The two companies completed installation of the MagniX motor on a de Havilland Canada prototype

Harbour Air Seaplanes recently entered a partnership with MagniX in order to begin the conversion to the first all-electric airline. For that purpose, the company has installed the MagniX electric motor onto a de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver, and plans to complete the prototype soon in order to begin testing. 

“With incredible work being completed each day and a number of integral components being delivered over the next few weeks, we are in the midst of some of the most exciting and critical development work. Currently, we are on track for the first test flight to take place before the end of the year. By mid-November, we expect to have a concrete time-frame to test the first fully electric flight.”

Harbour Air announced that the 560kW magni500 electric motor, along with other components, had been installed onto the aircraft. What now remains is the final battery strings, development and installations of wiring, installation of a battery management unit and power system, as well as preliminary tests for the prototype. The company announced the aircraft conversion is progressing normally, and should enter testing by the end of the year.

Harbour Air and MagniX’s prototype aircraft, currently under construction.

“With the delivery and successful installation of the magniX motor, we are working hard to connect the internal systems in preparation for its first flight,” the company wrote. Harbour Air is strongly dedicated to the full conversion to electric; Greg McDougall, founder and CEO of Harbour Air believes that electric planes will reduce long-term costs for their fleet. “Electric motors are extremely reliable. They don’t have the same number of moving parts as a turbine or piston engine and they have much better durability,” he said in a statement in March.

The goal of the company is to eventually transition over to a fully electric fleet. However, since the new design still needs approval from both Transport Canada and the Federal Aviation Administration, Harbour Air reported that their new aircraft would not fly commercially until 2022 at the earliest. 

Why it’s important: Harbour Air presents an ideal airline for the conversion to a fully-electric fleet, as their flight routes consist of domestic flights in the PNW region. As a result, the current limited operational range of electric motor technology will not have as large of an impact compared to other airlines. The successful conversion of Harbour Air’s fleet will present a valuable opportunity to further develop and refine electric battery technology, which could potentially improve the utility of fully electric eVTOL aircraft.

Source // New Atlas

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A new eVTOL design is in the works by aviation legend Burt Rutan

The 76-year-old aerospace engineer and designer, famous for his work on the Voyager piston and suborbital SpaceShipOne rocket, confirmed that he is currently in the middle of designing a new aircraft based on eVTOL aircraft. However, he revealed little else, aside from the fact: “It’s pretty different from the 170 different outfits that are doing eVTOL now. And that’s all I can say about it.”

The SpaceShipOne, one of Rutan’s most famous designs, an experimental rocket-power aircraft capable of sub-orbital flight

Rutan confirmed the development of an eVTOL aircraft at an event for the 40th anniversary of the first flight of his homebuilt Long EZ aircraft

Having retired from the industry and his position as CEO of Scaled Composites back in 2011, Rutan has still been active in aerospace design, with his two most recent projects both involving electric power. His final project under Scaled Composites, an experimental flying car called the BiPod, featured gas engines which supplied energy to electric generators that drove motors for the aircraft’s propellers. However, the BiPod was only limited to short test flight “hops” before Rutan’s retirement.

Rutan most recently revealed the SkiGull amphibious aircraft, a two-seat hybrid aircraft under private development. The SkiGull features two 8.9 kW electric motors, as well as a single piston aircraft engine, that power the plane for docking and conventional purposes. While the electric motors are mainly intended for use in docking, they are capable of flying the plane for 8 hours without aid from the main engine. 

Rutan designed the Voyager, the first aircraft to fly around the world without any stops or refuels

Why it’s important: While Rutan has not revealed any details yet on his newest project, his previous innovations in aircraft design give reason to believe that his eVTOL design will possess significant variations from the other eVTOLs we have seen so far. Rutan’s involvement could mean the possible reveal of the next “Voyager” of the eVTOL industry, and will nevertheless provide an exciting development towards the industry. 

Source // Aviation Week

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The X-57 Mod II, NASA’s first all-electric experimental aircraft, will soon undergo testing

The aircraft was recently finished and delivered to NASA by their primary contractor, ESAero. With the delivery, NASA intends to start their engineers in testing the X-57 Mod II in ground tests. With success in testing, NASA looks to have the X-57 Mod II lead the discussion in areas such as flight efficiency, zero carbon emissions and noise reduction. 

The X-57 Mod II, a modified Tecnam P2006T

The X-57 Mod II, a modified Tecnam P2006T, features an all electric propulsion system, powered by lithium-ion batteries. The aircraft has a maximum flight speed of 172 mph at an altitude of 8000 ft, and a total weight of about 3000 lb. 

“The X-57 Mod II aircraft delivery to NASA is a significant event, marking the beginning of a new phase in this exciting electric X-plane project,” says X-57 Project Manager Tom Rigney in the press statement. “With the aircraft in our possession, the X-57 team will soon conduct extensive ground testing of the integrated electric propulsion system to ensure the aircraft is airworthy. We plan to rapidly share valuable lessons learned along the way as we progress toward flight testing, helping to inform the growing electric aircraft market.”

The X-57 is a design driver, intended to continue progress on the electric aircraft market, as well as explore the capabilities and restrictions of the aerial mobility market. NASA intends to use the X-57 to define certification standards for the electric aircraft market, in which many vehicles in the aerial mobility market are included. 

Afterwards, there are plans to start on development for the Mod III, which will focus on energy efficiency, another vital factor in the electric aircraft market. 

For more information about specifics of the electric aircraft market, read Matt Bohlsen’s Look at the Emerging Electric Aircraft Sector.

Why it’s important: Success in the aerial mobility sector will precede a huge expansion into a new market for transportation. With many companies already spending resources in getting their vehicles properly certified and exploring regulation standards, NASA intends to try and stay ahead of the curve by developing proper certification and regulatory standards for all electric aircraft to abide by, so that they are not taken off guard in the event that aerial mobility undergoes a massive expansion.

Source // Popular Mechanics

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Teknofest showcased Turkey’s latest technological achievement, the Cezeri flying car

Developed by Cezeri Artificial Intelligence and Robotic Technologies, a team of 50 engineers under the Baykar Group, the Cezeri took the stage for the first time at Teknofest, Turkey’s top aerospace and technology festival. Named after the 12th-century Muslim inventor Ismail al-Jazari (Cezeri in Turkish), the team has been involved in hundreds of projects, including Boeing, Bell, Rolls-Royce, Uber and Amazon due to their impressive unmanned aerial vehicle-based technology.

The Cezeri flying car was on display at Teknofest in Turkey, from Sept. 17-22

While there is not much public information available about the Cezeri flying car, Ozan Yağcı, project manager for Cezeri Artificial Intelligence and Robotic Technologies, announced that the Cezeri was close to undergoing flight tests.”We are not following the trend but determining the trend. We have gathered serious experience in aviation for a while now. Our Bayraktar TB2 UAV flew around 150,000 hours. We have very advanced technologies in terms of both software and hardware,” Yağcı said. 

Some key important factors in the Cezeri that Yağcı noted are battery technology and reliability. “Hybrid stays in the air longer, but there is carbon release. After all, everyone has to go back to electricity, but the truth is that a serious leap is a must in battery technology,” said Yağcı. He heavily emphasizes the importance of reliability in the Cezeri as well: “In aviation, there is a rule: to say that an aircraft is reliable, it must have flown 30,000 hours. Many international brands have made hour-based flights. We have achieved thousands of hours; therefore, we use proven flight algorithms. We own the critical components, the entire flight control system, the sensor and the structural system of this vehicle.”

The Cezeri

The Cezeri is still in the early stages, but Yağcı and the Baykar Group are taking their time to ensure safety and reliability. “Before dozens of these vehicles fly in the air, everything needs to be defined regularly because there are too many details to consider,” said Yağcı, “This is a very difficult job. There is no international standard because everyone is new at this. It will take time to close the gaps in the aviation sector. Both the U.S. and Europe have just begun working on this issue. As we begin our flight tests, we will also work on these civil aviation rules.”

Why it’s important: Countries are continuing to make inquiries and decisions to enter the aerial mobility market. Turkey, Japan, and many other countries are now all looking into supporting their own native aerial mobility vehicles with political and financial backing. The possibility that localized aerial mobility traffic systems are created for each country could present massive implications for global aerial ride-share services such as Uber Elevate.

Sources // Daily Sabah

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Boeing and Safran continue to commit to the electrification of aircraft technology

The two companies recently announced a joint investment in Electric Power Systems. (EPS), a company offering a multitude of lightweight energy storage products for the aerospace industry. Based in Logan, Utah, the privately held aerospace company specializes in advanced energy storage systems comprised of cells, power electronics, controls, software and thermal management systems. The company’s technology supports a host of electric and hybrid electric airplanes such as the Nasa X57, Bye eFlyer and Bell Nexus.

Boeing’s electric passenger air vehicle (PAV) prototype

“Electrification of flight has the potential to fundamentally change how goods, services, and humans connect. We are thrilled to work with visionary companies such as Boeing and Safran to further develop and field advanced energy solutions that can meet real world mission demands,” said Nathan Millecam, EPS chief executive officer.

The Bell Nexus, powered by Safran’s hybrid-electric power system.

Headlining EPS’s Series A funding round, the investment is intended to aid EPS in developing a highly automated industrial base in order to produce aviation-grade energy storage systems. EPS is also working on a means to further improve upon the current battery technologies in aircraft and reduce the costs of battery systems in electric airplanes and eVTOLs.

“EPS’ battery technology meets Boeing’s high standards of safety and can enable significant cost savings for customers,” said Brian Schettler, managing director of Boeing HorizonX Ventures. “This strategic investment accelerates the development of clean, quiet and safe urban air mobility solutions.”

Safran & Bell Helicopter eVTOL Air Taxi

EPS follows Cuberg, an advanced lithium metal battery technology company, as the second advanced battery solutions company in Boeing’s HorizonX Ventures investment portfolio. In addition, Safram Ventures has also invested in OXIS Energy, a UK-based company offering lithium-sulfur technology for high energy density battery systems.

“Safran will collaborate with EPS to offer our customers electric or hybrid-electric propulsion systems with a level of performance that sets us apart from competition,” said Alain Sauret, Safran Electrical & Power President. “This technology cooperation is emblematic of Safran’s strategy in greener propulsion solutions. Safran is already at the cutting edge of this field, and we are proud to accelerate through this investment.”

Why it’s important: Aerospace companies place a continued interest in the further development in battery systems technologies, dedicated to eventually shifting all existing aircraft power systems over to a completely electric battery system. This recent investment in EPS increases the chances that complete electrification of the aerospace market and the aerial mobility industry occurs within the next decade.

Sources // Newswire Today

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