AIR, an Israel-based eVTOL manufacturer targeting the consumer market, has unveiled its commercial prototype, the AIR ONE. AIR is differentiating itself from major OEM’s by targeting owners who plan to use their eVTOL for personal use, rather than creating a shared air taxi. According to a company press release, AIR puts the freedom to fly directly in the hands of consumers with its sleek and playful vehicle intended for adventure and day-to-day flying.

AIR ONE on the ground

AIR intends to implement many cutting-edge technologies and processes used in the automotive industry to quickly scale mass production of AIR ONE. “The future of mobility is in the sky, but to get there we need to build consumer confidence in eVTOLs as a legitimate mode of everyday transport and develop vehicles on a mass-scale to bring that vision to life,” said AIR’s CEO and Co-Founder Rani Plaut. “AIR ONE is our hat in the ring, simultaneously showing consumers the first in a line of diversified, playful models for personal flight and demonstrating cutting-edge technology that will enable high-volume production and scalability.”

The company’s inaugural vehicle offers a range of 110 miles and speeds up to 155 mph. AIR ONE is also designed for storage at home with collapsible wings. At the heart of AIR ONE is the company’s ‘fly by intent’ software, which manages complex functions and navigation, so that usage isn’t restricted to highly skilled pilots and trained professionals. Additional safety features include an AI-enabled monitoring system which performs frequent inspections of the vehicle and eliminates checklists for riders to ensure paramount safety, even for riders with minimal training.

Based on technology and manufacturing techniques from the automotive and aerospace industries, AIR ONE is designed from inception to be a fun, safe and practical vehicle that adheres to aerospace standards and regulations. To this end, AIR is currently working with the FAA to obtain G1 certification.

Why it matters: AIR is targeting aerial mobility early adopters for its eVTOL prototype, rather than pursuing immediate commercial operations. AIR ONE will remain in the general/business aviation space as it markets itself to individuals looking for a new, innovative way to travel short distances by air.

Bye Aerospace has picked up an order deposit from European carrier, Air2E. The airline announced this week it has executed a purchase deposit agreement for the all-electric eFlyer 800 for its air taxi operations and regional airline operations in Europe.

“The eFlyer 800 is the first all-electric propulsion technology that achieves twin-turboprop performance and safety with no CO₂ and extremely low ops-cost compared to legacy turboprop aircraft.” said George E. Bye, Bye Aerospace CEO. “These legacy jet and turboprop aircraft have been solid performers in the air charter market, but at high operating cost contributing to relatively expensive prices and for a small group of business customers. Customers like the ones served by Air2E are demanding greater flexibility and cleaner, more efficient means of transportation. That’s what we aim to deliver with our all-electric eFlyer aircraft.”

“Air2E’s mission is to accelerate the transition to sustainable aviation and now with the eFlyer 800 we are another step closer to this aim.” said Norbert Werle, Air2E’s Founder and CEO. “We intend to build an eFlyer 800 fleet for our AirTaxi service, which is already today the most economical individual flight solutions available. In contrast to large airline operations, small 4 to 10-seat airplanes are the ideal size for a regional network of on-demand flights, consequently providing the fastest road to sustainable and cost-effective individual air-travel with all-electric airplanes like the eFlyer 800.”

Bye Aerospace announced the eFlyer 800 program earlier this year in response to growing demands for regional all-electric airplanes with significantly reduced operating costs, plus increased capacity and utility. The company is also in the process of obtaining FAA Part-23 certification for the eFlyer’s professional flight training mission and for the four-seat eFlyer 4 for air taxi, cargo and advanced training uses. All the company’s current and future families of aircraft feature engineering, research and electric system solutions that are specifically designed to address compelling market needs. Benefits include five-fold lower operating costs, no CO2 emissions, and substantially decreased operations noise. The company estimates eFlyer will eliminate the release of significant amounts of CO2 each year as its deliveries begin and the current general aviation fleet is replaced.

“At Air2E we see a large demand of our expanding customer base for individual air travel. Every flight generates additional funding for the further fleet expansion towards emission free, sustainable flight as soon as the eFlyer800s become available. Bye Aerospace shares the same vision and provides the ideal airplane. Now it’s time for the customers that want to save time and gain flexibility on business trips to join this pathway towards environmentally sustainable and emission free travel,” Werle said.

Why it matters: Bye receiving its first major eFlyer 800 order marks a key milestone in realizing its commercial dreams. The configuration offers operators a familiar fixed-wing platform that traditional pilots will be comfortable operating. Expect to see more customers place orders as Bye Aerospace begins flight testing and pursues certification.

Source: Bye Aerospace Press Release

Honda has announced plans to enter the eVTOL industry with its own prototype, but with a twist. The famed automotive company plans to build a hybrid gas-electric vehicle, noting most of its competition is making bets on all-electric viability and the limited range that comes with it. Honda sees aerial mobility as one of the key markets it can enter in the coming decades, alongside robotics and space exploration.

The announcement comes as part of Honda’s 2030 Vision, a plan to create a unified corporate strategy, align its business objectives, and reimagine the future of mobility. “For Honda to continue to be a company society wants to exist even in the year 2050, when Honda will be more than 100 years old, we envisioned what we want Honda to look like in such a future. And based on that, we determined what we want to look like in the year 2030, and we summarized that as our 2030 Vision,” states their website.

Honda plans to spend $45 billion USD over the next six years on emerging technologies, an incredible commitment to the future of transportation. “Core technologies in these areas are connected to our existing businesses,” said Marcos Frommer, head of corporate communications for Honda, in a briefing with reporters, “and we are pursuing these new areas as an expansion of our core business as a mobility company.”

Frommer expanded on the company’s decision to pursue a hybrid eVTOL as opposed to an all-electric model, stating their customers would prefer greater mission ranges for intercity travel. Honda hasn’t published many technical details of its prototype, but plans to design it for a 250 mile mission. The company is targeting test flights to begin in the next 2-3 years and certification by 2030.

Why it matters: Honda joins a crowded room of other automotive companies entering into the aerial mobility market. Auto giants Toyota, GM, and Hyundai have announced plans, among others. Honda may have a small advantage over other automotive firms as it already has experience in building niche business jets and has a plethora of in-house aeronautical technical prowess.

Related:

• Hyundai is Committed to Transporting Passengers via Flying Car
• Toyota-Backed Joby Aviation Raised $590 Million in Series C Funding
• General Motors Exploring Aerial Mobility

Earlier this week, Airbus announced its latest iteration of its CityAirbus eVTOL aircraft, CityAirbus NextGen. The next generation prototype is the product of several years of development and incorporates lessons learned from the company’s earlier prototypes, including Vahana and CityAirbus.

“We are on a quest to co-create an entirely new market that sustainably integrates urban air mobility into cities while addressing environmental and social concerns,” said Bruno Even, Airbus Helicopters CEO, in a statement. “Airbus is convinced that the real challenges are as much about urban integration, public acceptance, and automated air traffic management, as about vehicle technology and business models. We build on all of the capabilities to deliver a safe, sustainable, and fully integrated service to society.”

The prototype features a fixed wing and a V-tail stabilizer with 8 electrical propellers. CityAirbus NextGen will have a capacity of four passengers.

“This is our fully electric four-seater,” Joerg P. Mueller, head of urban air mobility at Airbus, said during the summit. “It’s designed to the highest certification standards, in this case, its EASA SC-VTOL, and this is our answer to the urban mobility market that we see out there.”

Unlike other OEM’s, CityAirbus NextGen’s wing does not tilt, reducing design and maintenance complexity. A key design parameter for Airbus in designing NextGen was its noise footprint. CityAirbus NextGen will emit at most 70 decibels while landing and 65 while in cruise flight, which is comparable to the noise level emitted by a household vacuum cleaner.

“Noise is fundamental for such a design,” Mueller said. “We have run a number of test benches where we have set up propellers of different shapes and plate numbers, and we’ve optimized the design in that way. We have even overflown an urban area, have measured the propagation of sound in this city, and the effect it has on people on the ground, together with partners that allows us as well to see in which sense we need to optimize in such a vehicle.”

Airbus plans to fly a prototype of the CityAirbus NextGen by 2023, and predicts certification by 2025.

Why it matters: Airbus has made sustainability and aerial mobility a key vertical within its larger aerospace business. This latest prototype is the result of years of research, flight testing, and market surveys for winning configurations, resulting in a design with heightened maintainability and simplicity for operators. If the NextGen is certified by 2025, it could become a major competitor in the aerial mobility space.

Another giant in aerial mobility has gone public this week; Lilium has announced that it has completed its business combination with Qell Acquisition Corp, a publicly listed special purpose acquisition company (SPAC). The transaction was approved by Qell’s shareholders on September 10, 2021, during a Special Meeting in which more than 98% of the votes cast were in favor of the business combination. As of September 15, 2021, Lilium’s Class A ordinary shares and redeemable warrants will trade on the Nasdaq under the symbols “LILM” and “LILMW”, respectively.

“In 2015 with the clear vision that the decarbonization of aviation is inevitable, we set out to build a team and product that would radically transform the way the world moves. Six years and five generations of technology demonstrator aircraft later, we’re closer than ever to this goal. Today’s milestone will bring us even closer to launching our service in 2024 and making sustainable, high-speed regional air travel a reality to communities around the world,” said Daniel Wiegand, Co-Founder and CEO of Lilium.

As a result of the business combination, Lilium will receive approximately $584 million of gross proceeds, prior to transaction expenses, including from funds managed by leading strategic and long-term financial investors including Atomico, Baillie Gifford, LGT and its affiliate impact investing platform Lightrock, funds and accounts managed by BlackRock, Tencent, Ferrovial, Palantir, Honeywell, FII Institute and private funds affiliated with PIMCO. Net cash from the transaction will be used to fund the commercial launch of Lilium’s 7-Seater Jet. Lilium’s existing shareholders will roll 100% of their shares into the combined company.

“We see Lilium as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that will be at the forefront of a whole new industry. Lilium has the capacity to revolutionize regional travel, saving people hours so they can quickly travel from city to city. Using its 7-Seater Lilium Jet, Lilium’s regional shuttle service should enable sustainable, high-speed transportation. Qell is proud to bring this exciting company to the public markets,” said Barry Engle, CEO and Co-Founder of Qell.

Why it matters: With this SPAC acquisition, Lilium has positioned itself on the public market and adds to its leadership the likes of Thomas Enders and David Neeleman. Lilium has over 700 employees across Europe and is making continual progress towards EASA certification and entry into commercial service.

Source: Lilium Press Release

The US Air Force will soon be showcasing over 35 designs submitted for its High-Speed VTOL (HSVTOL) challenge. The program is nested under AFWERX, a government funded initiative to bolster the United States’ national security through the commercial technology sector and provide some level of funding for development of VTOL platforms.

The challenge was launched earlier this summer and aims to seek out agile designs that could accommodate military missions in the future transporting people and cargo into and out of landing sites quickly. AFWERX has now selected 35 entries from over 200 applicants which all feature some form of high-speed cruise, in-air refueling capability, and flexible payload configurations.

AFWERX has yet to officially announce the winners of the challenge, but some of the winning organizations have announced their selection via social media. These include the likes of Bell Helicopter (which seeks to replace its V-22 Osprey with HSVTOL crafts), Jetoptera/Northrup Grumman, and Jetpack Aviation to name a few.

Bell’s HSVTOL artistic renderings submitted under the Air Force’s AFWERX competition.

Many of these designs feature exotic propulsion configurations not usually seen on “conventional” eVTOL platforms including vectored thrust and fluidic propulsion.

Perhaps the most intriguing platform submitted is from Bell which has a long standing partnership with the US military and other defense agencies worldwide. Renowned for its Osprey line, Bell has designed an HSVTOL which features tilting jet engines and can cruise at over 400 knots. Further, Bell states the design can be scaled up to a 100,000 lb maximum take-off weight, which offers an impressive payload capability.

Why it matters: Government-led competitions have an accelerating effect on the development of advanced technologies for the public and private sectors. The Air Force’s most recent competition offers unique insight into how the military plans to next use VTOL technologies. It is reasonable to believe many of these designs will be purpose-built for manned and unmanned missions alike in addition to utilizing novel propulsion configurations. These developments serve to advance the aerial mobility space as manufacturers race to lock in on winning configurations.

SkyDrive has accelerated research on aerodynamic characteristics with the cooperation of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), the company announced this week. SkyDrive hopes this partnership will expedite Japan’s entry into producing vehicles for the aerial mobility space and will lead to improved noise characteristics and safety.

Aerodynamic modeling for eVTOL crafts presents novel challenges to researchers and engineers alike. SkyDrive intends to study rotor optimization (namely rotor geometry and speed) to enable greater efficiency and reduced noise. JAXA brings to the table the largest wind tunnel test facility for aircraft and spacecraft in Japan and almost all aircraft developed in the country to date, including airplanes and helicopters, have undergone wind tunnel tests at this facility. Various research on aerodynamics has been conducted based on the data from this testing to identify aerodynamic characteristics and improve performance.

SkyDrive had accumulated and studied data on flying cars on its own in the past, but JAXA’s cooperation will allow the company to speed up development and contribute more quickly to the realization of an air mobility society.

SkyDrive CTO, Nobuo Kishi, commented on the partnership, “JAXA’s wind tunnel test facility is indispensable for the development of aircraft and most of the aircraft developed in Japan have undergone wind tunnel testing at this facility. We are certain that SkyDrive’s testing at this facility brings our flying car under development one step closer to becoming a safe and reliable aircraft. The data obtained with the cooperation of JAXA will be useful and helpful in the design and development of the rotor to deliver the aircraft specifications expected by society. The testing was conducted on the rotor itself, but we hope to expand the scope of cooperation to include aerodynamic design and analysis of the entire aircraft.”

Why it matters: Industry partnerships with national aerospace agencies like JAXA (others include NASA, ESA, etc) offer fast tracks to the latest technology for computational modeling and scaled component testing prior to locking in production configurations. For eVTOL manufacturers, this offers a unique opportunity to gain valuable intellectual property and mature their designs.

DHL Express has placed an order for 12 fully electric Alice eCargo planes from Eviation, the Seattle-area based global manufacturer of all-electric aircraft. With this engagement DHL aims to set up an unparalleled electric Express network and make a pioneering step into a sustainable aviation future. Eviation’s Alice is a leading fully electric aircraft, which enables airlines – both cargo and passenger – to operate zero-emissions fleets. Eviation expects to deliver the Alice electric aircraft to DHL Express in 2024.

Mock-up of Eviation Alice’s DHL cargo version. The passenger version of the aircraft has already been prototyped at full scale and is undergoing testing.

 “We firmly believe in a future with zero-emission logistics,” says John Pearson, CEO of DHL Express. “Therefore, our investments always follow the objective of improving our carbon footprint. On our way to clean logistics operations, the electrification of every transport mode plays a crucial role and will significantly contribute to our overall sustainability goal of zero emissions. Founded in 1969, DHL Express has been known as a pioneer in the aviation industry for decades. We have found the perfect partner with Eviation as they share our purpose, and together we will take off into a new era of sustainable aviation.”

Source: DHL Press Release

Related:

• Eviation Unveils Production Configuration for its Alice Electric Aircraft
• Eviation Recieves a MagniX Electric Propulsion Unit for its ‘Alice’ Aircraft
• UPS Places Order for BETA Technologies eVTOL, EIS in 2024

While many were attracted to Volocopter’s first public flight demonstration of its 2X prototype in the United States, on the same day, California-based Opener’s BlackFly completed a flight for the public as well.

The firm has been relatively quiet the past two years throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. A tweet from March 2020 stated, “We’ve been busy—improving manufacturing processes, enhancing efficiency for future demand, refining vehicle design to be robust, and making advancements to our motors/motor controller. Once we’re done, we’re hitting the road.”

It appears Opener has been busy indeed, as the company came out of stealth mode once again with a public demonstration of its BlackFly prototype.

That absence has been quite intentional, said Celia Oakley, director of information at Opener. “We’re well funded, and so we wanted to focus on the design, technology, and engineering without distraction,” she said. “We haven’t been promoting ourselves in the media because we have the luxury of being able to focus on the technology without needing to attract investors.”

Opener intends to certify BlackFly as a ultralight aircraft, not requiring an FAA pilot’s license to operate. In fact, many of the engineers at Opener have flown BlackFly, including Eleanor Li, who operated the prototype for the air show. BlackFly intends to maintain safety with triple redundant systems and a robust training program alongside its sales efforts.

Surf Air Mobility has ordered up to 150 Cessna Grand Caravan EX turboprop aircraft from Textron Aviation, the manufacturer announced this week. The order represents an exclusive relationship for the two companies as Surf Air Mobility works to certify a hybrid electric aircraft based on the Grand Caravan EX.

Textron Aviation’s initial deliveries of the Cessna Grand Caravan EX aircraft to Surf Air Mobility are expected to begin in Q2 2022. Surf Air anticipates that its hybrid electric system for the Grand Caravan, upon certification, will power a 9-seat variant of the iconic single-engine turboprop.

“Hybrid electric propulsion technology, deployed at scale for environmental and commercial benefits, is an important part of the future of travel,” said Ron Draper, President & CEO, Textron Aviation. “This relationship with Surf Air Mobility leverages the unique performance capabilities of the Cessna Grand Caravan in both passenger and cargo operations and continues to demonstrate the aircraft’s adaptability for innovative missions and configurations.”

The hybrid electric Cessna Grand Caravan aircraft is anticipated to be utilized by Surf Air Mobility across its own network, connecting more airports with short-haul direct service across the U.S. on a path to creating a regional mass transport platform to sustainably connect communities.

“This is an opportunity to showcase the combined expertise and technologies of both Textron Aviation and Surf Air Mobility,” said Rob Scholl, senior vice president, Textron eAviation. “The outstanding capabilities and versatility of the Grand Caravan make it an ideal aircraft to take advantage of this new technology.”

“The Cessna Grand Caravan EX is one of the most adaptable and prolific aircraft in flight today. Through this exclusive relationship with Textron Aviation, we’re able to make electrified aircraft broadly available to existing and new operators, and bring the benefits of lower cost, lower emission air travel to customers faster and at scale,” said Sudhin Shahani, Co-founder, CEO & Executive Chairman, Surf Air Mobility. “We believe electrifying the Cessna Grand Caravan is the most significant step that can be made toward reduced emission flying with the quickest path to market.”

The order is subject to Surf Air obtaining financing for the aircraft.

Why it matters: Cessna’s Grand Caravan EX is a long standing product offering from the OEM and has been delivered to thousands of customers across the globe and has proved itself as a reliable platform for a wide variety of mission requirements. With the addition of hybrid electric propulsion, Surf Air has an opportunity to operate the Caravan at a significant cost advantage.

A new startup in the aerial mobility space has come out of stealth mode and intends to address noise concerns generated by eVTOL activity as commercialization becomes a reality; Whisper Aero believes it has found a solution to the barrier.

Whisper Aero has 11 employees working on a novel propulsion configuration at its Crossville TN headquarters.

Founded last year by Mark More, former NASA engineer and executive within the early days of Uber Technologies, Moore has engineered a new propulsion configuration which will seamlessly blend into the background noise of city landscapes. Moore has a long career in NASA where he studied drones and electric aircraft and was one of the first to publish academic works on eVTOL technologies in 2010. In 2017, Moore joined Uber Elevate until its acquisition by Joby Aviation.

Mark Moore, Founder of Whisper Aero; former NASA engineer and Uber Elevate executive.

“Half the people think drones are cool, and half of them are so annoyed,” Moore says. “They’re annoyed because there is this really aggravating noise source that should not be there. It sounds like a flying Cuisinart and makes people really uncomfortable. If you want the public to buy into the idea of more and more of these things appearing, you can’t annoy them, and you can’t scare them.”

Moore is convinced that the noise produced by this first wave of eVTOL vehicles will limit their success. While they’re quieter than helicopters, the aircraft still produce that swarm of bee-like buzz. Part of the problem, as Moore sees it, is that companies declined to deal with the noise in their rush to get aircraft to market. “Everyone is taking the path of least resistance,” he says.

Whisper Aero is headquartered in Crossville, TN roughly halfway between Nashville and Knoxville. As their patents work their way through the approval process, the firm will begin to unveil their solution. They intend to start selling products to drone makers as early as 2023. From there, they will expand their product line to include eVTOL manufacturers. So far, the firm has 11 employees and has raised over $7.5M USD from investors, including Robert Downey Jr, Menlo Ventures, Lux Capital, and Kindred Ventures.

Why it matters: Most details about the technology are not yet public as Whisper Aero intends to protect its intellectual property, but Moore’s experience in the aerial mobility space offer a good chance they’ve found something noteworthy. Community noise will be a major public concern to the coming exponential increase in UAV/UAM activity. If Whisper Aero has found a robust solution, they stand to be a critical firm in the industry.

Volocopter has moved one step closer to commercialization of its eVTOL prototype. The company announced this week it has received its Production Organization Approval (POA) from EASA, the aviation regulatory authority presiding over the EU. The approval allows the company to begin production of its eVTOL aircraft for public deliveries.

Volocopter also received design organization approval (DOA) for its aircraft in 2019 and is the only eVTOL company to hold DOA and POA from EASA, according to the release.

In situ with the announcement, Volocopter also announced the acquisition of its partner, DG Flugzeugbau, a composite aircraft producer. Together with DG Flugzeugbau, Volocopter designed and built the VC200, the first electrically powered multicopter to receive a permit to fly it in 2016 and flew this model autonomously in Dubai in 2017 and on stage at the 2018 CES in Las Vegas. Since then, the two companies have partnered to produce the Volocopter 2X, the VoloDrone, and the VoloCity.

“Our ten-year partnership with DG Flugzeugbau has been an extraordinary learning experience,” Florian Reuter, CEO of Volocopter, said in a statement. “Having this legendary industry leader on our side to kick-start scalable and affordable UAM for people and cargo has been a game changer. Today marks an exciting milestone as we unify DG Flugzeugbau’s leadership in aviation production with Volocopter’s pioneering UAM goals to establish yet another crucial stepping-stone for our collective global endeavors.”

Volocopter has had a longtime partnership with DG Flugzeugbau and will utilize its facilities to scale its commercial launch in the coming years. The acquisition will allow Volocopter to integrate DG Flugzeugbau’s aircraft production segment and its new EASA POA, according to the release.

“At DG Flugzeugbau, we have always continued to strive for perfection through unique innovation with gliders, vast aerodynamic improvements, and, for the past ten years, with Volocopter’s eVTOLs,” Holger Back, CEO of DG Aviation, said in a statement. “We see the future in these aircraft and are excited to combine a section of our company with Volocopter to invest in the future of sustainable aviation while continuing our tradition of building gliders and maintaining aircraft.”

Why it matters: Volocopter is quickly building a ecosystem of aerial mobility products and services including VoloCity, VoloConnect, VoloDrone, VoloPorts, among others. The POA award from EASA ensures the company’s technical maturity has reached a level to support mass production of its prototype and will be suited for the public in the near future. Further, the acquisition of DG Flugzeugbau will help scale its operations for success in the market for years to come.