Category: Operators

VoltAero, famous for its fixed wing hybrid-electric aircraft concept, has now partnered with KinectAir to operate its eCTOL aircraft starting in 2023. 

The company VoltAero was founded by ex-Airbus CTO Jean Botti, and is currently developing a hybrid-electric conventional take-off and landing vehicle (eCTOL) with deliveries expected in 2023. With its innovative hybrid powertrain, Cassio can seat 4 to 10 passengers and has a range of 800 miles. Voltaero has also announced intentions for semi-autonomous capabilities available at product launch to improve crew resource management.

A leader in the regional aerial mobility space, Botti has also secured key industry partners including Safran Electrical & Power to supply motors for Cassio. Botti said the choice to design a hybrid eCTOL over an all-electric eVTOL configuration was determined by a few factors. According to Botti, Being able to use existing infrastructure was a key determinant, as it would help reduce costs and increase ease of initial operations.

He also stated: “I am going to keep going hybrid. First of all, for the range. Second, for security because you have two sources of energy. So, if anything happens, we can use the other one. We have learned enough from the two electric airplanes at Airbus, to know that if you want to optimize the ratio of mass-to-power, a pure electric aircraft will need a lot of batteries.”

KinectAir offers on-demand air charter services in Cirrus and Pilatus Aircraft. The firm will partner with VoltAero to operate hybrid-electric aircraft by 2023.

VoltAero’s partnership with on-demand charter provider KinectAir leverages the company’s existing customer base and promises to roll out widespread commercial operations across Europe and the United States in 2023. Kinect Air believes having hybrid-electric aircraft like Cassio can help them realize its $1 per seat-mile vision for regional air travel.

“We can take off and land in under 3,000 feet in both of our current aircraft in the fleet and with the Cassio. That exposes an order of magnitude more local airfields than ever seen on Kayak or Expedia,” says KinectAir CEO, Jonathan Evans.

VoltAero is currently in its Series B funding round and has raised $2M USD in cash and $11M in equity. KinectAir is purely crowdfunded and has 250 current investors. KinectAir also has $2M pre-seed investments available and has garnered the attention of Cathay Pacific board member Andy Tung and others.

Why it matters: These kinds of partnerships are critical to making aerial mobility dreams a reality. While individual companies are skilled in aircraft design and testing, they are not likely to have sufficient experience in operation and maintenance of a large fleet. This is where companies like KinectAir can fill the gap with their operational expertise. Expect to see more OEM-operator partnerships as aerial mobility firms and eVTOL developers seek to roll out their prototypes to mass scale production.

UPS, together with its UPS Flight Forward subsidiary, plans to purchase electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing (eVTOL) aircraft from Beta Technologies (BETA) to augment its air service for select small and mid-size markets. These aircraft will take off and land on-property at UPS facilities in a whisper-quiet fashion, reducing time-in-transit, vehicle emissions, and operating cost.

Visualization of the Beta Alia eVTOL in flight with UPS branding

The BETA aircraft’s 1,400-pound cargo capacity is ideally suited to more quickly and sustainably transport time-sensitive deliveries that would otherwise fly on small fixed-wing aircraft. UPS’s use of the aircraft will benefit healthcare providers, thousands of small and medium-sized businesses, and other companies in smaller communities. With a 250-mile range and cruising speed of up to 170 miles per hour, UPS will be able to plan a series of short routes, or one long route, on a single charge to meet customers’ needs.

“This is all about innovation with a focus on returns for our business, our customers, and the environment,” said UPS Chief Information and Engineering Officer Juan Perez. “These new aircraft will create operational efficiencies in our business, open possibilities for new services, and serve as a foundation for future solutions to reduce the emissions profile of our air and ground operations.”

The aviation logistics industry is now focusing on small aircraft, which UPS already uses to serve many small and medium-sized communities, to develop groundbreaking, sustainable electric-powered solutions. BETA’s aircraft has four fixed vertical lift propellers and one pusher propeller for forward flight. It can charge in an hour or less, and produces zero operational emissions.

“We’re combining simple, elegant design and advanced technology to create a reliable aircraft with zero operational emissions that will revolutionize how cargo moves,” said BETA founder and CEO Kyle Clark. “By utilizing vertical takeoffs and landings, we can turn relatively small spaces at existing UPS facilities into a micro air feeder network without the noise or operating emissions of traditional aircraft.”

UPS has also reserved BETA’s recharging station for a seamless and fully integrated electric aviation system. The BETA charging station helps ensure safe and rapid charging of the aircraft in under one hour, and facilitates a quick turn-around for the loading and unloading of cargo.

The charging station also offers the aircraft’s batteries a second life cycle: after the batteries’ first life cycle in the aircraft concludes, they can be fitted to the charging stations to recharge the aircraft’s onboard batteries as well as UPS’s fleet of electric ground vehicles. UPS currently operates more than 12,000 alternative fuel and advanced technology vehicles, and has announced a commitment to purchase up to 10,000 more EV’s.

BETA’s aircraft are designed to someday operate autonomously as technologies and regulations are established. UPS Flight Forward received the first U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Part 135 Standard air carrier certification to operate a drone airline, and is operating daily revenue-generating flights with drones. The FAA certification also enables UPS Flight Forward to fly payloads of up to 7,500 lbs. either with an operator or autonomously.

Last month, BETA advanced to the next phase of flight testing, completing an interstate flight from its Plattsburgh, NY test facility to its Burlington, Vt. headquarters. In accordance with FAA protocols for experimental aircraft to fly beyond its home airport, BETA had to complete rigorous testing to ensure reliable and predictable behavior of the aircraft. In the same week, the company set a new personal-best in range while also reaching 8,000 feet in altitude.

The first ten BETA aircraft are scheduled to begin arriving in 2024, with an option to purchase up to 150 of the aircraft.

Why it matters: UPS’ investment in BETA aircraft is amongst a growing list of major orders by sustained aircraft operators. As the aviation industry realizes the cost savings potential of eVTOL platforms, many will flock to this alternative for last mile, short haul operations. With an expected EIS of 2024, electric aerial mobility solutions could soon be fueling one of the largest companies in the logistics/air cargo space.

// Source: UPS Press Release

Archer and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement to enable Archer to benefit from access to FCA’s low-cost supply chain, advanced composite material capabilities, and engineering and design experience.

Credit // Archer

California-based Archer is creating the world’s first all-electric airline that moves people throughout the world’s cities in a quick, safe, sustainable, and cost-effective manner. The new partnership will help accelerate Archer’s timeline in becoming an industry leader with the resources and capabilities to capitalize on the new era of sustainable air mobility, a market that Morgan Stanley estimates will be $1.5 trillion by 2040. Last May, Archer emerged from ‘stealth mode’ and announced its plan to deliver a sustainable and efficient vehicle with the financial support of investors including Walmart eCommerce CEO Marc Lore.

Related: Archer Joins Aerial Mobility Space with eVTOL Prototype

Archer will manufacture high-volume, composite, electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, with the intent of starting production in 2023. FCA, the parent company of established automobile brands including Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and Ram, has already collaborated on cockpit design elements of Archer’s first aircraft which is expected to be unveiled in early 2021. The 100% electric aircraft will be capable of traveling distances of up to 60 miles at 150 mph. Through this announced collaboration, the companies will work together to significantly decrease the cost of production, enabling Archer to bring affordably priced services to customers via its ultra-quiet, high-performance eVTOL aircraft.

Archer’s founders Brett Adcock and Adam Goldstein.

“We’ve been hyper-focused on a customer-first approach to vehicle design and aircraft operations,” said Brett Adcock, Co-Founder & Co-CEO of Archer. “Now we are working with a seasoned, industry-leading automotive partner to leverage cost benefits and experience that will allow Archer to produce thousands of aircraft reliably and affordably every single year.”

“Electrification within the transportation sector, whether on roads or in the air is the future and with any new and rapidly developing technology, scale is important,” said Doug Ostermann, Vice President and Head of Global Business Development of FCA. “Our partnership with Archer has mutual benefits and will enable innovative, environmentally friendly transportation solutions to be brought to market at an accelerated pace.”

“We are excited to team up with one of the world’s largest automotive companies on our mission of advancing the benefits of sustainable air mobility” said Adam Goldstein, Co-Founder & Co-CEO of Archer. “This is a first-of-its-kind deal for one of Detroit’s Big Three auto makers in moving into the Urban Air Mobility space. There is now a clear path for Archer to bring mass production to this industry, changing the way people travel in and around cities forever.”

Why it’s important: Archer’s partnership with one of the world’s largest car manufacturers is expected to assist the startup in lowering its purchasing costs and accelerating the launch of its eVTOL air taxi. FCA’s expertise and established supply chain will also enable the two companies to minimize the cost of manufacturing, making high-volume manufacturing achievable and sustainable.

Lilium, a German-based air taxi developer and leader in aerial mobility and eVTOL technologies, has selected Lufthansa Aviation Training to partner on the development of a pilot sourcing and training program for its Lilium Jet.

With the expected advent of commercially available eVTOL platform services over the next few years, pilots will need to become familiar with the new mode of transportation and achieve type ratings as required by regulatory agencies, such as the EASA and FAA. The first phase of the training program will award pilots the type rating required to fly the Lilium Jet. Notably, the program will also employ the use of mixed and virtual reality technologies, paving the way for pilot training worldwide.

Commenting on the partnership, Remo Gerber, Chief Operating Officer, Lilium said: “Opening a new professional segment for pilots of the future is a challenge we have long been excited to undertake and Lufthansa Aviation Training is the perfect partner. Their insights, experience and dedication to forward-thinking training concepts ensure that our pilots will be selected and trained to the highest caliber, an industry standard which we will establish through this partnership.”

Lufthansa Aviation Training will provide expertise into the training and development of competencies necessary to fulfill the need for a new field of piloting, complementing Lilium’s own expertise in eVTOLs and the regional air mobility service it is building. The training program will be the first of its kind globally and a significant milestone on Lilium’s road to launch. Lufthansa Aviation Training has almost 200 training devices within its training fleet, including aircraft for pilot training, flight simulators of all common aircraft types for pilot training and emergency and service mock-ups for the training of flight attendants.

Lufthansa Aviation Training already provides services to produce commercial pilots across Europe and looks to add eVTOL type ratings in the future.

Discussing the partnership further, Tiziana Heilig, Managing Director and CFO, LAT said: “We are thrilled to be working with Lilium to create a training setup, which is unlike any seen before. As one of the leaders in this vibrant sector, we look forward to this cooperation to share each other’s wealth of knowledge to provide an unparalleled aviation training experience.”

Lilium has stated it is developing this program with input from EASA and the FAA. This will ensure the training program will produce pilots capable of operating the Lilium jet in two key global markets necessary to become a commercial success.

Why it matters: Lilium has created a robust solution to aerial mobility with its design and prototype building of the Lilium Jet. The company has also secured over $375M in funding, in addition to key industry and regulatory partnerships. This latest addition will pave the way to Lilium finding commercial success in this new industry as it tackles the hurdle of producing pilots to operate their prototype.

Source: Lilium Press Release

In the coming weeks, we can expect to see a full-scale prototype of Vertical Aerospace’s latest electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft fly for the first time. The company has been quietly conducting advanced research and development on its vehicle, while simultaneously securing more publicly-announced partnerships with Honeywell and Dassault.

Just last week, Vertical Aerospace shared a sneak-peek of its new aircraft design. Judging from the images, the vehicle can be expected to utilize four propellers in a tilt-wing configuration, as well as a v-tail configuration for stability and control. Honeywell, as recently announced, will supply the multitouch displays, avionics system controls, avionics software and vehicle operating system.

We have signed a letter of intent to provide @VerticalAero with flight deck technology for their #UAM demonstrator vehicle. #eVTOL

— Honeywell Aerospace (@Honeywell_Aero) August 11, 2020

With regards to the announcement, Michael Cervenka, CEO of Vertical Aerospace said, “Vertical is well advanced in the development of its next-generation, high-performance, passenger-carrying vehicle. We are excited at the prospect of broadening our partnership with Honeywell, enabling our vehicles to leverage not only Honeywell’s flight control systems, but also to marry these with the very latest in intuitive and safe flight deck technologies.”

The upcoming aircraft is predicted to be capable of carrying a pilot and four passengers up to 100 miles at speeds of up to 240km/h.

A sneak preview of Vertical Aerospace’s upcoming aircraft, to be announced in full shortly.

Last year, the Bristol-based startup revealed flight footage of an electric vertical take off and landing aircraft (eVTOL) capable of carrying loads of up to 250kg – the first company in the world to do so. The prototype, named Seraph, completed its maiden flight at Llanbedr Airfield in Wales on August 22, 2019.

Vertical plans to operate the Seraph (featured above) itself, in addition to the new aircraft to be announced. The company has already flown two full-scale prototypes of the Seraph at a maximum speed of 80km/h and with a payload of 250kg. Last year, Honeywell supplied Vertical’s demonstration aircraft with its Compact Fly-By-Wire System and flight control software, so the two already have collaboration experience.

The Vertical Aerospace Seraph, a record-setting  aircraft that completed its first test flight last year.

Why it’s important: The announcement of new contracts and strategic aerial mobility partnerships – including Vertical Aerospace, and in general – signals promising forward momentum in the UAM industry. The unveiling of the upcoming new aircraft from Vertical is eagerly awaited and will mark a large milestone for Vertical Aerospace and Honeywell, as it will showcase technologies that we may expect to see implemented in other aerial mobility vehicles. This partnership will also serve as an opportunity for eVTOL aircraft manufacturers to witness Honeywell’s technologies in a physical prototype and evaluate whether they will adopt Honeywell’s specific features in their own eVTOL prototype designs. Honeywell, in return, has much industry reputation to gain from Vertical Aerospace’s unveiling of the upcoming aircraft, as the supplier could potentially earn itself several new contracts following an impressive vehicle demonstration.

Related: 

• Vertical Aerospace Confirms Partnership with Honeywell
• Honeywell Releases Their New Compact Fly-By-Wire System for UAM
• Listen to the TransportUP Podcast Interview with Vertical Aerospace CEO Michael Cervenka

Source // Honeywell; AINOnline