Category: Regulations

NASA to Host Urban Air Mobility Challenge Industry Day

20 October 2018 || 4 min read

NASA has made its stance in the new flying car industry clear by recognizing Urban Air Mobility (UAM) as the next step in aviation innovation. In 2020, NASA will commence the first of it’s series of urban air mobility ‘Grand Challenges‘. These challenges will focus on allowing companies with new flight technologies to successfully demonstrate full system safety. Part of...

NASA to Host Urban Air Mobility Challenge Industry Day

20 October 2018 || 4 min read

NASA has made its stance in the new flying car industry clear by recognizing Urban Air Mobility (UAM) as the next step in aviation innovation.

In 2020, NASA will commence the first of it’s series of urban air mobility ‘Grand Challenges‘. These challenges will focus on allowing companies with new flight technologies to successfully demonstrate full system safety. Part of the goal of this effort is to begin the process of public confidence and acceptance.

On November 1-2, NASA will host an ‘Industry Day‘ for urban air mobility. Here, it plans to gather all the players in the coming eco-system to outline and prepare for the 2020 Grand Challenge. According to NASA, attendees will be companies that are “highly motivated to participate and work with us to achieve a safe, commercial operating capability.”

“The convergence of technologies, and new business models enabled by the digital revolution, is making it possible to explore this new way for people and cargo to move within our cities,” – Jaiwon Shin, NASA Associate Administrator for Aeronautics Research.

An artist’s conception of an urban air mobility environment, where air vehicles with a variety of missions and with or without pilots, are able to interact safely and efficiently.

Another goal for the Grand Challenge is helping vehicles to achieve airworthiness certification. In collaboration with the FAA, vehicles will be put through performance tests both for normal flight and for emergency situations such as the loss of the motor. The first Grand Challenge will evaluate ground handling, taxi and takeoff, cruising capabilities and flight path changes, landing and turnaround in a variety of conditions, energy storage and battery capacity, and Management of critical systems failures.

“Now, our goals are to help develop and enable as much as possible what we like to think of as an entire ecosystem when it comes to Urban Air Mobility,” – Davis Hackenberg, UAM Engineer at NASA.

NASA Engineer testing a UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle)

Why it’s important:

As an airspace traffic manager, NASA will play a crucial role in the new industry UAM industry. While the FAA determines certifications for aircraft, NASA will be greatly responsible for the new airspace management technologies. It has already spent the last six years working on its Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration in the National Airspace System, which focuses on building a digital management ‘UAS’ system for unmanned commercial drones. The Grand Challenge event event takes the next big step for both aircraft certification and for UAS systems development.

Air New Zealand Signs Agreement with Kittyhawk

19 October 2018 || 3 min read

This week, Air New Zealand and Kittyhawk signed an agreement to develop autonomous electric air taxi services for New Zealand’s cities. As a reminder, Kittyhawk is the developer the Cora, an electric vertical take-off and landing air taxi with a range of about 62 miles and a top speed of 110mph. This makes it perfect for short range trips that...

Air New Zealand Signs Agreement with Kittyhawk

19 October 2018 || 3 min read

This week, Air New Zealand and Kittyhawk signed an agreement to develop autonomous electric air taxi services for New Zealand’s cities.

As a reminder, Kittyhawk is the developer the Cora, an electric vertical take-off and landing air taxi with a range of about 62 miles and a top speed of 110mph. This makes it perfect for short range trips that will make “bumper to bumper traffic a relic of the past”, according to Kittyhawk’s website. Kittyhawk is funded by Google Founder Larry Page.

The new agreement with Air New Zealand does not specify a timeline for the release of air taxi services, but does state clearly the goal of jointly creating the reality of autonomous electric air taxis for the future of New Zealand.

Back in May, only a few months after Cora’s unveiling, Kittyhawk’s New Zealand operator Zephyr Airworks had already signed an agreement with the government of New Zealand to begin the testing and certification process. It’s signing with Air New Zealand represents the next great step in Cora’s journey to the skies.

“Both companies see the potential for our airspace to free people from the constraints of traffic and its associated social, economic and environmental impacts”-Air New Zealand CEO Christopher Luxon.

“We are combining our expertise to shape a complete experience that takes you from app to arrival, the next step in bringing the freedom of flight to your life.” -Kittyhawk Press Release October 15th.

An aerial view of the Kittyhawk Cora

Why it’s important:

Traditional commercial airlines are beginning to realize that the air taxi age is coming, and don’t want to miss out on the new market. Air New Zealand recognizes that startups like Kittyhawk are better suited to attack this new industry, and so are pairing up with those companies for technological development. Since developing eVTOLs is so cost intensive, partnerships with bigger aviation companies like Air New Zealand are necessary, and benefit both the parties. They allow startups to execute their vision, and give the airlines a jumpstart into the future of air transport.

EASA Opens Public Consultation on Air Taxi Certification Standards

18 October 2018 || 3 min read

On October 15th, the European Aviation Safety Agency opened its “Proposed Special Condition for small-category VTOL aircraft” up to the world for feedback. This stage of writing new certification law is called “public consultation”. The proposed new certification standards document has already been drafted, and from now until November 15th, EASA will take comments from the public on how the...

EASA Opens Public Consultation on Air Taxi Certification Standards

18 October 2018 || 3 min read

On October 15th, the European Aviation Safety Agency opened its “Proposed Special Condition for small-category VTOL aircraft” up to the world for feedback.

This stage of writing new certification law is called “public consultation”. The proposed new certification standards document has already been drafted, and from now until November 15th, EASA will take comments from the public on how the document might be improved. This period of public consultation is required by a law written in 2007 that states that any deviations from applicable airworthiness code must be subjected to public consultation. The proposal pertains specifically to unpressurized aircraft under 2000kg with a maximum capacity of 5 occupants.

Example of VTOL design the new proposal may apply to

Example of a VTOL design the new proposal would apply to.

EASA notes that the differences from traditional aircraft like helicopters and airplanes which necessitate the new certification standards are:

Distributed lift/thrust units are used to generate powered lift and control.
The new aircraft may not be able to perform an autorotation or a controlled glide in the event of a loss of lift/thrust.

UK’s Vertical Aerospace eVTOL (left) and Germany’s Lilium eVTOL (right)

The proposal breaks down the certification standards into several parts including:

Mass and Center of Gravity requirements
Performance and submission of performance data
Flight Envelope, Take Off Performance, Climb Performance
Landing and Controllability Requirements
Ground Handling Characteristics
Operating Limitations
Structural Design Requirements
Flight Control Systems
Flotation and Emergency Exits
ect.

This is the link to the full Proposed Special Condition:
Proposed Special Condition for small-category VTOL aircraft

If you want to make comments on the document, you can directly contact Lionel Tauszig, EASA Senior PCM of Continuing Airworthiness, at lionel.tauszig@easa.europa.eu.

Why its important: Europe is getting ever closer to certifying air taxis. The step forward to the public consultation stage means that the certification laws for new air taxi vehicles are moving through the pipeline. This forward movement is incredibly important for companies like Vertical Aerospace and Lilium, both European companies who hope to get their air taxis in the sky within the next five years.

Zunum Aero Partners with Safran and More From The Latest Aviation Innovation Conference

07 October 2018 || 7 min read

Zunum Aero, an electric commercial airplane developer, has announced its partnership with Safran Helicopter Engines. One might wonder why an electric airplane company would partner with a helicopter engine designer and manufacturer. This is because the Zunum Aero ‘ZA10’ is actually a hybrid electric aircraft. While its motors are indeed electric, existing lithium-ion batteries simply cannot store enough energy to...

Zunum Aero Partners with Safran and More From The Latest Aviation Innovation Conference

07 October 2018 || 7 min read

Zunum Aero, an electric commercial airplane developer, has announced its partnership with Safran Helicopter Engines.

Zunum Aero hyrbid propulsion system

One might wonder why an electric airplane company would partner with a helicopter engine designer and manufacturer. This is because the Zunum Aero ‘ZA10’ is actually a hybrid electric aircraft. While its motors are indeed electric, existing lithium-ion batteries simply cannot store enough energy to make the 12 passenger 700+ mile journey, so the ZA10’s electricity will partially come from an on-board jet-fuel powered electric generator. Zunum intends to make the transition to fully electric aircraft once battery technology to do so becomes feasible. For now, the use of the hybrid power train, supplied with Safran’s 1700 shaft horsepower engine, means an 80% cut in emissions, a 75% drop in cabin noise, and a 60-80% drop in energy cost as compared to traditional commercial aircraft. JetSuite has already committed to purchasing 100 ZA10’s, and the company will begin flight testing and the FAA certification in 2020.

Safran's Ardiden 3Z to be used in the Zunum Aero ZA10

Safran’s Ardiden 3Z engine to be used in the Zunum Aero ZA10

The announcement of this partnership on October 4th comes only a few days after the global aviation aviation innovation conference ‘Revolution.aero‘ in San Francisco, which both Zunum and Safran attended. While the topic of this conference was innovation in all sectors of aviation, a great deal of the conference focused mainly on Urban Air Mobility via eVTOLs. While the Zunum ZA10 is not an eVTOL, the hybrid electric technology it is developing is highly applicable to the industry. This is especially true considering that eVTOLs of higher passenger capacity are more economically efficient, and may require hybrid systems. The conference speakers talked greatly about this idea, as well as these other key points:

The emotions around autonomous aircraft–How can we get the public to accept autonomy?

Martin Seif – Co-Founder – Anxiety and Depression Association of America spoke about his “Freedom to Fly” which is the largest program in the US for people who are afraid to fly. –The “Anxiety of ignorance”
70% of people have fears around flying, about 20% have fear that interferes with their flight habits.
The main problem is anticipatory anxiety: “the fear one experiences before something”. People deal with this by talking to the flight creq, flying widebody, or upgrading seats.
Exposure is the active therapeutic ingredient in overcoming a fear of flight.

Why hasn’t Uber for private jets happened yet?

- - The supply challenge-unlike cars, most private aircraft aren’t owned by their operators.
  - The regulatory challenge–how to get FAA on board.
  - The payment challenge–while an Uber transaction is $13 on avergage private jets are on average $22,600 dollars which requires 72 hours of advance processing.
  - “Technology is not the solution to all aviation problems”. Interesting new business models will drive these changes, -Per Marthinsson – Founder of Avinode

Big OEMs aren’t afraid of new energy source innovations—“Moving more people through the air is better for me”–Jon Raviv – Citigroup
- Russia, China, Mitsubishi are making strides. They need to tie build an ecosystem around these airplanes to be successful, and tie the business to someone in the industry with deep pockets to fund certification process. –John Stack, The McLean Group

Insurability:
- Edward Gross, Shareholder at Vedder Price: One crash with a loss of life could mean the end of business but “All things are insurable if you want to pay the price”. What price this might be is yet unknown for the UAM space

XTI Tri-Fan 600 (Bob Labelle – CEO XTI Aircraft)

UAM will be both intra-city and inter-city
There’s a new market emerging with no preferred solution provider yet.
The XTI Tri-Fan 600 is built for 500 nautical-mile commutes. It has 1,100 shp engine with vertical mode supplemented by a battery pack. Four pillars of the competitive model: price ($8million), low operating cost (35 gallons per hour), high cruising altitude, 6-9 passengers.
$400 million in sales in US, Brazil, Australia, Europe, Japan, and more. Prototype scheduled to fly in October 2018.

Airbus and the upcoming UAM revolution

Voom Helicopter Taxi service by Airbus in São Paulo start to prove the business model.
- Now is the right time for UAM because these technologies:
  - IDEP (integrated distributed electric propulsion)
  - Advanced Avionics, UTM (unmanned traffic management) software, and autonomy developments
  - Connected Passengers
  - Growing infrastructure support
- A^3 project was setup in 2015, which includes the Airbus Vahana, Voom, and Altiscope – NextGen UTM.
- UAM systems will need to be localized, not global. And Human Air Traffic controllers are not scalable. – Uma Subramanian, Voom.flights

Rob Wiesenthal – Founder/CEO – Blade

Closest thing to on-demand–7AM to 8PM guarantee a helicopter in 20 minutes
Flights from Blade Lounge in downtown Los Angeles to LAX International Airport are only $20 more expensive than UberBlack, and are 40 minutes faster.
170,000 users to date
Blade has Partnered with Colony Capital and Airbus.

Ben Marcus of Airmap, one of the forefront UTM developers based in Santa Monica, California, spoke about the future of air traffic control.

A Global Aviation Innovation Conference Highlights Flying Cars

05 October 2018 || 5 min read

The Revolution.Aero conference occurred this Monday and Tuesday in San Francisco, led by Alisdair Whyte co-owner and founder of VTOL Investor, Corporate Jet Investor, and Helicopter Investor. Here’s the top takeaways from the event. Key Takeaways: There are currently over 100 electric-propulsion air projects underway funded by more than $2 billion, a nearly three-fold increase in just the past 36...

A Global Aviation Innovation Conference Highlights Flying Cars

05 October 2018 || 5 min read

Key Takeaways:

- There are currently over 100 electric-propulsion air projects underway funded by more than $2 billion, a nearly three-fold increase in just the past 36 months.
- Paul Touw of XOJET for Private Jet Charter Flights spoke about the future of chartered flight. His main point was that commercial aviation won’t work for short term flights , and that eVTOLs are the future of short distance intercity travel owing to their small size, lack of need for airports, their quietness, and their zero emissions.TSA will check in travelers from abroad at ‘Feeder’ airports–this will take the strain off of urban airports.
- - Energy cost of eVTOL flight should be about $3.93 for a 50 mile trip, with a passenger price of about $30 for every 115 miles.
- - Paul Touw Presentation Slide
- eVTOL mesh networks are better than high speed rail because they can get to double the destinations for half the price.
- Initially, eVTOLs will need to be piloted, meaning operators may want to use higher-capacity vehicles to better disperse the pilot cost.
- eVTOLs will be capital intensive investment, at a little under $1billion to develop a new aircraft. This means big companies and new startups will work together in this new industry

Gwen Lighter spoke about the GoFly Compeition, which included 3,000 innovators from 97 countries building thing like jetpacks,hoverbikes, hoverboards, and flying cars. The contest is sponsored by Boeing.

Big companies are starting to acquire the entirety of smaller startups so that they can keep their innovation divisions nimble…an example of this is Aurora Flight Sciences’ acquisition by Boeing.
- Antonio Compello, of EmbraerX mentioned that a lot of aviation is not just about startups, its about partnerships. He said the biggest disruptions will come from business models, not the businesses themselves.
Internet of things will be the next big disruption. (The Astro Aerospace Elroy eVTOL has all its components connected to an LTE network.)
- There are 6,000 aircraft in business aviation with broadband system, but 20,000 that don’t. There’s a huge market opportunity here.
Uber Elevate presented on its future air taxi program, re-iterating its partners and potential future cities, and giving more information about vertiport infrastructure, internet airspace management, and more.
An Uber Elevate vertiport concept
- Uber Also mentioned its near release of Uber EATS by drone, which will utilize Uber’s UTM (Unammaned Traffic Managemet) Automated Control Layer technology made in collaboration with the FAA. It hopes to use this relationship with the FAA to build Elevate Cloud Services for airspace management for passenger drones in the future.
A rendering of what Uber EATS by drone might look like
- Charging:GM boasts chargers that can charge an average electric car battery 80% in 20 minutes
- - Development of electric semi trucks and UPS make for a postive near-future for battery technologies
- - Big players like Airbus, Boeing, and EmbraerX may soon look to acquire startups with charging and battery concepts.
- Hoversurf has announced that it’s ready for consumer sales.

AVCP Has a New System for eVTOL Safety

26 September 2018 || 3 min read

A new safety system for eVTOLs uses specialized airbags, a balloon-integrated parachute, and even retro rockets. One of the many benefits of Distributed Electric Propulsion (DEP) as seen in many personal eVTOLs is the design’s redundancy. If one rotor fails, there are still four or more available to make a safe recovery. However a completely failed eVTOL dropping can be...

AVCP Has a New System for eVTOL Safety

26 September 2018 || 3 min read

A new safety system for eVTOLs uses specialized airbags, a balloon-integrated parachute, and even retro rockets.

One of the many benefits of Distributed Electric Propulsion (DEP) as seen in many personal eVTOLs is the design’s redundancy. If one rotor fails, there are still four or more available to make a safe recovery.

However a completely failed eVTOL dropping can be even more dangerous than losing power in an airplane. This is especially true for eVTOLs without fixed wings, such as the eHang184 or the Workhorse SureFly.

A new company called AVCP-Active VTOL Crash Protection was incorporated on July 3rd 2017 with the goal of providing additional safety solutions for emerging eVTOL aircraft. AVCP points out that the parachutes in current eVTOL designs often still allow for impact speeds that can cause serious injuries. At heights of 100ft, some of these parachutes won’t even have time to fully open.

AVCP provides a ‘complete suite of active and passive safety technologies’. This product suite is made up of a system of retro rockets, under-belly airbags, energy absorbent structural materials, and a parachute integrated with a balloon. When the accident first occurs, the parachute is activated in one second with the assistance of the balloon. A retro rocket fires when the VTOL nears the ground, accompanied by the inflation of several basketball sized under-carriage airbags. Structural designs and ‘stroke seats’ will then help to further cushion passengers against the impact.

AVCP sees now as a crucial time for the industries’ acceptance, as well as the time when injuries are most likely to occur. It’s mission is to do all it can to protect the reputation of the eVTOL industry.

Why its Important: Solutions like AVCP add validity to the VTOL industry, and increase the chances of approval by government entities. One of the greatest concerns of any emerging industry is safety, and AVCP does much to assuage those concerns. The existence of AVCP also indicates the growth of the industry. As the industry grows , more third party solutions for safety, propulsion systems, aero-design, manufacturing, interior, and more will begin to emerge.

HoverSurf is Ready for Consumer Sales

25 September 2018 || 3 min read

HoverSurf just became an approved personal Vertical Take -Off and Landing aircraft. In a momentous step for the industry, HoverSurf has successfully brought its ‘personal drone’ to market. For years, the greatest obstacle for personal VTOL aircraft has been certification. Owing to safety concerns, these aircraft have to prove that they virtually never fail before most governments will allow...

HoverSurf is Ready for Consumer Sales

25 September 2018 || 3 min read

HoverSurf just became an approved personal Vertical Take -Off and Landing aircraft.

In a momentous step for the industry, HoverSurf has successfully brought its ‘personal drone’ to market. For years, the greatest obstacle for personal VTOL aircraft has been certification. Owing to safety concerns, these aircraft have to prove that they virtually never fail before most governments will allow sales. The United States’ FAA has been resistant at best to the idea of flying cars.

Now, HoverSurf has made history by becoming the first company to pass all the technological and certification obstacles required by the FAA to operate under Part 103. This means that the company is now cleared to begin sales to customers. Pre-sales of the ‘Scorpion 3’ will begin on November 1st with a price tag of $150k. The first Hoverbike will be delivered to a Dubai customer in Dubai within the month.

The maximum recommended safety height is sixteen feet, but the pilot can adjust the height limit as desired. Top speed of the Scorpion 3 is 60mph. No pilot’s license or certification will be required to fly the HoverSurf craft. Instead, HoverSurf provides its own training software which uses a smartphone app to allow pilots to fly safely by pointing out no-fly zones and sending the location of the hoverbike to other aircraft in the area.

Why it’s important: The certification of the Scorpion 3 by the FAA carves the way for more aircraft. The Scorpion 3 will be the commercially available VTOL, beginning the progress of social acceptance of personal aircraft. Similar to other hoverbike like Assen Aero, HoverSurf sets the stage for step by step certification of larger and more advanced aircraft. This step means that the FAA is ready to begin certification hardware and software technology for flying cars.

Netherlands Aerospace Centre Opens Electric Aviation Center

14 September 2018 || 4 min read

This week, the Netherlands Aerospace Centre (NLC) announced the opening of its new aerospace innovation center in Marknesse. The Centre’s first move was to purchase Pipistrel’s new Alpha Electro aircraft. The Alpha Electro is one of the world’s first certified plug-in private aircraft. It made this purchase through a donation from PwC, which provides consulting, audit, and tax services. PwC’s ambition...

Netherlands Aerospace Centre Opens Electric Aviation Center

14 September 2018 || 4 min read

This week, the Netherlands Aerospace Centre (NLC) announced the opening of its new aerospace innovation center in Marknesse.

The Centre’s first move was to purchase Pipistrel’s new Alpha Electro aircraft. The Alpha Electro is one of the world’s first certified plug-in private aircraft. It made this purchase through a donation from PwC, which provides consulting, audit, and tax services. PwC’s ambition is to be CO2-neutral business in 2030. PwC CFO and COO Michael de Riddler commented:

“With this donation, PwC wants to make a contribution to accelerating the transition to electric flight. As a user, an international organization with clients worldwide, we want to take our responsibility by pursuing CO₂ reduction, offsetting and innovation.”

The Netherlands Aerospace Centre will house its new “Living Lab for Electric Flight” within the facility/ There, it plans to work with the newly attained Pipistrel Alpha Electro Aircraft to develop electric aviation technologies further. Goals include extending range through aerodynamics and battery advancements.

At the launch of the new center and the Living Lab, Wright Electric’s Jeff Angler spoke to the future of electric flight. Wight Electric is an startup developing technology for commercially viable electric aircraft. Wright Electric has partnered with Easyjet, a commercial operator in Europe. Easyjet aims to put electric planes in the skies within twenty years. Initial routes would go up to 540 kilometers, carrying 150 passengers, and go between places like Amsterdam, Paris, and Europe.

Said by Cora van Nieuwenhuizen, Dutch Minister of Infrastructure:

“The Netherlands is highly successful in aerospace technology. This is precisely how it should be, because demand for air transport is continuing to grow. But we can’t simply go on building more and more planes. The aircraft also need to be lighter, must be equipped with new technology and have more economical engines. They present new challenges and we must look for the answers. Wherever new ideas must lead to new possibilities, there is a need for incubators. This new NLR complex is such an incubator.”

Why It’s Important:

Investment from both a large company like PwC and a country like the Netherlands in electric aviation is huge news for the flying car industry. While the existence of short-distance electric jets in Europe might compete with flying cars, no flying cars can come at all without significant advances in aerodynamic and battery technology. The innovation created by the Netherlands Aerospace Center will further the electric aviation industry, and will encourage additional investment in the flying car eVTOL industry.

Vertical Aerospace’s eVTOL Hits the Skies

13 September 2018 || 4 min read

In June of this Summer, UK startup Vertical Aerospace created and tested a working prototype of its flying car eVTOL at Cotswold Airport in Gloucestershire. It plans to operate its air taxi service by 2022. The Concept: Vertical Aerospace wants to get its air taxi in the air as soon as possible. For this reason, it’s focusing on piloted flight in the short...

Vertical Aerospace’s eVTOL Hits the Skies

13 September 2018 || 4 min read

The Concept:

Vertical Aerospace wants to get its air taxi in the air as soon as possible. For this reason, it’s focusing on piloted flight in the short term, although it does have autonomy in mind for the long term. Because it has stayed within the category of manned flight, Vertical Aerospaces’s eVTOL managed to achieve certification from UK’s Civil Aviation Authority. It has complied with existing regulations rather than creating a new set, but paves the way for future amendments.

The Company:

Vertical Aerospace was founded in 2016 by Stephen Fitzpatrick, the former founder and CEO of OVO Energy. OVO provides a wide range of energy services from home climate solutions to electric vehicle charging setups. For a time, Fitzpatrick was also the owner of a formula one team. He’s been heard to say, “The lightweight materials, aerodynamics and electrical systems developed through F1 are highly applicable to aircraft, much more so than to road transport. By putting those technologies in the hands of experienced aerospace engineers, we can build cutting-edge aircraft for the 21st Century.”

The vertical Aerospace team consists of 28 aerospace experts from companies like Airbus, Boeing, Rolls-Royce, Martin Jetpack, and GE.

The Vision:

Vertical Aerospace’s goal is to provide customers with the ability to travel directly to their exact location. “If you consider that the busiest routes flying in and out of London are to Paris, London and Edinburgh, being able to fly to those cities without the need of a runway would offset the need to expand Heathrow,” said Fitzpatrick. Creating an air taxi service using Vertical Aerospace’s eVTOL’s would take an enormous load off the current air transportation system in Europe, given that many destinations are so close together.

The Aircraft:

The prototype exhibited last summer was only a “technology demonstrator”. It was piloted remotely, had only one seat, and traveled for five minutes up to 80kph with a weight of 750kg. Vertical Aerospace designed, built, and flight tested the craft all within 12 months. It’s eventual plans are for an aircraft with a capacity of a pilot plus two to four passengers. The final first version should have a range about 100 miles and a top speed of around 150mph.

Why it’s important:

Vertical Aerospace reminds us that it’s possible to create eVTOLs now that comply with existing flight regulations. Full regulations for autonomous air taxis within urban airspace may be a long way off, but the existence of vehicles like Vertical Aerospace’s aircraft will allow new regulations to slowly seep in. Vertical Aerospace’s approach pushes other manufacturers and operators to ask how they can create aircraft that require as little new law as possible.

Bell and NASA Partner for UAV Development

09 September 2018 || 3 min read

NASA will be working with Bell Helicopter and others to overcome the current obstacles to commercial UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) operation. On August 29th, it announced funding up to $11 million to work with Bell. NASA names these main obstacles as technological advancements, systems integration, and certification of aircraft and avionics. Through this collaboration, NASA and Bell hope to deliver new technologies for unmanned aerial systems including integrated Detect and Avoid (DAA)...

Bell and NASA Partner for UAV Development

09 September 2018 || 3 min read

Through this collaboration, NASA and Bell hope to deliver new technologies for unmanned aerial systems including integrated Detect and Avoid (DAA) and Command and Control (C2) technologies. Bell seeks to use the technologies it develops alongside NASA in its new Autonomous Pod Transport 70 (APT70). The APT70 is a tail-sitting VTOL with load capacity up to 70lbs, and a top speed up to 100mph. It vertically lifts into the air like a drone, and then rotates into a horizontal flight position to fly like a bi-plane using its built-in fixed wing. A near-final version of the APT70 will conduct a flight demonstration in 2020.

Bell’s Autonomous Transport Pod Prototype

Bell showcased its prototype at XPONENTIAL 2018 aerospace show last May, positioning as having potential military use as well as commercial cargo use. In a military capacity, the ATP could eliminate the need for resupply by vehicle, bringing troops items like goggles, body armor, and batteries.

Bell Autonomous Transport Pod Concept Model

The collaboration between Bell and NASA will be managed at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California. Other partners include Textron Systems, Xwing, and the University of Massachusetts Amherst’s Center for Collaborative Adaptive Sensing of the Atmosphere (CASA). Bell will lead the design, development, production and systems integration of APT, while Textron Systems will supply command and control operations, Xwing will provide detect and avoid technologies, and CASA will provide weather avoidance technology.

Why it’s important: The Bell ATP70 is one of the first unmanned VTOLs featuring a fixed wing. Unlike many existing UAVs that carry payloads, it has the capability of horizontal flight, making it faster and more efficient, and giving it higher range. The development of technology and certifications for unmanned eVTOLs with fixed-wing capabilities paves the way for similar aircraft with passenger carrying abilities.

Bell will also be using the new technologies developed with NASA in its Air Taxi design. Learn more about the Bell Air Taxi here.

Japan’s Flying Car Team now includes Subaru, Boeing, and More

08 September 2018 || 3 min read

At the end of August, Japan began an initiative to jumpstart the flying car industry. It’s taken its first steps by actively recruiting Subaru, Boeing, Uber Japan, Airbus Japan, and more. Japan plans to have flying cars in the air by 2020. It’s Ministry of Trade, Economy, and Industry initiated meetings with both private and public sectors last month. In...

Japan’s Flying Car Team now includes Subaru, Boeing, and More

08 September 2018 || 3 min read

At the end of August, Japan began an initiative to jumpstart the flying car industry. It’s taken its first steps by actively recruiting Subaru, Boeing, Uber Japan, Airbus Japan, and more.

Japan plans to have flying cars in the air by 2020. It’s Ministry of Trade, Economy, and Industry initiated meetings with both private and public sectors last month. In the U.S, NASA is beginning to work with private companies on UAV (drone) mapping systems, but Japan is one of the first countries to move the focus to passenger-carrying eVTOLs.

While many refer to these new vehicles and services as flying cars, Japan prefers to refer to the new movement as a ‘mobility service’. With the initiative, Japan hopes to solve its plethora of ground transportation problems, which include heavy traffic, difficult-to-navigate mountainous regions, and remote islands.

Japan’s geography and current highway system

The latest recruit to the Japanese flying car coalition, as of yesterday, is Subaru. Although not widely known, Subaru has an aerospace division as well as automotive. Specifically, it developed attack helicopters for the Japanse air force. It also designs and builds lightweight carbon composites for Boeing’s 767 and 777. As of 2015, it signed an agreement with Boeing to work on the 777X’s center wing box. It even has begun research projects for unmanned aerial vehicles and delivers a full trainer aircraft to the Japanese Ministry of Defense.

AH-64D attack helicopter by Subaru

T-5 primary trainer by Suba

Japan hopes to complete a ‘roadmap’ for flying cars within its infrastructure by the end of the year. It has enlisted 21 companies total, including Toyota’s Cartivator, Japan Airlines, ANA Holdings, and Yamato Holdings. It held its Public-Private Conference for Future Air Mobility on August 29th.

Why it’s important: Japan’s addition of Subaru to the flying car initiative indicates the wide variety of companies and industries that will contribute. It also lends an extra layer of certainty and credibility to the flying car industry. Subaru’s choice to join the flying car force may send signals to other big auto industry players like GM and Volkswagen to start developing their own technologies.

Flying Car Developer DuFour Adds Damian Hischier

04 September 2018 || 3 min read

DuFour already has successfully logged more than 50 hours on their electric airplane, the aEro1. Now, it is turning to Flying cars. Since 2015, DuFour has had the vision of an eVTOl and developed a fully capable electric airplane to flight-test many of the electric components. It’s aEro1 is capable of flying for up to one hour, multiple times per day. Damian...

Flying Car Developer DuFour Adds Damian Hischier

04 September 2018 || 3 min read

DuFour already has successfully logged more than 50 hours on their electric airplane, the aEro1. Now, it is turning to Flying cars.

Since 2015, DuFour has had the vision of an eVTOl and developed a fully capable electric airplane to flight-test many of the electric components. It’s aEro1 is capable of flying for up to one hour, multiple times per day.

DuFour’s aEro1 Electric Plane

Damian Hischier is a certified test pilot and holds an Airline Transport Pilot License with a Category 1 Flight Test Rating from the EASA. He flew more than 130 different aircraft types ranging from gliders up to airliners including 15 first flights of prototypes. He was also the test pilot for Solarstratos. Damian is one of the few civilian pilots trained to conduct new aircraft testing, which makes him invaluable to flying car companies like DuFour.

Hischier is from DuFour’s home in Switzerland. DuFour plans on using it’s eVTOL, the aEro2 to revolutionize rural transport in the Swiss Alps area. Visitors to the alps often stay in Zermatt, a small town near the mountains. They often have to travel three hours to get to Zermatt from Milan or Zurich by car. The trip by a flying car like the aEro2 would take between 22 and 30 minutes. DuFour plans to have a fully working prototype for testing by the end of 2020. Learn more about the aEro2 here.

Prior to joining DuFour last week, Hischier had been a test pilot, project manager, and pilot for over twenty years at four different aerospace companies. At DaFour, he will be serving as Chief Test Pilot and head of Certification. Hischier received his bachelor’s degree in software engineering and economics in 1993 from Fachhochschule Luzern.

Why it’s important: As the flying car industry develops, a demand for test pilots will flourish. Many companies are about to arrive at their prototyping stages and will need test pilots like Damian. It is important for everyone interested in the industry to understand who these test pilots are, where they can be found, and what certifications they must have to verify new aircraft.

UberAIR will be in Japan, Brazil, France, Australia, or India

02 September 2018 || 3 min read

On Thursday, Uber Elevate finalized the list of potential international locations for its third city of operations of UberAIR. It includes Japan, Brazil, France, Australia, or India. Uber Elevate confirmed last year that its first two cities would be Los Angeles, California, and Houston, Texas. It also announced that it would enter in one international city. On Thursday, Uber shortened...

UberAIR will be in Japan, Brazil, France, Australia, or India

02 September 2018 || 3 min read

On Thursday, Uber Elevate finalized the list of potential international locations for its third city of operations of UberAIR. It includes Japan, Brazil, France, Australia, or India.

Uber Elevate confirmed last year that its first two cities would be Los Angeles, California, and Houston, Texas. It also announced that it would enter in one international city. On Thursday, Uber shortened the list of potential countries down to five: Japan, Brazil, France, Australia, or India. UberAIR originally meant to operate in Dubai as its third city, but Dubai changed its plans.

UberAIR Potential Tokyo Route

Last February, Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi met with the Union Minister of State for Aviation for India, Jayant Sinha. In this meeting, Sinha stressed the need for flying cars in India, and presented Uber with a case for the large consumer base. UberAIR in India would service Mumbai, Delhi, or Bangalore.

This Monday, India released its ‘Drone Regulations 1.0’ last Monday, just one day before Uber’s Business Officer for Emerging Markets, Madhu Kannan, confirmed India as a potential country for UberAIR. While the ‘Drone Regulations 1.0’ do not specifically allow for e-commerce companies to deliver by drone, it launches India’s ‘Digital Sky Platform’. The Digital Sky Platform is similar to NASA’s UAM software. It is an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle management software that will create a ‘digital highway’ system for drones, allowing users to submit flight plans and understand where they can fly.

Digital Sky Platform India

Why it’s Important: Uber’s naming of five cities as potential launch locations inspires competition among the cities to prepare for flying cars. This means that even those countries Uber does not choose will be ready for flying cars sooner rather than later. UberAIR may come into those countries next after its third city, or another operator may have a chance to enter. Either way, flying cars are coming to the international community soon.

Flying Cars to come to Japan Within a Decade

27 August 2018 || 3 min read

On Friday, Japan announced its partnership with Uber, Boeing, and Airbus to make flying cars a reality over the streets of Tokyo and Osaka by 2028. It also taking on Toyota’s Cartivator, Japan Airlines, and ANA Holdings, Yamato Holdings, and 14 other smaller companies to its task force. It also seeks to attain ¥4.5 billion ($40.4 million) in funding to support...

Flying Cars to come to Japan Within a Decade

27 August 2018 || 3 min read

While many in the U.S still consider the idea of flying cars very futuristic, Japan’s ministry of industry has already begun building a regulatory structure for the Vehicles. The ministry sees this as a great move for Japan, considering Japan’s major traffic problem, mountainous regions, and many remote islands. It also hopes that the novelty will boost the tourism sector, and set Japan as the forerunner in innovative transportation.

Japan is already heavily in-laid with a complex train transit system. The nightlife of Japan itself is often constrained by transit since trains only run between certain hours and taxi cabs are prohibitively expensive. (Prior to Friday’s announcement, the taxi cab system had a monopoly on urban transport and Uber did not have much success in major cities). While Japan’s train system is one the most advanced in the world, it is massively overworked. Every train is full to the brim, and the streets are constantly packed with traffic. Adding an extra layer of infrastructure using eVTOL technology could remove a lot of that pressure.

Why it’s important: Countries are starting to compete for first in eVTOL development. Japan’s move for transportation innovation could set it at the forefront of the developing industry, placing it in a powerful position for the coming years. Other countries will soon start to create their own initiatives to meet Japan’s standard.

Astro Aerospace Partners with Kasaero GmbH

19 August 2018 || 2 min read

The Texas based eVTOL developer Astro Aerospace has established a partnership with German company Kasaero, which specializes in lightweight design, composites, and certifications. Astro Aerospace’s AA360 has reached the pre-order stage. Company stock is available on the public stock market. The AA360 features sixteen rotors, full autonomy, and an interior designed for 360-degree visibility. In May, Astro Aerospace recently acquired Passenger Drone, as well...

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Zunum Aero, an electric commercial airplane developer, has announced its partnership with Safran Helicopter Engines.

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A new safety system for eVTOLs uses specialized airbags, a balloon-integrated parachute, and even retro rockets.

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HoverSurf just became an approved personal Vertical Take -Off and Landing aircraft.

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This week, the Netherlands Aerospace Centre (NLC) announced the opening of its new aerospace innovation center in Marknesse.

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