range of 185 miles, and and a hybrid-electric version with a range up to 620 mi. Previous models included the V50 White Shark drone, which could only carry loads up to 45 lbs, but broke multiple flight duration records.

The V400 “Albatross” unveiling at the World UAV Federation’s 2020 Drone World Congress in Shenzen, China

AutoFlightX is now accepting orders for the V400, which can be used for express delivery, disaster relief, first response, and other applications. Construction of the V400 prototype is now completed, and the maiden flight is expected by the end of this year. AutoFlightX is headquartered in Shanghai, with research and development facilities in Munich, Germany, and Shenzhen, China.

Why it’s important: AutoFlightX has said that while it is currently building cargo drones, it intends to use the commercialization of its eVTOL aircraft to build the vision for its UAM air taxis of the future. In 2018, it shared a prototype for its V600 passenger vehicle, which it hopes to begin producing in 2025. Said an AutoFlightX spokesperson, “AutoFlightX believes that the research, design, certification, and mass production of eVTOL with large payload capacity are fundamental to the commercialization of the UAM vision.” Additionally, AutoFlightX believes that the V400 will meet the current requirements of the Civil Aviation Administration of China, and thus has a clear path to commercialization in that country.

Airspeeder, an Australian startup that makes a single-seater racing quadcopter, has officially partnered with leading cyber protection firm Acronis for both technical and commercial support in upcoming air races.

Airspeeder, founded by entrepreneur Matt Pearson, has the vision of creating the world’s first electric flying car racing series using its MK4 racers. The company has been working towards this goal for multiple years, and hopes to host the first Airspeeder Grand Prix in 2021. Notably, the company has already received backing from several major investors, including DHL and investment firm Equals.

Rendering of an Airspeeder MK4 in flight

Acronis, a global leader in data solutions and cyber security, will ensure the data security for the LiDAR and Machine Vision technology that will deliver safe close-distance racing. Essentially, ‘virtual force-fields’ will be created around each aircraft to ensure safety against collisions, and Acronis will ensure that these systems remain secure. Acronis will also help to help manage the massive amount of data involved in the air races that will help improve performance and safety in many areas. The partnership with Acronis is especially strategic since Acronis already has experience in data management and security for Formula One auto racing.

“Acronis’ place at the leading edge of innovation in data management perfectly aligns with Alauda and Airspeeder’s vision to accelerate a mobility revolution through close sporting competition. Our proven, integrated approach to providing easy, efficient, reliable and secure cyber protection for all data, applications and systems, will help Airspeeder to enhance their performance on the air track and in the back office. We look forward to delivering on the promise of a true next generation technical and sporting proposition.”  – Jan-Jaap Jager, the Board Advisor and Senior Vice President at Acronis.

Why it’s important: According to Airspeeder, its big-picture mission is to help accelerate the progress of eVTOL technology as a whole through racing competitions. It hopes that introducing this technology to the world in a racing context will accelerate both public acceptance and technological advancement, ‘hasting the arrival of eVTOL aircraft as a means of zero-emission aerial transportation’. This latest partnership with Acronis is especially significant as it adds an extra layer of validity to the upcoming future of air racing.

Related:

• Alauda Plans to Race Two Airspeeder Flying Cars in South Australia
• Alauda Airspeeder Flies at Goodwood Festival of Speed
• Drone Champions AG Flies Aerobatics with a Manned Racing Drone

(JORDAN STEAD / Amazon)

In Summer of last year, Amazon received approval from the FAA to begin testing its drones in major cities like San Diego. Today, Amazon now has received official Part 135 approval to begin operating commercial deliveries on a trial basis.

According to the FAA itself, this ruling will allow Amazon to “safely and efficiently deliver packages to customers”. Most notably, this decision will allow Amazon to operate its drones (autonomously) outside of the visual line of sight, a permission not given to other kinds of drone operators.

Amazon has been developing its ‘Prime Air’ delivery service since as early as 2013, when it first posited the idea of autonomous delivery by drone in order to promote the possibility of same-day delivery for even more of its offered products. Quick delivery is a core competitive advantage of Amazon’s value proposition to customers as a company, so the implementation of ideas like Prime Air are what will allow it to stay on top of the market in years to come. Since 2013, Amazon has focused on overcoming both technological and regulatory hurdles, and today it took one step closer to its eventual goals.

The company’s drone concept aircraft has also come a long way since its inception. The original design followed a multi-copter model similar to many recreational drones of the time. The new version of the drone, unveiled last year, features a hexagonal body which also serves as a fixed-wing, allowing for more efficient horizontal flight. According to Amazon, the new drone should have a 15 mile range, carry packages up to 5 pounds, and make 15 mile journeys in under 30 minutes.
Watch flight footage of Amazon’s delivery drone below:

Notably, Amazon is not the first aspiring drone delivery company to receive commercial certification. In April of last year, Google X Project spin-off Wing also received commercial certification to operate in deliveries in Virginia, and UPS has also been trialing Matternet’s drones to transport medical supplies in North Carolina.

Why it’s important: Although Amazon is not the first aspiring drone delivery company to receive commercial certification, it is by far the largest, making this latest announcement very significant. Operating commercial deliveries by drone on such a large scale could do much to open up the skies for all kinds of aerial mobility by pushing forward flight hardware, airspace management technologies, government regulation, and even public acceptance.

SkyDrive, an aerial mobility aircraft developer backed by Toyota, has officially released footage of its SD-03 aircraft in flight with a passenger/pilot on board. The company also simultaneously announced a massive Series B fundraising round from the Bank of Japan and other investors.

SkyDrive’s SD-03 aircraft is a single-person small aircraft, meant as a personal commuter vehicle for the ‘skyways’ of the future. It is piloted by the sole passenger (rather than autonomous), and is powered by four sets of counter-rotating propellers. The current version of the SD-03 has only a ten minute flight time, but SkyDrive intends to increase that time to thirty minutes in order to expand the potential of the aircraft.

Until now, SkyDrive has been fairly quiet about its progress, but this latest release marks a major step forward for the company, which hopes to allow sales of its flying vehicles in Japan by 2023. According to SkyDrive, it is already working with the Japanese government on developing a plan for regulations and airspace management, making safety its top priority. Japan hopes to allow these vehicles for business use by 2023, and for commercial use by 2030. Read more about Japan’s plan for aerial mobility here.

In addition to the unveiling of its aircraft, SkyDrive also announced a major fundraising round from several major investors. The biggest of these is the Bank of Japan, but other investors include the Itochu Corporation,
ENEOS Innovation Partners, LLC Obayashi Corporation, Energy & Environment Investment, Inc., STRIVE, Inc.,
Sumitomo Mitsui Finance and Leasing Company, Limited, and more. In total, these investments come to ¥3.9 Billion, the equivalent of $37 million USD.

Said Mr. Yuki TAKEMORI, at the Innovation Promotion Office of the Bank of Japan:
“The “eVTOL” business is a harbinger of revolution in the sky. We are a step closer to what seemed like a distant dream now that (these) new companies have joined forces. The Bank of Japan will work with the stakeholders to help SkyDrive become a company that is widely embraced by public by staying tuned to its commitment to realize a secure, safe and comfortable social infrastructure”.

Said Tomohiro FUKUZAWA, CEO of SkyDrive:
“We want to realize a society where flying cars are an accessible and convenient means of transportation in the skies and people are able to experience a safe, secure, and comfortable new way of life. We also aspire to develop markets around the world, in collaboration with our partner companies, so that an urban air mobility society with aircraft supplied by SkyDrive becomes a reality not only in Japan but also across the globe.”

The SkyDrive SD-03 in Flight

Urban Aeronautics, an Israeli eVTOL developer, has signed an agreement with emergency response organization Hatzolah Air to collaborate on its CityHawk eVTOL. Hatzolah is currently the world’s largest volunteer emergency response organization.

The Urban Aeronautics CityHawk, a hydrogen-powered eVTOL. Prototypes of the CityHawk have already undergone over 300 test flights.

The Urban Aeronautics CityHawk is a powerful, hydrogen-powered eVTOL capable of a 93-mile range (fully loaded) and a 170mph top speed. It has been under development for several years, and a full-scale prototype has already completely over 300 test flights. The CityHawk is designed for use as an urban air taxi, medical responder, public air taxi, or private aircraft.

Last week, Urban Aeronautics that it signed a Memorandum of Understanding with renowned emergency medical responder Hatzolah Air, which currently operates traditional fixed-wing aircraft in order to respond to medical emergencies and natural disasters. In addition to aiding Urban Aeronautics in designing an effective emergency responder version of the CityHawk, this announcement also likely means that Hatzolah will be one of the first ever companies to operate the new aircraft. Hatzolah, founded over 50 years ago, currently runs hundreds of emergency response flights per year, and has a built a vast network of for-profit air ambulance operators around the world.

Left: A prototype of the Urban Aeronautics CityHawk in flight. Right: A sketch of the potential layout of a CityHawk emergency response aircraft

Said Rafi Yoeli, CEO of Urban Aeronautics, “We are excited to partner with Hatzolah Air on the development of our CityHawk EMS vehicle. Its compact size will enable it to land in the middle of a busy city street, making it a perfect fit for medical evacuation missions by dramatically decreasing the time it takes to arrive on-scene, treat and transport sick or injured patients to appropriate medical facilities.”

According to the MoU, Hatzolah will also help market and distribute the CityHawk to other EMS and rescue organizations. Said Eli Rowe, President of Hatzolah Air, “Based on our initial estimates, we foresee a potential market of at least 800 CityHawks for Hatzolah and other EMS operators, with the possibility to save thousands of lives every year,.

Urban Aeronautics engineers will work closely with Hatzolah’s experts to tailor the CityHawk flying vehicle to Hatzolah’s operational requirements. Hatzolah’s version of the aircraft will accommodate a pilot, a patient plus companion, two EMT personnel, and a complete package of life support equipment.

Watch a demo of the CityHawk prototype in flight below:

Why it’s important: As 2020 moves forward, many aircraft on the market are beginning to transition from the prototype stage to the partnerships and sales stage. Previously, many aircraft were still raising funds and completing in-house design. Now, companies like Urban Aeronautics are beginning to partner with external organizations to finalize aircraft designs for specific applications. With this latest release, Urban Aeronautics helps advance the entire eVTOL industry to the next stage of development and execution.

Bye Aerospace, developer of ground-breaking electric aircraft, has today announced that it has added Rod Zastrow, an Air Force pilot with over 25 years of experience, to its board of directors.

New Bye Aerospace Board of Directors Member Rod Zastrow Featured with the all-Eeectric eFlyer trainer aircraft

Since its founding, the mission of Bye Aerospace has been to develop the next generation of electric aircraft, starting with the eFlyer trainer aircraft. The two-seater eFlyer is built to help train new pilots using the power of renewable energy, and will pave the way for future Bye Aerospace aircraft with a higher passenger capacity. The eFlyer will be fully certified under the new FAR 23 rules, and has already received over 300 pre-purchase deposits.

Rod Zastrow is a highly accomplished pilot with over 25 years of flying experience in the Air Force, as well having had multiple years of experience in leading aviation training schools. Before retiring from the Air Force in 2010, Zastrow served as Chief of Staff of the Air Force’s senior representative to the U.S. Army War College, and he is currently President of Spartan Global Aviation Training, LLC.

The all-electric eFlyer trainer aircraft

Said Zastrow:
“I am both humbled and excited to join the Board of Directors of this all-electric general aviation industry leader. As with historic aviation pioneers, George Bye and Bye Aerospace continue to demonstrate the innovation and passion to accomplish what others only imagine. Bye Aerospace is the aviation world’s trend setter for sustainable, quiet, cost-reducing aviation platforms, as envisioned with the eFlyer family, for training the world’s future pilot force, enabling fixed wing urban air mobility and bringing forward an exciting Golden Age 2.0 for aviation.”

Added George Bye, CEO of Bye Aerospace:
“It is quite an honor to welcome Rod to our Board of Directors,” said George Bye, CEO of Bye Aerospace. “Following his retirement from his many years of service, including as an Air Force pilot, to our country, Rod led the establishment of a leading international military flight training academy, and led international business development for one of the earliest flight school supporters of our eFlyer program. Pilot training is one of our key markets, and Rod’s knowledge as a pilot and as a flight school executive will bring an important balance to our Board.”

Why it’s important: Bye Aerospace’s incremental approach to creating electric aircraft will do a great deal to make all-electric flight a reality sooner rather than later. This real-world testing application of batteries will push the entire electric flight industry forward, boosting the progress of other kinds electric aerial mobility aircraft as well. Adding an accomplished pilot and aviation educator like Rob Zastrow to its board will allow Bye Aerospace not only manufacture quality trainer aircraft, but also to help new pilots become accustomed to the all-electric aircraft of the future.

VerdeGo Aero’s eVTOL hybrid-electric powertrain – under development since 2018, has now begun testing.

VerdeGo Aero was originally founded to create its own air taxi, but pivoted in 2018 to providing hybrid powertrain solutions for eVTOL air taxi aircraft and more, making its business proposition almost completely unique. Founder Erik Lindbergh (grandson of famous aviator Charles Lindbergh) made this decision in order to create a company that could provide propulsion solutions for other budding aircraft developers. According to VerdeGo, first versions of the powertrain will include for customers electric motors, wiring, and controllers, batteries, and piston or turbine generators. The company recently partnered with Continental Aerospace and Seyer Industries for development, and is now set to provide propulsion systems for aircraft developers ASX and Transcend Air.

Top: The Transcend Air Vy400, Bottom: The ASX MOBi-ONE. Both these aircraft will be fitted with the VerdeGo Aero hybrid powertrain currently in testing.

This Week, CEO Eric Bartsch gave a company update during an Aviation Week UAM (Urban Air Mobility) online panel. Bartsch said:
“We’re now running at production power the most powerful piston hybrid system in the world down in our Florida headquarters in Daytona Beach. We’ve entered the test and refinement phase of that to get towards a conformal design to enter production with, so we’re really excited about that. And that’s moved from hardware that was under development to hardware that’s being tested to prove it every day.”

Why it’s important: VerdeGo’s transition into refinement testing marks a major milestone for the company. It not only represents near-completion of its mission, but has created the world’s powerful piston hybrid propulsion system, taking hybrid-electric propulsion to where it needs to be for vertical flight. If all goes well, we could very well begin seeing VerdeGo systems in the air within just a few short years.

WISK, the company behind the WISK Cora autonomous electric air taxi, has announced that Eric Johnson has joined the company as Senior Vice President of Engineering and will serve on the company’s Executive Leadership Team.

The WISK CORA autonomous electric air taxi in flight

WISK, a project resulting from collaboration between air taxi developer KittyHawk, aviation giant Boeing, and the New Zealand government, is now one of the world’s most advanced air taxi companies. Automated airspace integration testing has already begun in New Zealand, and commercial operations in the country are planned to begin within five years, putting WISK in an excellent position to be one of the first air taxi companies in full operation.

Prior to joining WISK, Eric Johnson was a Chief Engineer supporting Boeing NeXt, where he directed the engineering development and product safety for a joint team. Eric also served as Product Development Chief Engineer for the Boeing 777X program and Chief Engineer and Airplane Level Integration Team Leader for the 777-8 program, and has held multiple management and engineering positions in Airplane Safety, Electromagnetic Effects, Flight Sciences, Flight Test, Certification and Sales.

At WISK, Johnson will be responsible for executing the company’s technical vision and roadmap, overseeing the development of current and future aircraft, and directing Wisk’s software, hardware, systems engineering, flight test, certification and product management teams.

Said Gary Gysin, CEO of Wisk: ““We are thrilled to have Eric join us. (He) brings strong technical and problem-solving skills with a long history in delivering certified platforms to the commercial marketplace. His demonstrated leadership in innovative aircraft development, integration, certification, testing, and customer engagement is a great benefit to us as we move forward.”

New WISK Senior Vice President of Engineering Eric Johnson

“I’m thrilled to be joining a company that’s shaping the future of the UAM   space,” said Johnson. “Wisk’s greatest strengths are its people, it’s safety-   first culture and its commitment to innovation. I’m proud to now be part of the team that will make safe, everyday flight a reality.” –Eric Johnson

Why it’s important: With this latest hire, WISK adds to its growing team of aviation industry experts that are ready to make autonomous, electric, everyday flight in New Zealand and elsewhere a reality. Combined with the other recent add of Pete Kunz (Chief Technologist for Boeing NeXt) to its board, WISK indicates its intent to grow as well as Boeing’s strong direction of resources towards the WISK project.

Related:

• Wisk Adds Dr. Pete Kunz to its Board
• Wisk Resumes Flight Tests
• Wisk’s Newest Details on the Cora Air Taxi

Source // WISK

According to local news sources, board members of Tampa Bay Area Regional Transit Authority met virtually last week to discuss the future of transportation for the area, after being pitched by German air taxi developer Lilium. According to Lilium, flights could carry passengers from Tampa to St. Petersberg in 8 minutes. This journey that could help ease traffic over the two bridges over Old Tampa Bay that currently connect the two cities. The distance of the flight would be about 25 miles, and would cost passengers $90 per seat (significantly cheaper than existing helicopter options).

The potential Lilium route in the Tampa Bay Area

Said Chris Jadick, Director of Communications for the Tampa Transit Authority:
“We have real transit needs now…TBARTA is looking toward future transit innovation technology such as air taxis that are really going to define how we travel in the decades to come. One of the things they say is, look, if we can make that flight at eight minutes and it takes a taxi 35 to 45 minutes to do the same thing, we’re going to be more efficient because we can do more flights in less time.”

Jadick also mentioned the potential for autonomous operations in the area saying, “…as technology develops, if we get to autonomous vehicles that do not require a pilot, that too is going to bring the cost down.”

Ultimately, The TBARTA board made a motion to move forward in learning more from Lilium. A representative said: “We’d like to get more information. We’d like to report at our next board meeting on what it would take to do a pilot study”. According to the TBARTA, Lililum was asked when it might be able to launch initial operations, and the company responded with an estimate of 2025.

Notably, Lilium is not the first aerial mobility company to get involved in Florida. Prior to COVID-19, BLADE Air Mobility (which already provides by-the-seat helicopter charters throughout the U.S) had planned an entire sea-to-shore transport route to support tourists visiting Miami for events like the Super Bowl, Art Basel, and the Miami Open. In addition, real estate companies like Royal Palms have begun including rooftop vertiorts in the designs for their upcoming buildings, such as the Paramount Miami Worldcenter.

The concept for a vertiport on the rooftop of the Paramount Miami Worldcenter

Why it’s important: This pitch in Tampa by Lilium represents the company’s first reported effort into developing air taxis in an area other than Europe. Although Lilium has yet to report how many U.S cities it has approached, this development from Tampa is a strong indicator of its intention to enter the aerial mobility market in the U.S.

BAE Systems, an industry leader in electronic aircraft controls, has set its sights on the future by beginning to develop lighter and smarter than ever fly-by-wire systems for hybrid and all-electric aircraft. Partnerships have already been made between BAE Systems and multiple electric aviation and eVTOL air taxi companies such as Uber Elevate partner Jaunt Air Mobility and electric jet startup Wright Electric. Today, BAE claims that it has been able to make fly-by-wire systems that are 40% lighter than those of just five years ago.

An electric commercial jet concept by Wright Aviation, which may feature flight control electronics developed by BAE Systems.

Fly-by-wire controls use sensors and computers to translate pilot inputs into commands.

BAE Systems first introduced fly-by-wire technology to military aircraft nearly five decades ago with both the F-16 and F-18, which flew in the mid-1970s. It later introduced the technology on commercial aircraft, designing the first complete commercial fly-by-wire system for the Boeing 777 in 1994. Most recently, BAE’s flight controls have enabled the first flights of the AW-609 (a privatized version of the military VTOL V-22 Osprey), as well as aircraft like the B525 Relentless helicopter and the Boeing 777X long-range commercial jet.

The Jaunt Air Mobility eVTOL, which may feature electronic flight control systems by BAE Systems.

Why it’s important: Flight controls represent an integral part of VTOL systems, especially as higher levels of autonomy are coming into aircraft design. Fly-by-wire systems are suddenly becoming a more competitive space for new aircraft, as signaled by competing aerospace company Honeywell also beginning to develop fly-by-wire systems specifically for eVTOL air taxis. BAE has already begun working with multiple electric aircraft companies to develop flight controls that are light and compact enough to be effective in all types of new aircraft ranging from hybrid electric to eVTOL to electric commercial aircraft. As the world of aerial mobility grows, BAE is already working to make an important corner for itself within it.

Austrian company CycloTech is using a specialized ‘Cyclogyro’ rotor to build a new kind of aerial mobility vehicle. The company believes this unique propulsion system will give them a competitive edge in the growing world of aerial mobility.

Currently, the company’s main focus is building 80kg de-scaled flight demonstrator prototype, which it plans to have complete by the end of 2020. Anticipated applications for the aircraft include passenger transportation, search and rescue, aerial inspection and more.

A CAD drawing of CycloTech’s 4-person air taxi concept.

According to CycloTech, its unique value proposition is the Cyclogyro rotor. This unique rotor consists of multiple blades set around centrally-mounted hub, which can rotate to any 360-degree direction. Changing the position of this hub controls the direction of thrust, which can then be set in any 360-degree direction. This makes all kinds of flight possible without a traditional fixed-rotor setup, as seen in other kinds of aerial mobility aircraft. Changes in thrust positioning can be made instantly, and each rotor set can be individually controlled. CycloTech plans to both create and  air taxi with this technology, and to sell the propulsion system to other aircraft makers.

The CycloRotor technology concept explanation by CycloTech.

So far, CycloTech has spent the last three years developing and testing nine different rotor prototypes in order to make the concept suitable for aviation. The current prototype is set to go through one more optimization loop to increase thrust and reduce weight. The company expects its technology demonstrator aircraft to be ready by the end of 2020.

The CycloTech team is made up of 15 international engineers, and is currently seeking funding to finish its proof of concept aircraft and create strategic partnerships with aircraft manufacturers. You can learn more about CycloTech and the Cyclorotor technology at the company’s website:
www.cyclotech.at

Why it’s important: Although CycloTech is still a small and fairly young company, it presents a rotor concept with extremely high potential. If the ‘Cyclorotor’ can get to market, it could potentially reduce up to 50% of the energy needed for transition from horizontal to vertical flight, and make for a more comfortable passenger experience. The world of aerial mobility should most certainly keep an eye of this aspiring Austrian company, given the uniqueness of its concept.

Honeywell, a leader in the aerospace industry for avionics, has now created a dedicated business unit within its company specifically for drones and aerial mobility technology. As well as providing flight electronics, Honeywell is also developing important offerings relating to unmanned aerial systems as a whole.

The ‘aerial mobility and unmanned aerial systems’ business unit will have its own set of company resources, including engineerings and sales teams. Honeywell sees the new business unit as necessary, having valued the aerial mobility hardware and software industry at $120 billion by 2030. The company believes that with the creation of the new business unit this early, it could capture 20% of that valuation.

An example of what kind of software/hardware systems Honeywell is already starting to make for aerial mobility vehicles.

Said Mike Madsen, president and CEO of Honeywell Aerospace: “Urban Air Mobility and Unmanned Aerial Systems will play an increasing role in the future of aerospace, with potential applications in all-electric urban air taxi vehicles, hybrid-electric unmanned cargo drones, optionally piloted airplanes, delivery drones and everything in between.”

According to the company, Honeywell UAM will “develop new products and services uniquely for these markets” and act as a systems integrator for existing Honeywell products and services that could be used by the UAS and UAM industries. Offerings will include avionics, electric and hybrid-electric propulsion and thermal management, flight services and ground operations services.

A compact urban aerial mobility fly-by-wire system developed by Honeywell

Since entering the aerial mobility space, Honeywell has made vast progress already into creating offerings for new upcoming vehicles and companies. In the last year, Honeywell has announced projects for eVTOL cooling systems, visual flight control hardware, autonomous landing, air taxi fly-by-wire packages, and even electric engines designed specifically for aerial mobility. It has also established partnerships with several key aircraft developers including Pipistrel, Vertical Aerospace, Volocopter, and Eviation.

Learn more about the new aerial mobility business unit at Honeywell’s website:

Why it’s important: With the establishment of this aerial mobility business unit, Honeywell further reaches its arms into the future of urban aviation. By partnering with and contributing to early-stage air taxi companies now, as well as building key initial technologies, Honeywell has begun to ensure its place in the future of aerial mobility. So far, it has already done much to contribute large-company resources to this growing industry.

Crown Consulting‘s vision of the future aerial mobility market

In 2018, NASA selected Crown Consulting to aid in understanding the potential barriers to creating the aerial mobility industry. After creating that study, Crown is now extending its analysis by partnering with QSS (Quantitative Scientific Solutions) to understand how eVTOL ride quality might affect community acceptance. While Crown Consulting will facilitate the analysis, QSS will assist in collecting the and assembling the relevant data.

According to QSS and Crown Consulting, past work has related passenger comfort to noise and vibration, but no measure has yet been developed relating acceptance to the combination of noise, vibration, and vehicle motion. Since eVTOLs will certainly have different motion dynamics from helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft, QSS and Crown consider these motion dynamics a key variable in determining the probability of community acceptance. Research and data collection will focus gaining an understanding of how future passengers may react to new motion dynamics.

QSS is a scientific and technical consulting and analytics firm based in Arlington, VA. Its mission is to provide creative solutions to the most challenging scientific problems through hard data, and it utilizes the most advanced technologies available to conduct analysis.

Crown Consulting’s Chief Technology Officer, Dr. Tom Edwards, commented, “This work will enable resolution of a major barrier to successful implementation of UAM.” Crown considers itself an expert in providing data and analytics to both private and government organizations. Read the full study so far provided by Crown Consulting to NASA here.

Why it’s important: With the advanced data collection and analysis technologies now available through companies like QSS, it has become possible to create deep understandings of how new innovations in air travel might affect people in the near future. Through partnering with QSS, Crown Consulting will be able to understand with a fair degree of certainty how people will react to eVTOLs’ new motion dynamics before aircraft even enter the flight testing stages or manufacturing stages. This information can help drive both vehicle designs and government regulations.

Ascent Urban Air Mobility, a new aerial mobility company, has announced that it will commence services in Thailand by the end of this year. Although Ascent currently uses traditional helicopters, its aerial mobility business model follows those that will soon come with advanced electric VTOLS. Ascent first launched in the Philippines around May of 2019.

Ascent Founders Darren Tng and Lionel Sinai-Sinelnikoff

Although charter helicopters have existed in Thailand (mainly for tourism), Ascent’s offering will now serve transportation needs between major activity centers such as Bangkok, Chonburi, and Rayong, and leisure destinations such as Hua Hin or Pattaya. Unlike any other helicopter service in the area, Ascent offers by-the-seat booking through a smartphone app. Ascent’s mission is to enable busy customers to skip traffic and reach remote destinations with ease and now (with the advent of COVID-19) minimized physical contact. By serving these hubs, Ascent aims at contributing to the growth of businesses and the economy in line with the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC), Thailand 4.0, and Smart City initiatives. Seat prices will start at about the equivalent of $250 USD.

Passengers on board an Ascent Urban Air Mobility Aircraft. Each seat will start at $250 per ticket.

Lionel Sinai-Sinelnikoff, one of the founders of Ascent, said, “The dynamism of Bangkok combined with this new context (COVID-19), makes mobility a great challenge for the business community, commuters, and tourists. This in turn effects the economy, the environment, and people’s well-being. In addition, public economic initiatives like the EEC require enhanced mobility solutions. With Ascent, we believe we can elevate mobility to the skies to better connect locations and skip traffic seamlessly in a safe and more affordable manner. We are excited to open this new chapter of Ascent with partners such as Advance Aviation and SFS Aviation, which have driven the industry in Thailand for so long and will ensure our users with the highest operational and safety standards.”

Part of the Ascent Urban Air Mobility team

Why it’s import: Although other urban air mobility companies based in the U.S use a similar business model to Ascent (such as BLADE Urban Air Mobility and Uber Copter), Ascent’s launch in Thailand will make the country one of Asia’s first to host aerial mobility services. Ascent’s customer sourcing and management as well as fleet management softwares will likely plug into more advanced electric aircraft once they become available.

Bye Aerospace has begun the next phase of its flight test program for its two-seat all-electric eFlyer 2. The latest aircraft built is a technology demonstrator aircraft that will pave the way for the future of electric flight, and the final version eFlyer 2.

Bye Aerospace’s two-seater eFlyer 2 technology demonstrator.

Bye Aerospace’s mission is to develop innovative and effective zero CO2 electric propulsion systems, along with integrations of structural and mechanical systems and aerodynamic advances. With electric aircraft like the eFlyer 2 moving towards production, the future of electric flight slowly is becoming more clear. This next stage of testing for the eFlyer 2 focuses on identifying an efficient and effective propellor for the eFlyer’s all-electric flight, setting the stage for the propellor dynamics of electric aircraft of all kinds, including eventual all-electric eVTOLs. It’s likely that industry discoveries and innovations being made in these traditional fixed wing electric aircraft (like the eFlyer 2, the magniX Cessna Grand Caravan, and the Ampaire EEL Electric Aircraft) will eventually make their way into all kinds of aerial mobility aircraft, including vertical-lift electric aircraft and more. For now, Bye Aerospace hopes that the eFlyer 2 will dramatically reduce operations costs and eliminate C02 emissions within the pilot flight training industry.

The eFlyer 2 in-flight

Said George E. Bye, CEO of Bye: ““Data from these flight tests will help our engineering team determine the most efficient propeller that will maximize the overall efficiency for the typical flight training syllabus requirement. The prototype Rolls Royce electric motor currently on the eFlyer 2 technology demonstrator has varying torque and a large RPM range with a relatively small size and cross-section compared to a conventional internal combustion engine.  Therefore, more of the propeller length is available to provide thrust across a broad range of RPM.” Mr. Bye concluded by mentioning that multiple iterations of the propellor will be tested over the summer against beneficial and unique electric propulsion criteria required for flight training missions.

Watch a full video summary of Bye’s mission below:

Why it’s important: Bye Aerospace is one of the world’s top companies pushing forward the electric propulsion and flight industry. With advancements made by Bye and similar electric aerospace companies, overall contributions to eVTOL aircraft such as batteries, aerodynamics, and propulsion technologies will be vast.