Category: Vehicles/Manufactures

Earlier this week, eVTOL developer Airspace Experience Technologies announced its fundraising campaign on SeedInvest. So far, ASX has raised over $200,000 with the number steadily rising.

SeedInvest is an online fundraising platform where anyone, not just SEC accredited investors, can invest in companies they believe believe in. The company works similarly to the well-known Kickstarter.com, except that rather than pre-ordering the product, investors get a small share of equity in the new company. ASX has a pre-money valuation on SeedInvest of $25,000,000, though the final value of the company will depend on the level of investment. If you’d like to learn more about investing in ASX, click here for the ASX SeedInvest campaign page.

Airspace Experience Technologies will use proceeds from its Series CF and Regulation D fundraising campaigns to acquire key automotive EV technology, build a series of full-scale prototype and initiate Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certification.

Said ASX CEO Jon Rimanelli: “SeedInvest is disrupting the financial services industry just as ASX is disrupting mobility, and we were proud to be accepted through SeedInvest’s rigorous evaluation process”

A mock-up of the full scale ASX MOBi-ONE

Airspace Experience Technologies is one of the many emerging eVTOL companies hoping to make urban air mobility a reality in the world’s major cities. ASX is currently based in Detroit, Michigan in the United States, and planns to deliver 2,500 aircraft by 2025, with cargo deliveries starting in 2023 and passenger service by 2024. For a full overview of the ASX aircraft and the company’s vision, go to the ASX MOBi-ONE Aircraft page on TransportUP.

A 1/3 scale model of the ASX MOBI-One at the North American International Autoshow in January 2019

Why its important: Urban Aviation solutions are bringing forward revolutions in both transport and startup funding. ASX’s SeedInvest campaign marks the second crowdfunded UAM company, joining XTI Aircraft on Startengine.com. The combination of these two innovations in the startup world gives investors a unique opportunity to invest early in the rapidly growing urban air mobility industry.

XTI Aircraft Company has successfully completed a 65% scale test of its luxury VTOL Aircraft, marking a major milestone for private VTOL development.

Watch the full flight below:

XTI Aircraft has been developing the TriFan 600 since 2012, although founder David Brody has been building innovative helicopters since 2007. The TriFan 600 is one of the world’s first private VTOL Aircraft. It’s design features a luxurious interior, and flies on rotating ducted fans which allow the aircraft to switch from vertical to horizontal flight.

A rendering of the XTI TriFan in vertical flight mode.

A rendering of the XTI TriFan in horizontal flight

During testing early this month, the 65% scale prototype of the TriFan 600  completed multiple takeoffs, hover, and landings. These flights successfully tested and validated the electric motors, battery power system, ducted fan propulsion, flight controls, other electrical systems and instrumentation. Although this flight did not include the transition between vertical and fixed wing flight or horizontal flight, XTI is already planning these future tests at a designated UAS site.

Said XTI Chief Executive Officer Robert LaBelle: “This is the moment the entire XTI team, our investors, customers, and many others have been waiting for and working toward. In one year, we have progressed from conceptual design to a flying prototype.”

The XTI prototype emerging from the hangar

Full view of the 65% scale model

XTI has met many other milestones in the past few years. In 2018, the company announced its equity crowdfunding campaign on Startengine, successfully raising over $1.5 million. Also notably, XTI recently closed a deal with Sáo Paulo’s Icon Aviation, the largest business aircraft operator in South America. In total, XTI has already taken pre-orders for 77 aircraft from customers on six continents, representing $500m of future revenue.

Why it’s important:  With the completion of a successful test flight, XTI further marks its place on the map of upcoming private eVTOL aircraft. The successful flights prove concept validation to the many parties who have already made pre-orders, keeping XTI highly competitive in the growing eVTOL landscape.

Sources // XTI Aircraft, Startengine

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Singapore firm Neo Aeronautics is set to launch their new eVTOL 1-seater, the Crimson S8, in California late next year. According to founder and CEO Neo Kok Beng, the vehicle is designed for low-level urban air mobility and door to door transportation.

The Neo Aeronautics team From left to right: Charles Ara, Neo Kok Beng, Damian Cheng, Wayne Ong

The Crimson S8 is a 1-seater eVTOL, capable of both manual and autonomous flight, measures in at 15 square meters and can fly at a height of 15 meters with a load of 100 kg. It can fly at speeds of up to 100 kmph (~60 mph), and the current development model can stay airborne for 20 minutes, although Neo Aeronautics says they plan to increase it to at least one hour. The S8 has been designed to fit in the FAA’s ultralight category, meaning that it will not require a pilot’s license to fly. However, the S8 will still require a two-hour training session before the first flight.

The Crimson S8

Neo Aeronautics plans to launch the S8 as a membership service, planning to span their service across 25 cities, 1000 in each city, by 2025. According to Neo, the reason why is that “If we sell unit by unit, not many people can afford it. We are going for the masses so we go by membership services, and we will take care of maintenance and upgrading.”

“Flying the Crimson S8 fulfils our aspiration that everyone can fly as it is as simple as operating a drone,” says founder and CEO Neo Kok Beng

The vehicle is currently going unmanned indoor trials in Loyang, but Neo Aeronautics plans to launch outdoor trials soon. Currently, the company is planning to start flight tests in the US by March of next year. Neo Aeronautics may also possibly approach the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore if it would be possible to launch in Singapore, as well.

Why it’s important: As the 2020s approach, more and more companies are getting close to launching widespread models of their UAM service. The ideal UAM vehicle and service, from everything such as technical specifications to aesthetics will be determined by who comes out on top. Keeping track of which designs and services work, and which ones don’t, will help prospective early adopters of UAM keep ahead of the curve.

Sources // Neo Aeronautics, The Strait Times – Singapore

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Cuberg, a US-based start-up supported by Boeing’s HorizonX and the US Department of Energy, recently released a video of their successful battery test; their lithium metal battery powered quadcopter reported a 70% increase in flight time to a standard lithium-ion powered quadcopter.

Cuberg’s results come from a dissatisfaction with current energy methods. According to Cuberg, the batteries of today are not enough; they don’t store enough energy, can undergo rapid degradation, and weigh too much. The eVTOLs and drones of the future are likely to need a higher performance battery with better safety standards. On top of this, the most prominent issue with lithium-ion batteries is their fire hazard. While the potential to catch fire is incredibly slim in smaller devices, the possibility grows when energy demands are scaled up. When the flammable electrode in a lithium-ion battery is unable to vent the gasses that react with the cathode, the battery can quickly catch on fire and possibly explode, a problem that could be deadly in a drone or eVTOL.

That’s why Cuberg is presenting their own battery. Cuberg has incorporated a thermally stable electrolyte so that even if overheating is present, the battery can remain stable. Another advantage is that their electrolyte can be incorporated into existing lithium-ion batteries. Cuberg states that their mission is to develop a higher performance battery that can serve as a “drop-in solution for off-the-shelf lithium-ion manufacturing equipment” as well, an important factor in order to enter and improve a well established market.

The makeup of Cuberg’s battery. The key difference is in the stable electrolyte, which provides more stability and an increased energy density.

Why it’s important: The current energy methods to power eVTOLs and drones are imperfect. A battery with higher energy density, more security, and potential for easy mass-commercialization will vastly improve performance and have applications in many current markets. One of which would undoubtedly be the UAM market, considering that high safety standards and increased performance are essential needs. Cuberg’s new battery could potentially fill this role.

Sources // Cuberg, Wonderful Engineering

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Russian startup Flyter recently unveiled a new video showcasing its PAC 720-200 VTOL. In a recent press release, the company announced that it is now officially looking for investors to help fund the creation of a prototype.

As of late March, Flyter released a new design of its VTOL vehicle designed for two passengers rather than just one. Other notable changes in the design include the addition of two additional under-wing rotors, a shift in the position of the forward thrust propeller, the removal of the fold-out barriers that once encased the rotor blades, and the elimination of an interchangeable cargo pod. In total, Flyter will now have three models available: both a cargo and passenger version of the 720-200 (capable of a 200kg payload weight), and the original 420-123 model.

The newer 720-200 ‘family’ eVTOL (left) positioned next to Flyter’s first model, the 420-120 VTOL.

The PAC 720 now also has one tail rather than two and eliminates the fold-out barriers that once enclosed the rotor blades. Another important design choice was that the new version the aircraft can carry two passengers rather than just one.

Flyter’s general VTOL design is unique in that it includes the vertical lift rotors under the wing of the aircraft. The company made this choice in order to create what the company calls the ‘Flyt-effect’, which uses an additional lift propellor to add extra efficiency. Flyter has already tested the effectiveness of this design on a small-scale model and is will soon build a full-scale model to further prove the design. The company hopes that building this full-scale stand will help to determine propellor thrust and define the location of thrust propellors on the pylons beneath the beam spar, under the wing console.

Flyter’s computer model of the full-scale test stand it plans on building next

Notably, Flyter has only existed since February of 2018 and has made significant progress since. The latest announcement shows that the company is still very much moving forward. Investors can learn more about Flyter here.

Why its important: Flyter’s unique under-wing design shows demonstrates the multifaceted approach that many companies are taking to UAM. The critical thinking shown here exemplifies the many different possible solutions for UAM aircraft. Additionally, the shift to a two-person vehicle shows that the company is continuing to move toward a market release.

Russia’s Advanced Research Foundation (FPI) is taking another angle at approaching urban air mobility.

The D-Dalus, a conceptual cyclocopter created by IAT21, an Austrian startup company.

The FPI cyclocopter, a technical design thought up by the FPI, is a hybrid eVTOL vehicle driven by rotating, cylindrical wings, with each individual wing composed of many small paddles, or ‘winglets’. Utilizing this design, the cyclocopter can quickly change its direction of thrust by altering the angle of the paddles. Combining the elements of vertical takeoff and landing with conventional forward flight, the cyclocopter is an impressive design based off of the FPI’s conclusion that the their wing design will exhibit the best aerodynamic performance for an airborne vehicle. With better maneuverability than helicopters, a better ability to handle gusts, and significantly lower noise emissions, theoretically, cyclocopters are superior to rotorcraft.

However, the main issue with ‘cycloidal propulsion’ is the scalability of the design. Larger rotor blades like a conventional helicopter blade generate lift through flow over the airfoil. Smaller rotor blades rely on generating lift through utilizing unsteady aerodynamics and leading-edge vortices, like an insect. The latter method is what cyclocopters use, with teams like Professor Moble Benedict’s at Texas A&M’s Advanced Vertical Flight Laboratory successfully building the smallest cyclocopter ever (29 grams). But trying to go larger in size reduces the efficiency of generating lift.

“There is a large rotating structure which has to be carefully designed to be strong enough to handle the large centrifugal loads, and light enough to be used on a flying vehicle,” says aerospace professor Moble Benedict of Texas A&M.

Still, FPI project manager Jan Chibisov is adamant that the cyclocopter is fundamentally superior to helicopters or multicopters.“…[The] cyclocopter is superior in a number of key parameters to multicopters,” Chibisov says. “In particular, with the same dimensions and take-off mass, the cyclocopter requires a much smaller engine power and almost twice the mass of the payload.”

“I personally have been in three helicopter crashes of varying grades during my military career. The cyclo-gyro aircraft design that we had could glide on engine failure. None of the helicopters I crashed in seemed to want to do that.” says David Willis, former CEO of IAT21, most notable for the cyclocopter D-Dalus

In fact, the FPI reports to have finished separately building and testing the power plant, control system, and other components for their cyclocopter, and are now in the process of finishing their final design. Unmanned flight tests are scheduled for 2020 and manned test flights will follow afterwards.

Why it’s important: If successfully built, a car-sized cyclocopter could be more maneuverable, efficient, stable, and environmentally friendlier than most of the UAM vehicle designs and prototypes today. A small, agile flying machine easily able to maneuver in an urban environment with low emissions and noise levels and lower power requirements has obvious implications for the UAM industry, and urban transportation as a whole.

Sources // Popular Mechanics

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One of the most exciting reveals at the AERO Friedrichshafen 2019 in Friedrichshafen, Germany came from the German startup AutoFlightX, who showed off the V600, an eVTOL prototype designed for cargo and passengers.

The V600, AutoFlightX’s prototype eVTOL

The V600, reminiscent of a futuristic P-38, was announced to be all-electric; a technical prototype two-seater intended to qualify under EASA’s new 600-kg threshold for ultralights, as well as to show off AutoFlightX’s work. It possesses six electric motors powering six propellers for vertical lift, with a seventh push-propeller for forward flight. The V600 has separate hover and wing flight propulsion systems, intended to increase the overall efficiency and reliability of the machine.

The company refers to the V600 as an ideal tool for development and as a demonstrator

The V600 was finished a few weeks ago, and AutoFlightX control systems modeling and simulation specialist Michael Krenmayr said that they will be testing it for conventional flight in the upcoming weeks, followed by testing for vertical lift and hover testing. By working out the conceptual design through these rigorous tests, AutoFlightX plan to take their results and apply any fixes needed towards their final product — not yet revealed — while simultaneously garnering interest and buzz around the public.

The company refers to the V600 as an ideal tool for development and as a demonstrator

While not too many details about the final vehicle have been released, Krenmayr did confirm that it will be capable of carrying three to five passengers, and involve some differences from the V600, like propeller placement, in order to meet EASA certification requirements.

Ultimately, AutoFlightX plans to have their final product finished in time for 2023, where it will be ready for cargo flight. AutoFlightX also plans on releasing a manned air-taxi version of their final vehicle a few years after 2023.

AutoFlightX plans to use the later series product – which should have seats for three to five people – fully automatic autonomous flights

Why it’s important: The AERO Friedrichshafen 2019 provides an exciting opportunity to get a glimpse at the upcoming technological innovations in the UAM and aviation industry. With AutoFlightX’s V600, it shows that more and more companies in the industry are going through with the idea of urban air transportation with alternative energy means. The V600 itself will be an interesting comparison to AutoFlightX’s final product in terms of the design and aesthetic changes it will undergo to meet certification requirements and pre-existing regulations, a valuable benchmark for other companies in the UAM industry to take note of.

Sources // AutoFlightX, AeroBuzz

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Terrafugia, the company that’s been developing the Transition flying car since 2006, has recently hired Chao Jing, a business leader with extensive experience working in international companies in the U.S., China, Philippines, Singapore, Belgium and Japan.

The Terrafugia Transition Experimental Aircraft

Terrafugia was founded by a group of MIT students in 2006, then acquired by Chinese firm Geely Holding Group in 2017. While Terrafugia is still headquartered in the U.S, the company has slowly been moving its resources to China, reducing its U.S staff by about two-thirds. Soon after the 2017 acquisition, Terrafugia released its concept for the TF-2 modular aircraft, which is built for larger capacity and longer distance transportation. Terrafugia still expects a commercial release of the Transition in 2019.

The Terrafugia TF-2 modular concept. Other roadable modular concepts include the Airbus Pop.UP concept and the Samad Aerospace HUMA. 

The hiring of Mr. Jing comes soon after the departure of MIT co-founder Carl Dietrich, who spent 13 years growing Terrafugia. Said Dietrich:

Terrafugia spent most of those 13 years developing and certifying the Transition, which is now FAA certified as a light sport aircraft. An option to reserve the aircraft is still available on the site, and the company has stayed consistent with its planned 2019 production release.

However, sections of the company’s site referring to the Terrafugia TF-X, Terrafugia’s planned eVTOL, have been minimized. The TF-X concept is still included on the site, but housed under the ‘Concept Vehicles’ portion of the site rather than having its own section, possibly alluding to the fact that Terrafugia might be shifting its focus to the larger shared TF-2 Vehicle.

Interestingly, the TF-X was one of the very few concept eVTOL vehicles that had ‘roadability’ as well as vertical take-off and landing and fixed-wing flight:

The Terrafugia TF-X Concept Vehicle, which could drive on the road, take off and land vertically, and fly with a fixed-wing. One other planned vehicle with this design is the Aeromobil 5.0 VTOL. 

Why it’s important: With the departure of co-founder Carl Dietrich, it’s starting to appear that Terrafugia will shift its focus from the recreational Transition aircraft to the larger TF-2 modular aircraft. The TF-2 is designed to be shared as part of a large network of modular vehicles rather than privately owned, possibly showing that Terrafugia is aimed at developing an entire air and ground transportation system.

Sources // Terrafugia, Aopa

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