Category: Events

French startup MACA unveiled its revolutionary Hybrid Carcopter S Eleven flying vehicle at CES this week. The company’s public display employed augmented reality to demonstrate the capabilities of the autonomous aircraft, almost exactly one year after the following “teaser” video was released:

The S Eleven is a racing purpose-built vehicle designed to reach a top speed of 155mph and has room for one pilot. The flying racing car also has automatic collision avoidance systems, similar to the Alauda Airspeeder,  in order to ensure full safety during competition.

“The racing industry has enabled us to build and evolve our product faster than our competitors because we apply existing requirements and certifications to our craft beginning with our initial design phase, allowing us to overcome all regulatory hurdles before conceptual development ever began,” says MACA Chief Operating Officer Thierry de Boisvilliers. “Plus the Carcopter S Eleven will be powered by eco-friendly Hydrogen-based fuel cells, which leaves no impact on the environment while delivering greater time-in-the-sky autonomy than vehicles using electricity or fossil fuels.” What’s more, de Boisvilliers says, the company’s relationship with the world of auto racing allows MACA to test their vehicle at low altitudes at local racetracks within a closed environment, thus enabling the company to gauge, monitor and support the vehicle through every phase of product testing.

“During trial flights, MACA will place sensors all around the tests-tracks, ensuring that even unmanned sessions will prevent vehicles from hitting walls or – in the case of multiple vehicles testing simultaneously – one another,” he says.

A retired French fighter pilot, de Boisvilliers founded MACA in 2020 with former Airbus executive Michael Krollak, after three years of R&D. The concept launched as the direct result of an internal Airbus engineering competition, where the duo’s Formula One Flying Car Concept earned top honors, garnering the support of all major Airbus divisions. Now equipped with a Carcopter S Eleven prototype, MACA was able to unveil their creation to the world in Las Vegas via its one-third scale aircraft.

The Carcopter S Eleven’s side profile

Why it’s important: MACA’s racing Carcopter isn’t the only ‘flying race car’ concept on the horizon. Alauda and Airspeeder, for example, just established the world’s first Flying Race Car Factory, and have even already conducted the first unmanned aerial drag race with manned races planned for later this year.

Both Alauda and MACA are inspired by F1, and intend to use the momentum gained through competition to push forward the aerial mobility industry, eventually hoping to develop vehicles that could augment auto traffic to reduce its load on urban areas.

This arrival of MACA on the playing field increases competition within the aerial racing industry, which could accelerate overall interest in the niche and foster development of needed infrastructure.

Related Articles:

• Airspeeder MK3: World’s First Electric Flying Racing Car
• Alauda Aeronautics Establishes world’s first Flying Race Car Factory

Wisk, the urban air mobility company based out of San Francisco and New Zealand, displayed its fifth generation, autonomous, electric vertical take off and landing (eVTOL) air taxi publicly for the first time during CoMotion LA (Nov. 16 – 18). Upon arriving at the conference, Wisk tweeted the following photos of its aircraft:

Hello, #LosAngeles. We've arrived. Curious about #CoMotionLA? For more behind-the-scenes content, check out our IG stories! https://t.co/yQhldTvrrx pic.twitter.com/C45Xr5mHnS

— Wisk (@WiskAero) November 15, 2021

“We’re extremely excited to be an Impact partner for CoMotion again this year,” said Wisk’s Chief Marketing Officer, Becky Tanner, who presented a keynote entitled “Those Who Leap” at the conference. “Throughout history, there have been advancements that have fundamentally changed our lives and pushed us into the future with a leap. We are on the edge of another great leap- one that will take us from congested, ground-based, fossil-fuel-driven transportation, to cleaner, all-electric, everyday flight.”

CoMotion LA will be the first time that Wisk has publicly displayed its eVTOL air taxi in the U.S. To date, the company’s fleet of fifth generation aircraft has been reserved exclusively for testing purposes and has been accessible to the broader public only through flight videos and photos. CoMotion LA marks the start of an enhanced public engagement effort, including both demonstrations and displays, designed to bring stakeholders along on the journey, see firsthand the safety of the technology, and experience the future of mobility.

Tanner added:
“We are incredibly excited to be displaying our autonomous eVTOL air taxi for the first time in the U.S., and to kick off our broader public engagement effort. We understand that the journey to everyday flight for everyone is not one that we can take alone and we are proud to share with the public what we get the privilege to experience every day.”

Why it’s important: Wisk is focused on delivering safe, everyday flight for everyone. Since 2010, the company has successfully designed and developed five generations of eVTOL aircraft and has completed more than 1,500 test flights. The CoMotion LA conference provided a great medium for Wisk to publicize the progress it has made on its current prototype and allude to what can be expected in its sixth generation aircraft.

Today, July 27th, Volocopter flew its 2X eVTOL aircraft at the Experimental Aircraft Association’s (EAA) AirVenture 2021 in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The flight was the first ever public crewed test flight of a fully electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) air taxi in the US.

The crewed Volocopter 2X took off at 2:45 PM CST for a 4-minute flight at ~164 ft and a top speed of 18 mph over Wittman Regional Airport as part of EAA’s AirVenture aviation celebration. Event attendees were able to watch the Volocopter 2X fly and take a seat in the VoloCity model at Volocopter’s booth to experience these aircraft. Nicknamed the “World’s Greatest Aviation Celebration,” more than 600,000 visitors are expected to come to see pioneering designs in action.

Footage of the crewed test flight can be found here on Volocopter’s website.

Volocopter’s VoloCity on display at EAA’ AirVenture Oshkosh 2021. Credit // Volocopter

“Oshkosh is a haven for enthusiasts and experts to embrace the pioneering spirit of aviation, and today’s Volocopter flight is one for the history books. This is the spirit of Oshkosh giving our visitors the chance to experience real pioneers, who will change aviation for good, right here,” says Rick Larsen, EAA Vice President of Communities and Member Programming.

“Volocopter successfully conducting the first US public manned test flight of an eVTOL company in the US is a milestone for the industry and a reminder that our commercial launch is fast approaching. We can talk about our lead in certification, low noise emissions, and global partnerships all we want, but nothing shows just how close we are to launch UAM as a service as does flying an air taxi in front of crowds and inviting people to sit in our aircraft. Air taxis are coming, and we are working to bring electric flights to cities around the globe in the next two to three years,” says Florian Reuter, Volocopter CEO.

Once certified for commercial launch in Europe, Volocopter is positioned for concurrent type certification approvals in the US from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), having applied earlier this year, and the civil aviation authority in Singapore (CAAS). The company already holds Design Organisation Approval and Production Organisation Approval, two strategic certification approvals from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) to design and produce aircraft in-house.

Why it’s important: This successful flight marks a key milestone in Volocopter’s plan to raise awareness of air taxis among populations around the globe and is critical to the long-term success of delivering advanced air mobility (AAM) and urban air mobility (UAM) solutions.

Electric VTOL aircraft startup Beta Technologies is now valued at $1.4 billion after closing a $368 million funding round led by Fidelity and Amazon’s Climate Fund. The Vermont-based company has said that proceeds will be used to refine its electric propulsion systems and controls as well as the construction of manufacturing facilities, while continuing to advance toward Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certification of ALIA.

The funding announcement comes shortly after Beta’s acquisition of a MFR (Military Flight Release) from the United States Air Force for its ALIA aircraft. The MFR from the Air Force will now allow Beta to perform flight tests in collaboration with the Air Force with a pilot on board. Backed by the U.S. Military, the startup now spans its reach across multiple industries, including air medical delivery, cargo logistics, government, and passenger travel, featuring partnerships with United Therapeutics, UPS, and Blade.

BETA Technologies’ electric vertical aviation aircraft. Source // BETA

“We’re gratified for the confidence this diverse group of investors has placed in our team as we continue on our mission to transform how people and goods move about the world,” said Kyle Clark, BETA’s Founder and CEO. “These funds allow us to continue hiring the best talent, meet aggressive certification milestones, ramp up production of ALIA, and accelerate the rollout of an extensive high-speed universal charging infrastructure.”

“We support BETA Technologies’ mission to reshape air transportation through zero-emission aviation and are proud to invest in them through Amazon’s $2 billion Climate Pledge Fund,” said Kara Hurst, Vice President, and Head of Worldwide Sustainability at Amazon. “The development of sustainable and decarbonizing technologies will help facilitate the transition to a low-carbon economy and protect the planet for future generations.”

BETA’s ALIA aircraft, which will be capable of flying 250 nautical miles on a single charge and carrying six people, or a pilot and 1,500 pounds, includes a novel combination of elements that create a smooth and quiet flying experience. In addition to being more than ten times quieter than a helicopter and much quieter than cars on a highway, ALIA produces zero operational emissions. The large wings, clean design, and simple propulsion system are based on first principle engineering. The company philosophy is to reduce risk in certifying its first commercial aircraft through simplification.

In other news, BETA also announced it has initiated the permitting process to expand its footprint in Vermont with a new facility to be built on unused land at Burlington International Airport (BTV). The project, which when completed will include office space, research and development, and manufacturing space, is expected to create hundreds of new jobs in the coming years. These well-paid positions in construction, engineering, design, mechanical and manufacturing roles will continue to deliver on BETA’s commitment to Vermont and its economy.

Sources // BETA; Reuters

Sabrewing Aircraft plans to perform the first flight of its Rhaegal unmanned heavy-lift, long-range half-scale prototype aircraft by the end of March, says Ed De Reyes, Sabrewing chairman and CEO, according to a recent publication by Janes. 

This half-scale prototype has an 8.5 m wingspan, and will be roughly half the weight of the full-size production aircraft. The full-scale Rhaegal that will go into production will have a wingspan of 17 m, said De Reyes, adding that the company started with the half-scale prototype to make it easier to operate, and for it to perform avionics and autopilot development.

The Rhaegal RG-1 is designed to fly non-stop and un-refueled for 4500 nautical miles (8800 kilometers). Learn more about its technical specifications in the Hangar.

The full-scale Rhaegal will feature a turbo-electric powertrain that will be fuel-efficient and not require a charging station. Sabrewing is installing a Safran Arriel 2D turboshaft engine that it received for free from Safran into the half-scale prototype for use in its upcoming flight test. The Arriel 2D, which powers the Airbus H125 and H130 single engine commercial helicopters, features a take-off power of 952 shaft horsepower (shp), and a cruise power of 856 shp. 

Rendering of Sabrewing Aircraft’s Rhaegal UAV prototype. Credit // Sabrewing Aircraft

De Reyes said Sabrewing just finished redesigning the half-scale prototype’s gearbox for use with the Arriel 2D as it would provide about 3x the shaft horsepower that would have been provided by another engine the company considered using. De Reyes told Janes on 16 February that the company was planning to use a Boeing 502 gas turbine engine in the half-scale prototype’s first flight, but decided against it when it discovered that the Boeing engine, which provides 300 hp, would max out at just over 300 kW for a few seconds.

Related: In 2019, Sabrewing announced VTOL Cargo Flights Are Coming to Saint Paul Island 

Why it’s important: Sabrewing’s VTOL service offerings cater to both the commercial and defense industries, which is advantageous for the company with respect to diversifying revenue streams similar to the aerospace giants such as Boeing. However, its lack of significant milestone announcements as of late have indicated a potentially underfunded program. 

Source // Janes

Today EHang announced that it has successfully completed the first trial flights of its EH216 over the sea of Southern China; the autonomous aerial vehicle (AAV) took off from Hengqin New District and landed at Dong Ao Island in Zhuhai City. Earlier this week, the company also announced the completion of unmanned test flights in Beijing, marking the first time that a passenger-grade AAV flied over the capital of China, a highly regulated airspace in China. These unmanned trial flights obtained the official approval from the CAAC, China’s airspace regulator, and are featured in the short video below:

EHang’s demonstration over the South China Sea was strategically located over a popular tourist destination: Dong Ao Island is known for its pleasant natural scenery, and has the market potential for developing short-to-medium distance air travel related scenarios in coastal areas. Compared with traditional sightseeing ferries and helicopters, the purely electric passenger-grade AAV uses point-to-point direct flight, which is safer, more efficient and carbon emission-free.  It can unlock new perspectives for passengers to enjoy the scenery in the sky and provide a safer, more comfortable and more personal flight experiences.  As aerial flight technologies continue to evolve, AAVs powered by clean energy have become a new trend of low-altitude tourism.

The EH216 AAV conducting its first trial flights near Dong Ao Island, located in the south-central part of Wanshan Archipelago of Zhuhai City, February 2021. Credit // EHang

Moving forward, EHang will continue to development of aerial island tourism and explore new application scenarios of AAV technologies. EHang also intends to promote a new use case model of “urban air mobility (UAM) + leisure tourism” in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area with the goal of building international tourism destinations.  This will lay a solid foundation for the subsequent development of aerial sightseeing routes and operations.

Why it’s important: As of February 2021, EHang has successfully conducted more than 10,000 trial flights of its EH216 AAV, including passenger-carrying trial flights, in 42 cities across 8 countries. Additionally, the company has been working closely with the regulatory authorities on regulations and industry standards for urban air mobility. EHang has vocalized its intention to continue strict compliance with regulatory requirements and drive the industry development, which will assist in making safe, autonomous and eco-friendly air mobility accessible to everyone.

Recent News: EHang Provides Updates on Major Production Facility and Announces Onsite Investors Day

Source // EHang press release

Vertical Aerospace has announced the appointment of Richard Alexander as its Head of Flight Physics to help Vertical move towards their vision of electric fight for everyone. Alexander was formerly Chief Flight Dynamics Integrator on the Mitsubishi M100 Regional Jet and Head of Flight Sciences at Bombardier Aerospace; now he will assume a key role in ensuring that the Flight Physics aspects, including noise, performance, and handling, are safe and optimized for certification and operation of the first Vertical Aerospace aircraft to fly the public. 

Vertical Aerospace has substantial influence in the sphere of sustainable aviation technologies, as one of only a handful of companies to have flown and flight tested two full-scale all-electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) prototypes with UK Civil Aviation Authority approval. The second, Seraph, can carry 250kg and reach speeds of 80km/h. Most recently Vertical unveiled its piloted winged eVTOL, VA-1X. Capable of traveling 100 miles at 150 mph, carrying four passengers and one pilot, VA-1X is set to be the world’s first certified winged eVTOL with initial commercial operations starting in 2024.

Credit // Vertical Aerospace

With over three decades of experience in the aerospace domain, Richard has a proven record of accomplishment both as a Flight Physics Engineer and as a leader of teams, completing the conceptual design, development, testing, certification, and entry into service of many aircraft designs, from the simplest derivative to complete clean-sheet programs. This includes the BAe 146-RJ, Bombardier CRJ700 and 900, Bombardier CSeries (now Airbus A220) and all the most recent versions of the Bombardier Global family. 

Newly appointed Head of Flight Physics Richard Alexander said: “Joining Vertical Aerospace at such an exciting time in the development of the eVTOL market segment will be a great challenge for me and I am looking forward to meeting the team and starting to contribute. My background is based on fixed–wing aircraft and so I have quite a bit of catching up to do on the world of rotorcraft: I will have to add some “up” skills to my “forward (with a bit of up)” toolbox. However, as the VA-1X will transition from vertical to forward flight during operations, I am sure I will have a good deal of useful aircraft development experience to add to Vertical’s overall capability. I am also motivated by the zero-carbon emissions aspect: our vehicles will replace polluting, dinosaur-burning modes of ground and flight transport. My recent electric aircraft activities at CAE have already ignited an engineering passion to move the planet forward and develop the greenest, most commercially successful product in its class.”

Why it’s important: Vertical Aerospace is continuing to work alongside aviation authorities around the world and plans to have a certified eVTOL by 2024. They also continue to build strategic partnerships with global leaders such as Honeywell, who are developing the flight control systems for their latest aircraft. The company is striving to disrupt the trillion-dollar commercial aviation market, and will leverage the knowledge and expertise of Richard Alexander to do so in the most safe and efficient manner.

Related: Vertical Aerospace’s £2.3 Million Smart Charger Project Gains ATI Funding

Source // Vertical Aerospace press release