Category: Vehicles/Manufactures
Airbus Vahana Achieves Full Transition Flight
The Airbus Vahana prototype has achieved flight with its wings fully transitioned to horizontal cruise mode. Earlier this year, the Airbus Vahana test aircraft successfully completed a test flight in which the aircraft’s wings rotated partially into horizontal cruise stage, reaching speeds of about 57mph. In the latest test (Vahana’s 66th), the tilt-wing rotates into “full cruise configuration”, allowing the aircraft...

Airbus Vahana Achieves Full Transition Flight

The Airbus Vahana prototype has achieved flight with its wings fully transitioned to horizontal cruise mode.
Earlier this year, the Airbus Vahana test aircraft successfully completed a test flight in which the aircraft’s wings rotated partially into horizontal cruise stage, reaching speeds of about 57mph. In the latest test (Vahana’s 66th), the tilt-wing rotates into “full cruise configuration”, allowing the aircraft to reach speeds of over 100mph. Watch the full flight test video from Airbus here:
This latest test flight marks a significant step forward for Airbus, whose eventual goal is to make the Vahana part of a larger UAM system. The version of the Vahana seen here is planned as a demonstration vehicle for airbus to introduce to the public. Although it only has one seat, the Vahana Alpha Two is piloted autonomously, and features a completely finished interior, which will give riders the full sense of what autonomous flight will be like.

A close-up of the Airbus Alpha Vahana Two
According to Zach Lovering, Vice President of UAM Systems for Airbus, the latest full transition flights “represent everything we set out to achieve when we began our flight test campaign.” The Vahana demonstrator is still undergoing testing in Pendleton, Oregon.
The Airbus Vahana represents just one of Airbus’s many bids for UAM flight. Airbus has several prototypes being tested for various types of UAM, including the Airbus Pop.Up Next modular concept, which is capable of both road and air transport, as well as the Airbus CityAirbus, which is designed for intracity transport and completed its first test flight last month. Both vehicles are capable of autonomous flight.

The Airbus CityAirbus, which completed its first test flight last May.
Why it’s important: The successful test of the Airbus Vahana in cruise represents another step forward for Airbus UAM flight. The Vahana has successfully proven Airbus’s concept for tilt-wing transitions, which is often considered the most difficult aspect of eVTOL design. With this latest achievement, Airbus even more deeply establishes its UAM presence in preparing for the larger industry launch.
Airbus, Others Team on EcoPulse Hybrid Propulsion
Daher, Airbus, and Safran announced a collaborative partnership at the Paris Air Show to design and develop EcoPulse, a wing-mounted distributed hybrid-propulsion demonstrator based on Daher’s TBM platform. The partnership will leverage each of the companies’ strengths to develop the hybrid-propulsion demonstrator, which is slated for a first test flight in 2022. Safran will use its technology as a world-class...

Airbus, Others Team on EcoPulse Hybrid Propulsion

Daher, Airbus, and Safran announced a collaborative partnership at the Paris Air Show to design and develop EcoPulse, a wing-mounted distributed hybrid-propulsion demonstrator based on Daher’s TBM platform.
The partnership will leverage each of the companies’ strengths to develop the hybrid-propulsion demonstrator, which is slated for a first test flight in 2022. Safran will use its technology as a world-class aerospace industry engine manufacturer to develop the propulsion system. As one of the top aircraft integrators in the world, Airbus has charge of aerodynamic optimization of the propulsion system, installation of high-energy-density batteries, and their use to power the aircraft. Finally, operations such as component and systems installation, flight testing, regulatory approvals, and construction will all be handled by Daher.
Further, all three companies are based in France, which will better facilitate the collaboration on this demonstrator project. A small-scale model and animated videos of the aircraft were on display at the Paris Air Show from June 17 to June 23, and showed the three small, evenly-spaced electric motors and propellers on the leading edge of each wing. The hybrid-electric engines will replace the previously used Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6 on the TBM platform, and have the potential to create new uses for air transportation.
The EcoPulse wing will be an integration of cutting-edge technology poised to reduce drag, emissions, and noise pollution. Aboard the wing will be a turbogenerator, an electric power management system, and integrated electric thrusters called e-Propellors. While technical details and performance metrics have not yet been published, the hybrid-electric system could best be used during taxi, while also being charged during high-power flight phases such as takeoff when the turbogenerator would typically be running.
Daher Senior VP of Aerospace and Defense Business, Nicolas Orance, has emphasized their determination to reduce environmental impacts of this aircraft and in the French aircraft industry as a whole. The French Civil Aviation Authority has supported the partnership, and is working in tandem with the French Civil Aviation Research Council to kickstart the demonstrator project.
Why it’s important: The trend toward more energy efficient engineering solutions in the aerospace industry bode well for the future of aviation. Not only will this partnership demonstrate the French companies’ ability to lower their environmental impact, but it will also help set the stage for future applications of hybrid-electric systems, especially in the urban aviation industry where short-range missions could be most benefited by the attributes of electric propulsion.
Sources // Daher Youtube channel; AINonline
Personal Airline Exchange (PAX) Orders 50 Ampaire Electric Aircraft
Personal Airline Exchange (PAX) just placed an order for 50 Ampaire EEL Electric Aircraft. Personal Airline Exchange (PAX) is a newly surfaced company offering shared regional flight chartering. On the PAX platform, customers will be able to book flights on private aircraft and split the cost with other customers, paying a ‘per seat’ price, much like an Uber Pool. This...

Personal Airline Exchange (PAX) Orders 50 Ampaire Electric Aircraft

Personal Airline Exchange (PAX) just placed an order for 50 Ampaire EEL Electric Aircraft.
Personal Airline Exchange (PAX) is a newly surfaced company offering shared regional flight chartering. On the PAX platform, customers will be able to book flights on private aircraft and split the cost with other customers, paying a ‘per seat’ price, much like an Uber Pool. This is a model shared by companies like BLADE, NetJets, Surf Air, and others. PAX is still currently in the fundraising stage, having just started a campaign on crowdfunding platform Startengine. PAX intends to initially pilot its service with Ampaire aircraft in Southern California before scaling nationwide.
Ampaire, while still waiting for certification, is well on its way to production. “Ampaire’s Electric EEL pre-production prototype is flying right now and performing beautifully,” said CEO Kevin Noertke. “We look forward to operators being able to share the thrill of flying electric.” Ampaire is targeting certifying its Electric EEL product in 2021:
While Ampaire is not the only electric aircraft maker, it made history earlier this month by flying the Ampaire 337, which is the highest capacity hybrid-electric aircraft ever flown. Other companies making electric aircraft include Zunum Aero and MagniX, which just partnered with Harbour Air to transform its seaplanes into an all-electric fleet.
PAX has stated its intentions of partnering with Ampaire for long term, planning to reserve Ampaire’s TailWind electric jets once they become available. PAX’s ultimate goal is to build a network utilizing thousands of airports to achieve true and affordable on-demand travel .
Why it’s important: The recent order from PAX for 50 Ampaire aircraft establishes PAX as another company with the vision of building a fully electric on-demand aviation network. With Ampaire’s flight technology already prototyped and nearly ready for deployment, Ampaire can help PAX achieve its goal of beginning operations sooner rather than later in Southern California, driving the industry of personalized air travel forward.
Read Volocopter’s White Paper on Urban Air Mobility
German air taxi company Volocopter just released its own white paper on the future of Urban Air Mobility. The latest white paper from Volocopter focuses on how to to overcome barriers to market for urban air mobility, covering issues like development, certification and service launch. Specific sections of the document discuss safety, noise emissions, range & speed, operating costs, capacity, and...

Read Volocopter’s White Paper on Urban Air Mobility

German air taxi company Volocopter just released its own white paper on the future of Urban Air Mobility.
The latest white paper from Volocopter focuses on how to to overcome barriers to market for urban air mobility, covering issues like development, certification and service launch. Specific sections of the document discuss safety, noise emissions, range & speed, operating costs, capacity, and usability. Read the full white paper here.
According to Volocopter, the main bullet points of its white paper are:
- There is no single “best” eVTOL concept, because mission is paramount when designing electrically powered aircraft. The Volocopter, for instance, is designed for the commercial intra-city urban air mobility mission (UAM) so-called air taxis.
- Air taxis serving the intra-city UAM mission need to cover the most popular high-traffic routes in major cities, offering meaningful time savings and/or allow connections between points that are not well served by current options. The paper shows that a range of 25 to 35 km is viable and a valid starting point to develop the market.
- Pricing is a key factor in making air taxis accessible to a large customer base. Keeping operating costs low to build a scalable business will allow for accessible pricing.
Notably, Volocopter is not the first to release a white paper on UAM. Just two weeks, ago, EmbraerX released its ‘Flight Plan 2030’ vision for urban aviation infrastructure, encompassing everything from manufacturing to air traffic management. In February of this year, Airbus released ‘Airbus Altiscope‘, a blueprint for the company’s roll-out plan for UAM. And, most importantly, Uber Elevate set the stage with its original UAM white paper in 2016.
Why it’s important: By writing a white paper, Volocopter has signaled to the industry both its depth of research and its readiness to enter the market. Although the Volocopter 2X does not have the range of many other urban aircraft, Volocopter uses this white paper to support its strategy for targeting short but highly trafficked routes. With testing in Singapore coming up later this year, it’s clear that Volocopter is planning on the long-term.
XTI Aircraft Hits 80 Orders, Partners with Heliflite
XTI Aircraft has announced additional sales from from North America and Australia for the XTI TriFan 600, brining the order total up to 80 aircraft. XTI Aircraft is a company making history by developing a luxury hybrid eVTOL for private flight. The company was founded in 2012, and to date has raised over $25 million from crowdfunding platform Startengine as...

XTI Aircraft Hits 80 Orders, Partners with Heliflite

XTI Aircraft has announced additional sales from from North America and Australia for the XTI TriFan 600, brining the order total up to 80 aircraft.
XTI Aircraft is a company making history by developing a luxury hybrid eVTOL for private flight. The company was founded in 2012, and to date has raised over $25 million from crowdfunding platform Startengine as well as from private investors.
Last week, XTI announced three additional aircraft pre-orders from buyers in North America and Australia, bringing the total order count up to 80. Specifically, two of those orders came from XTI’s new partner Heliflite, a VIP helicopter service in Australia, New Zealand, Oceania, Indonesia and the Philippines. The full pre-order list began at the 2017 Paris Air Show, and continued at the October 2017 and October 2018 NBAA conventions, as well as a notable recent order from Brazil’s Icon Aviation.

XTI has been steadily making progress, having flown its 65% scale prototype in May. The company expects to begin delivering aircraft imminently.
According to the newly formed partnership with Heliflite, XTI will work exclusively with Heliflite to develop XTI TriFan 600 services in Helifite’s operating areas. Said XTI CEO Robert LaBelle:
“This is a major development for XTI. We’re pleased to be working with Heliflite on an exclusive basis in this part of the world. They’ve been providing sales, service and spare parts support to the helicopter industry and other aircraft owners since 1977, and have earned an excellent reputation.”

“Heliflite is looking to the future, anticipating the next big thing in air travel, which has led us to proudly establish this relationship with XTI’s highly experienced design and management team. Heliflite looks very much forward to being instrumental in the TriFan 600’s success in our region,” – Heliflite Director Scott Edmonds.
Why its important: The new partnership with long-standing helicopter operator Heliflite marks a major step forward for XTI. Heliflite will enable the spread of XTI Aircraft throughout the Australia, New Zealand, and Oceana areas, creating an opportunity for the TriFan 600 to go into commercial use sooner rather than later in major global markets.
Lilium Selects London for its Software Engineering Base
Air taxi company Lilium has officially selected London to host its software engineering and development team. Lilium is a well-known aspiring air taxi company famous for developing the Lilium Jet. Although its headquarters are in Munich, Lilium recently announced its decision to build a software engineering base in London. Lilium believes this new software base will create hundreds of jobs in London...

Lilium Selects London for its Software Engineering Base

Air taxi company Lilium has officially selected London to host its software engineering and development team.

The Lilium Jet air taxi
Lilium is a well-known aspiring air taxi company famous for developing the Lilium Jet. Although its headquarters are in Munich, Lilium recently announced its decision to build a software engineering base in London. Lilium believes this new software base will create hundreds of jobs in London over the next five years.
Lilium is one of the primary air taxi companies in the UK, looking to begin commercial services in 2025. The company is not only developing its own jet, but is also building the entire eVTOL network including Skyports, day-to-day operations technology, and the mobile application for users.

Conceptual rendering of a Lilium Skyport in London
Along with this announcement, Lilium also announced new team members. These include Carlos Morgado, former CTO at Just Eat, and Anja Maassen van den Brink of VodafoneZiggo. At the new London base, Mordago will assist in forming the new engineering team as Vice President of Digital Technology, while Maassen will work as the new CPO (Chief People Officer). The company also hired Luca Benassi as chief development engineer, who previously worked at NASA, Boeing, and Airbus.
This announcement comes shortly after Lilium revealed the new, larger version of its eVTOL jet, now capable of carrying five passengers. Just last month, the new jet could be seen completing a successful hover flight. Watch that flight here.
“We are one of very few companies in our sector that wants to both produce air taxis and then operate them day-to-day. Today’s announcement and the recruitment of these three new leaders underlines our continuous efforts to build the very best team in air mobility. We are hiring the best of the best from a global talent base, forming the basis for achieving our target of becoming the leading air mobility company.” –Lilium CEO Daniel Wiegand

The potential for Lilium air taxi operations in the UK
Why it’s important: Notably, Lilium is one of the few UAM companies building both an aircraft itself and the operations and infrastructure for customer use. Although this is an ambitious task, Lilium has already added executives from Rollls-Royce Aerospace, Airbus, Audi, and more. While the company certainly has its work cut out, the highly capable team is likely to fulfill its vision.
Israeli Startup Reveals New Hybrid Flying Car
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...

Israeli Startup Reveals New Hybrid Flying Car

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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Uber Elevate Summit 2019: The Bullet Points
This week’s Uber Elevate conference in Washington D.C was a hallmark event for the entire Urban Aviation industry. With a plethora of new announcements, Uber continues to lead the charge forward for Urban Air Mobility. Uber made several major announcements of new partnerships, designs, and technologies. Here’s what we’ve identified as the most important, all readable on TransportUP: Uber Releases...

Uber Elevate Summit 2019: The Bullet Points

This week’s Uber Elevate conference in Washington D.C was a hallmark event for the entire Urban Aviation industry. With a plethora of new announcements, Uber continues to lead the charge forward for Urban Air Mobility.
Uber made several major announcements of new partnerships, designs, and technologies.
Here’s what we’ve identified as the most important, all readable on TransportUP:
Uber Releases Standardized Cabin for Use in Future Air Taxis
In collaboration with Safran Cabin, Uber has built a prototype of the interior it plans to implement in its future air taxis, for any vehicle.
Uber Elevate Announces Melbourne, Australia as Third Pilot City
Together on stage with representatives from the Australian government, Uber Elevate revealed this week that Elevate has selected Melbourne as its third city to pilot Uber Air flights.
Uber Unveils Jaunt Air Mobility as a New Network Partner
Long in the shadows, Jaunt Air Mobility, which acquired rights to the ‘Carter Copter’ last February, has been announced as Uber’s sixth eVTOL network partner.
AT&T and Uber Parter for Urban Air Mobility 5G Connectivity
For a data and tech company like Uber, having flawless internet access in the air is essential both to operations and to the customer experience. Together, AT&T and Uber have a multi-phase plan to begin supporting the future aerial mobility network.
Uber Elevate Reveals New SkyPort Concepts, and Multiple Partnerships for Ground Operations.
Sixteen new designs have been unveiled by U.S architecture firms for SkyPorts in Dallas, Los Angeles, and Melbourne. Uber also announced its partnership with Related Companies, a major ‘global real estate and lifestyle company’ in the U.S , as well as with Signature Flight Support for ground operations and customer service.
EmbraerX and Pipistrel Unveil New eVTOL Designs
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.
Uber’s New Air Taxi Cabin
Uber Elevate, earlier this week at its Summit in Washington D.C, unveiled the interior design for its future air taxis. Uber’s new cabin design was built in collaboration with Safran Cabin. Safran, a global leader in aviation design, has been working closely with the UAM industry. Most recently, Safran was has been involved with developing propulsion systems specifically for eVTOLs....

Uber’s New Air Taxi Cabin

Uber Elevate, earlier this week at its Summit in Washington D.C, unveiled the interior design for its future air taxis.
Uber’s new cabin design was built in collaboration with Safran Cabin. Safran, a global leader in aviation design, has been working closely with the UAM industry. Most recently, Safran was has been involved with developing propulsion systems specifically for eVTOLs.
In the design of the new cabin, Safran and Uber considered the main requirements of rider comfort, modifiability for different eVTOLs, manufacturing scalability, cost, and safety. The idea behind the cabin is that it can serve as standard for eVTOL makers, meaning that they use the cabin specifications as they build their aircraft. In an ideal world, this cabin type will be featured in all Uber Air eVTOLs.

A photo from Uber of passengers embarking the Safran/Uber cabin
Said Scott Savian, EVP of ZEO at Safran Cabin:
“Through the process with Uber, we had six full-scale mockups, with multiple iterations in each one, looking at the seats, liners, and window positioning. We don’t want any excess weight or cost, but the mission also requires safety, a comfortable user experience, and a seamlessness of all the user interactions. So while the cabin may be minimal in some ways, it’s absolutely purpose built to the mission.”
The cabin represents what Uber and Safran call ‘Mission Driven’ design. The cabin features room for four passengers plus a pilot, as well as plenty of room for extra baggage. The cabin is simple, yet well thought out. It includes plenty of legroom for each passenger, outwardly tilted for privacy and for the view, and handles for easy embarking and disembarking.
Why it’s important: Uber and Safran’s new cabin represents one of the first manufacturing standards in eVTOL design. While certain performance requirements have already begun to emerge, the cabin is the first component that gives eVTOL makers specifications for how their vehicles should look and be designed. Ideally, the cabin prototype gives us our first look at what eVTOL travel will be like.
EmbraerX and Pipistrel Release New VTOL Designs
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...

EmbraerX and Pipistrel Release New VTOL Designs

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.
Jaunt Air Mobility Named as New Uber Elevate Partner
Elusive company Jaunt Air Mobility has been named as a new eVTOL partner for the future Uber Air network. The Jaunt Air Mobility eVTOL has a unique design in that it features only one large single lift rotor, making it a combination between a helicopter and and a small airplane. Jaunt Air Mobility calls this technology ‘ROSA’-an acronym for “Reduced...

Jaunt Air Mobility Named as New Uber Elevate Partner

Elusive company Jaunt Air Mobility has been named as a new eVTOL partner for the future Uber Air network.
The Jaunt Air Mobility eVTOL has a unique design in that it features only one large single lift rotor, making it a combination between a helicopter and and a small airplane. Jaunt Air Mobility calls this technology ‘ROSA’-an acronym for “Reduced rotor Operating Speed Aircraft”. This means that the lift rotor, using its length, can also operate to give lift from horizontal flight. Jaunt mentions that specific advantages of its design include a high level of efficiency in hover, quiet flight, and the ability to keep passengers at a level position throughout the entire flight.
From its beginning, Jaunt Air Mobility was focused on becoming a partner for the Uber Air network. The eVTOL, once named the ‘Carter Copter’ was designed specifically to meet Uber’s noise, safety, and performance requirements. Carter Aviation, acquired by Jaunt in early 2019, has been making gyrocopter (airplane/helicopter combination) technology demonstrators since as early as 1994. Learn more about Carter’s Slowed Rotor/Compound technology here.
Said Kaydon Stanzione, founder of Jaunt Air Mobility:
“We are pleased to be working with Uber as they have set the highest standards for safety, performance, and community acceptance which are inherent characteristics of our Jaunt aircraft design.”
Learn more about the Jaunt Air Mobility eVTOL specs here.
Why it’s important: The addition of Jaunt Air Mobility to the Uber Air partner network shows that Uber Elevate is willing to experiment with a wide range of different design types to understand what will work best for urban aviation. While some of the other partner designs feature more new technologies, the Carter Copter features flight-tested, patented technology that may help speed the certification process to flight.
Honeywell Releases Their New Compact Fly-By-Wire System for UAM
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. 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...

Honeywell Releases Their New Compact Fly-By-Wire System for UAM

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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Amazon Prime Air Receives FAA Approval for Drone Testing, Unveils New Drone Design
Amazon Prime Air has just recieved FAA approval to begin testing its drones. On the same day as this announcement, it also unveiled a new design. The latest announcement from Amazon is two-fold: Firstly, the company confirmed that it has received approval from the FAA to begin research and testing for drone deliveries, and secondly, Amazon unveiled a new design for...

Amazon Prime Air Receives FAA Approval for Drone Testing, Unveils New Drone Design

Amazon Prime Air has just recieved FAA approval to begin testing its drones. On the same day as this announcement, it also unveiled a new design.
The latest announcement from Amazon is two-fold: Firstly, the company confirmed that it has received approval from the FAA to begin research and testing for drone deliveries, and secondly, Amazon unveiled a new design for its delivery drones.
The FAA has stated that it has “issued a Special Airworthiness Certificate to Amazon Prime Air allowing the company to operate its MK27 unmanned aircraft for research and development and crew training in authorized flight areas.” You may remember Amazon showing off photos of its original delivery drone, which is the MK27. According to Amazon, this certification will allow the company to begin making deliveries to homes “within months”.
Now, Amazon also hopes to get approval for the design of its new drone, announced last Wednesday at the re:MARS conference in Las Vegas. The new design is significantly larger than the the MK27, and features a hexagonal fixed wing for flight efficiency. The aircraft, like many eVTOLs, is capable of tilting its rotors from vertical flight position to horizontal fixed wing flight. The hexagonal wing design is unique to Amazon however.

Amazon’s newly unveiled Prime Air Drone, which can fly up to 15 miles and deliver packages in less than 30 minutes.
According to Amazon, the new drone is fully electric, and “can fly up to 15 miles and deliver packages under 5 pounds to customers in less than 30 minutes.” Amazon executive Jeff Wilkes mentioned that although this payload may seem small, the new drone could theoretically complete between 75 and 90% of Amazon’s deliveries.
Amazon also puts a major emphasis on safety. A recent blog post by Amazon mentioned that the hexagonal wing also acts as a cover for the rotors so that they are not exposed, keeping anyone on the ground safe from harm in the event of a malfunction. Drones will be flown autonomously using Amazon’s artificial intelligence software. Watch the full test flight of the new Prime Air Drone below:
This latest announced from Amazon is one of a slew of major drone delivery related news in the last few weeks. Amazon is the second drone delivery service to receive approval, shortly following Alphabet’s Wing Aviation, which received FAA certification last . Additionally, Uber Eats applied just last week to the FAA to begin delivery operations in San Diego.
Why it’s important: Amazon’s latest news is massively important for Urban Aviation. By giving approval for Amazon to operate drone deliveries, the FAA signaling its willingness to move forward with autonomous urban flight. With the volume of Prime Air drones soon to be in use, both regulation and technology are gearing up for larger-sized aircraft and larger-scale operations. The Prime Air drones will begin to lay the infrastructural groundwork and safety standards for larger aircraft.
Sources // Yahoo Finance, The Verge, Forbes, Amazon
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Honeywell and Vertical Aerospace Sign MoU Agreement
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 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...

Honeywell and Vertical Aerospace Sign MoU Agreement

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.
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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The AW609 Osprey-Inspired Private Plane is Expected for 2020 Delivery
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...

The AW609 Osprey-Inspired Private Plane is Expected for 2020 Delivery

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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