Naish Gaubatz, Author at TransportUP

All posts by Naish Gaubatz

The Secret Ingredients for Flying Cars in 2019

22 January 2019 || 7 min read

The transportation industry has been at a crossroads between convention and innovation for the last 10 years. In the next 10, we’ll complete the next biggest thing since the advent of the jet engine following World War II. Transportation, medicine, finance, and real estate: all industries that at one point or another undergo a transformation. While some of these periods...

The Secret Ingredients for Flying Cars in 2019

22 January 2019 || 7 min read

Transportation, medicine, finance, and real estate: all industries that at one point or another undergo a transformation. While some of these periods of “redefinition” are slow, others are step function inputs of technological progress, scientific research, or novel approaches to best business practices. Fortunately, the key indicators for large changes (while uncommon in specific mechanism) share commonality among the environments which spark the cycle of rapid development.

For aviation, there were two such sparks, arguably three: the Wright Brothers (powered flight), the jet engine (World War II), and spaceflight (The Cold War). Two of these three periods of innovation were bred from necessity, and the first from (arguably) desire for adventure and pursuit of overcoming adversity. While it may be easy to retroactively claim that two brothers yearned to fly in a powered machine, or that the fastest aircraft would win battles in war, or even that the first country in space could possibly end up controlling the world, it’s harder to pinpoint realtime the complex psychology of a herd mentality that has shifted far enough, for long enough, to initiative substantive change.

Aircraft like the Rolls-Royce ACCEL are paving the way for electric propulsion systems in aircraft that can readily be applied to the eVTOL market

One common thread today is the initiative for responsible development and management of the earth’s resources, while another is the idea of providing larger breadth in access to the benefits of transportation to the world. A third, and arguably most powerful motive, is the idea that we’ve spent long enough being complacent with increasingly smaller “advances” to our technology to such a point where an actual leap must be made. It was over 50 years ago that man landed on the moon using a computer with 2048 words of RAM. A normal laptop computer could have provided the necessary computing resources for 100’s of thousands of Apollo missions concurrently, and yet we haven’t returned.

While the moon isn’t necessarily a good benchmark (there are other political and environmental factors at play) the idea that we haven’t accomplished something of the same magnitude in so long is reason enough to raise the question – when will we?

The answer is simple: we’ve been doing so for the last 10 years.

Fly Blade Air Taxis have taken advantage of some of the market that once flew on New York Airways, but on a more private and semi-private scale. UAM intends to democratize the availability of commercial eVTOL transport.

It could be argued that Urban Aviation started in the early 1950’s with the advent of New York Airways, shuttling passengers to and from Manhattan regularly. Unfortunately, a crash in 1977 ended that airline, and widespread urban commercial aviation operations haven’t returned since. However, since 2009, a number of Urban Air Mobility companies have been working tirelessly to make the industry a reality. A lot has been learned since 1977, to the point where Morgan Stanley claims that by 2040, UAM will be a $1.5 trillion dollar industry. We’re much closer to 2040 than 1977, and the level of investment in the industry (over $1 billion USD in 2018 alone) is providing the resources for rapid growth.

A $1.5 Trillion Dollar valuation is massive, but considering the magnitude of technological advancement that’s being baked into this industry, more attainable than the sticker shock implies. Here are some of the key watch items for Urban Air Mobility in 2019 that will continue the progress toward a track of commercial application in 2023 and that $1 Trillion + valuation in 2040:

Distributed Hybrid Electric Propulsion – By taking advantage of distributed hybrid electric propulsion, the UAM industry can leverage gas turbine strengths while also realizing the benefits of reduced energy requirements during the cruise and descent phases of flight.
Smart Avionics – While there’s a large push for complete autonomous operation of urban aircraft (and in many cases the technology will be installed on urban aircraft to support complete autonomous operations) the initial commercial operation of UAM will not be autonomous. Public sentiment and regulatory requirements mean that autonomous operations aren’t necessarily ready today – not for the sake of technological readiness, but rather for societal readiness.
Flight Testing & Certification Processes – for a number of OEM’s, the flight testing and certification process is already well underway. The dialogues that occur during 2019, and the resulting certification paths forward from these relationships between OEMs and regulatory agencies will define future, steady state interactions for the current group of earlier-stage urban aviation OEM’s.
Composite Manufacturing – Composite manufacturing is difficult at small-scale, and even harder at large scale. Innovative techniques for manufacturing composites at scale will prove to be some of the highest value-add propositions that the UAM industry may lend to the rest of industrials.
Low-Altitude Airspace Management – UTM technology is another watch item for 2019. The application of UTM technology in the US and globally is spreading quickly. Hear Ben Marcus, Chairman and Co-Founder of AirMap, the world’s leading low-altitude airspace management platform, explain how.
Battery Technology – Why wouldn’t a Tesla battery work for an air taxi? TransportUP explained why in this article. (The TL;DR version is that we haven’t achieved the necessary energy densities required for revenue-generating commercial operations yet, and the rate of progress is pretty slow). If the “secret sauce” of increased battery energy is discovered, expect things to pick up, very rapidly.

Why it’s important: The common thread – innovative application of existing technologies. Besides brand new battery technology, most of the watch items listed for 2019 have existed for some time – but what hasn’t is the combination of all of them on the same system. A number of moving parts must perfectly sync for UAM to realize commercial usage in 2023, but we made the moon in ’69 with that 2048 word RAM guidance computer. The odds look good for UAM.

Want to learn more about urban aviation? Subscribe to our Urban Aviation Newsletter and our urban aviation podcast on iTunes to learn about how the leaders in the UAM industry are developing their technology in 2019.

FAA Testing Unmanned Aircraft Traffic Management System

20 January 2019 || 3 min read

In Grand Forks, North Dakota, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is testing an Unmanned Traffic Management airspace system that will lead to delivery drones and eventually to passenger drones. Although testing at the Northern Plains site in North Dakota is primarily focused on smaller aircraft flying under 400ft (such as drones), Director of Research and Development Chris Thielen has acknowledged the eventual need...

FAA Testing Unmanned Aircraft Traffic Management System

20 January 2019 || 3 min read

In Grand Forks, North Dakota, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is testing an Unmanned Traffic Management airspace system that will lead to delivery drones and eventually to passenger drones.

Although testing at the Northern Plains site in North Dakota is primarily focused on smaller aircraft flying under 400ft (such as drones), Director of Research and Development Chris Thielen has acknowledged the eventual need to expand to testing of larger aircraft at higher altitudes.

The testing at Nothern Planes is part of NASA and the FAA’s development of an Unmanned Aircraft System Management System. The ultimate goal of this research is to “identify airspace operations requirements to enable safe visual and beyond visual line-of-sight drone flights in low-altitude airspace.” This includes requirements for software, information sharing, performance and more.

Companies like Amazon, Uber (for UberEats,) Google, and more have already expressed plans to developed on-demand drone delivery, while Boeing has already co-founded SkyGrid alongside AI firm SparkCognition.

UAS Research being conducted Northern Plains UAS Test Site in North Dakota

Many of the concerns that exist regarding UAS (unmanned aerial systems) have also been expressed about eventual passenger drones/Urban Air Mobility (UAM). At a House Aviation Subcommittee UAS Hearing, these were named as the following:

Safety
- Drones and UAM vehicles will fly at lower altitudes than traditional aircraft
- Drones and UAM vehicles will land in places other than airports
Noise & Privacy
- Drones and UAM aircraft have the potential to disturb ‘tranquil areas’
- Drones and UAM aircraft could gather detailed information about private property.

The potential future of Urban Airspace as illustrated by NASA.

Ideally, regulatory decisions for UAS systems being developed at Northern Plains will pave the way for standards required of larger autonomous passenger aircraft. Already, most Urban Aviation companies like Uber, EHANG, Lilium, Volocopter, VRCO, and Vertical Aerospace, and more are planning on eventually rolling out autonomous air taxis services.

Illustration of a potential Uber Elevate ‘Skyport’

Why it’s important: With continual progress being made on Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) research and regulation by NASA and the FAA, the regulatory groundwork is also being laid for passenger vehicles with eventual autonomy. Testing plans are currently scheduled to run through 2020.

The Onyx eVTOL by Imaginactive

17 January 2019 || 3 min read

The idea behind the Onyx is to create an eVTOL ‘flying car’ that won’t need a change in the infrastructure around it. For this reason, the Onyx is designed to fit into a standard car parking space. Designed by Charles Champagne and Jorge Ciprian of Imaginactive, the Onyx has six rotors: four in the front and two in the back. Like the...

The Onyx eVTOL by Imaginactive

17 January 2019 || 3 min read

Designed by Charles Champagne and Jorge Ciprian of Imaginactive, the Onyx has six rotors: four in the front and two in the back. Like the EHANG 184, each rotor set-up has one propeller on each side, making for a total of twelve rotors on the Onyx. Despite its compact SUV size, the Onyx can comfortably fit two passengers.

Passengers can exit and enter the sides of the vehicle through a glass-roof paneling

Although there still exists major regulatory barriers to employing a craft like the Onyx, companies like Uber, Boeing, and more are already working with government entities in multiple countries to set standards and rules for these aircraft. Particularly, NASA has recently set up the Urban Air Mobility Grand Challenge series, the first event of which will take place in 2020 and will give companies the opportunity to exhibit the airworthiness of their aircraft and begin laying the benchmarks for regulatory law.

At Imaginactive, Charles Champagne and Jorge Ciprian hope that their design will enable traditional road vehicle spaces to be used for docking and recharging, making the Onyx more accessible than other eVTOLs that need helipad-sized landing spaces. The Onyx would also come with interchangeable battery packs that would allow for all-day urban transportation.

Why it’s important: The Onyx represents yet another innovative eVTOL design aimed at more quickly introducing eVTOLs into public life. While there has been no news yet from Imaginactive about whether the Onyx will be brought into the prototyping stage, the spread of this kind of design thinking shows the continuing proliferation of the world’s focus on eVTOL transportation.

GAMA And Urban Air Mobility

16 January 2019 || 3 min read

The General Aviation Manufacturer’s Association (GAMA) has acknowledged the progress of the urban air mobility industry as it continues to work with regulatory bodies to provide definition for certification paths of Urban Aircraft. With the sheer volume of investment in the urban air mobility industry within the last year (read – the figure tops $1 Billion USD) the rate of...

GAMA And Urban Air Mobility

16 January 2019 || 3 min read

With the sheer volume of investment in the urban air mobility industry within the last year (read – the figure tops $1 Billion USD) the rate of development of urban aviation is continuing to increase. Greg Bowles, GAMA’s vice president for Global Innovation and Policy, recently wrote that the promise of urban aviation is coming to be realized.

Indeed, the momentum of urban air mobility continues to build. Studies from Booz Allen Hamilton and Porsche Consulting, as well as Morgan Stanley, indicate that the UAM space may become a $3 Billion Dollar industry by 2035, and that by 2025 limited commercial operations of urban aircraft will be in service. (For more information on their studies, be sure to check out TransportUP’s podcast episode with Booz here). GAMA for one is playing a role in helping to shape the dialogue of this process by promoting the sharing of knowledge across boundaries, a practice that is not always commonplace among aerospace firms – and almost more importantly, to help to define the certification path for many of these urban aircraft in the future by working with regulatory agencies such as the FAA and EASA.

Why it’s important: The General Aviation Manufacturer’s Association is playing a critical role in the advancement of the entire UAM industry by providing the grounds necessary for discussions on the certification and testing of a new generation of aircraft. While GAMA doesn’t side with any particular manufacturer, the efforts of the association have underscored the importance of working with regulatory bodies during the design process of aircraft instead of relying on regulation that is dynamic enough to provide for certification of a huge variety of designs.

Elon Musk and Flying Cars

15 January 2019 || 4 min read

While in the Elon Musk has past expressed opposition the idea of Urban Air Mobility, his recent actions may suggest a possible change of heart. In a 2017 Tweet, Musk brought up the possibility that the optional rocket tech package for the future Roadster will allow it to ‘fly short hops‘. According to Musk, “the SpaceX option package for new Tesla...

Elon Musk and Flying Cars

15 January 2019 || 4 min read

While in the Elon Musk has past expressed opposition the idea of Urban Air Mobility, his recent actions may suggest a possible change of heart.

In a 2017 Tweet, Musk brought up the possibility that the optional rocket tech package for the future Roadster will allow it to ‘fly short hops‘. According to Musk, “the SpaceX option package for new Tesla Roadster will include ~10 small rocket thrusters arranged seamlessly around (the) car…Rocket tech applied to a car opens up revolutionary possibilities.”

Most recently, his suggestions of a flying Tesla Roadster have been growing stronger. Just last week he tweeted the following:

The new Roadster will actually do something like this https://t.co/fIsTAYa4x8

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 9, 2019

With this post, he mentioned claimed that the Tesla “will use SpaceX cold gas thruster system with ultra high-pressure air in a composite over-wrapped pressure vessel in place of the 2 rear seats.”

At a TED Talk in 2017, Musk strongly opposed flying cars, with the premise that UAM vehicles are noisy, produce wind pollution, and will cause anxiety for people living beneath them. But in a recent note to clients this December, he mentioned, “Tesla has expertise in batteries, AI software, complete vehicle engineering, charging infrastructure and material science that we believe may have transferability to the autonomous aircraft domain”.

Although the jury is still out on which direction Musk will take with flying vehicles, he has continued to work on the ‘The Boring Company’, which plans to build large series of car-moving tunnels under urban areas to eliminate traffic. You can learn more about the Boring Company idea in Musk’s 2017 TED Talk, where he discusses the Boring Company in depth and explains he’s chosen the underground tunneling solution rather the skies. The Boring Company’s FAQ’s page also mentions the reasoning behind this choice.

The Boring Company and Uber Elevate plan to launch in Los Angeles within five years.Why it’s important:
While Musk has expressed opposition to the UAM solutions in the past, it’s possible that his interest in flying vehicles (as expressed by the potential flying capabilities of the upcoming Tesla Roadster) may lead him to make contributions to the autonomous air vehicle space with Tesla and SpaceX’s AI, battery, and vehicle engineering tech. Although Uber Elevate and Musk’s Boring Company are in competition for eliminating congestion, Musk may decide to contribute to a future that is both in the skies as well as under the earth.

Zeva Zero’s First Flight

14 January 2019 || 3 min read

A sub-scale prototype of the Zeva Zero has taken to the skies. The prototype, which was flown outside of Tacoma, WA, where the Zeva team is based earned the company a Phase II spot in Boeing’s GoFly Competition. CFD analysis of the sub-scale model show that the full-scale prototype will fly at speeds approaching 160mph. The Zeva Zero takes off...

Zeva Zero’s First Flight

14 January 2019 || 3 min read

A sub-scale prototype of the Zeva Zero has taken to the skies.

The prototype, which was flown outside of Tacoma, WA, where the Zeva team is based earned the company a Phase II spot in Boeing’s GoFly Competition. CFD analysis of the sub-scale model show that the full-scale prototype will fly at speeds approaching 160mph.

The Zeva Zero takes off and lands vertically, and transitions to forward flight by slowly decreasing angle of attack and increasing airspeed until the body of the aircraft creates enough lift for forward flight. The Zeva Zero will be flown during the October 2019 fly-off in the Boeing GoFly competition, and will be competing for the $1 million purse.

The Zero is a personal air vehicle, or PAV – which means that it is not intended for large scale commercial operations, but rather as a device for personal mobility. A number of other teams and universities are competing in the Boeing GoFly competition, with a total of 10 companies winning Phase I of the competition. Zeva is currently sponsored by the ANSYS Startup Program and has selected an all-electric design for their contest entry.

Additionally, the Zero’s intended size may be an advantage of the craft: two can fit into a standard one-car garage, making them significantly smaller than the majority of eVTOLs that are intended to transport larger numbers of passengers.

Why it’s important: Zeva’s Zero aircraft adopts an unconventional approach to vertical takeoff and landing aircraft configurations – much like the Vought V-173 flying pancake, the aircraft uses a semi-circular body for lift generation – but unlike the V-173 is completely vertical during takeoff and landing. While it can only carry a single passenger, the goal of Zeva is not commercialization of eVTOL transport, but rather sharing the excitement of flight with the world.

Learn more about the Zeva Zero here.

This Year’s Top Urban Air Mobility Highlights

13 January 2019 || 2 min read

2018 (and even early 2019) has been a big year for urban air mobility, with companies the world over preparing for impending launches of their passenger drones and air taxis. Here’s the past year’s biggest highlights: You can read more about the above-featured stories here: ...

Workhorse Group Acquires $35 Million to Fund Electric Vehicle Orders

08 January 2019 || 3 min read

Workhorse Group has secured funding from Marathon Asset Management, which will provide funds in two separate tranches. A $10 million lump sum will be paid out and used principally to satisfy repayment of the July 2018 senior secured notes. The remaining $25 million will function as a revolving credit facility from which Workhorse may draw down as necessary to meet existing...

Workhorse Group Acquires $35 Million to Fund Electric Vehicle Orders

08 January 2019 || 3 min read

In June of 2018, UPS had placed record-breaking order for 950 Workhorse electric delivery trucks, which jumpstarted the electric vehicle startup.

Marathon Asset Management is a global investment advisor based in New York, NY with approximately $15 billion of capital under management, according to a release. “The firm pursues credit through a broad spectrum of investments in global corporate credit, distressed and special situational credit, structured credit, emerging markets and leveraged loans. A perfect fit for Workhorse’s needs, Marathon is uniquely positioned to quickly create innovative financing solutions that fit within Workhorse’s existing capital structure and its business objectives.”

Visit The Hangar to read more about the Workhorse Surefly’s technical specifications.

Workhorse CEO Steve Burns remarked:

“Marathon is the right strategic partner for Workhorse’s current capital needs, and we plan to leverage their experience, size and resources to further support our growth as a company. This agreement provides meaningful, near-term funding that will go directly toward building and delivering vehicles to customers in 2019. Additionally, we have repaid, in full, our previous debt obligations from July, which will remove all covenants associated with that arrangement, including the obligation to sell our eVTOL aircraft, SureFly. Going forward, our primary goal for both current and future capital initiatives is to leverage the best available financing solutions that will provide liquidity and favorable economics.”

Further, Duane Hughes, Workhorse President and COO, added:

“Completing these financial transactions and developing these strategic relationships are additional key steps in our long-term capital strategy. We plan to implement these measures and other near-term initiatives in the coming months to help drive continued growth in both sales and profitability.”

Why it’s important: As Workhorse competes for market share with other electric truck and delivery vehicle companies, this additional funding enables continued company growth and order fulfillment. Furthermore, immediate access to additional capital satisfies existing obligations to debt repayment and widens opportunities for sale of the Surefly eVTOL octocopter.

Bell Flight Unveils Nexus Prototype at CES 2019

07 January 2019 || 5 min read

Bell Flight has released its Nexus Air Taxi prototype at CES 2019. The vertical mobility company claims that the Nexus air taxi will weigh roughly 6,000 pounds, be able to fly at 150mph, and have a range of 150 miles. Bell Flight also announced that the air taxi will use augmented reality, as well as intelligent interior design to provide...

Bell Flight Unveils Nexus Prototype at CES 2019

07 January 2019 || 5 min read

Bell Flight has released its Nexus Air Taxi prototype at CES 2019.

The vertical mobility company claims that the Nexus air taxi will weigh roughly 6,000 pounds, be able to fly at 150mph, and have a range of 150 miles. Bell Flight also announced that the air taxi will use augmented reality, as well as intelligent interior design to provide a signature passenger experience that doesn’t compromise safety.

Image // Bell Flight

One of the important design selections that Bell Flight revealed was the decision to use a hybrid-electric propulsion system on the Nexus: featuring 6 ducted fans that have variable tilt angles to facilitate vertical takeoff and landing, as well as accelerated forward flight. The blades will be 8 feet in diameter. The Nexus builds from Bell Flight’s reveal of the passenger cabin of their “Air Taxi” at CES in 2018, which would eventually become the passenger cabin of the Nexus.

There are a few important distinctions that Bell Flight has underscored in the design of the Nexus; namely, the decision to bypass autonomous operation (at least in the early stages of flight operations) and also to use a hybrid-electric propulsion system. Other urban aviation companies are pursuing one of these design selections, but hardly any have down-selected both. The Nexus will carry four passengers and have one pilot, which fits with Uber’s eCRM standards for revenue-generating commercial air taxi operations. A commonly cited shortcoming of many air taxi designs is the passenger capacity – at least 3 (and preferably 4) are needed if a pilot is to be onboard the aircraft in order for commercial operations to prove profitable.

Image // Bell Flight

Additionally, Bell Flight has outsourced a larger portion of their design than many other eVTOL companies have – companies like Garmin, Thales, Moog, and Safran will provide avionics, flight control computers, flight control hardware, and the non-electric propulsion system, along with EPS providing batteries. Lastly, the design also keeps safety in mind: if one of the rotors fails, the aircraft will be able to land itself, and if the gas-turbine should cease operation, the small onboard battery will have enough power to allow the Nexus to land safely as well. Even the battery itself has containment cells that should prevent the spread of any undesired combustion.

Image // Bell Flight

Bell Flight’s experience in mass-producing helicopters and other aircraft will prove valuable as the company begins their production phase. Common among urban aviation manufacturing challenges is complex geometry composite fabrication at scale, as well as integration of entirely new systems, like that of the hybrid electric propulsion planned to be used on the Nexus.

Image // Bell Flight

Why it’s important: Bell Flight has finally released their prototype for their Air Taxi, which was kept under wraps less the release of the cabin mock-up of the then “Bell Air Taxi” at CES in 2018. The company’s announcement that the aircraft will be hybrid-electric, along with the confirmation that Bell Flight will be partnering with a number of well-respected aerospace companies on their eVTOL design adds much-desired clarity and definition to the path forward for Bell.

Learn more about the Bell Nexus here.

UAM Aircraft Prototypes On Display at CES

05 January 2019 || 4 min read

From January 8-11, Las Vegas, Nevada will host the 2019 Consumer Electronics Show, known as the “global stage for innovation”. According to the Consumer Technology Association – the owner and producer of the trade show – “CES is the world’s gathering place for all those who thrive on the business of consumer technologies. It has served as the proving ground...

UAM Aircraft Prototypes On Display at CES

05 January 2019 || 4 min read

Doug Newcomb, Senior Industry Analyst of Mobility at Wards Intelligence, will moderate a conference addressing several companies that are building flying cars for both commercial and leisure purposes. Massimo Martinotti, Head of Mobility Solutions at Italdesign, and Jeff Warra Sr., Automotive Technology Specialist at Spirent Communications, will discuss where is this industry headed, which players are taking us there and what’s the vision for this near-future mode of transportation.

Here are a few of the prototypes that will be showcased at CES this year:

Visit The Hangar to read more about the Cartivator Skydrive’s technical specifications.

The Cartivator SkyDrive is being developed in Toyota, Japan, with a business base in Tokyo. The group is volunteer-oriented, utilizing donated equipment to pull together their flying car concept design, and have set their sights on using one to light the flame at the opening of the Olympic games in Tokyo in 2020. A scaled-down replica of Skydrive, “Toyota’s flying car”, is to be shown at CES.

The Cartivator group highlights that “our team consists of people with diverse professional backgrounds and is working hard every weekend towards developing the flying car.”

“We aim to build a prototype, establish theory of flight control, as well as form alliances with major corporations to make mass production of the flying car a reality.”

Next Future Transportation has not yet displayed their eVTOL prototype – CES 2019 will be the first public look.

Next Future Transportation (NFT) co-founders are husband and wife, Guy and Maki Kaplinsky. The team is currently developing a multi-modal electric zero emission and advance hybrid system eVTOL capable of piloted or autonomous flight. The passenger flying car, with two or four seats, can carry passengers directly from their starting point to their destination (door-to-door). Their vision will be on display at the show, with a media session on Sunday.

“We believe we have a winning design that will enable us to make the Model T of flying cars — a low-cost production model,” Guy Kaplinsky told AFP News in a Silicon Valley office park where a prototype model was being assembled.

Kaplinsky then explained, “we learned from Tesla that Elon Musk spent too much time on the production side. [Instead] we are spending our time on the technology side and will partner with companies on assembly.”

For more information about the company or prototype, see our previous article: Next Future Transportation Inc. Sets Sights on Affordable Door-To-Door eVTOL

Why its important: CES 2019 will provide these emerging UAM companies immense visibility and further ignite discussion regarding the urban aviation industry. CES is the trade show of the year for a look into the world’s most cutting edge and innovative technologies to come.

Rolls Royce’s New Flight Electrification Program (ACCEL)

04 January 2019 || 3 min read

Rolls Royce is taking a major step in the development for electric aircraft. Their new program, named ‘ACCEL’ (Accelerating the Electrification of Flight ), aims to break the speed record for electric flight by hitting upwards of 300mph. ACCEL is centered around a small test airplane built by Rolls Royce. The airplane is 12 feet long, made fully of carbon...

Rolls Royce’s New Flight Electrification Program (ACCEL)

04 January 2019 || 3 min read

ACCEL is centered around a small test airplane built by Rolls Royce. The airplane is 12 feet long, made fully of carbon fiber, and is fully electric. Within 24 months, the Rolls Royce team plans to build, test, and commercialize the airplane.

In addition to breaking the speed record, Rolls Royce also plans to break the record for highest power density achieved for a propulsion battery system.

Experiments like these push the R&D of electric aeronautics technology to its peak. These developments on batteries, weight, aerodynamics, composites, and more are all absolutely essential to the eventual realization of eVTOL air taxis (passenger drones). Companies like Rolls Royce with leading technology in these fields may eventually become leaders for the urban aviation industry as a whole.

Rolls Royce’s concept eVTOL. Rolls Royce mentions the main challenges it embraces with ACCEL are energy storage capacity and power train performance.

Rolls Royce’s main goal with the ACCEL project is to create technologies that will allow for all types of hybrid-electric flight in the near future. Said Project Manager Matheu Parr: “We are looking at the mid-2020s for when regional aircraft will be opened up for part-electrical power.”

The ACCEL program is Lead by 20 members of the Rolls Royce engineering and aerospace team and in collaboration with partners like electric motor and controller manufacturer YASA.

Why it’s important: With its record breaking developments in electric performance and battery energy density, the ACCEL program will hit breakthroughs in electric flight that are essential to the development of eVTOL air taxis. With eVTOL plans, Rolls Royce is positioning itself well at the forefront of the electrification of flight as well as urban aviation.

EHANG shares 2018 Recap; Overview of Passenger Flights

02 January 2019 || 3 min read

Ghuangzhou, China based EHANG released a video of some of their most notable passengers during flight demonstrations of the EHANG 184 air taxi during 2018. Notable persons include FACC executives, VC Fund Managers, the Mayor of Ghuangzhou, and others. The release of this video comes after the company announced on November that it will be developing an all-electric medium to...

EHANG shares 2018 Recap; Overview of Passenger Flights

02 January 2019 || 3 min read

The release of this video comes after the company announced on November that it will be developing an all-electric medium to long range aircraft that is capable of autonomous electric flight (the EH 580) and an all-electric cargo drone (the FlyShark 200) at the Zhuhai airshow.

Other notable achievements of one of the leading Chinese eVTOL manufacturers include the completion of demonstration flights in other test locales, not just Ghuangzhou – Amsterdam, Doha, and Mattersburg, Austria were among the other cities that hosted demonstration flights.

While the EHANG 184 Autonomous Air Vehicle (AAV) is not yet in a commercially operational state, EHANG is well versed in addressing some of the other challenges that involve low-altitude airspace and flight operations, such as navigating complex airspace in crowded, urban environments. The company has extensive experience with drone operations, and has agreements in place for drone delivery services in Ghuangzhou, China in partnership with Yonghui Group, a retailer. The company regularly performs “drone light shows” of which 78 were completed last year in 42 different cities.

Why it’s important: EHANG’s 2018 recap was not transformative, but rather contained validations of the progress of the company that many were following closely throughout 2018. Of note, however, is the very conscious effort the company is making to demonstrate that their AAV is safe, requires no special skills to operate, and is exciting to fly. The numerous public demonstration flights that are detailed in their recap video attest to the level of approval that many of the executives, press, and EHANG employees have when flying in the AAV. Keep a watch on EHANG in 2019 as they progress through the certification of the AAV with the Civil Aviation Authority of China (CAAC).

Learn more about the EHANG 184 AAV

Eviation and ERAU Collaborate on Electric Aircraft R&D

02 January 2019 || 3 min read

Israel-based electric aircraft company Eviation may be “building the future of regional transportation” with the industry’s first all-electric aircraft. The company is based in Israel and stood up their US headquarters in Prescott, AZ during Q3 of 2018. Eviation is currently developing their first prototype, Alice, an 11-seat electric aircraft with 95% composite material structure. Alice is powered by distributed propulsion,...

Eviation and ERAU Collaborate on Electric Aircraft R&D

02 January 2019 || 3 min read

Alice is powered by distributed propulsion, one pusher propellor at the tail, and one on each wingtip of the aircraft for the sake of redundancy and drag reduction, providing for a cruise speed of 260 knots and range of 650 miles. Other articulated design features of Alice are the low operating cost (by avoiding traditional fuel), advanced materials and thermal management, vehicle autonomy, and minimized noise pollution. Eviation expects that the aircraft will be charged by mobile charging stations similar to aviation fuel trucks that are currently used – one hour in the aircraft would necessitate a 30-minute charge.

Read more about Eviation product specifications at https://www.eviation.co/

Eviation plans to collaborate with fourth-year undergraduate engineering students at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU) on the research and development of its electric technologies. Further, ERAU’s Prescott, Arizona campus will host much of the flight testing of its Alice aircraft, with first flight planned for 2019. The involved students plan to focus on preliminary design of future electric propulsion and airframe concepts, as well as perform analysis, validation, and testing. ERAU chancellor Frank Ayers emphasized that “by including Embry-Riddle engineers and students in the R&D pool, Eviation and the Alice Aircraft will take advantage of the exposure and knowledge from our best and brightest engineers.”

Eviation has been said to be the “Tesla of electric planes” and may “change everything about regional air travel” – the 53rd Paris Air Show shall provide a proving ground for the company’s technology. The Alice commuter aircraft is slated to debut at the Air Show in June of 2019, with first flight coming soon after. Eviation CEO Omer Bar-Yohay told AIN that the company plans to have three flying prototypes by Q2 of 2020, followed by two to three years of certification.

Why its important: Eviation is taking a step closer to the commercialization of electric aircraft as an innovator in the space of regional transport, possibly to be the first to market. The company has also recruited young, passionate engineers at ERAU to continue to steer these new strides toward a future of electric-powered aviation.

Next Future Transportation Inc. Sets Sights on Affordable Door-To-Door eVTOL

30 December 2018 || 3 min read

Next Future Transportation co-founders are husband and wife, Guy and Maki Kaplinsky. Together they have assembled a diverse team, headquartered in Mountain View, CA with a center of excellence in Israel. The team is currently developing a multi-modal electric zero emission and advance hybrid system eVTOL capable of piloted or autonomous flight. The passenger flying car, with two or four...

Next Future Transportation Inc. Sets Sights on Affordable Door-To-Door eVTOL

30 December 2018 || 3 min read

Co-founders Guy Kaplinsky (left) and Maki Kaplinsky (right).

Additionally, the vehicle is designed to be powered by electric propulsion and an advance extended system, making it agile and adapted for cities. According to the founders, the NFT eVTOL drives like a comfortable, compact family car and can be easily parked on the street or in a garage, not requiring a sky port or other specialized accommodation. The target drive range is 62 miles | 100km and target fly range is 310 miles | 500km. Other key technologies include an Artificial Intelligence System, EV road driving system, and Blockchain platform.

NFT has a two-pronged approach to the possible applications of the company’s prototype vehicle. First is Guy and Maki Kaplinsky’s vision for an affordable, door-to-door solution to one’s everyday commute that minimizes wasted time spent in city traffic. To achieve this, NFT targets a sale price of $50,000 in order for the vehicle to be “accessible for regular people” as opposed to “a toy for rich guys”. As for the timeline of NFT’s eVTOL reaching the market, the company first plans to roll out the drive-and-fly vehicle as a cargo transporter, then for human transportation by 2025.

The second application of the NFT all-electric prototype is said to be “on-demand aviation” – a network of VTOL craft that would make it possible for users to summon flying transport whenever they’d like to easily mobilize within and between cities. Guy Kaplinsky articulates NFT’s competitive edge to be the need for only one vehicle during the commute – one would simply hail a vehicle and it would transport them from point to point without the need for another car or intermediary transit method.

Why it’s important: Next Future Transportation Inc. represents the increasing competition in the urban aviation industry, specifically those concentrated in Silicon Valley, CA. The company is currently ranked 281 on CrunchBase, with $5M in confirmed seed funding. The company’s international sprawl also demonstrates the worldwide scale at which the industry continues to grow.

Western Sydney Airport May Include Provisions for UAM

29 December 2018 || 3 min read

The construction of Western Sydney Airport (WSA) began on September 24, 2018. The project in Badgerys Creek, Australia will be designed with 21st-century thinking in mind and will be completed by 2026. It shall have infrastructure to support various modes of transportation to get to and from the airport, with ride-sharing services as a primary option. Further, Western Sydney Airport will...

Western Sydney Airport May Include Provisions for UAM

29 December 2018 || 3 min read

Further, Western Sydney Airport will be constructed on a 1800-hectare plot of land, allowing for plenty of space for disruptive technologies, such as urban air mobility aircraft flights. WSA Chief Executive Officer Graham Millet is a strong advocate for the airport as a testbed for passenger and freight drones, as demonstrated by integrating this forethought into the planning of the new airport.

While the Australian city in which Uber Air’s aerial ride-sharing network will be stood up has not yet been determined, Western Sydney Airport has now made a case for Sydney as the host city. Uber has articulated that the ideal cities are those with high population density and heavy traffic, particularly to a big airport.

Similar to Singapore’s word-class Changi Airport, Millet aims for WSA to be a destination not just for travelers. It will host art exhibitions, gymnasiums, shops, and other attractions, all while keeping operational costs low and ground transport traffic as light as possible. Millet has also already reached out to Uber in hope to ignite discussions between the two regarding drone operations in Australia.

The Australian federal government is allocating approximately $5.3 billion to the Western Sydney Airport, and it is possible that a portion of the budget can be seen going toward sky ports. This is the first outspoken plan for an airport to plan a preemptive integration of drone air mobility operations and could subsequently jumpstart future worldwide efforts.

Image Source // Uber Air

Why its important: Western Sydney Airport sets a precedent as the first airport to plan for infrastructure to support passenger and freight drones – such as Uber Elevate sky ports – in an attempt to alleviate ground transport and jumpstart air mobility operations in Australia.

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