Jetcopter is awaiting investment funds to begin production of their new VTOL

The Lithuanian startup is looking for an initial investment of about $6 million and a total investment of $60 million to produce their six-seat VTOL aircraft, which is described as their version of a low cost alternative to medium-class rotary and fixed-wing type aircraft.

A conceptual rendering of the Jetcopter. Photo credits: Jetcopter

Founder and CEO Dontatas Skulskis said that the company is currently in talks with potential investors. “We are in talks with potential investors,” says Skulskis. “Once we have the money, we can build the aircraft quickly and start flying. The rest of the funding should follow once the programme has reached significant development milestones.”

Named after its developer, the Jetcopter VTOL will be powered by two 665shp (495kW) all-aluminium, twin-turbocharged automotive engines. These will drive a tail-mounted fan and two centrifugal counter-rotating fans; the tailed mounted fan will be used for forward flight while the pair of centrifugal fans located above the fuselage will be used to draw air into the system before blowing it out of swiveling wing-tip ducts for vertical lift. The Jetcopter also has an emergency parachute integrated in the body for “an extra layer of safety.”

The Jetcopter has a projected effective range of around 1000 km, at a top speed of 300 km/hr. There is also a hybrid-electric version in the works, with four 335shp (250kW) electric motors, powered by a lithium-ion battery pack, replacing the automotive engines during the VTOL phases of flight, according to Jetcopter.

The carbon fiber aircraft will start at prices around $600,000. It is “significantly cheaper than similar-size helicopters, fixed-wing aircraft and other in-development VTOL [designs]”, according to Skulskis.

Why it’s important: The Jetcopter presents another exciting opportunity within the urban air mobility (UAM) industry. The Jetcopter’s flight range and speed will be attractive features for many investors, as the company announced their intentions to push their aircraft into several markets, Including air ambulance, cargo and passenger transport, as well as the UAM sector.

Sources // Flight Global

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The EHang 216 has completed its first autonomous flight demonstration with passengers in the Jilin province.

The EHang 216 makes its first successful flight with passengers in Jilin, China.

While EHang has completed numerous flight demonstrations with the 216 before, such as in Guangzhou, Austria, Qatar, and the Netherlands, this will be the first demonstration while carrying passengers in the Jilin province. According to the Guangzhou-based company, the eVTOL carried passengers in autonomous flight in a controlled flight demonstration at the 2019 Northeast Asia Expo in Changchun in China’s Jilin province from August 23rd to 27th. 

“We are very excited that our AAVs are visiting more cities and being accepted and celebrated by local communities,” said Hu Huazhi, EHang’s founder, chairman, and CEO. “This is a critical step towards making our dream reality and to make urban air mobility broadly available and affordable as a safe, fast, and eco-friendly transportation alternative.”

The EHang 216 can carry a load of up to 485 lb. on flights with a range of 22 miles at 81 mph. Fully electric, the 216 is equipped with It is battery powered and equipped with 16 rotors. Earlier this year, the 216 received an unmanned aircraft system safety certificate from the China Academy of Civil Aviation Science and Technology, establishing that the 216 AAV can be safely operated within an predefined border that the company developed to prevent autonomous aircraft from operating in restricted areas. This certification is also part of the process to allow EHang to operate commercially within Guangzhou in the future.

Earlier in the year, EHang completed a successful test flight with the 216 in Vienna, Austria.

EHang and its partners have also been working with the International Civil Aviation Organization at the United Nations, the European Aviation Safety Agency, the Civil Aviation Administration of China, and other aviation regulatory organizations in North America and Europe, to help determine the logistics and regulations for the urban air mobility market.

Why it’s important: Safety is a huge factor in the potential success of the urban air mobility market, and EHang’s flight demonstration with the 216 is important to reassure potential passengers that little if any dangers exist in riding the 216. While EHang has done several successful flight demonstrations with the 216 before, in EHang’s headquarters in Guangzhou, as well as in Lianyungang, Luzhi, Taizhou, Yantai, and Shenyang, this will be the first flight where EHang allowed passengers onboard, marking a huge milestone and success for the Chinese company going into the future of urban air mobility. 

Sources // Yahoo Finance

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AeroMobil will be unveiling their “flight only” VTOL design, the 6.0, in late 2019.

A conceptual rendering of the AeroMobil 5.0, their previous flying car model.

The development process for the AeroMobil 6.0 is still in the preliminary stages; company executives reported that they were currently considering the optimal capabilities of the 6.0 in three performance bands, 30 km for one to two passengers, 30-to 70 km  for two passengers, or 70 km for four passengers. The final decision will most likely depend on the company’s intentions for the 6.0, whether it will be utilized for short-range urban transportation or long-range intercity transportation.

The AeroMobil 5.0

To help this process along, AeroMobil shared that they had been developing and analyzing over 50 eVTOL aircraft designs over the last 18 months. According to AeroMobil Deputy Head of Engineering Simon Bendrey, “We have a lot of expertise in assessing and developing different technology and design configurations for rotors, wings and other aircraft systems. For instance, we have developed rotor blades for the 4.0 that are around half the weight of comparable blades now being used with 300-hp engines.”

The AeroMobil 4.0

AeroMobil is currently also still in the process of releasing the market versions of their AeroMobil 4.0 and 5.0 as well. AeroMobil began the certification process under the European Union Aviation Safety Agency’s CS-23 regulations for their 4.0 flying car in December 2018, and is expecting their first flight for the aircraft soon. As for the AeroMobil 5.0, there are designs for a larger model for the 5.0, and should have a full-scale prototype available by 2025.

Why it’s important: Even with the ongoing development of previous aircraft models, AeroMobil looks to continuously improve and progress in different types of aircraft. The 6.0 will differ from previous AeroMobil models in that it will be flight-only, conveying possible interest into the air taxi market, where many various VTOL models being developed for the air taxi market only travel through the air. AeroMobil continues to innovate and find new avenues for success.

Sources // AIN

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