Moog’s Purchase of the Workhorse SureFly Was a Good Deal – For Moog

06 January 2020 || 2 min read

The Aerospace controls design and manufacturer found a good deal in SureFly TransportUP reported in December that Workhorse’s SureFly Octocopter was planned to be purchased by Moog, Inc, a Torrance, CA based aerospace controls manufacturer. Following the sale and Workhorse’s filing of a 8-K/A report with the SEC that disclosed the price paid by Moog for SureFly, the story has...

Moog’s Purchase of the Workhorse SureFly Was a Good Deal – For Moog

06 January 2020 || 2 min read

The Aerospace controls design and manufacturer found a good deal in SureFly

TransportUP reported in December that Workhorse’s SureFly Octocopter was planned to be purchased by Moog, Inc, a Torrance, CA based aerospace controls manufacturer.

Following the sale and Workhorse’s filing of a 8-K/A report with the SEC that disclosed the price paid by Moog for SureFly, the story has changed somewhat. Approximately $4 million was paid for the sale of SureFly, seemingly a good deal for Moog, Inc. Original estimates for the sale were pegged to $30-million plus, but other compensation or agreements that might not be public information may have aided Moog in closing their deal at such an attractive price.

The other portion of the deal is HorseFly – a last-mile delivery UAS that Workhorse has split 50/50 with Moog. HorseFly’s IP may be valuable enough to Moog (considering the outward facing publicity of said hardware focused on the hardware itself, not the drone) that the smaller sum paid for SureFly was more palatable a transaction for Workhorse after all.

In many instances, the intellectual property and systems integration of last-mile delivery services are commonly cited as the value-add tech in these scenarios – the physical drone could easily be replaced for less than $1,000 with an off-the-shelf model (albeit some modifications required).

Why it’s important: Investors initially reacted very energetically to the deal between Workhorse and Moog – the $30MM valuation of Workhorse’ SureFly technology was large enough to turn many heads, especially in an industry such as aerial mobility, where funding is not as readily attainable as other industries with lower capital requirements and start up costs.

SkyDrive Tests Heavy-Duty Delivery Drone

05 January 2020 || 3 min read

SkyDrive, a Japanese flying car developer, completed its first tests flights in late 2019 and demonstrated carrying a heavy payload (44 pounds) in a remote location. SkyDrive is developing the cargo drone for use in industries that carry heavy materials on complex terrain such as slopes, mountain valleys, overpasses, power transmission towers, civil engineering/construction sites, agricultural fields, etc. Usage of...

SkyDrive Tests Heavy-Duty Delivery Drone

05 January 2020 || 3 min read

SkyDrive, a Japanese flying car developer, completed its first tests flights in late 2019 and demonstrated carrying a heavy payload (44 pounds) in a remote location.

SkyDrive is developing the cargo drone for use in industries that carry heavy materials on complex terrain such as slopes, mountain valleys, overpasses, power transmission towers, civil engineering/construction sites, agricultural fields, etc. Usage of cargo drones will help avoid dangerous works, save personnel and shorten the term of works. In realizing its goals, SkyDrive can contribute to responding to labor shortages and improving Japan’s labor productivity sagging due to its declining population.

SkyDrive’s drone prototype which successfully flew a 44 pound payload.

Last year, SkyDrive received $14M USD in funding from various third parties including Drone Fund, Z Corporation, STRIVE III Limited Liability Partnership, ITOCHU Technology Ventures, Inc. and Energy & Environment Investment, Inc. SkyDrive’s prototype is 4 feet in length and 5.5 feet wide. It can fly for 15 minutes carrying a maximum payload of 60 pounds.

SkyDrive Chief Executive Tomohiro Fukuzawa said: “We are delighted to successfully test this world-leading technology. Our cargo drone has proven to deliver by safely lifting loads of up to 20kg in a mountainous area — saving time and money. “We look forward to expanding on this success by testing heavier loads for customers in the future. Our quest is to create cutting-edge technology that will improve the productivity of businesses across the world — and today we celebrate a key milestone in making that happen.”

The company has also announced plans to develop a flying car and begin mass production by 2026.

Why it matters: SkyDrive is joining a crowded commercial drone space in the UAS industry, however, its funding and technological expertise position it to succeed among the competition. With the completion of the company’s initial test flights, the technical specifications have been demonstrated. Further, the research and development of their drone will trickle down into its flying car aspirations.

ASR Has a Parachute for “Every eVTOL Aircraft”

05 January 2020 || 5 min read

ASR wants to be the leading provider of recovery systems for the emerging UAM market. Aviation Safety Resources (ASR) — a leading parachute safety company that won one of Revolution.Aero’s competitions earlier this year — says it has a parachute system that will work with eVTOL aircraft, even at low altitudes. Larry Williams recently spoke in an interview regarding the technology...

ASR Has a Parachute for “Every eVTOL Aircraft”

05 January 2020 || 5 min read

ASR wants to be the leading provider of recovery systems for the emerging UAM market.

Aviation Safety Resources (ASR) — a leading parachute safety company that won one of Revolution.Aero’s competitions earlier this year — says it has a parachute system that will work with eVTOL aircraft, even at low altitudes. Larry Williams recently spoke in an interview regarding the technology ASR has developed to make an already safe mode of transportation even safer.

ASR, UAM recovery parachute. . Photo: Courtesy ASR

ASR recently announced that its parachute recovery system will be standard equipment on the Samson Switchblade, pictured above. Credit // ASR

Standard parachute recovery systems are typically rendered useless as eVTOL aircraft vertically climb to a cruise altitude, as there is no forward velocity component. The canopy is typically reliant on forward speed for proper and expedient deployment, and it is for this reason that recovery parachutes are not found on helicopters. Fixed-wing aircraft, on the other hand, will deploy the parachute in an emergency situation; it will inflate and then slow the descent to provide an acceptable touchdown condition. 500 lives have been saved worldwide to date by whole aircraft recovery systems, and are becoming more standard in the redundancy systems of many general aviation aircraft, such as the vehicles manufactured by Pipistrel and Cirrus.

The problem with conventional parachutes is that it takes time to inflate them. They need enough altitude and airspeed to serve their purpose. Even the use of rockets to quickly extract the canopy won’t inflate it in time if low to the ground. For example, the Cirrus needs to be 920 ft in the air for its canopy to fully inflate, which is not an option with an eVTOL at 500 ft taking off or landing in a populated area. If an aircraft is going 122 mph and falling at a rate of 179 ft/second, it takes 5.5 seconds to inflate. ASR worked around this limitation with an innovative patented solution that takes half a second to extract its canopy and another 2 seconds to inflate it. ASR’s recovery parachute works at 100 ft or less than in 2.5 seconds even in a VTOL operation.

Wiilams CEO & Manfredi, Founder. Photo: Courtesy ASR

CEO Wiilams & Founder Manfredi. Credit // ASR

ASR has also recently designed a new line of next-generation recovery products that are lighter weight with less volume that offer longer repack cycles than any similar products on the market today. The resultant technology slowed descent below 30 feet per second, providing a safe and survivable landing. It’s a passive safety system installed in the design of the UAM vehicle, similar to an airbag for automobiles.

Public perception is important for the adoption of modern electric UAM. The University of Michigan came out with a study that showed 80% of those asked said they would require a parachute when flying an eVTOL. There is also a marketing aspect to the notion of a recovery system such as a parachute. ASR has worked in the aviation safety industry for decades to help it add an extra layer of safety to already impressive electric reliability, and feels public perception is ready for parachutes.

Why it’s important: Although all eVTOL and electric fixed-wing projects put the bulk of their research on safety, the extra layer of security that ASR seeks to provide could comfort many prospective passengers and bolster the overall public perception of aerial mobility. As regulations and general acceptance continue to be the largest barrier for the implementation of commercialized urban air transportation, companies such as ASR may prove to be an asset in breaking through said barrier.

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Transcend Air Creates a Luxury Edition of the Vy400

04 January 2020 || 4 min read

Transcend Air, based in Boston MA, has partnered with design studio Huslig Collective to create custom Reserved Editions of its Vy400 aircraft. Transcend Air’s Vy400 tilt-wing aircraft has been in development since 2009, with an official company formed in 2017. Well on its way to market release, the Vy400 can fly up to 450 miles at 400mph, with 2,190 lbs...

Transcend Air Creates a Luxury Edition of the Vy400

04 January 2020 || 4 min read

Transcend Air, based in Boston MA, has partnered with design studio Huslig Collective to create custom Reserved Editions of its Vy400 aircraft.

The Vy400 is Transcend Air’s VTOL aircraft, which will be available both as an air taxi service of the U.S and privately for $6M USD.

Transcend Air’s Vy400 tilt-wing aircraft has been in development since 2009, with an official company formed in 2017. Well on its way to market release, the Vy400 can fly up to 450 miles at 400mph, with 2,190 lbs of useful payload and cabin pressurization up to 8,000 ft.

In the company’s latest news, Transcend Air is offering refined interior options for the Vy400 to make it spacious, luxurious, and comfortable for hour-long flights. For this, it has partnered with renowned design firm Huslig Collective to custom-make interiors according to Reserved Edition buyers’ specifications.

Said Huslig Collective President Mark Huslig:

Great design is a dialog between the imagined and the possible. The Vy 400R opens up new possibilities for flight, and we already imagine new ways to make that experience more incredible…. We can’t wait to help personalize the completions with their new owners.”

A look at a possible custom interior for the Transcend Air Vy400R.

Transcend Air chose Huslig collective for its depth of experience in creating remarkable and innovative vehicle interiors. According to Transcend Air COO Peter Schmidt, Huslig was the “perfect choice” to work with Transcend’s Reserved Edition customers. He added, “From helicopters to jets, their creations are outstanding and truly unique.”

An Airbus H-160 helicopter interior design by Huslig Collective.

Forty positions are currently available for orders of the Vy400R. Base versions of the Vy400 won’t be available until 2021. Anyone interested in the ordering a Vy400R can contact Transcend Air at contact@transcend.aero.

Why it’s important: By positioning itself to enter the market early with a luxury aircraft, Transcend Air has begun to mark its territory in the city to city VTOL transport segment. While other companies such as EHang, Volocopter, and Uber focus on affordable intra-city transport, Transcend Air proves variation in the VTOL marketing by targeting longer distances and more affluent customers. Providing a luxury version of the Vy400 will do much to help push this new industry segment forward.

Related: See Leonardo’s Helicopters’ Luxury tilt-rotor AW609.

Sources // Transcend Air, Huslig Collective, Business Wire

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EHang’s IPO Results in $662 Million Valuation

04 January 2020 || 3 min read

The Chinese Aerial Mobility and Drone Company flatlined during their IPO on the NASDAQ last week. EHang’s projected valuation of up to $800 million USD was in fact a projection – the company closed the trading week on the NASDAQ at a valuation just over $662 million USD, after a net change of 0.08% during the trading day resulting in...

EHang’s IPO Results in $662 Million Valuation

04 January 2020 || 3 min read

The Chinese Aerial Mobility and Drone Company flatlined during their IPO on the NASDAQ last week.

EHang’s projected valuation of up to $800 million USD was in fact a projection – the company closed the trading week on the NASDAQ at a valuation just over $662 million USD, after a net change of 0.08% during the trading day resulting in a price of $12.49 per share.

According to an EHang press release, the company will use the funds to conduct additional technological research and development, expand its global sales channel and production capacity, develop urban air traffic solutions, and for investments and acquisitions.

EHang’s IPO in New York City, showing presence on a number of advertisement boards.

EHang issued 3.2 million American depositary shares at US$12.5 per share in the IPO and granted underwriters “greenshoe” over-allotment rights to subscribe for up to 480,000 ADSs within 30 days after the issue. The total amount raised was half of the US$100 million EHang disclosed as being its target in its first prospectus issued at the end of October. Greenshoe over-allotment rights allow for underwriters to sell more shares than originally issue if there is greater buying demand than expected.

The original press release for EHang may be read here. Trading of the ADS’s began in mid-to late December and closed December 16th. Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, acted as the sole bookrunner for the offering, and Needham & Company, LLC, Tiger Brokers (NZ) Limited and Prime Number Capital, LLC acted as co-managers for the offering.

Why it’s important: The reception to EHang’s IPO can’t be drawn as a direct corollary to the public or investor sentiment of the aerial mobility industry, but it can serve as a general barometer for attitude towards exposure to risk and investment in new technologies. Since a very large portion of the company’s revenues come from the manufacturing and selling of consumer drones, EHang is able to take a measured approach toward involvement in aerial mobility, both in technological breadth and financial leverage.

Airbus Concludes Testing of Vahana at Pendleton

04 January 2020 || 4 min read

Airbus, one of Pendleton Unmanned Aerial System Range’s largest customers, is moving out Airbus had been utilizing the space at the Pendleton Range to work on Project Vahana; their unmanned air taxi concept. Steve Chrisman, the airport manager and economic development director of the Pendleton Range, confirmed on December 17th that A^3, the Silicon Valley subsidiary of French aviation company...

Airbus Concludes Testing of Vahana at Pendleton

04 January 2020 || 4 min read

Airbus, one of Pendleton Unmanned Aerial System Range’s largest customers, is moving out

Airbus had been utilizing the space at the Pendleton Range to work on Project Vahana; their unmanned air taxi concept. Steve Chrisman, the airport manager and economic development director of the Pendleton Range, confirmed on December 17th that A^3, the Silicon Valley subsidiary of French aviation company Airbus, had finished up testing for Project Vahana at Pendleton and was moving out of town.

Zach Lovering, VP of A^3’s urban air mobility systems, wrote in a blog post late December that the group had achieved everything that they had set out to do since they first started testing the aircraft in January 2018. Lovering additionally reported that during the time A^3 was testing, Project Vahana had created four to six full-time jobs, although none of the employees would continue with Pendleton.

According to Chrisman, the reasoning behind Airbus’ departure from Pendleton was fully specified, but it was confirmed that the company would forward the information from Project Vahana over to other air-taxi projects being worked on internationally. Although Airbus is moving on, Chrisman said the city’s working relationship with the company was good and both sides could reconnect one day on a future project. Chrisman was optimistic about the future of UAS in Pendleton, quoted as saying:

We’re going to see a lot of movement in the next decade or two.

Airbus’ departure comes in the midst of a multi-million dollar industrial project in the city of Pendleton in anticipation of rapid growth in the UAS industry. According to Chrisman, turnover should be expected at the UAS range in the future, but one of those companies settling down to start a production facility was still expected.

Why it’s important: Airbus’ departure from Pendleton and the conclusion of testing for Project Vahana indicates that the company has drawn all relevant data on the air taxi demonstrator that is required for the time being, and can now augment and advance their current designs with the learnings from the variety of testing that was conducted at Pendleton. Additionally, Pendleton Range now has space and resources available to other aerial mobility companies that are interested in testing their concepts.

Source // East Oregonian

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U.S. Air Force Initiative Looks to Benefit Commercial Aerial Mobility

04 January 2020 || 4 min read

The U.S. Air Force looks to launch a new initiative to help with the certification process for commercial air taxi services The USAF’s initiative will be based around an unmanned aerial vehicle to be used for military missions in a 100-mile radius. The military looks to lend its experience and technical knowledge on aerial flight to any number of companies...

U.S. Air Force Initiative Looks to Benefit Commercial Aerial Mobility

04 January 2020 || 4 min read

The U.S. Air Force looks to launch a new initiative to help with the certification process for commercial air taxi services

The USAF’s initiative will be based around an unmanned aerial vehicle to be used for military missions in a 100-mile radius. The military looks to lend its experience and technical knowledge on aerial flight to any number of companies that are looking to enter the aerial mobility industry; particularly with a focus in high-tech safety and security.

The U.S. Air Force’s new urban air mobility initiative is focused on enhancing its military operations as well as the development of urban mobility initiatives. (Photo: U.S. Air Mobility)

One of the ideas in consideration is a research challenge towards helping companies go through the process of certification with the Federal Aviation Administration, a certification process that is relatively new and still under refinement. The challenge would be modeled after the DARPA Challenge; inviting companies to participate in the USAF’s military installations to work on aircraft systems in applications for military purposes, which would additionally provide the benefit of helping companies get an early start in the certification process for their own aircraft.

At the Air Force Research Lab on Wright-Patterson AFB, the service is preparing to evaluate commercial air taxi vehicles for military use. (Brian Garrett-Glaser)

According to Will Roper, assistant secretary of the U.S. Air Force for acquisition, technology and logistics, as quoted for Aviation Today:

We should be out influencing the direction of a mainly commercial market in a way that helps the military, but also helps accelerate that market. That’s how we’ll win the [innovation] competition.

The ultimate goal, according to a military spokesperson for the Air Force, is for the USAF to help accelerate the development of aerial mobility in an efficient and safe manner while improving the military’s own flight technology. One of the core components of the initiative will involve an unmanned aerial vehicle that will need to transport up to four military personnel up to 100 miles for a variety of missions, ranging from search and rescue to special operations.

Why it’s important: The active involvement of the USAF in the operations of commercial air taxi companies indicates an active interest of the US government in promoting the development of aerial mobility technology. This initiative could rapidly accelerate the certification process for several companies, a greatly desirable partnership for companies in active competition in a new budding market.

Source // RIDE

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Lazareth’s Flying Motorcycle

29 December 2019 || 3 min read

With a great deal of ambition, imaginative on-road vehicle designer Ludovic Lazareth and his team have created a flying motorcycle. The four wheels of the Moto Volante each have a JetCat turbine (developed by NASA) at their center, and fold out from the vehicle’s body to become the four lift points of the aircraft. Riders pull a switch and turn a...

Lazareth’s Flying Motorcycle

29 December 2019 || 3 min read

With a great deal of ambition, imaginative on-road vehicle designer Ludovic Lazareth and his team have created a flying motorcycle.

Lazareth’s “Moto Volante” is powred by four small jet engines.

The four wheels of the Moto Volante each have a JetCat turbine (developed by NASA) at their center, and fold out from the vehicle’s body to become the four lift points of the aircraft. Riders pull a switch and turn a few knobs on the control panel, and the wheels fold out into the horizontal flight position while small landing legs come out from the vehicle’s underside. From there, riders can soar through the sky for up to ten minutes.

Electric on the ground and jet powered in the air, the Moto Volante was built to challenge the limits of what motorcycles can be. Italian designer Ludovic Lazareth has been designing innovative motorcycles within his own company since 1998, one of the most recent being the LM847, a 470 horsepower motorcycle with a Maserati engine. Lazareth considers himself a mentee of famous auto-motive designer Franco Sbarro.

Left: The Moto Volante’s control panel which displays relevant information such as altitude, speed, and remaining power. Right: The Moto Volante’s jet engines built into the center hub of its wheels

Although the Moto Volante will cost $500k USD and only five of them will be made, Lazareth isn’t the only company making commercially available personal flying machines. Already on the market for only $100k USD, Hoversurf’s Scorpion S3 Hoverbike has already been sold to the Dubai Police, and Assen Andonov’s is well on its way to market.

Why it’s important: Since only a few copies of the Moto Volante will be made at an extremely high price, the vehicle itself is more of an exotic engineering challenge rather than something that’s close to market for mass audiences. However, the Lazareth team has shown that this kind of micro flight technology is now possible. Other larger companies even such as Goodyear have taken interest in developing in-wheel lift propulsion, and still others continue to work on personal flight.

Rolls-Royce Aims to Fly World’s Fastest All-Electric Aircraft

29 December 2019 || 5 min read

Rolls-Royce unveiled the plane at Gloucestershire Airport and hopes to break the record by Spring 2020. Work has now begun on integrating the ground-breaking electrical propulsion system to enable the zero-emissions plane to make a run for the record books with a target speed of 300+ MPH (480+ KMH). The plane is part of a Rolls-Royce initiative called ACCEL –...

Rolls-Royce Aims to Fly World’s Fastest All-Electric Aircraft

29 December 2019 || 5 min read

Rolls-Royce unveiled the plane at Gloucestershire Airport and hopes to break the record by Spring 2020.

Rolls-Royce

Work has now begun on integrating the ground-breaking electrical propulsion system to enable the zero-emissions plane to make a run for the record books with a target speed of 300+ MPH (480+ KMH). The plane is part of a Rolls-Royce initiative called ACCEL – short for “Accelerating the Electrification of Flight” and is a key part of Rolls-Royce’s strategy to champion electrification. The project involves a host of partners including electric motor and controller manufacturer YASA and the aviation start- up Electroflight. Half of the project’s funding is provided by the Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI), in partnership with the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy and Innovate UK.

Rob Watson, Director of Rolls-Royce Electrical said:

Building the world’s fastest all-electric aircraft is nothing less than a revolutionary step change in aviation and we are delighted to unveil the ACCEL project plane. This is not only an important step towards the world-record attempt but will also help to develop Rolls-Royce’s capabilities and ensure that we are at the forefront of developing technology that can play a fundamental role in enabling the transition to a low carbon global economy.

Image result for rolls royce electric plane The ionBird test airframe, named after the electrical technology propelling the aircraft, was also unveiled. The ionBird will be used to test the propulsion system before it is fully integrated into the plane. Planned tests over the next couple of months include running the propulsion system up to full power as well as key airworthiness checks.

ACCEL will have the most power-dense battery pack ever assembled for an aircraft, providing enough energy to fuel 250 homes or fly 200 miles (London to Paris) on a single charge. Its 6,000 cells are packaged to minimise weight and maximise thermal protection. An advanced cooling system ensures optimum performance by directly cooling cells during the high-power record runs. This battery technology has potential to be applied to other high-performance aerial mobility solutions, ideal for getting in and out of urban areas in a fraction of the time it would take with traditional transportation.

Chris Harris, CEO, YASA said:

YASA’s electric motor technology is ideal for powering electric flight – the advantages we see on the road are amplified in the air where reducing size and weight for a given power and torque is even more important. We share the same passion for engineering as the team at Rolls-Royce and are delighted to partner with them on ACCEL, a project that’s ushering in a new age of sustainable, electric flight.

The ACCEL project is just one of the ways in which Rolls-Royce is developing lower carbon power. This includes partnering with Airbus on the E-Fan X technology demonstrator project, which is an important stepping stone towards hybrid electric commercial aircraft at the scale of today’s single aisle family. Rolls-Royce is also working with Widerøe, the largest regional airline in Scandinavia on a joint research programme on zero-emissions aviation. The programme is part of the airline´s ambition to replace and electrify its regional fleet of 30+ planes by 2030.

Why it’s important: As articulated by Business Minister Nadhim Zahawi, “the electrification of flight has the potential to revolutionise the way we travel and transform aviation for decades to come – ensuring we can travel worldwide while maintaining a low carbon footprint.” The technology can play a fundamental role in enabling the transition to a low carbon global economy, and could be adapted as an efficient solution to urban aerial mobility initiatives.

Source // Rolls-Royce

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Hyundai Set to Unveil Flying Car Concept at CES 2020

29 December 2019 || 3 min read

Soon after establishing their own flying car division, Hyundai will unveil their first concept design at CES 2020 Hyundai has not yet released any specifics on the design for their flying taxi, or the “personal air vehicle” (PAV). However, Hyundai intends to release both the concept PAV design as well as another autonomous concept car design — a “purpose built...

Hyundai Set to Unveil Flying Car Concept at CES 2020

29 December 2019 || 3 min read

Soon after establishing their own flying car division, Hyundai will unveil their first concept design at CES 2020

Hyundai has not yet released any specifics on the design for their flying taxi, or the “personal air vehicle” (PAV). However, Hyundai intends to release both the concept PAV design as well as another autonomous concept car design — a “purpose built vehicle” — at CES 2020. The PBV will have a customizable design, and both vehicles are intended to be used out of a transportation center in urban areas, according to Hyundai.

Flying taxis will free up space on city streets and “give back quality time to city commuters,” according to Hyundai.

What is known about Hyundai’s aerial mobility plans at the moment are that they plan on providing not only the PAV, but a full-scale aerial rideshare service as well. Flying taxis will free up space on city streets and “give back quality time to city commuters,” according to Hyundai. After naming Dr. Jaiwon Shin, formerly NASA’s aeronautics chief, as the head of their aerial mobility program, Hyundai remains on track to provide a completed rideshare service within the next decade.

CES 2020, described as “the world’s gathering place for all those who thrive on the business of consumer technologies,” will begin on January 7 and continue on until January 10. According to the CES website, “It has served as the proving ground for innovators and breakthrough technologies for 50 years — the global stage where next-generation innovations are introduced to the marketplace.”

Visit CES’s website here

Why it’s important: With Hyundai looking to provide both their own design for a PAV as well as their own rideshare service, creating a successful concept design will be the first step for Hyundai. With so many other aerial mobility based rideshare services being announced, making a strong first impression with their concept design will be critical for Hyundai to move forward with their own aerial mobility program.

Source // Digital Trends

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NARI’s Sustainable Aerospace Supply Chain & Manufacturing Workshop

29 December 2019 || 3 min read

NARI’s workshop aims to address potential aerial mobility growing pains before they occur The NASA Aeronautics Research Institute (NARI) is planning to host a Sustainable Aerospace Supply Chain & Manufacturing Workshop on February 4th and 5th, 2020, at the AMES Conference center at Moffett Field, California. The workshop has three desired outcomes, as listed on NASA’s overview of the event that...

NARI’s Sustainable Aerospace Supply Chain & Manufacturing Workshop

29 December 2019 || 3 min read

NARI’s workshop aims to address potential aerial mobility growing pains before they occur

The NASA Aeronautics Research Institute (NARI) is planning to host a Sustainable Aerospace Supply Chain & Manufacturing Workshop on February 4th and 5th, 2020, at the AMES Conference center at Moffett Field, California.

The workshop has three desired outcomes, as listed on NASA’s overview of the event that can be read here:

Clear identification of national aerospace supply chain and manufacturing current bottlenecks and what is required to meet future needs for large, medium, and smaller size aircraft including drones and eVTOL
Clear identification of capabilities and supply chain and manufacturing assets that can be redeployed or transitioned to identified needs (e.g., from auto industry)
Clear action plan to develop and enrich the national talents and skills to meet future aerospace supply chain and manufacturing needs

Addressing the concerns of future scaling for supply chain and manufacturing processes is crucial to the long term performance of any manufacturing-centric industry. For Aerial Mobility, there is no difference – and facilitating these discussions now that will clearly lay out a plan for future expansion is a key component of consideration in the larger eVTOL ecosystem.

An additional focus of the conference that should be reassuring to the mobility-inclined public is the inclusion of discussions that’ll focus on the development of future talent to support the growing needs of the aerospace industry in years to come, both from private and public sector resource demand perspectives.

Attendees should represent US-based original equipment manufacturers from aerospace, avionics, electrical, sensing, autonomous flight path control, or other supporting technology companies.

Why it’s important: NARI’s Workshop is another instantiation of working groups that are conducting the necessary pre-planning and due diligence to ensure that no forecastable portion of the manufacturing process for the emergent industry of Aerial Mobility is overlooked. Registration is still open for the workshop, and questions may be directed to organizers via the response form on the information page linked above.

U.S. Department of Transportation Issues Proposed Rule on Remote ID for Drones

29 December 2019 || 4 min read

The FAA has laid the groundwork for expanded UAS operation beyond line-of-sight The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) today announced a proposed rule that would continue the safe integration of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), commonly called drones, into the nation’s airspace by requiring them to be identifiable remotely. “Remote ID technologies will enhance safety and security by...

U.S. Department of Transportation Issues Proposed Rule on Remote ID for Drones

29 December 2019 || 4 min read

The FAA has laid the groundwork for expanded UAS operation beyond line-of-sight

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) today announced a proposed rule that would continue the safe integration of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), commonly called drones, into the nation’s airspace by requiring them to be identifiable remotely.

“Remote ID technologies will enhance safety and security by allowing the FAA, law enforcement, and Federal security agencies to identify drones flying in their jurisdiction,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine L. Chao.

Wing (left), AirMap (center), and UASidekick (right) remote ID applications visualize 6 unique drone operations across multiple USS. Image courtesy of Wing.

The FAA will seek input on the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) for Remote Identification (Remote ID) of UAS that today was placed on display at the Federal Register. In the coming days, it will be accompanied by a 60-day comment period to receive public feedback and help the FAA develop a final rule to enhance safety in the skies over the U.S.

“As a pilot, my eye is always on safety first,” said FAA Administrator Steve Dickson. “Safety is a joint responsibility between government, pilots, the drone community, the general public and many others who make our nation so creative and innovative.”

Drones are a fast-growing segment of the entire transportation sector – nearly 1.5 million drones and 160,000 remote pilots are registered with the FAA. Equipping drones with remote identification technologies would build on previous steps taken by the FAA and the UAS industry to safely integrate operations, including the small UAS rule, which covers drones weighing less than 55 pounds, and the Low Altitude Authorization and Notification Capability (LAANC), which automates the application and approval process for most UAS operators to obtain airspace authorizations.

AirMap applauds @FAANews’ recent release of its proposed Remote ID rule and looks forward to providing feedback. Comprehensive Remote ID regulations will spur our industry forward. To read our full statement, click here: https://t.co/LVnFG5ECYq

— AirMap (@AirMapIO) December 26, 2019

These efforts lay the foundation for more complex operations, such as those beyond visual line of sight at low altitudes, as the FAA and the drone industry move toward a traffic management ecosystem for UAS flights separate from, but complementary to, the air traffic management system.

The proposed Remote ID rule would apply to all drones that are required to register with the FAA (recreational drones weighing under 0.55 pounds are not required to register), as well as to persons operating foreign civil UAS in the U.S.

Why it matters: While the initial motivation motivation for Remote ID is for drones, aerial mobility stakeholders will see value in the technology. This development will lead to expanded UAS operation beyond visual line-of-sight (BVLOS). Remote ID promises to advance the UAS industry with improved safety, accountability, and transparency of its stake holders.

Source // FAA

Joby Aviation, Uber Air Partner to Launch Air Taxi Service by 2023

22 December 2019 || 4 min read

Joby is the first company to commit to Uber’s 2023 launch of its air taxi service. Rideshare group Uber and electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft developer Joby Aviation have announced a partnership to launch urban air-taxi services in selected locations from 2023. California-based Joby Aviation has become the first of seven partner companies in Uber’s Elevate urban air...

Joby Aviation, Uber Air Partner to Launch Air Taxi Service by 2023

22 December 2019 || 4 min read

Joby is the first company to commit to Uber’s 2023 launch of its air taxi service.

Rideshare group Uber and electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft developer Joby Aviation have announced a partnership to launch urban air-taxi services in selected locations from 2023. California-based Joby Aviation has become the first of seven partner companies in Uber’s Elevate urban air mobility initiative to commit to a timetable for launching operations. The other companies are Bell, Boeing subsidiary Aurora Flight Sciences, Embraer, Pipistrel, Karem Aircraft, and Jaunt Air Mobility. Uber has named Dallas, Los Angeles, and Melbourne as prospective launch cities, but the logistics of deploying its air taxi fleet remain underdeveloped.

Image result for joby aviation the verge

A mockup of Joby Aviation’s S4 eVTOL aircraft prototype.

Joby is developing a four-seat eVTOL aircraft called the S4 and appears to have plans for a larger S5 model. The covert aircraft development team has mentioned a complete full-scale prototype of the S4, but otherwise has kept plans for certification and manufacturing expansion under wraps. The few publicized renderings show a plane-drone hybrid with 12 rotors and room in the cabin for four passengers, though a spokesperson previously cautioned that what Joby is working on now is “entirely new.” The company has yet to provide any recent photographs or images of its prototype aircraft; however, all public information about Joby’s developments are can be found in the TransportUP Hangar.

Joby is the brainchild of inventor JoeBen Bevirt, who started the company in 2009. The company operated in relative obscurity until 2018, when Joby announced it had raised a surprising $100 million from a variety of investors, including the venture capital arms of Intel, Toyota, and JetBlue. The money helped finance development of the company’s air taxi prototype, which has been conducting test flights at Joby’s private airfield in Northern California.

JoeBen Bevirt had the following to say about the partnership:

We’re excited to partner with Uber. By bringing our next-generation aircraft and urban flight operations to Uber’s on-demand ground mobility network, we aim to get people to their destinations five-times faster than driving, reduce urban congestion and accelerate the shift to sustainable modes of transit.

Photo // Joby Aviation

Why it’s important: While Uber has performed considerable research and development on its own eVTOL prototype for the future air taxi service, it will ultimately rely on the consistent manufacturing technologies of a specialized airframer to provide and maintain vehicles. The demands of operating a transportation service are far greater than would allow for a single company to simultaneously develop its own aviation technologies. Therefore, Joby Aviation is slated to fill this important role, and has committed to support the aggressive timetable of a 2023 launch.

Source // AINOnline; The Verge

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NBAA Signals Increased UAM Support Through Board Member Additions

21 December 2019 || 5 min read

2019 has been a year of rapid expansion into the urban aerial mobility industry for the NBAA. The National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) has shown prominent support of aerial mobility technology and infrastructure throughout the year. NBAA’s support for UAM was evident at the recent Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (NBAA-BACE), which featured, for the first time, an exhibit area for...

NBAA Signals Increased UAM Support Through Board Member Additions

21 December 2019 || 5 min read

2019 has been a year of rapid expansion into the urban aerial mobility industry for the NBAA.

The National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) has shown prominent support of aerial mobility technology and infrastructure throughout the year. NBAA’s support for UAM was evident at the recent Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (NBAA-BACE), which featured, for the first time, an exhibit area for UAM aircraft, many education sessions about this emerging technology and the release of a report, co-authored by NBAA and NEXA Advisors, detailing the financial and business case for UAM.

Photo of the Bell Nexus air taxi from NBAA-BACE Las Vegas 2019. Credit // NBAA

The business aviation community continues to evolve, and NBAA is looking internally for ways to shift its focus toward UAM as the industry continues to gain traction and feasibility. As a result, the NBAA is adding to its board of directors two new members who bring backgrounds in UAM and aviation systems and aerospace. These additions are Kate Fraser, who is head of safety for California-based eVTOL developer Joby Aviation, and Charlie Precourt, a former astronaut who is v-p and general manager of propulsion systems at Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems.

Before her work at Joby, Fraser led aviation policy for Uber and has worked with regulators and policymakers to pave a path for UAM. She also has served with the FAA’s Office of Accident Investigation and Prevention, collaborating with industry partners on both the Commercial Aviation Safety Team in Europe and South America and the General Aviation Joint Steering Committee.

In a press release, NBAA president and CEO Ed Bolen had the following to say:

Joby Aviation’s eVTOL prototype, for which NBAA board member Kate Fraser is the Safety Lead. Credit // Joby Aviation

NBAA is honored to have the diversity of experience and knowledge that Kate and Charlie bring to our board, which will help inform and enhance NBAA’s programs and operations. As both an aviation young professional and an urban air mobility pioneer, Kate brings fresh ideas and future vision to our organization. Charlie, as a propulsion expert and former astronaut, brings to NBAA deep aviation systems and aerospace experience.”

Also in 2019, NBAA became a founding member of the Community Air Mobility Initiative (CAMI), a new Washington-based organization dedicated to providing communities and policy makers with the information and tools that will be vital to the successful integration of UAM aircraft into daily transportation options. Other founding members of CAMI include Bell, Joby Aviation, and Karem Aircraft. CAM, CAE, NBAA senior vice president of strategy and innovation, Mike Nichols, reinforced:

NBAA is a strong proponent of UAM and eVTOL, as there’s a clear connection to this technology for business aviation – whether it’s transporting employees within or between cities, or connecting transportation centers with local businesses. We have a great infrastructure in place with our regional representatives and regional business aviation groups to advocate in support of UAM and we look forward to working with CAMI to achieve this.

Community Air Mobility Initiative Launches to Support Integration of UAM

Why it’s important: The NBAA is an outspoken and valuable proponent for the advancement of aerial mobility technology and infrastructural development in the upcoming decade. Recently, it applauded the Trump administration for its attention to UAM and eVTOL technology in its 2020 budget priorities. The 2020s are expected to see an expansion of UAM aircraft – both developers and operators – and the backing of the NBAA is vital to garnering public support and financial adoption.

Sources // NBAA; AINOnline

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Aeronext: Tokyo’s Flying Gondola

20 December 2019 || 4 min read

One Japanese startup that is keen to stake out its own space in the UAM sector is Aeronext. Founded in 2017 as an R&D startup by Yoichi Suzuki, Aeronext took off when Suzuki developed a patented center-of-gravity control system called 4D GRAVITY that won the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Award at Japan’s Combined Exhibition of Advanced Technologies (CEATEC)...

Aeronext: Tokyo’s Flying Gondola

20 December 2019 || 4 min read

One Japanese startup that is keen to stake out its own space in the UAM sector is Aeronext.

Founded in 2017 as an R&D startup by Yoichi Suzuki, Aeronext took off when Suzuki developed a patented center-of-gravity control system called 4D GRAVITY that won the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Award at Japan’s Combined Exhibition of Advanced Technologies (CEATEC) tech show in 2018. The technology was developed as a byproduct when Suzuki, an aerial photography expert, often faced problems when his balloon cameras were buffeted by winds and looked for a solution. Suzuki, now CTO of Aeronext, has applied this know-how to conventional drones to improve their stability for photography and other purposes.

Aeronext’s one-third scale model of its Flying Gondola concept has a cabin that always stays level with the ground for maximum passenger safety and comfort.

Keisuke Toji, CEO of Aeronext and an expert in intellectual property management, helped establish a licensing system to make 4D GRAVITY standard technology for industrial drones worldwide. The company recently incorporated it into a passenger drone concept and at the latest edition of CEATEC, Aeronext showed off a one-third scale model of its Flying Gondola concept for an autonomous, single-seater passenger drone. Promotional images show the passenger zipping through the sky while enjoying a drink and admiring the scenery below.

According to Natsuko Ito, chief marketing officer at Aeronext,

Our drones are so stable that we can deliver liquid products like bowls ramen noodles without spilling them. We’d like to use our technology to help in the creation of a drone-based society.”

The autonomous vehicle features eight rotors mounted on two wings for vertical take-off and lift, as well as panoramic cabin windows. The wings tilt during horizontal flight, moving independently of the cabin, ensuring that the cabin always stays level with the ground. The company is also planning to develop versions of the craft that will be able to carry two or more people.

Aeronext CEO Keisuke Toji helped establish a licensing system to make its 4D GRAVITY system standard technology for industrial drones worldwide.

Why it’s important: Japan is changing. The country is at the forefront of demographic change that is expected to affect countries around the world. To overcome this challenge, industry, academia and government have been moving forward to produce powerful and innovative solutions.The Flying Gondola is yet another unique take on the design for an air taxi that could soon be the premiere air taxi across all of Eastern Asia and possibly the globe.

Source // Forbes

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