While international air travel still suffers major load factor reductions due to COVID, domestic travel in the United States and other countries globally continues to grow towards pre-pandemic levels. Data from the Transportation Security Administration indicates that the rolling average load factor for air travel in the US has exceeded 60% of 2019 levels, up from only 15% of original 2019 load factor levels in 2020. With many aerial mobility companies lauding 2023 and 2024 entry into service dates, will the reduced quantity of air travel negatively affect initial operations?

Most generally, no. Since initial operations of aerial mobility aircraft will be more limited than full scale networks, initial flights between city points or urban areas to area airports will be few in number regardless of total domestic demand. Additionally, since the demand for private and general aviation has skyrocketed as travelers increasingly favor modes of air travel with less direct contact with other travelers, a hybridized model for future passengers is most likely.

In addition, recent IATA trends also show that international travel is increasing, and a large proportion of air travel models indicate recoveries (in full or to their new peak load factor levels) within three years. Urban mobility companies like BLADE have resumed continuous flights between Manhattan and area airports, which were discontinued during the deepest portion of the travel rut of 2020. In many ways, the reduction in air travel demand over the past year has also allowed many manufacturers the chance to focus more heavily on their technology and flight testing campaigns, driving more value into their ultimate products.

Why it’s important: While demand for air travel is not yet fully restored to pre-pandemic levels, examination of past trends toward recovery from past events such as oil embargos shows some loose predictions for the future of aerial mobility load factor demand. The target entry to service date for most eVTOL aircraft of 2023 to 2024, at the earliest, should support and match the majority of increased traffic demand predictions from current levels. And, since the demand for general aviation and private air travel during COVID was one of the largest areas for the industry’s growth, aerial mobility’s alignment with similar market sectors is well poised for the future.

EHang announced on April 28th hat it established a strategic partnership with the city of Zaragoza in Spain. Zaragoza was announced to be the fourth pilot city for EHang’s pilot aerial mobility program in Spain, and follows Seville and Llíria, as well as Linz in Austria.

According to the agreement, EHang and Zaragoza City will jointly promote the implementation of AAV demonstration projects in passenger transportation, aerial tourism, aerial logistics and other application scenarios under the framework of UAM strategic partnership.  They will also collaborate on UAM infrastructure development such as command-and-control center and vertiport. Both parties aim to build an aerial transportation hub in Zaragoza to advance sustainable and eco-friendly development for the city.

Mr. Jorge Azcón Navarro, the Mayor of Zaragoza, and Victoria Xiang, CEO of EHang Spain & Latin America, signed the strategic partnership agreement.

As the fifth largest city in Spain, Zaragoza has superior geographic advantages. Zaragoza actively promotes the development of urban air mobility as one of the members of UIC2 (UAM Initiative Cities Community) in Europe. In the future, with the goal to promote aerial transportation technology into the next stage of development, EHang will conduct flight tests and pilot projects at the Hera Drone Hub and along the Ebro River in Zaragoza. The partnership will also help Zaragoza to further develop UAM innovation Strategy and lead the expansion of UAM in Europe.

The Ebro River, Zaragoza

Mr. Jorge Azcón Navarro, the Mayor of Zaragoza, said, “The partnership with EHang will further drive the city of Zaragoza to become a pioneer and leader in UAM in Spain and Europe. In the future, the general public can enjoy the view of the Cathedral-Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar, a national art treasure in Zaragoza, not only from an Ebro river boat but also from passenger-grade AAVs over the Ebro river.”

“Zaragoza is a crucial transportation hub city for Spain and for all of Europe. EHang is committed to make safe, autonomous and eco-friendly air mobility accessible to everyone. As the forerunner of cutting-edge AAV technologies and know-how, EHang will lead innovation and build a sustainable and efficient 3D air mobility solution for Zaragoza,” said Victoria Xiang, CEO of EHang Spain & Latin America. She added, “The partnership will benefit the citizens of Zaragoza by making life more enjoyable and environmentally friendly.”

Why it’s important: EHang’s growing partnerships with pilot cities across the world represent a growing network of aerial mobility hubs that will serve as springboards for future development. EHang’s novel approach of partnering directly with cities has been adopted by other aerial mobility companies as of late, and is likely to yield more grassroots support from specific municipalities when electric aerial mobility aircraft commence operations.

Wingcopter announced on April 27th the development of their new drone generation, the Wingcopter 198. The Wingcopter 198 is an all-electric, vertical-take-off-and-landing (eVTOL), fixed-wing drone that has been designed from the ground up to meet aviation safety and reliability requirements. Importantly, the 198 features a triple-drop delivery system that allows for up to three packages to be delivered in a single flight, foreshadowing potential multi-modal aerial mobility operations schemes.

While the 198 is a small package delivery drone, the use case and mode structure for travel in a larger aerial mobility device with shared rides will aid in decreasing the total cost of ridership while increasing the utilization of aerial mobility aircraft. While the primary use case for aerial mobility is point to point transport of one group, the growing preference among logistical applications to evaluate shared and multi-modal trips is foreshadowing for future use cases within air taxi operation.

Wingcopter 198’s triple drop functionality allows for three nodes during a nominal flight plan. Image // Wingcopter

Serial production according to the European aerospace quality management standard EN9100 at Wingcopter’s German headquarters will start shortly to meet the predicted global demand. Wingcopter also announced the opening of reservation slots for the first 100 of their 198 drones.

Wingcopter stood up an Authorized Partner Program to qualify, certify and enable partners such as drone-as-a-service providers, distributors and dealers to operate, promote, distribute and support Wingcopter technology worldwide, similar to the proposed horizontal integration of many eVTOL manufacturers who plan to outsource development of booking platforms, service networks, and maintenance and repair operation services to third party entities which already specify in those areas. Leveraging such specializations will allow eVTOL makers to focus more heavily on the aircraft themselves and less so on the minutia of operationalizing paying customer flights.

Why it’s important: Wingcopter’s marketing of the 198’s triple-drop capabilities exposes an under appreciated sector of the aerial mobility industry – that of the multi-modal shared rider trip, which allows for higher utilization of aerial mobility aircraft, while also reducing cost of fares for passengers who may be sharing a trip with others, similar to Lyft and Uber Pool. Anticipate future eVTOL route structuring to consider the use of similar schemes for transport nodes.

Volocopter and Geely Technology Group, a global mobility technology group, presented the Volocopter 2X eVTOL for the first time in China last week at the Shanghai International Automobile Industry Exhibition 2021. According to a joint press release issued, the companies are highlighting their cooperation and their aim to introduce urban air mobility to the Chinese market, giving visitors the chance to learn more about this new form of transport.

Volocopter emphasized that in partnership with Geely Technology Group, its commercial on-demand aerial mobility services will soon be introduced in China. The company also shared that their current work is developing a scalable model for production and operations.

The Volocopter Volocity, which will be Volocopter’s featured aircraft for air taxi use.

“Geely’s market leadership in China and forward-thinking approach to expanding mobility options make them a great strategic investor. They are an invaluable partner for bringing urban air mobility to China – one of the most promising markets for the UAM industry globally,” says Florian Reuter, CEO Volocopter.

Volocopter and Geely Technology Group have agreed to enter a joint venture to make UAM services in China a reality and have already applied for a business license. Both companies understand that public awareness in China is one of the key factors to successfully introduce this new mobility concept, which is why they chose to present the Volocopter prototype at the Auto Shanghai 2021.

Volocopter touts their 2X aircraft for its safety and low noise emission levels. Flying at a height of 100m, the sound level of the 2X is imperceptible over normal public street noise levels.

Volocopter is no stranger to operations in Asia. In 2019, the Volocopter 2X flew over Singapore’s Marina Bay to display the possibilities of ATM (air traffic management) and UTM (unmanned traffic management) integration and infrastructure. The current two seat 2X model would be the introductory aircraft utilized in China, but for future services, Volocopter will be using their fifth-generation aircraft, the VoloCity, which is currently in the certification process with European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). The VoloCity will have an increased speed of 110 km/h and an increased flight duration of 35 minutes.

Why it’s important: Volocopter’s partnership with Geely represents a major step toward Volocopter’s future operations in China. Geely Technology Group, a subsidiary of major Chinese company Geely Automotive Holdings, has even already entered into the growing field of aerial mobility by fully acquiring other mobility companies such as Terrafugia. Track the progress of Volocopter’s certification in China with the CAAC, or whether EASA and the CAAC reach an agreement for joint certification credit, as key indicators of future performance for Volocopter in China.

magniX, an Everett, WA based company that is producing electric motors for aircraft, recently shared noise testing results from flight tests of its all-electric floatplane, the eBeaver. These tests emphasize the reductions in noise pollution from an electric aircraft versus conventional internal combustion engine powered airframes. While the results are not entirely surprising, they substantiate the benefits of electric motors as both more efficient and quieter than currently available ICE engines. These qualities are key enabling aspects of the growing eVTOL industry, as they support the value proposition for continued investment and development of suitable electric alternatives to the currently available general aviation or light aircraft powerplant.

eBeaver noise testing results

a bar chart of the typical noise levels of the eBeaver aircraft in various phases of operation. Image // magniX

magniX referenced in its press release a study from the Noise and Health International Journal, which found that aircraft noise is one of the most detrimental environmental effects of the aviation industry. This study solidly supported the magniX’s vision for replacing combustion engines with all-electric motors. In particular, the study stated that aviation noise related to ICE engines has the potential to disrupt sleep, adversely affect academic performance in children and even increase the risk for cardiovascular disease of people living near airports. While the general aviation industry did not grow significantly during the past year, projections of the demand for smaller short to medium range aircraft that are efficient and cost effective do provide reinforcement for the value of creating suitable electric alternatives to ICE powered aircraft.

magniX’s data shows an average noise reduction of 16-22 dBA across all phases of flight when comparing the electric ‘eBeaver’ to a traditional ICE-powered Beaver. The eBeaver recorded noise levels of 20.8 dBA lower on average during the takeoff phase and 24 dBA lower at peak compared to the standard Beaver. Noise energy, which is calculated by weighed factors for peak amplitude, and duration, is on the order of 100 times lower in the eBeaver than on a standard Beaver.

“Intuitively, we knew electric powered aircraft should be quieter than traditional powered aircraft, but these results highlight just how significant the difference is which is pretty amazing,” said Roei Ganzarski, CEO of magniX. “These results are great news for residential communities near airports. A significant overall reduction in aviation-related noise will allow more flexibility in terms of flight times and flight volumes, promoting greater mobility, connection and broader choice in smaller and regional airports.”

Noise regulations continue to be tightened over time by regulators such as the FAA and EASA to help restrict the amount of noise pollution emitted from aircraft. Electric aircraft will enable increased flexibility in operators’ selection of airports and times of operation, as some airports maintain a limited set of hours during which traditional combustion-powered airplanes can perform takeoffs and landings.

Why it’s important: The flight test noise data from magniX’s electric Beaver are clear: electric motors reduce the noise signature in small aircraft such as seaplanes, especially during noisy portions of flight, such as takeoff and when high power settings are used. These same results and powerplant technologies, when applied to eVTOL aircraft, will allow for greater route options and flexibility given a larger suite of airport destinations that are available to aircraft with lower noise emissions.

BLADE Urban Air Mobility has announced securing options for up to 20 BETA Technologies ALIA EVA (electric vertical aircraft) for order by BLADE UAM’s network of operators this morning via press release.

The announcement will allow BLADE’s network of operators the option to sign purchase agreements for the EVA, which would be delivered in late 2024, ahead of the initial projected readiness date of 2025. While other manufacturers have outlined challenges in achieving readiness by mid-2020’s, BETA continues to make significant strides to make and beat their timelines.

Additionally, BLADE will enter into a partnership with Jet Linx Aviation, LLC supported by Red Bird Capital Partners, related to the purchase of the ALIA EVA’s. Blade UAM CEO Rob Wiesenthal characterized the motivation behind the announcement, while also stating that BLADE will continue to remain open to other manufacturer’s aircraft as they become available:  “Blade is laser focused on its transition from conventional rotorcraft to Electric Vertical Aircraft. The ALIA’s extremely low sound footprint, coupled with its zero emissions design, will enable us to reduce the noise and environmental impact to the communities surrounding the existing heliport and airport infrastructure we currently use. ALIA is a full scale EVA flying in piloted configuration almost every day.”

UPS announced an order for BETA ALIA EVA’s last week. Image // UPS

Wiesenthal also commented that the ALIA was well-suited for the challenging operational environment that the Northeast presents – cold winters, wind, and periods of inclement weather. Fortunately, the ALIA was developed in a similar environment in the Northeast and is well-suited to address those environmental concerns. A number of other entities have selected the ALIA for other uses – UPS for logistics and package delivery, United Therapeutics for organ transplant, and the Air Force for defense purposes. BLADE UAM’s selection and order of ALIA’s is the first landmark commercial passenger transport announcement for the BETA team.

Further, the two companies maintain a similar stature of operations – BLADE is already flying customers on demand in routes well suited to the ALIA’s capabilities, and BETA is already flying the ALIA EVA regularly during test flights. The two companies are in agreement that a full stack, vertical approach to the on demand commercial aerial mobility problem may be too large of a scope to effectively address, and that leveraging strengths is a more effective means for earlier deployment of EVA services to passengers.

The ALIA EVA includes a unique combination of elements that create a smooth, quiet flying experience, with applications for moving both people and cargo, all while producing zero operational emissions. According to BETA, ALIA can fly six people 250 nautical miles on a single charge and the aircraft is more than 10x quieter than a helicopter, imperceptible over normal urban noise and quieter than cars on a highway.  As part of the agreement, BETA has committed that ALIA will meet the necessary specifications required to operate on Blade’s key routes prior to delivery.  Purchases of ALIA EVA are conditioned on FAA type certification of the aircraft prior to the scheduled delivery date. Blade has committed to facilitate the purchase of at least five and up to 20 aircraft by its network of operators or third parties that will lease the aircraft to Blade operators.

BETA is currently in pursuit of Part 23 Certification with the FAA, and cites the simplicity of design of its aircraft as a key enabling feature to its future success. The ALIA has fixed pitch propellers, centralized batteries, and pragmatism of controllability that is crucial for safe, efficient operation.

Why it’s important: Following suit of UPS’ significant announcement last week for orders of the Alia EVA, BLADE Urban Air Mobility is proving complement to the confidence placed in BETA’s new aircraft, and is similar to UPS in that BLADE is already actualizing the end case – transportation of paying customers, on demand. The net change for BLADE will be an equipment swap, albeit a significant one with reduced noise foot print, operating cost, and increased efficiency. Fortunately, both BETA and BLADE will play to their strengths if the options for up to 20 ALIA EVA’s are exercised.

Lilium has officially announced its intention to list on Nasdaq through a merger with Qell Acquisition Corp., a transaction that values the combined company at approximately $3.3 billion pro forma equity value at the $10.00 per share PIPE price. Simultaneously, the company revealed the development of its 7-Seater electric vertical take-off and landing jet, which employs proprietary Ducted Electric Vectored Thrust (“DEVT”) technology, and is projected to deliver the best unit economics, with market-leading capacity, low noise and high performance.

Lilium’s vision is to create a sustainable and accessible mode of high-speed, regional transportation. The Munich-based company is building a transport network and service for people and goods around its 7-Seater Lilium Jet, an electric vertical take-off and landing jet, which offers impressive capacity, low noise, and high performance. The 7-Seater Jet has a projected cruise speed of 175 mph at 10,000 feet and a range of 155+ miles, including reserves. It is the culmination of five years of technology development across four generations of technology demonstrators, including Lilium’s full-scale 5-Seater. Furthermore, Lilium received CRI-A01 certification basis from EASA for the vehicle in 2020.

Qell Acquisition Corp. (“Qell”) is a publicly listed special purpose acquisition company, or SPAC, and is focused on developing next-generation, sustainable mobility under the leadership of Barry Engle, a former president of General Motors North America. Upon closing of the transaction, the company will be called Lilium, and it is anticipated that ordinary shares will be listed on the Nasdaq under the ticker symbol LILM.

The combined company is expected to receive approximately $830 million of gross proceeds from a fully committed common stock PIPE offering of $450 million, along with approximately $380 million cash held in trust, assuming minimal redemptions of Qell’s existing public stockholders.

To date, Lilium has secured approximately $200 million of commitments from infrastructure partners, including Ferrovial and Tavistock Development Company. Up to 14 vertiports are already planned in Florida. Lilium is also in advanced discussions with key infrastructure partners for 10 vertiports to build a network across Europe.

Related: Lilium to Announce Air Taxi Hub Coming to South Florida this Spring

Why it’s important: This announcement marks a significant milestone for Lilium, as the proceeds from the merger and public offering will be directed toward serial production and commercialization of the 7-seater Jet. Working in partnership with world-leading aerospace, technology and infrastructure partners, commercial operations are planned to launch in 2024. Notably, Lilium is betting on a vertical integration approach to invent urban air mobility, an approach that Dean Donovan calls “risky” in a recent editorial first published via Forbes.

Source // Lilium press release

Volocopter published a white paper last week titled “The Roadmap to Scalable Urban Air Mobility” which characterized the requirements for future aerial mobility operations and growth. The release of the white paper is joined by the company’s continuing pledge for readiness of commercial scale (starting small) operations of eVTOLs within 2-3 years. Release of V2.0 follows Volocopter’s release of their first White Paper, which occurred in 2019.

Rendering of the Volocopter Volocity in flight

“Volocopter is leading the pack for implementing urban air mobility internationally. With our VoloCity and chosen go-to-market approach, we can fit into the existing ecosystem well enough to get started in the next 2-3 years,” said Florian Reuter, CEO of Volocopter. “However, in order to subsequently scale our operations in a safe and efficient manner and offer a fantastic experience to our customers, we need to establish a comprehensive and integrated UAM ecosystem. This is what we are doing together with our partners.”

While the focus of the 2019 white paper was largely engineering and systems-based, the second version of the white paper adapts a more holistic view to the ecosystem and supportive infrastructure for successful eVTOL operations and maintenance, real estate development, and customer user interface and experience traits. Additionally, it makes predictions for the relative market share between logistical vs passenger carrying operations in order to determine which should be given more development effort first. In a first for many white papers in the disruptive mobility space, Volocopter places special emphasis on the importance of customer service as the primary determination of recurring revenue from pleased customers.

Volocopter also shared in their white paper how they plan to implement UAM services in cities like Singapore and Paris with a scalable business approach. Some of the special considerations outlined in the paper include:

• The UAM industry is expected to have an €11.3 trillion addressable market by 2035 with a €241 billion market potential. Over half of the market potential lies in passenger mobility (e.g., VoloCity air taxi services), and the rest is covered by logistic-type, cargo services (e.g., VoloDrone services).
• Strong partnerships and an ecosystem strategy will play a pivotal role for entry into the electric air taxi market and will set a precedent for future UAM services – for example partnerships between real estate development companies, airspace integration services, and maintenance and repair operators’ manpower and expertise.
• The most successful approach will put the customer first in all critical areas including safety, infrastructure, aircraft design, air operations, city integration, and acceptance.
• Volocopter supports the high safety standards for air taxis defined by the EASA’s SC-VTOL and the progress with concurrent type certificate validation from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in the US and the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS).
• Digitalization and autonomous flight will help decrease prices for air taxi services in the long-term. Volocopter is already underway to ensure that the aircraft produced can fly autonomously and that all various components of the UAM ecosystem can be connected using a digital backbone and platform, VoloIQ.

Why it’s important: Volocopter’s white paper 2.0 reflects the progress made over the past two years towards aerial mobility’s commercial implementation. The discussion has shifted from engineering and design of eVTOL aircraft to infrastructure, maintenance, operation, and customer integration – logical next steps in the design lifecycle which are equally as important if not more so than initial design. Further, the white paper provides stratification for the predicted relative demands between logistical and passenger carrying operations, and outlines considerations for how the progression from piloted operations in 2023 will evolve to completely autonomous operations in 2032.

Read the full white paper here.

Source // Volocopter Press Release

JoeBen Bevirt, Founder and CEO of Joby Aviation, and Roei Ganzarski, CEO of magniX and Executive Chairman of Eviation, will serve as co-chairs of the Electric Propulsion and Innovation Committee (EPIC). The committee works to create an environment conducive to efficient design, production, operation and maintenance of hybrid and electric propulsion aircraft, including eVTOLs. This will be Bevirt and Ganzarski’s first time serving on the Executive Committee. Bevirt has been a member of the GAMA Board of Directors since 2018 and Ganzarski has been a member since 2019.

Joby Aviation’s latest eVTOL. Credit // Joby

The General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) exists to “foster and advance the general welfare, safety, interests, and activities of the global business and general aviation industry.” This includes promoting a better understanding of general aviation manufacturing, maintenance, repair, and overhaul and the important role these industry segments play in economic growth and opportunity, and in serving the critical transportation needs of communities, companies, and individuals worldwide. The Executive Committee is comprised of members of GAMA’s Board of Directors, who provide strategic leadership for the association and lead its policy committees. The additions to the GAMA Executive Committee were elected by the Board of Directors during its Winter Board Meeting.

Santa Cruz-based company Joby Aviation has raised $910 million and aims to have an electric vertical take-off and landing air taxi service operating by 2024. In late February, Joby announced it will list its shares on the New York Stock Exchange in a business combination deal with Reinvent Technology Partners, a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC). Joby is backed by Toyota and Uber Technologies.

Related: Joby Aviation Releases First Footage of Air Taxi Prototype in FlightMeanwhile, Ganzarksi is also executive chairman of electric airplane maker Eviation, whose new regional all-electric airplanes will be powered by MagniX motors. Eviation is setting up a new assembly facility in Arlington, according to the Puget Sound Business Journal. Both MagniX and Eviation are part of Clermont Group, owned by Singapore-based billionaire Richard Chandler.

Why it’s important: GAMA has a widespread, global reach with members throughout the world, including in the United States, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Europe, and the Middle East. Its members also are world-renowned for their ability to efficiently operate repair stations, fixed based operations, pilot and maintenance training facilities and manage fleets of aircraft. By initiating a relationship with firmly-established companies across the globe, Joby Aviation and magniX are well-situated to expand their products and services once they have been certified and are manufactured at scale for implementation in revenue-generating commercial services. Further, the addition of electric aviation-focused leaders to GAMA’s Executive Committee gives the aerial mobility industry a larger voice in its advancement and integration in to general aviation.

Sources // GAMA; Puget Sound Business Journal

VerdeGo Aero announced the specifications and design for its new hybrid-electric genset for electric aircraft last week, dubbed the VH-3-185.

The VH-3-185 is VerdeGo’s third generation hybrid-electric hardware, and is the first generation of hardware slated for use in air taxis and commercial grade electric aircraft. The VH-3 enables airframers to design electric aircraft that can very efficiently convert jet fuel to electrons, which allows for an increased number of use cases when entire mission energy requirements profiles are considered.

The VH-3-185 core hybrid unit is a tightly integrated powerplant that includes the engine, generator/motor, power electronics, and cooling systems. With 185kW of output and the ability to be installed alone, in pairs, and with a battery pack, this system can be configured to deliver peak burst power up to 1MW and
continuous power up to 370kW.

The VerdeGo team with their “iron bird” test rig. Image // VerdeGo Aero

The diesel engine inside the VH-3 is an exclusive variant of the certified SMA SR-305 that is
developed for VerdeGo’s hybrid systems. The VH-3’s diesel-hybrid architecture is compatible with
globally-available jet fuel or biofuel substitutes. This configuration provides compatibility with
existing fuel infrastructure and eliminates landing pad delays inherent with electric charging. In many cases, hybrid aircraft using the VH-3 can be designed to carry sufficient fuel to operate multiple back-to-back missions, both increasing utilization of the aircraft and eliminating the need for new energy infrastructure altogether at some landing sites. Energy for sequential missions is important since modular batteries may only be available at hubs, whereas outstations would have more minimal infrastructure to support flight operations for air taxis.

VerdeGo asserts that their powerplant significantly lowers operating costs and emissions when compared to typical powerplants for aircraft that the VH-3-185 would power. These would equate to 40% better fuel economy and lower overhaul costs, all while remaining quieter than existing powerplanes. VerdeGo claims that the VH-3-185 typically delivers a 4X to 7X increase in endurance when compared to current batteries while also having lower operating costs “due to the amortized per-flight cost of large, life-limited
battery packs that may need frequent replacement”.

Chief Executive Officer of VerdeGo Eric Bartsch characterized how the powerplant would fit into the timeline of the electrification of aviation: “The VH-3 hybrid system is designed to be compatible with the rationale for electrification, allowing airframers to develop hybrid-electric aircraft with mission capabilities that may not be available for 20 years in the battery-electric market, while enabling compliance with Part 91 or Part 135 energy reserve requirements for safe flight planning.”

VerdeGo shared that the VH-3-185 may be installed in three different configurations, including:

• 185kW of electrical power to arrays of electric propulsion motors and/or onboard battery packs in a series-hybrid architecture
• Directly driving a prop/rotor with up to 185kW of shaft power from the diesel engine in a parallel-hybrid architecture*
• Operating the generator as a motor powered by an onboard battery pack to provide up to
  185kW from the generator in a parallel-hybrid architecture
• Directly driving a prop/rotor with less than 185kW while sending the balance of the power
  from the diesel engine to power distributed electric power arrays, active aerodynamics,
  onboard systems, and/or battery pack
• Operating in “burst power” mode delivering the combined output of the diesel engine and
  the generator (operating as a motor powered by an onboard battery pack) for up to 370kW
  of shaft power

Why it’s important: VerdeGo’s value proposition focuses on ready-made hybrid electric propulsion that will bridge the gap between today’s internal combustion engine technology and tomorrow’s pure electric aviation propulsion. While electrification will likely be the end state of aviation propulsion within the next 50 years, the next step toward becoming fully electric is hybrid propulsion devices. These devices will both leverage the benefits of energy-dense of liquid fuels (such as diesel) and provide the advantages of electric motors in situations that require lower levels of sustained power such as lower noise and better operational efficiency.

Jetoptera recently announced that it has received two Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) contracts from the US Air Force to facilitate collaboration with the Universities of Notre Dame and Washington. Additionally, the company published the results of a study conducted under a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) with the US Army.  This involved comparing noise signatures between the Fluidic Propulsive System (FPS™) and a propeller, and concluded that the FPS™ has a significant and lasting advantage over anything involving propellers and or rotors. With abatement, Jetoptera expects noise levels of 40 dBA at 300m, which would make an FPS™ equipped aircraft almost inaudible, and well out of the reach of propeller approaches.

Jetoptera Personal Drone

For the first USAF contract, Jetoptera has partnered with the University of Notre Dame (Professor Scott Morris) to employ the anechoic wind tunnel in their Turbomachinery Labs and characterize the aero performance and acoustics signature of the FPS™ and compare it to similar thrust propulsors currently employed in Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) and Urban Air Mobility (UAM) concepts. According to Dr. Andrei Evulet, CEO of Jetoptera, Inc., “we will compare the FPS™ and three other propulsion technologies that are the legacy propulsors for Vertical Take Off and Landing (VTOL) UAVs and UAM vehicles using a similar power supply for each. Having already established our FPS™ lower noise emissions potential versus a propeller under another program, this time we will be using an anechoic chamber and a different measurement system, with the goal of confirming the advantages of the propulsion technology we have invented.”

Jetoptera has also partnered with the University of Washington (Professor Alberto Aliseda) to employ the Kirsten Wind Tunnel to demonstrate feasibility of lift and thrust augmentation by a wing-integrated Fluidic Propulsion System via the Boundary Layer Ingestion and Upper Blown Surface Jet Mechanisms. Our goal is to find the maximum vertical lift produced with this combination and demonstrate that by distributing the FPS™ along a wing we can produce a specific lift force (lbf/hp) similar to a low disk load rotor employed by rotary wing aircraft. “We will investigate and find the optimal architecture for the use of the wing for VTOL in conjunction with the FPS™ and how it could match the performance of a rotor, by using the same power, but without the large, noisy, moving parts,” said Dr. Evulet.

Why it’s important: Jetoptera has demonstrated significant headway in proving that FPS™ is quieter, faster, simpler, more compact and less expensive than a rotor or propeller driven aircraft. Combined with FPS™’ agnosticism to energy sources, it has potential to provide a propulsion solution that addresses noise, safety and performance, which continue to be major challenges in unmanned and manned aviation. The company also sees its technology to be readily applicable for a range of use cases – medical and humanitarian relief, logistics, general aviation, military, and more.

Source // Jetoptera

Vertical lift Health Usage and Monitoring System (HUMS) creator GPMS announced the closure of their Series A funding round last week with DiamondStream Partners, the lead investor in the round. The closure of Series A funding aims to continue the development and application of GPMS’ Foresight MX tool, which is a predictive maintenance management dashboard and hardware suite intended for application in vertical lift and aerial mobility sectors.

GPMS was founded by Dr. Eric Bechhoefer, an expert in machine condition monitoring. The Foresight MX tool’s predictive analytics help ensure safety, asset reliability and availability. President of GPMS, Jed Kalkstein, characterized how the funds from Series A would be applied to further market development: “We are excited to announce our Series A funding. GPMS has a market-leading solution for complex aircraft, vehicles and rotating equipment where there is a high cost or consequence of unplanned downtime. This funding will help us accelerate our progress in the rotorcraft market and expand to adjacent industries.”

GPMS Foresight MX’s User Interface. Image // GPMS

GPMS’ main value proposition is providing the first true integrated maintenance and aircraft system health monitoring capabilities for helicopters that can easily be installed, has a very light weight, and can actually predict when maintenance may be required, allowing operators to be proactive in their fleet management. Developed and field tested in collaboration with Duke Energy’s aviation department, GPMS holds FAA certifications that enable it to support new aircraft as well as the aftermarket where an estimated 80% of traditional light and medium rotorcraft remain unconnected. 

In a recent press release, GPMS stated that they offer Foresight both directly to operators and through OEM agreements with Bell Flight and others that are currently in stealth mode. 

Since GPMS’ Foresight MX system is a reported 90% lighter (some light monitoring hardware packages weigh less than 10 pounds) and 7X more accurate than traditional monitoring systems, Foresight MX is well-suited for aerial mobility use, where weight and operating efficiency are two key deterministic constraints for the ultimate viability and productivity of the industry. GPMS recently signed an agreement with eVTOL leader BETA Technologies and is in discussion with other market leaders for eVTOLs and drones as well. Company spokesman Andrew Swayze stated that GPMS is actively involved in the aerial mobility industry, and recognizes the future potential for increasing application of HUMS technology in the UAM space in the future.

Brian Flynn, Managing Director at DiamondStream Partners will join GPMS’ Board of Directors. Flynn specified his vision for the future of the partnership: “GPMS’s next generation hardware and software can provide tremendous benefits to safety, reliability, and operations in the current rotorcraft market. Beyond that, the technology underpinning Foresight MX has tremendous potential in other markets.”

Several other industry investors and figures joined the Series A round alongside DiamondStream Partners.

Why it’s important: GPMS’s Foresight MX dashboard and hardware are opportunities for existing vertical lift aircraft and new aerial mobility aircraft alike to capitalize on predictive fleet health monitoring. Since a large component of Foresight MX’s focus is predictive, vertical lift operators and aerial mobility operators would be well suited to employ the tool to realize the benefits of greater dispatch reliability and insights into lagging performance that could be corrected. If GPMS is able to integrate with airframes currently in design “from the ground up”, the ultimate performance of the OEM’s system would be even higher due to the tailor-made integration of aircraft and monitoring.

German eVTOL manufacturer Lilium is reportedly in talks with Qell Special Acquisition Corporation, according to persons involved closely to the matter. Closure of a potential deal that values Lilium at over $2 billion would be another instantiation in a series of announcements including BLADE UAM’s deal with EXPC, Archer (ACIC), and Joby (RTP), all assuming SPAC mergers in order to maximize available capital while massively cutting the risk involved.

While discussions are underway, there is no firm indication of deal proceedings advancing at this time, and if terms do not finalize the discussion could terminate with Lilium being approached by any other number of SPACs poised to make entry into the aerial mobility market.

TransportUP previously reported in February of 2021 on Lilium’s proposed Floridian operations network, an aerial mobility network that would be the result of a joint collaboration between Lilium and Ferrovial SA (construction counterpart) that includes design and build of 10 vertiports.

Qell is led by Barry Engle, a former GM executive. According to SEC filings, the SPAC raised $350 million in a September IPO. The fund stated that investment targets would include next-generation mobility, sustainable industrial technology, and enabling technologies that support development.

Another firm that is unspoken for within the eVTOL space currently is that of New Vista Acquisition Corp (NVSAU), which IPO’ed on February 17th with a $240 million raise slated for investment in the same fields as Qell, with the addition of artificial intelligence and other enabling technologies. Any proposed eVTOL acquisition target of New Vista would be pure speculation at this point, but companies like Lilium would fit the defined scope of the SPAC’s investment strategy. NVSAU Board Member Kirsten Bartouk Touw reported to evtol.com that the focus of the SPAC spans a wider scope than strictly eVTOL manufacturers, and includes companies that are ready to go public.

Why it’s important: 2021 has been a banner year for investment in aerial mobility. Billions of dollars of investment have poured into the industry over the past three months, and additional funds, SPACs, and private investors alike are poised to take advantage of the potential long-term growth and value propositions of aerial mobility as they stake financial commitments toward the industry which still carries a respectable quantity of risk. As further deals close, expect leaders among aerial mobility to more firmly cement their standing among the ranks of other eVTOL companies as they benefit from the increased amount of resources and financing.

Aura’s Powercell is claimed to be 90% recyclable, and made primarily of aluminum foil and graphene, containing zero cobalt. Cobalt is used in almost all lithium batteries today to increase energy density and cycle life, but it is one of the most destructive metals to produce in terms of its human rights impact.

At the end of its lifespan, Cobalt can be melted down and recycled back into its base materials. Aura then uses those base materials to make their Powercells. In short, Aura’s supply chain is achieves sustainability by potentially using 100% post industrial and consumer waste in its battery production.

The Powercell is rated for 250,000 cycles, several orders of magnitude greater than high performance drone lithium-polymer (LiPo) and Lithium-Ion (Li-ion) batteries which are rated at approximately 200 and 1000 cycles, respectively.

Why it’s important: With 40 years of combined direct experience with electric VTOL systems, Aura’s founders have laid the pathway to extreme high energy, heavy lift electric VTOL applications. Delivering on industry needs at both a component and systems levels, Aura Aerospace is establishing a platform of safety, reliability and dependability in high power electric VTOL systems. Furthermore, the cycle life improvements of the Powercell over other batteries will significantly decrease battery replacement costs over the life of a product or vehicle, making it an appealing investment for eVTOL operators. Ongoing battery replacement can dramatically increase cost of ownership, as well as significantly impact environmental sustainability.