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.

Eviation Aircraft, a global manufacturer of all-electric aircraft, has unveiled the design for its Alice all-electric aircraft, which is on track for first flight later this year. The production configuration, optimized based on real-world lessons learned and customer feedback, defines Alice’s path to certification and entry into service expected in 2024.

A render of the production configuration of Alice, displayed over the greater Seattle area.

The U.S. Air Force (USAF) has signed a contract with Electra.aero to strengthen advanced air mobility markets through the development of hybrid-electric propulsion systems for electric ultra-short takeoff and landing (eSTOL) aircraft.

Shown here, Electra’s ultra-short takeoff and landing aircraft can deliver nearly triple the payload capacity, much longer ranges, and less than half the operating costs of many eVTOLs. 

“Electra is thrilled to be working in tandem with the U.S. Air Force and its innovative Agility Prime team to accelerate the tech transition of eSTOL into the commercial marketplace. These next-gen, low-carbon systems will solve several critical defense-related capability gaps while leveraging affordable commercial marketplace solutions,” says Ben Marchionna, Electra’s Director of Technology & Innovation.

Ben Marchionna, Electra’s Director of Technology & Innovation

Hybrid-electric systems are poised to transform how the USAF powers the fight of the future through game-changing energy efficiency improvements. They are also a fundamental enabler of sustainable aviation at-scale and commercial advanced air mobility markets – for both vertical and ultra-short takeoff and landing aircraft.

Agility Prime’s Deputy Lead, Major John “Wasp” Tekell, adds, “Agility Prime is excited to partner with Electra on their recent Phase II SBIR contract award. We look forward to exploring the unique capabilities of this design while continuing to accelerate the electric aviation industry.”

Electra’s first propulsion system produces 150 kW (200 HP) of electrical power and consists of a small gas turbine with several custom components including a gearbox, generator, rectifier, control system, and software. Ground testing is planned this year followed by flight testing on the company’s technology demonstrator aircraft in 2022. That aircraft, which carries two people and can take off and land in distances as short as 100 feet, will use the hybrid-electric turbogenerator to power eight electric motors and charge a custom battery system during flight.

Electra’s first commercial product, with FAA certification planned in 2026, is designed to carry up to seven passengers and a pilot as far as 500 miles. It will serve urban and regional air mobility markets, sustainability-focused airline operations, “middle mile” cargo logistics, and air ambulance services.

Why it matters: Electra is new to the aerial mobility space and has focused its efforts on developing an eSTOL solution that will work for many applications. Early designs suggest the ability to capitalize on the benefits of electric architecture while minimizing operating costs as compared to eVTOL alternatives. With a full team of aerospace executives and respected advisors from the academic community, expect to see Electra in commercial markets later this decade.

Source: Electra Press Release

Alauda Aeronautics has completed its first flight of its EXA purpose-built racing eVTOL vehicle. In the summer of 2019 entrepreneur Matthew Pearson stated his ambition to create the world’s first racing series for electric flying cars. His mission was informed by the role racing historically played in accelerating the development of both ground and air mobility.

Today, Pearson and his team proudly echo the legacies of automotive and aviation pioneers like Enzo Ferrari, Karl Benz, John Alcock and Arthur Brown in making history through the first flights of a full-scale electric flying racing car, the remotely-piloted Alauda Mk3.

These historic first flights have taken place at undisclosed test locations in the deserts of South Australia under the observation of Australia’s Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA). Throughout the development process, the Alauda team has worked with the regulator to ensure compliance to all required procedures while developing robust safety protocols. The successful execution of these flights means that uncrewed electric flying car Grand Prixs will take place in 2021 at three soon-to-be-revealed international locations.

These races will see elite pilots drawn from aviation, motorsport and eSports backgrounds to remotely pilot the world’s only racing electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) craft. These pilots will remotely control their Speeders in races across electronically governed, Augmented Reality enabled sky-tracks. Audiences will watch via digital streams that show the full dynamic potential of vehicles that have greater thrust-to-weight ratio than a F15 fighter jet.

These races will rapidly hasten the arrival of eVTOL advanced air mobility craft. This technology, predicted by Morgan Stanley to be worth $1.5 trillion by 2040 is already finding potent applications in air logistics and remote medical care and has the potential to liberate cities from congestion though clean-air passenger applications like air taxis.

“EXA delivers on the promise of a future first shown in science fiction. We are proud to introduce a sport that redefines what humans and machines can achieve together. These historic first flights are just the start and we are all excited to begin a momentous new chapter in motorsport’s rich legacy.” – Matthew Pearson, Founder, Airspeeder and Alauda Aeronautics.

Alauda Aeronautics will continue to design, test, and build the racing vehicle which participate in Airspeeder racing events. Airspeeder EXA Series, previously mentioned, will begin races as early as this year, with crewed races coming in 2022.

Why it matters: By creating the world’s first racing series for electric flying cars, Alauda Aeronautics takes a leadership position in this generation’s defining mobility revolution. It does this by providing a place and a space to rapidly accelerate the development of the key safety, performance and dynamics technologies that will underpin the growth of eVTOL transportation.

Source: Alauda Aeronautics Press Release

Electra.aero this week unveiled its first commercial product to serve regional air mobility markets. The fixed-wing airplane is designed to carry up to seven passengers and a pilot as far as 500 miles while operating out of areas shorter than a soccer field, including rooftops and parking lots. Electra’s “blown lift” technology – where the electric motor-driven propellers blow air over the entire span of the wing and its flaps – allows safe, energy-efficient takeoffs and landings at speeds below 30 mph while cruising at top speeds of 200 mph.

Electra’s super-short takeoff and landing airplane shown here has a wingspan of 48 feet and carries up to seven passengers plus a pilot. The aircraft has 8 electric propellers driven by a hybrid-electric power plant, which allow the plane to operate out of soccer field sized airports and other constrained spaces like rooftops and parking lots.

Electra’s aircraft does not need to rely on special charging infrastructure – the batteries are recharged mid-air by its small, quiet turbogenerator. Using much less power to lift off than vertical takeoff and landing alternatives, Electra’s aircraft provides more room for passengers and cargo, resulting in superior operating economics while also minimizing energy consumption.

Electra, founded in 2020, is devoted to sustainable regional air mobility through the development of hybrid-electric aircraft. The company is currently building technology demonstrator aircraft that will validate all relevant product technologies. Electra’s commercial aircraft product is planned to be certified in 2026 under Part 23 of the Federal Aviation Regulations, and enter commercial service by 2027.

Why it matters: Electra is a rather new player in the aerial mobility space, but its blown lift configuration is unique among eSTOL platforms. Further, the company’s technical prowess draws on both industry and academia from the likes of Boeing, Northrup Grumman, MIT, and USC, among other institutions. Expect to hear more news on Electra as they develop a technology demonstrator and construction of their first prototype.

Source: Electra press release

Oxis Energy, the battery supplier for Bye Aerospace’s eFlyer 800, has filed for bankruptcy as of May 19th according the the company’s website. The company held over 40 patents for battery technology pertaining to UAM platforms which promised to fuel the industry and future platforms like the eFlyer, most notably Li-S cell construction architectures.

Li-S cell chemistry offers higher energy density over traditional battery cell designs.

Authorized insolvency practitioners Simon Girling and Christopher Marsden of BDO LLP will oversee the transition for Oxis.

“The company was unable to secure the investment required to continue its product development,” Girling stated in the release. “However, we are hopeful of obtaining a sale of the company’s specialist testing equipment, together with approximately 200 patents held by the company, and the opportunity remains for an acquirer to purchase these assets in situ at an internationally acclaimed testing center, and separate R&D facility.”

At the time of the announcement, Oxis was closing in on Bye’s 550 Wh/kg energy density requirements for the eFlyer. In company reports last year, its Li-S cell prototypes had achieved 471 Wh/kg and would be able to begin shipping prototypes as early as Q3 2021.

The company had hoped to pursue even higher densities, targeting 550 Wh/kg by 2023 and 600 Wh/kg by 2026.

Why it matters: Oxis is one of the few suppliers as reported by TransportUP to have filed for bankruptcy thus far in 2021. While to be expected as the industry matures and investors select winners, the announcement offers some exciting news in that energy densities required to sustain eVTOL/hybrid-electric fixed wing platforms can be met. With over 200 patents, 40 of which directly related to Li-S architecture slated for the eFlyer, expect to see some sort of M&A activity around Oxis Energy as they look to apply their technical prowess under new ownership.

Textron has announced plans to delay its entry into service (EIS) target date for its eVTOL projects under the company’s eAircraft division. The announcement came during an April 29th call to investors and stated that battery technology has not yet reached the critical level required to enable the company’s UAM visions.

Scott Donnelly, CEO of Textron (parent company of Beechcraft, Cessna, Bell) – stated while the firm has a sufficient technology readiness level in other core design areas, battery technology continues to lag behind.

“This has always been hugely important in our industry. We would never undertake a new airplane, fixed-wing or vertical take-off and landing, without having the right propulsion system to make sure that it’s going to be successful. And I think largely, that comes down to the battery technology. So we’ve got teams, obviously, that have been following that and working on that, and we’ll make our move when we think it’s the right time.”

eAircraft, a newly formed division of Textron, combines expertise from Textron Aviation, Bell, and Textron Systems. Bell most notably has been responsible for the Nexus project; the multi-rotor ducted fan configuration that continues to be a winner in the eyes of Textron executives.

Scott Donnelly, CEO Textron Inc

Donnelly doesn’t appear to be immediately concerned about other eVTOL competitors making it to market faster. “We do think there’s a potential for a very, very large market out there in that urban air mobility space, but you have to make sure that all the technology you need to have in place to have a useful aircraft is there,” he says.

“But look, am I worried about some of these guys that have never certified an aircraft obviously going to dominate a market? I’m not worried about that at all.”

Why it matters: Bell/Textron is one of the world’s long-time leaders leaders in vertical flight. Its expertise and hesitancy to quickly enter the market may signal a dose of reality amidst surging investments and SPAC deals among competitors that have never before built and certified an aircraft. However, the alternative could be true, that newer companies have been agile enough to create innovative solutions that will work even with existing battery technology. Regardless, Textron and Bell’s long-time expertise in the vertical flight industry set a benchmark for may be possible in the coming years. When they do release an aircraft, it will be likely be very notable within the industry. Expect to see Textron and Bell’s Nexus project more active over the coming years as battery technologies improve.

Source // FlightGlobal

Aerial mobility developer Wisk has officially announced a partnership with BLADE Urban Air Mobility to provide and operate up to 30 eVTOL aircraft on key routes. Wisk, originally founded from Larry Page’s Kitty Hawk, is developer of the all-electric, autonomous Cora aircraft, which has already conducted hundreds of flight tests, and has partnered with the likes of Boeing and Air New Zealand.

Blade and Wisk intend to deploy the Cora eVTOL aircraft on short distance routes between BLADE’s dedicated terminals. Wisk will maintain ownership and operating rights of the vehicles and has agreed to flight hour minimums with BLADE.

In addition to the announcement, the two companies have agreed to create a taskforce that will research the deployment of technologies necessary to expedite aircraft charging and implement next-generation air traffic management. The partnership combines Wisk’s technical expertise in vehicle design and operations with BLADE’s six years of operations experience in helicopter aerial mobility.

“We look forward to working with Wisk to help accelerate Blade’s transition from conventional rotorcraft to safe, quiet, emission-free Electric Vertical Aircraft,” said Rob Wiesenthal, CEO of Blade.

“This arrangement validates that UAM is the future of mobility,” said Gary Gysin, CEO of Wisk. “To date, we have been focused on developing an aircraft and customer experience that is efficient, accessible, and — most importantly — safe. The combination of our expertise as an autonomous eVTOL aircraft manufacturer and operator, with the operational expertise of Blade, will help usher in an even greater level of safety and service.”

“The Wisk-Blade arrangement is a perfect fit for our asset light model,” said Will Heyburn, CFO and Head of Corporate Development for Blade. “Backed by Boeing’s deep aerospace experience, Wisk will own, operate and maintain their aircraft as part of our network, allowing Blade to focus on delivering a great experience to our fliers.”

Why it matters: Through this partnership, Wisk will become one of the first eVTOL manufacturers to reach commercial operation in the U.S, by utilizing BLADE’s platform and existing business and operations infrastructure. BLADE conversely benefits by leveraging eVTOLs as an early adopter, with less risk than being a developer, since Wisk will maintain ownership and day-to-day operation of the vehicles. Notably, this is BLADE’s second eVTOL developer partnership, closely following a deal with Beta Technologies last month.

Source: Wisk Press Release

Luminar, a publicly traded ($LAZR) LIDAR firm, has entered into a partnership with Airbus to bring the technology to the aerospace and aerial mobility industries. The firm has built a reputation for itself developing sensors and other components for autonomous vehicles, but now looks to explore potential markets in the aerospace industry.

LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) is a remote sensing method which uses light in the form of a pulsed laser to measure ranges. The technology is being developed in the automotive industry to realize autonomous driving capabilities, but LIDAR can be found in smaller forms, like the iPhone 12. With its partnership with Luminar, Airbus hopes to explore opportunities to input 3D mapping capabilities into a helicopter or fixed wing aircraft’s avionics to detect and avoid potential obstructions.

The partnership will implement Luminar’s LIDAR technology on exisiting flight test programs at Airbus under the UpNext subsidiary and Flight Lab. Engineers from both companies will work together to “enhance sensing, perception, and system-level capabilities to ultimately enable safe, autonomous flight,” the companies said.

Luminar is publicly traded with a valuation of $2.9B as of last year with initial investments exceeding $170M by the likes of Peter Thiel and Volvo.

Why it matters: If successful, LIDAR has the potential to be a key technology which would enable safe, autonomous flight in future eVTOL platforms. The ability to remove a pilot from the eVTOL environment drastically reduces operating costs and can all but eliminate human error cases of controlled flight into terrain (CFIT). Airbus is no stranger to the aerial mobility space either. It has previously funded projects like Vahana and CityAirbus and will be able to leverage its engineering prowess with Luminar’s technological capabilities. Expect to see the two companies working together in Airbus’ upcoming flight tests as LIDAR technologies make a bigger impact on aerospace and aerial mobility.

Bye Aerospace has announced an eight-seat all-electric twin turbo-prop class airplane, the eFlyer 800, in response to growing demands for regional all-electric airplanes with significantly reduced operating costs, plus increased capacity and utility.

Bye Aerospace eFlyer 800

Performance estimates for the eFlyer 800 include up to 320 knot cruise speed, 35,000 feet ceiling and 500 nm range with 45-minute IFR reserves at normal cruise speed of 280 knots. Safety features include two wing-mounted electric motors, each with dual redundant motor windings, quad-redundant battery packs and a full airplane parachute. Additional potential features include emergency auto-landing system, intelligent algorithm ensuring envelope protection, terrain avoidance and routing for emergency auto-land, and also an option for supplemental power solar cells and in-wheel electric taxi. The airplane’s 8-seat configuration consists of up to seven passengers and one or two pilots. The eFlyer 800 will have only one-fifth the operating costs of traditional twin turboprops and is geared for the air-taxi, air-cargo, regional and charter aircraft markets.

“The eFlyer 800 is the first all-electric propulsion technology airplane that achieves twin-turboprop performance and safety with no CO₂ and extremely low operating costs,” said George E. Bye, Bye Aerospace CEO. “This type of remarkable economy and performance is made possible by the electric propulsion system and advanced battery cell technology that results in significantly higher energy densities.”

Bye Aerospace and Safran are currently assessing the most efficient electric powertrain for the eFlyer 800 (dual ENGINeUS™ electric motors and GENeUSGRID™ electric distribution and network protection system). “Safran product lines with the ENGINeUS™ motors, rated from 50kW to 500kW/1MW and GENeUSGRID™ systems, perfectly fit with the Bye Aerospace portfolio of e-aircraft,” said Hervé Blanc, Executive Vice President and General Manager Power with Safran Electrical & Power. “Building upon our successful cooperation on eFlyer2 and eFlyer4, we are very proud to bring our best expertise to support Bye Aerospace in the design of the new eFlyer 800.”

Bye said eFlyer 800 customer deposit agreements are complete, and several are being developed with U.S. and European air-taxi, air-cargo and air charter services. “Details about those agreements will be announced soon, and as they are finalized,” he said.

Bye Aerospace is in the process of obtaining FAA Part-23 certification for the eFlyer 2 for the professional flight training mission and 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 aircraft solutions designed to specifically address compelling market needs.  Benefits include five-fold lower operating costs, no CO₂ emissions, and decreased noise. Bye Aerospace estimates the eFlyer will eventually eliminate the release of millions of metric tons of CO₂ each year as its deliveries begin and the general aviation fleet is replaced.

Why it matters: Bye Aerospace is extending its product offerings square into the twin-turboprop segment long dominated by the King Air family by Beechcraft. With superior operating costs and customer deposits from a variety of aviation stakeholders, the eFlyer 800 could be the product to finally disrupt the traditional fixed wing aviation space. Expect to see test flights in the near future when Bye Aerospace’s lofty claims about its design will be put to the test.

Source: Bye Aerospace Press Release

Silicon Valley-based NFT has announced Aska, its eVTOL prototype and the first of its kind suited for owner-operators. The prototype is also one of the first aerial mobility vehicles which plans to be street legal in addition to its flight capabilities.

The Aska will have four seats, with a range of 250 miles at speeds up to 150 mph. It is semi-autonomous, and will require a licensed pilot to operate, although NFT has announced plans to include pilot training for early customers. Full scale demonstration flights are fast approaching in 2022 where NFT hopes to fly Aska as part of NASA’s Advanced Air Mobility National Campaign alongside Boeing, Bell, and others.

“We have focused significantly on Aska’s safety elements, which include dual energy sources, large wings, large propellers, and 6 packs of batteries to ensure Aska is as safe in the air as it is on the ground. We anticipate that flying cars that are accessible to the general public will be as instrumental in re-defining how and where we live as the original automobile was to the foundation of our country’s highway and road systems.” said Guy Kaplinsky, Co-founder & CEO, NFT. “To build a better society and a better economy, we need better transportation solutions, and flying cars will be a part of that equation,” said Maki Kaplinsky, Co-founder & Chair/COO, NFT.

The first 1,500 serial Aska eVTOL aircraft will be a Signature Model priced at $789,000. The price tag includes pilot training and a customized interior and exterior. NFT CEO Guy Kaplinsky says later units will sell for $589,000 and eventually $359,000. Taking after Tesla’s pricing strategy, initial buyers will pay a premium due to low production volumes. As time progresses, NFT hopes to increase production and lower Aska’s purchase price.

As a part of the launch event, NFT has launched a showroom in Los Altos, CA which features Aska mockups and a learning center for those unfamiliar with urban air mobility.

Aska is targeted for an entry to service in 2026, pending regulatory approval and certification.

Why it matters: NFT’s Aska is one of the first consumer-focused eVTOLs with owners being the primary operators. The semi-autonomous vehicle will be street legal and allow operators to transition smoothly from road travel to flight in a matter of minutes. For a refundable initial deposit of $5,000, private citizens now have an opportunity to be early adopters in aerial mobility. With a reasonable unit price, we can expect to see NFT competing for the privately-owned UAM market share as it develops its business strategy and begins test flights in 2022.