Category: Vehicles/Manufactures

Israeli startup NFT Inc. is developing its own autonomous electric flying car. Named the Asaka (or ASKA), which means ‘flying bird’ in Japanese, the flying car is equipped with 14 propellers for flight, as well as conventional wheels for ground travel. NFT will showcase the ASKA at the Ecomotion 2019 smart mobility show in Tel Aviv, and intends to begin test flights by next year.

The ASKA was designed to address inner city road traffic congestion, and will be available for private purchase in the coming years. To take off, the ASKA will need a runway of about 20-30 meters in length, and will be able to fly up to 3 people a distance of 550 km (~342 miles) at a speed in between 160-240 km/hr (~ 99-150 mph). While electric, NFT Inc. states that the ASKA will still need a petrol engine to charge its batteries.

Chairman of NFT Inc. Guy Kaplinsky envisioned the ASKA for use in inner city and suburban commuting. The car, says Kaplinsky, would allow people to live away from city centers without having to spend hours on the road. Kaplinsky estimated the initial price of the flying car will be between $200k and $300k (USD), but noted that he expects the price to drop once commercial production begins.

NFT Inc. was founded 4 years ago by Kaplinsky and his wife and CEO Maki Kaplinsky. To learn more about the company, visit the site here.

Why it’s important: The ASKA, poses an interesting angle to approaching to urban air mobility. While most other designs incorporate electric-based aviation, there are not many eVTOLs that are designed for both ground and air transportation. Combined with the fact that the Asaka will be available for private transportation, rather than public, the possible success of the Asaka will determine whether there is any potential for UAM in the upper-class demographic.

Sources // World Israel News

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EmbraerX and Pipistrel have both released images and specifications of their new eVTOL designs, both of which have competitive performance standards preparing to meet the needs for urban aviation.

Embraer has over 50 years of experience in making private jets, and is now turning to eVTOLs as the fulfillment of its dream of regional flight. Its newly unveiled eVTOL is its second iteration. The first version (pictured on the bottom left) was smaller than the new one, which an additional wing as well as an additional rotor.

Orginal EmbraerX design (left) VS. new EmbraerX design (right)

EmbraerX:
The new EmbraerX eVTOL will be ‘autonomous-ready’, and according to Antonio Campello (CEO of EmbraerX) will reach full autonomy once community acceptance and regulation are at necessary levels. EmbraerX prides its new eVTOL on being made to use by anyone, no matter their age or ability. So far, it is the only eVTOL on the market advertising easy access to people using wheel chairs:

Importantly, EmbraerX notes that the most important and difficult part of developing eVTOL operations will be the integration of aircraft design, airspace management, and maintenance. Said Campello: “Now it’s not just about the aircraft, it’s about the entire ecosystem.” To this end, Embraer already rolled out last week a new maintenance platform.

EmbraerX also released last week its ‘flight plan 2030’, which outlines the path to autonomy. Read more about the Flight Plan 2030 here.

EmbraerX eVTOL Design Overview:

Pipistrel

The Pipistrel 801 eVTOL was designed with three goals in mind: acoustics, safety and speed. “801” stands for 8 lift rotors, 0 titling parts, and 1 thrust rotor. Notably, both the EmbraerX eVTOL and the Pipistrel 801 were designed without tilt-rotors (unlike Karem Aircraft or Bell).

The Pipistrel 801 offers seating for 5 (including the pilot), with a range of 60 nautical miles and a top speed of 175mph. It’s capable of transitioning from vertical to horizontal flight in under 1 minute, and (according to Pipistrel president Dr Tine Tomažič) is “more powerful than a jetliner take-off.”

Design overview of the Pipistrel 801

Notably, the pilot’s seat of the aircraft can eventually be converted to a first class passenger seat once full flight autonomy is realized. Pipistrel is currently working with Honeywell for its avionics, navigation, and fly-by-wire technology, as is Volocopter, Vertical Aerospace, and others.

The 801 achieves safety standards by using redundant battery packs and redundant propellors. For example, although the 801 has four battery packs, it’s capable of flying on only two. Acoustics goals are achieved by having each of the rotors turn at different frequency, which diminishes noise output.

Pipistrel was one of the first companies to make electric recreational aircraft available in the U.S and parts of Europe, and has been developing electric aircraft for over 12 years. Learn more about Pipistrel.

The Pipistrel 801 model on display at Uber Elevate 2019

Why it’s important: With Pipistrel and EmbraerX’s latest announcements, other UAM companies may soon begin to release new aspects of their designs as well. eVTOLs are the first new type of commercial aircraft since the helicopter, and many developers are racing to be first in the skies. Companies like Pipistrel and EmbraerX encourage innovation, pushing the industry even further forward.

Honeywell has released a new compact fly-by-wire system, about the size of a small book, as their newest development for the UAM industry.

“Honeywell’s technology truly enables these innovative aircraft to fly more safely, accelerating a whole new era in what is quickly emerging as a new transportation economy,” said Carl Esposito, president, Electronic Solutions, Honeywell Aerospace

Fundamentally, Honeywell’s fly-by-wire system performs the same job as any other one: it connects an aircraft’s manual flight controls to a intuitive electronic interface, interpreting and executing the commands inputted by the pilot. It also provides stability to the aircraft by driving electric actuators and dynamically adjusting flight surfaces and motors to smoothly follow flight paths. It reduces turbulence and eliminates the need for heavy hydraulics, control cables or pushrods.

But while most conventional fly-by-wire systems are roughly the size of a large suitcase, Honeywell’s new system is small and lightweight enough to be held in one hand.

Honeywell’s fly-by-wire systems have been used by conventional aircraft for decades

The new system is based off of the same functions as Honeywell’s fly-by-wire systems for conventional aircraft, featuring a triplex flight control computer architecture, with backup options and lockstep processing, meaning that the system will constantly double-check any work and provide a stable, secure means to electronically guide the aircraft.

Honeywell and Volocopter entered a partnership to develop a new eVTOL for UAM; this fly-by-wire system will likely be featured in the vehicle

Additionally, Honeywell’s new system will require less power, has a wide variety of applications in terms of types of aircraft, and will cost less compared to a conventional fly-by-wire system while still providing the same functions.

Honeywell plans to debut their new system at the Uber Elevate Summit in Washington D.C. on June 11-12.

Why it’s important: This new fly-by-wire system possesses many benefits for any company that is focused on developing a UAM vehicle, considering that most UAM vehicle designs are much smaller than that of a conventional aircraft. The size, weight, power requirements, and overall cost are all designed with this in mind, meaning that now, the electronic flight control system that guided commercial and military airplanes safely for decades can now be ported over to the UAM industry.

Sources // Honeywell Aerospace

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Honeywell has signed an agreement with yet another urban air mobility company. This time, it’s with the UK’s Vertical Aerospace, which has an eVTOL currently in flight testing.

The Vertical Aerospace eVTOL prototype, which entered into flight testing in September of last year

The Vertical Aerospace eVTOL has one of the sleekest designs on the market, comparable to the Bell Nexus Air Taxi or the Lilium Jet. Based out of the United Kingdom, Vertical Aerospace completed autonomous flight tests of its two seater prototype last September. Watch the full test flight here. 

A top-down view of the Vertical Aerospace eVTOL

Earlier this week, the tech giant Honeywell announced that it has signed a ‘memorium of understanding’ agreement with Vertical Aerospace. According to the agreement, Vertical Aerospace intends to integrate Honeywell’s avionics, navigation, fly-by-wire and advanced technologies into future Vertical Aerospace vehicles. Although the images seen here are only of a two passenger prototype, Vertical Aerospace plans to build a version that can seat up to four passengers.

The agreement with Vertical Aerospace is Honeywell’s third agreement with an urban air mobility company. Honeywell signed with Pipistrel in January and Volocopter in April. Pipistrel is currently one of the named companies working with Uber Elevate, and Volocopter plans to complete demonstration flights in Singapore in late 2019.

The Volocopter, one of Honeywell’s other UAM partnerships.

Said Honeywell Aerospace Electronic Solutions President Carl Esposito: “Honeywell’s expertise in integrated avionics, systems integration, certification and manufacturing, combined with Vertical Aerospace’s capabilities in developing eVTOL vehicles, will spur the advancement of urban air mobility.”

He also mentioned Honeywell’s ability to assist Vertical Aerospace with the aircraft certification process: “Through years of working with the US Federal Aviation Administration and the European Aviation Safety Agency, Honeywell is well equipped to help Vertical Aerospace navigate the civil airspace landscape and develop their vehicles.”

Notably, Honeywell also plans on developing an electric engine specifically for urban air mobility. Learn more about the upcoming electric engine here.

Honeywell’s HTS900 engine, planned for an urban air mobility adaptation

Why it’s important: Honeywell is beginning to establish itself as an expert in UAM avionics technology. While not many companies have entered this space yet, Honeywell has great depth of experience in advanced aviation tech, and is an excellent candidate to provide reliable solutions for the industry. By becoming one of the first major suppliers for UAM, Honeywell’s expertise will only grow in momentum and reputation.

Sources // Vertical Aerospace, Honeywell, Aerospace Technology

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Leonardo Helicopters is building a civilian version of the V-22 Osprey. Unlike the military version, the AW609 has a pressurized cabin, allowing it to fly at heights up to 25,000 feet, and comes with a luxury interior.

The Leonardo AW609 is the one of the world’s first private tilt-rotor aircraft, built for a number of possible applications from search and rescue to transportation of c-suite executives. The aircraft is capable of ascending completely vertically, like a helicopter, and then flying on a fixed-wing at over 300mph.

The AW609 in horizontal flight

The AW609 represents a unique approach to eVTOL development: While many companies such as Transcend Air, XTI Aircraft, and others have chosen to design completely new vehicles, Leonardo Helicopters has chosen to accelerate the design, production, and FAA certification processes by using technology that’s been in the military since 1997.

Leonardo plans on selling the AW609 privately only, and is not planning on building a shared ‘air taxi’ network as other short-range eVTOL companies are doing. This business model is most similar to the development of the XTI Tri-Fan 600 private eVTOL.

The AW609 Interior

Leonardo is currently working with the FAA on certification, expecting deliveries to begin in 2020.  Said Gian Piero Cutillo, managing director at Leonardo, “We are certifying a new helicopter — but at the same time — a turboprop [airplane]…..It’s not an easy path because we are certifying a unique product.” This challenge of certifying a new aircraft type,  which can sometimes take up to five years, is being faced by a large majority of other eVTOL aircraft on the market.

The United Arab Emirates government has placed a tentative order for three AW609’s, at a price of about $25 million USD per aircraft. It plans to use the aircraft for search and rescue operations. Learn more about the AW609 at the TransportUP Aircraft Page.

A larger version of the AW609 planned for development in 2023

Why it’s important: Leonardo Helicopters is paving the way for other unique aircraft currently in the pipeline for certification. While the AW609 is new for civilian production, it’s a well used aircraft type in the military, possibly making for an easier path to urban flight. With the FAA certification of the AW609 completed, other new eVTOLs will stand a much higher chance of certification as well.

Sources // CNN, Leonardo Helicopters, Wired

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Last Wednesday, Alaka’i Technologies unveiled the first ever hydrogen fuel cell eVTOL. Designed in collaboration with BMW Designworks, the aircraft is soon to enter flight testing.

The Skai eVTOL focuses on simplicity. According to Alaka’i, keeping the design simple speeds up both certification and production, and raises safety standards. The Alaka’i team has goals of 1,000lbs payload, a 400 mile range and 118mph top speed.

The Skai boasts an impressive interior and exterior design with a full panoramic roof and sides. The team at Designworks focused heavily on what the aircraft would feel like to use to the user, although in early years the Skai will be geared towards cargo, emergency services, and search and rescue. Of course, the eventual goal is to provide an air taxi service for urban cities. The mock-up of the Skai seen below can accommodate four passengers, plus a pilot.

“A year ago, this was just a piece of paper”–Steve Hanvey, Alaka’i Technologies CEO

While essentially all other air taxi companies are based on lithium-ion battery power, Alaka’i chose hydrogen fuel cell propulsion in order to meet the speed, range, and payload requirements of the founders. Each pound of compressed hydrogen contains over 200 times the amount of energy that could be stored in a 1-pound lithium ion battery. This kind of weight reduction is essential for flight performance. Additionally, unlike battery powered aircraft, the Skai can be refueled with liquid hydrogen in around 10 minutes, and liquid hydrogen fuel can be more mobile on the ground than electric chargers. While there currently exists more infrastructure for electric charging, which is why many short-range urban aircraft have chosen it, hydrogen represents a cheaper and even greener method of propulsion.

Alaka’i has already built both the full scale mock-up seen here and a functional full-scale prototype that’s nearly ready for flight tests. Although by law the prototype will need a human pilot, the Skai is capable of completely autonomous flight.

The biggest questions remaining for Skai are certification and infrastructure. Because the design is so simple, with fewer parts and new technologies needing approval, members of the Skai team hope to see certification for many of the aircrafts components within a year. Regarding infrastructure, CEO Steve Hanvey said, “We’re looking at small (sized) electrolysis capability to generate liquid hydrogen at locations that don’t have the infrastructure as the first step…kind of like the early filling stations.” Essentially these kinds of small-sized ‘filling stations’ would allow liquid hydrogen fuel to be produced at any location.

“We’re looking right now, today, at mass production, so that it’s easier to transition from low-rate to high-rate production.” -Steve Hanvey, Alaka’i Technologies CEO

Skai is led by a team of highly experienced experts formerly from NASA, Raytheon, Beech, Cirrus, Dayjet, and the Department of Defense. You can learn more about Skai on it’s website or on the TransportUP Skai Aircraft Page.

Why it’s important: The unveiling of the Skai eVTOL by Alaka’i technologies brings a new level of competition to the urban aviation industry by bringing hydrogen fuel cell propulsion to the table. The fuel cell technology utilized by Skai will produce higher range, payload, and speed statistics for the industry to match. Ultimately, Alaka’i Technologies has made a new form of eVTOL transportation with an extremely high potential for the future.

Sources // Alaka’i Technologies

Airbus A^3, the Silicon Valley-based division of the Airbus, has long been working on developing its eVTOL concept to improve air mobility for passengers in urban areas. Recently, they publicized reaching the 50 flight test milestone for their first full scale demonstrator, the Vahana Alpha One. Just earlier this week, Airbus AA3 released many more photos of its second demonstrator — named the Alpha Two — to accompany a first sneak peek seen during the publication of the Alpha One milestone.

Airbus’ Vahana Alpha Two eVTOL at Pendleton

“Here you’ll find a first-person perspective of what it might be like to take a seat under the canopy, be personally welcomed by Vahana’s screen, and see the horizon laid out in front of you as you prepare to take off.” Airbus A^3

Interestingly, there will not be a pilot in the cockpit in front of you when you’re on board the Alpha Two. Instead, just a single screen displaying the flight path ahead and an automated flight controls system with real-time autonomous decision-making capabilities. However, for now the Vahana full-scale demonstrator aircraft is remotely controlled in a configuration that the Silicon Valley division of Airbus is flight testing in Pendleton, Oregon.

The new demonstrator will join the first in flight testing at the airport in Pendleton, and also features a complete interior. Aside from enabling experimentation with passenger experience features in the interior, the Vahana Alpha Two also serves as a set of spares for anything that must be replaced on the anginal flight test aircraft, thereby improving the efficiency of the company’s test program. Airbus was generous enough to capture an array of impressive photos at dawn one morning to show us what they have conceived.

“You can just imagine getting to the vertiport for your quick trip to work” Airbus

Airbus also shared a close-up photo of the nose of the Alpha Two, which is loaded with autonomous safety systems able to sense and avoid obstacles in the air. For more photos, check out the A^3 by Airbus media page.

Why it’s important: A finished interior marks another milestone for the Airbus A^3 team, and permits further testing of how passengers will ergonomically integrate with the vehicle. Further, access to the second demonstrator aircraft is expected to accelerate development, such as in the flight control system that is responsible for smoothly transition from vertical to horizontal flight, as well as mitigating any eternal impulses.

In 1967, the Dornier Do 31 made its first successful flight, lifting into the air while attempting a rolling vertical take-off. To this day, the aircraft is still the largest VTOL jet to hit the skies.

The Dornier Do 31 was an accidental success. In the first test flight, the German-made Do 31 didn’t even get off the ground, spewing smoke as it yawed back and forth. However, on the third flight attempt, which was only aimed at completing a rolling vertical take-off, the Do 31 was able to achieve hover for a full two minutes before gently setting back on the ground.

The design of the Dornier Do 31 was bold to say the least. Designed by Donier as a tactical support aircraft to meet NATO specifications, the Dornier Do 31 had over eight jets for vertical lift. These included Harrier jets on each of the wing tips for vertical lift, and a series of swiveling jet nozzles on each of the main Pegasus engines used for vertical lift and horizontal thrust. See the video above for a full explanation of how the aircraft flew.

The Dornier Do 31 in flight

Although the Dornier Do 31 was the first VTOL jet, it has been one of the only VTOL jets ever since. Many VTOL aircraft in use today such as the Bell Boeing V 22 Osprey use propellers to fly rather than jets. Notably, only a few of most recent eVTOL designs feature jet propulsion. These include the Lilium Jet and the Jetcopter, while other similar VTOLs using propellor flight include the Transcend Air Vy-400 and the Bell Nexus Air Taxi.

The Dornier Do 31 is currently on display at the Dornier Museum in Friedrichshafen, Germany.

Why it’s important: The early existence of the Dornier Do 31 proves that VTOL transport is not a new concept, and that aircraft manufacturers have been making innovations in vertical flight since the 1960s. Aircraft like the Dornier Do 31 were only held from moving forward by certain technical issues and a lack of market demand. With the rise of demand for Urban Air Mobility and recent advances in flight technology, companies like Lilium and Jetcopter are able to improve on old VTOL designs and bring them to market.

Sources // Jason McDowell (@cessnateur on Instagram), jaglavaksoldier on Youtube, Wikipedia.

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