Category: Vehicles/Manufactures

Bell has just achieved the first autonomous flight of its Autonomous Pod Transport (APT) 70 aircraft, and will continue testing throughout the year.

The U.S. helicopter and tilt-rotor manufacturer has just shared footage of its cargo eVTOL drone completing a first of many fully autonomous flights. Bell will ramp up flight testing under an experimental type certificate at its facility near Fort Worth, Texas to eventually support missions such as package delivery, medical support, and disaster relief. The vehicle has key design features such as a modular design for rapid battery swap & recharging, and a payload pod that is attached via pylons to two wings, each fitted with electric-powered propellers.

The APT70 is a tail-sitting VTOL with load capacity up to 70lbs, and a top speed up to 100mph. It takes off vertically as does a drone, then rotates to horizontal flight in a bi-plane configuration using its built-in fixed wings. A near-final version of the APT70 will conduct another flight demonstration in 2020 through NASA’s Systems Integration and Operationalization partnership. Meanwhile, the company continues to develop its wider APT family of eVTOL aircraft to achieve varying payload and range capabilities.

Bell’s APT70 (left) and APT20 (right). // AIN Online

According to Bell, next year’s demonstration through the NASA partnership will simulate commercial missions in the U.S. National Airspace System and will include beyond visual line of sight operations. 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). Bell is also working with Japanese logistics group Yamato to create an integrated package handling system with the APT 70, and strives to launch commercial operations by the early 2020s.

Related: Bell Flight Unveils Nexus Prototype at CES 2019

First flight for the Nexus passenger eVTOL is planned for 2020 and Bell hopes to achieve type certification in 2023. The aircraft design features a central wing, integrated landing skids, and six ducted tilt-rotor fans. It will carry four passengers on flights of up to around 150 miles and at speeds of up to 175 mph. Read more about the Bell Nexus’ technical specifications in the Hangar.

Why it’s important: Bell is expanding its aircraft profile in the urban air mobility industry and demonstrates time and resource investments in both the passenger and cargo sectors. Small-scale cargo transportation has been an area of interest for both the military as well as large online retailers such as Amazon, demonstrating a wide swath of applications for the APT 70 and the company’s future fleet of cargo eVTOLs.

Collins Aerospace announced their intentions to develop the world’s first 1MW electric aircraft motor. With a $50 million dollar investment towards an electric systems lab, named the “Grid”, in Illinois, Collins Aerospace looks to soon provide aircraft and eVTOL manufacturers with a practical and vastly more efficient electric drivetrain.

The Grid will be put to work on developing a working model for a fully electric aircraft motor capable of outputting 1MW. Based in Rockford, Illinois, the 25,000 square-foot facility is outfitted with 4 independent modular electric power systems that will be ready to go by 2021. Both Collins Aerospace and their holding company, United Technologies, have large expectations for this investment. According to Collins Aerospace CEO Kelly Ortberg, “Our internal UTC studies indicate that commercial electric and hybrid electric propulsion could reduce aircraft noise by up to 85 percent, can improve fuel consumption by up to 40 percent, can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by more than 20 percent and reduce airline operating and maintenance costs by up to 20 percent.”

To develop an electric engine that would be able to rival the power output of a generator in a Boeing 787, Collins Aerospace will begin with Project 804. Project 804 is Collins Aerospace’s first project, to develop a hybrid-electric flight demonstrator. Project 804 will use a Bombardier Dash-8 with a 2MW hybrid-electric powertrain. According to Ortberg, “The goal of Project 804, developed by the company’s advanced projects group, is to re-engine and fly a regional turboprop aircraft powered by a 2 megawatt-class hybrid-electric propulsion system on a highly aggressive timeline. The advanced projects group combines the engineering expertise and experience of Collins Aerospace, Pratt & Whitney and UTC’s research center.”

More details on Project 804 can be found here

A render of the inside of the Grid

Why it’s important: Collins Aerospace will have a lot of work to do to create a practical, powerful electric drivetrain capable of meeting their goals. The electric motor will most likely need vast improvements in efficiency while maintaining practicality and safety standards. However, if this project does result with a working electric drivetrain capable of outputting 1MW, development and manufacturing off fully electric VTOLs as opposed to hybrid electric models for the UAM industry could happen within the next decade. 

Sources // Clean Technica

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Embraer has revealed their first all-electric demonstrator, a fixed-wing aircraft that is currently under development as the Ipanema project.

The prototype is based off of the EMB-203 Ipanema agricultural aircraft, a small single-engine aircraft, in order to test and evaluate the electric engine prototypes. “We chose Ipanema because it is our platform that requires the least modifications to receive electric propulsion systems,” said Daniel Moczydlowe, Embraer’s Vice President of Engineering and Technology, “It will be a prototype system designed to test technology on short, 30-minute flights”.

The demonstrator is based off of the Embraer EMB 202/203 Ipanema, an agricultural aircraft. Photo courtesy of Evandro Fiho.

The demonstrator’s electric motor and controller are being designed and manufactured by Brazilian electric engineering company WEG SA, at the company’s HQ at Jaraguá do Sul, Santa Catarina, Brazil, as part of their agreement in May. The cooler is being provided by Parker Aerospace. Especially in the next few months, Embraer and these companies will be heavily involved in testing the various systems involved in the all-electric aircraft design in lab conditions, and the first flight for the demonstrator is scheduled for 2020. 

Why it’s important: The Ipanema project has large implications for the development process for EmbraerX, Embraer’s urban air tax division. As the new eVTOL will most likely have to feature high efficiency and reliability paired with low operating costs and environmental and noise footprints, a fully-finished all-electric engine would be a perfect fit for the new air taxi by EmbraerX. “As a market accelerator committed to developing solutions to transform life’s experiences, we have been combining human-centered design thinking with our 50-year history of building and engineering expertise in a unique manner,” said Antonio Campello, President & CEO, EmbraerX, “These are the factors behind the technical progress and leading-edge innovations we are bringing to this new eVTOL concept.”

Sources // The Driven

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It may sounds like the stuff of science fiction, but flying car racing may come to planet Earth in 2020. Land speeder races in sci-fi movies and Formula 1 legends breaking records have excited generations of aviation, racing, and sci-fi fanatics. These same fans may now have another formidable competitor contending for their attention.

The company at the center of most of this flying car activity is Alauda Aeronautics – creator of the Alauda Airspeeder. Alauda is headquartered in Sydney, Australia, and has been working to bring racing to the skies for almost 4 years. Their Airspeeder concept builds upon the popular drone racing format and design, but takes the stakes to the next level with an increased size chassis, larger brushless DC electric motors, and a flight control system that’s designed for a “pilot” or “driver” – whichever you prefer. Here’s the teaser for their 2020 flying carGrand Prix:

Alauda’s design is familiar to that of many drone enthusiasts: a quadcopter-esque drivetrain, with each corner of the vehicle featuring two props for vertical and forward thrust. The fuselage (or body) of the Airspeeder is sleek and the cockpit is retracted towards the aft portion of the vehicle. While this may reduce forward visibility, the vehicle is safer in this configuration. Matt Pearson, founder of Alauda Aeronautics, recommitted the company to the 2020 Grand Prix bid after a 2017 Kickstarter campaign wasn’t as successful as originally intended. Now, the company is gaining momentum towards the next iteration of fundraising and progress on larger scales.

Alauda’s Airpseeder is fast, attractive, the stuff of sci-fi, but even better – being publicly displayed in the GP 2020

Why it’s important: Alauda’s 2020 GP has the potential to expose a much larger audience to eVTOL aircraft, UAM, and air taxis. By formulating a Grand Prix that leverages the familiarities of Formula 1 racing while adding the excitement of drone racing and aerial jockeying, Alauda is positioning themselves well for the future. It’s not difficult to find similar pathways to Alauda’s goal either: The Drone Racing League rose from being virtually unknown in 2015 to a globally recognized professional sport a mere two years later, with awareness continuing to increase. While Alauda isn’t there yet, they’re getting closer.

Learn more about the Alauda Airspeeder

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The work to complete Malaysia’s first flying car is 85% complete, according to Malaysia’s Entrepeneur Development Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Redzuan Md Yusof. The prototype is currently under construction in a site in Japan, where the Aerodyne Group is currently overseeing the vehicle’s development.

A model of the planned prototype was unveiled at the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace 2019 (Lima ’19) exhibition

After announcing their intentions to produce a national flying car earlier this year, the vehicle could soon be unveiled in the near future. For now, the prototype resides in Japan, as the country is an economic powerhouse with the supporting ecosystem to develop the flying car industry, according to the minister. 

“I am going to Japan in September for the Aviation Conference and I hope to get to see the almost complete (flying) car that we will be going to bring back towards the end of the year, ” said Malaysia’s Entrepeneur Development Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Redzuan Md Yusof, ““Whether the flying car will be launched by year-end, it would depend on Malaysia’s ecosystem for flying cars, especially in term of availability to fly at that time”. 

Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Redzuan Md Yusof

According to the minister, a special zone in Cyberjaya has already been prepared exclusively for testing and developing the prototype. Once the flying car is finished, the future for Malaysia’s possible air taxi industry depends on their native ecosystem. The sooner Malaysia can develop an ecosystem ready to support such an industry, the sooner Malaysia could promote their own air taxi industry. 

The Ministry of Entrepreneur Development is also in contact with other ministries involved with the aviation sector in order to create available space for flying cars in Malaysia. While the flying car is technically a private initiative, the government and specifically the Ministry of Entrepreneur Development hopes to be heavily involved with the process of developing and manufacturing the flying car in order to create their own budding air taxi industry. 

Why it’s important: With a successful presentation of the flying car prototype, Malaysia could soon end up supporting the project with the full backing and funding of the government. UAM presents an exciting prospect and potential solution to the transportation issues currently plaguing dozens of countries, and could be the solution for Malaysia in the near future. 

Sources // Malay Mail

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• Payload to accommodate 2 people including hand luggage
• Increased flight efficiency through aerodynamically shaped rotor beams, a newly introduced stabilizer to create increased stability in flight and additional lift
• Iconic design with fluid lines is a seamless continuation of architectural language of the future VoloPort all the while combining unprecedented technological achievements and user comfort

• 200 kg maximum payload
• 18 brushless DC electric motors (BLDC’s)
• 700kg OEW
• 900 kg MTOW

VoloCity features 9 Lithium Ion Battery Packs and 18 Brushless DC Electric Motors (BLDC’s). Visit the Hangar to read more about the VoloCity’s technical specs.

(Guangzhou, China, August 20, 2019) – EHang, an autonomous aerial vehicle (AAV) technology platform company, announced that it has become the world’s first company to achieve certificate of unmanned aircraft system (UAS) safety level II for AAVs through tests of the UAS fence. The certificate was issued by the China Academy of Civil Aviation Science and Technology (CAST) and was internationally recognized among member organizations of the China National Accreditation Service for Conformity Assessment (CNAS). 

AAVs will autonomously hover, alert, return, and land when getting close to UAS fence.

The tests demonstrated that both the passenger-grade EHang 216 and the non-passenger-grade EHang Falcon can automatically and precisely sense the UAS fence by alerting and avoid it by hovering, landing off or returning before entering the restricted area. The tests also proved that the EHang AAVs could not be started within the fenced areas to ensure safety. 

“Passing these tests further establishes EHang as the leader in the UAS fence technology and marks a breakthrough in urban air mobility space,” said Zhang Zhengjuan, a senior engineer at the Civil UAS Inspection Center of CAST. “Significantly, EHang’s command-and-control system is more intelligent in managing the AAVs’ flight routes, and with real-time remote communication via 4G and 5G telecom networks, their operation is simpler and safer than conventional drones manual-controlled by radio frequency within limited distances.”

Why it matters: EHang has made a name for itself in the UAM industry as a proven leader in innovation and technological advancement. Safety software like EHang’s development of a UAS “fence” will help to pave the way to automized routes and unmanned operations, allowing for lower costs and higher eVTOL traffic density. Further, the pursuit of safety-focused design will be critical in getting stakeholders from local governments and the general public who are unsure of the safety of UAM platforms.

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The Kitty Hawk Flyer, a one-man, manually piloted eVTOL designed for recreational use, has recorded over 25,000 flights with no issues. 

From prototype, to vehicle that has traveled more than 25,000+ times, Flyer is working on making the dream a reality. pic.twitter.com/sBb2kZ7vNw

— Kitty Hawk (@kittyhawkcorp) August 14, 2019

Including both the Flyer’s prototype stage as well as its more finalized design, Kitty Hawk recently announced that their aircraft had successfully been flown with reliability over 25,000 times, indicating that the company believes that their eVTOL is ready to spread through the open market. Currently, the company, based in Mountain View, California, is searching for applications from potential partners who would deploy it in their own communities, such as a travel destination or resort. 

Both the Flyer and the Cora, a two-seater autonomous air taxi developed in collaboration with Boeing, could soon be brought to market. For the Flyer, Kitty Hawk has refined the eVTOL to the point where anyone, with or without flight experience, could learn to fly the aircraft within 15 minutes. Public information on the Flyer’s pricing or availability has not been released yet, and will most likely be released after Kitty Hawk has secured a deal with larger partners first. 

The Cora, in development by Kitty Hawk and Boeing

The Flyer itself is an all-electric personal hoverbike/eVTOL, with a flight time of 12-20 minutes (at 20 mph), although the actual battery life will depend on outside environmental factors and load. It is powered by 10 independant fans, and can operate at an altitude of about 3-10 feet above the water. The vehicle without load weighs 250 lb, and can fly at a maximum speed of about 20 mph (limited by flight control system). 

To learn more about the Flyer, visit our aircraft page here.

Why it’s important: The Flyer is a unique eVTOL in that the aim is to only provide short distance transportation, more for leisure or recreation rather than commute or long-distance travel. While the Flyer cannot meet the expectations of an eVTOL for use in the air taxi industry, the reliability and ease of use of the Flyer could do much to improve public perception on the safety and local impact of UAM in urban areas. 

Sources // Forecast Wire

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