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Dufour Aerospace, a Swiss company developing tilt-wing eVTOL aircraft, has announced a partnership with new Australian firm V-STAR Powered Lift Aviation for eVTOL applications in Australia.

Above: Rendering of Dufour Aerospace’s eVTOL on a potential rescue or cargo mission in Australia

Australian firm V-STAR Powered Lift Aviation is a newly formed venture by a group of business leaders with significant experience in defense, commercial, and search and rescue operations around the globe, and was created through a merger between two leading South Australia aviation businesses.

According to recent press release from Dufour, V-STAR sees the potential for many domestic applications of VTOL aircraft in Australia, and hopes to take advantage of the unique market opportunities presented by Dufour’s aircraft.

Said V-STAR’s CEO and Founder Tony Laws: “These new aircraft designs will change the way we approach regional travel and transport in Australia. Anywhere we need to get people and equipment quickly and cheaply is where these aeroplanes come in.”

The agreement between Dufour and V-STAR will give V-STAR early access to Dufour’s unmanned and manned tilt-wing aircraft. The unmanned aircraft will be capable of carrying up to 88 lbs of cargo, while the manned version could carry up to 7 passengers plus a pilot, or about 1600 lbs of cargo.

Dufour’s Co-Founder and CEO Thomas Pfammatter commented: “We are very much looking forward to exploring the many opportunities for deploying unmanned and manned tilt-wing aircraft in Australia. The formation of V-STAR Powered Lift Aviation marks an important milestone in this journey. We are proud to be working with such an experienced team to move sustainable aviation forward.”

Dufour has over 30 years of experience in Swiss commercial helicopter operations, and has been working on its eVTOL program since 2018. Watch a recent test flight video of a scale prototype from Dufour below:

Why it’s important: With this announcement, V-STAR and Dufour aerospace have given themselves additional credibility on the market, and have begun to set up a path to commercial operations for Dufour’s eVTOL aircraft. With the aerial mobility on the rise in Australia, Dufour and V-STAR are now well set up to make their mark on this new aerial transportation industry.

Source // Dufour Aerospace

Related:

• Australia Releases Timeline for Advanced Aerial Mobility Progress; Skyportz Positions for Future (July 2022)
• Savback Helicopters to distribute Dufour Aerospace eVTOL aircraft in Scandinavia (January 2022)
• A First Look at Aero3, Dufour Aerospace’s Flagship eVTOL Aircraft (August 2021)
• Dufour and Blueberry Aviation Enter Strategic Partnership (April 2022)

Vertical Aerospace has announced that it has confirmed delivery slots and the commitment of associated pre-delivery payments with American Airlines in a company press release this week.

Above: Vertical Aerospace’s VX4 eVTOL featured with American Airlines’ branding.

American Airlines has reserved delivery slots for the first 50 VX4 aircraft of its initial conditional pre-order of up to 250 aircraft, with an option for an additional 100, announced in June 2021. The parties will also continue their existing joint work group to explore the future of advanced air mobility and prepare for the VX4’s entry into service.

The commitment to pay pre-delivery payments and confirmation of slot reservations for the first 50 aircraft is believed to be the first for a major airline in the eVTOL industry, marking a significant milestone in the partnership between American and Vertical and a historical event for aerial mobility.

This announcement follows Vertical’s recent news of a further 50 conditional pre-orders from FLYINGGROUP, the selection of Molicel as its battery partner, and an agreement by the UK for concurrent certification with the European Union’s Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).

Above: A full-scale prototype of Vertical Aerospace’s VX4

Stephen Fitzpatrick, Founder & CEO of Vertical said “We are delighted to have reached this major milestone with American Airlines on our eVTOL partnership. Together, we are making zero-emissions flight a reality for passengers travelling all over the world. We look forward to continuing our work with American and seeing the first red, white and blue VX4 come off the production line.”

American Airlie’s Chief Financial Officer Derek Kerr stated “Our partnership with Vertical is a great example of progress in our commitment to reducing carbon emissions throughout our airline and the industry,” “We have made great strides in simplifying our fleet with newer and more fuel-efficient aircraft, and are proud to take part in another step toward the development of advanced air mobility.”

Why it matters: This pre-payment is the first of its kind in an order of eVTOL aircraft from a major airline. The advance payment signals American Airlines’ commitment to obtaining these aircraft and utilizing their potential to offer customers superior air travel experiences such as services from major airports to city centers and more.

Source // American Airlines, Vertical Aerospace

Related:

• Vertical Aerospace reveals full-scale eVTOL aircraft ahead of SPAC merger (December 2021)
• Vertical Aerospace Selects Molicel to provide VX4 Battery Cells (July 2022)
• Vertical Aerospace to go Public with a $2.2b Merger (June 2021)

Volocopter has partnered with Singapore’s Institute of Technical Education (ITE) to launch a VoloCity public exhibition including free guided tours in the Lion City. This is Volocopter’s first exhibition to feature its commercial air taxi model in Asia, and the company’s first-ever long-term exhibition to open its doors to the public anywhere in the world.

Starting August 2022, Volocopter will be offering free guided tours on a regular basis. The company invites anyone interested in taking one to sign up here.

Located at Aerospace Hub, ITE College Central, the exhibition features a 3D VoloPort scale model and detailed information on both the UAM industry and Volocopter. Visitors will also have the chance to sit in the aircraft and get a sense of what this new form of transportation will be like.

Minister for Trade and Industry Mr Gan Kim Yong, and German Ambassador to Singapore Dr. Norbert Riedel, both attended the opening ceremony alongside other senior representatives from Singapore government agencies and Volocopter’s partners.

Gan Kim Yong said: “Singapore welcomes innovative companies like Volocopter which seek to build entirely new industries here. We are excited about the prospects of developing an Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) ecosystem in Singapore, and hope that through this exhibit, the public can learn more about this new form of urban mobility.”

Singapore is one of the first launch cities for Volocopter. The German company conducted Asia’s first crewed public test flight of an air taxi in a city centre over Singapore’s iconic Marina Bay in 2019, and has been working very closely with the city. It is committed to launching the UAM services in Singapore in the next couple of years. It has recently released a dedicated roadmap that revealed its UAM services could generate an estimated SGD 4.18 billion in cumulative economic benefits and create up to 1,300 jobs in Singapore by 2030.

Why it’s important: Earlier this year, Volocopter Completed the first full-scale flight of its VoloCity eVTOL and it’s now ready for regular public visbility. According to Chief Commercial Officer, Christian Bauer, “This is the perfect time to showcase our VoloCity in Singapore, as our latest local market survey showed a significant uptick in the proportion of respondents who are excited to try an air taxi service. We hope to increase public awareness and education on this new form of mobility and the many ways it will benefit Singapore. We are partnering with local institutions and organizations as we build our UAM ecosystem.”

Aerial mobility will take a large part in Farnborough International Airshow 2022, as companies such as Boeing, Airbus, Vertical Aerospace, Lilium, and more will be in attendance to showcase their technology. The airshow, which occurs July 18-22 at the Farnborough airport in the UK, will be a landmark opportunity after a three year COVID induced hiatus for companies, consumers, and aviation enthusiasts to come together in person and recap the developments and accomplishments of previous years, as well as chart the course for the coming era.

One of FIA 2022’s themes is sustainability in aviation – with an increased focus on the electrification of aviation, sustainable aviation fuels, and momentum behind enabling technologies that can be applied to existing aircraft today for applications ultimately in the AAM space.

Boeing’s FIA 2022 listing states the company will have exhibits focusing on “renewable energy, hydrogen fuels and all-electric, self-flying air taxis” (formerly Wisk Aero’s Cora). Other companies will similarly be showcasing their technologies that further sustainable aviation; aerial mobility players such as Vertical Aerospace, a home-bred AAM company based in the UK, as well as Lilium will highlight their all-electric aircraft as the perfect configuration for the future.

Other priorities for FIA 2022 include “future flight” with reference toward the new and novel configurations of AAM aircraft and dedicated showcase locations and forums for companies that are enabling the next generation of technology. This theme families well with that of Innovation and Sustainability, as aerial mobility technology largely builds off multiple of FIA’s focus areas for this year.

Why it’s important: A growing aerial mobility presence is occurring at trade shows and leading industry airshows worldwide, reflecting the inroads that many of the technologies purpose-built for aerial mobility and electric aviation have for the entire aviation industry. Further, as many shows transition their focus to future aviation technology, it’ll become readily apparent in short order that technologies developed for aerial mobility have applicability far beyond the eVTOL space. Airshows with a large amount of intermingling between these types of companies will serve as opportunities for these sorts of organic connections to occur.

Vertical Aerospace has partnered with E-One Moli Energy Corp (aka Molicel) to provide high-performance battery cells for its upcoming VX4 eVTOL aircraft. Molicel is an industry leader in high-power lithium-ion cells, already with clients such as NASA and Williams Advanced Engineering.

Above: Vertical Aerospace’s VX4 eVTOL, expected to achieve certification by 2024

Vertical Aerospace’s eVTOL aircraft has been in development for several years, and is now one of top eVTOL vehicles on the market nearing certification alongside experts like Joby Aviation, Lilium, and Beta Technologies. It features semi-autonomous capabilities, an all-electric range of over 100 miles, and room for four passengers plus a pilot. The company recently went public on the New York Stock Exchange, and has received valuations upwards of $1 billion USD.

Now, Vertical Aerospace has taken another major developmental step by choosing Molicel to supply high power cylindrical lithium-ion battery cells for the production version of the VX4. The batteries from Molicel will combine Molicel’s cell technology with Vertical’s proprietary battery pack design, and will be used in the VX4 through to certification and entry into service. In particular, Molicel specializes in high-powered cells, low impedance,
fast charging, and high-performance applications, making them an excellent partner for Vertical Aerospace.

According to a recent press release, Vertical reviewed the capabilities of dozens of cell manufacturers before selecting Molicel as its battery partner, as it believes Molicel is uniquely placed to meet the performance and safety requirements of the VX4 and to continue to deliver innovation and improved performance over time.

Above: An example of the eVTOL battery pack by Vertical Aerospace that utilizes Molicel battery cells

Molicel has over 40 years’ experience in energy research and development, and will now form a working group with Vertical Aerospace to ensure the resulting battery system is safe, reliable, economical, and ready to meet every need of the VX4 aircraft. The new system will be certified concurrently with the European Union’s Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the UK’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).

Casey Shiue, President of Molicel, said: “We have long been known as the pioneers of high power, low impedance, fast charge battery cell technology and have vast experience across a range of applications. We are on a mission to produce outstanding cells to drive the electric evolution and are very excited to enter this strategic partnership with Vertical Aerospace. We work with some of the best engineers in the world and have been immensely impressed by Vertical’s technical and engineering pedigree. We see our technology is a key enabler of safe and efficient flight, and we look forward to working with Vertical Aerospace to bring their revolutionary VX4 aircraft to the skies.”

Stephen Fitzpatrick, Founder & CEO of Vertical Aerospace commented: “The future of electric aviation is dependent on safe, high-performance battery systems and fundamental to this is the battery cells themselves. That’s why I am delighted to be partnering with Molicel, producer of the world’s highest power cells. Molicel has a rich history of innovation and pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in energy storage. We see many similarities between ourselves and Molicel and we couldn’t think of a better partner to bring the VX4 to market.”

Above: Leaders at Vertical Aerospace and Molicel with the VX4 eVTOL aircraft behind them

Why it’s important: As eVTOL developers are nearing commercial readiness, many are forming partnerships that will supply components for the final mass-produced versions of their aircraft. With these companies closer to commercial operations than ever before, followers can note which kind of companies are being selected to be part of this rapidly expanding industry.

Source // Molicel, Vertical Aerospace

Related:

• Airlines are Ordering Vertical Aerospace’s VX4 eVTOL from Avolon (March 2022)
• Vertical Aerospace reveals full-scale eVTOL aircraft ahead of SPAC merger (December 2021)
• Vertical Aerospace & Heathrow Airport to collaborate on future of urban air mobility (November 2021)
• Bristow Group orders up to 150 eVTOL Aircraft from EmbraerX and Vertical Aerospace (September 2021)

Overair, Inc. and Toray Composite Materials America have announced a strategic collaboration for utilization of Toray’s advanced prepreg system in Overair’s Butterfly eVTOL prototype program.

Above: Rendering of Overair’s Butterfly eVTOL prototype with Toray T1100/3960 carbon fiber/epoxy prepreg. The prepreg provides high stiffness and strength for the prototype’s airframe and propulsion units.

The airframe of Overair’s Butterfly eVTOL prototype utilizes Toray’s T1100/3960 prepreg system, a material that is formulated for high-performance aerospace applications where the optimal ratio of strength to modulus properties is critical. Toray’s 3960 is a highly-toughened 350°F/177°C cure epoxy resin with a glass transition temperature (Tg) of 400°F/204°C. It is optimized for increased performance and allows for autoclave and out-of-autoclave curing. The resin is synergistic with the TORAYCA™ T1100 next-generation intermediate modulus plus (IM+) carbon fiber, which is the highest tensile strength fiber available today. The T1100/3960 unidirectional and plain weave prepreg is utilized both in the Butterfly’s airframe structure and propulsion units.

“We’re excited to be working closely with Toray’s advanced materials as we continue the development of our all-electric Butterfly experimental prototype aircraft,” said Ben Tigner, Co-Founder and CEO at Overair. “Our unique propulsion system requires materials that provide a unique combination of high stiffness and high strength, while also maintaining the optimal weight targets for the vehicle.”

Overair recently completed full-scale testing of the Butterfly’s propulsion system. The successful testing program validated Overair’s design choices and the Butterfly’s expected performance capabilities. The Butterfly’s prototype propeller will be showcased at the Farnborough International Air Show from July 18 to July 22 in Farnborough, England.

“It is an honor for Toray to partner with Overair on this endeavor and provide the Butterfly a unique performance advantage with our 3960 prepreg system,” according to Jeff Cross, Director of Business Development for Aerospace at Toray. “We’re excited for the future as Overair proceeds with full-scale development and testing. The proven performance of our materials gives me confidence that we can help achieve Overair’s objective of producing the safest, most efficient, and reliable eVTOL aircraft.”

Why it matters: Tacoma, Washington based Toray has a long time partnership with Boeing on the 777/777X and 787 programs with extensive experience in advanced composite manufacturing for aerospace applications. Next-generation materials from Toray will provide Overair’s prototype with excellent physical properties while minimizing weight and maximizing payload and vehicle range.

EVE management participated in ceremony at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) on May 10, 2022 by ringing the opening bell in celebration of the public listing. The common stock offering opened at an initial market price of $10.28 and, as of now, trades at approximately $6.60.

Since the public listing, EVE has continued its strategic expansion efforts, announcing partnerships with Porsche Consulting to define eVTOL global strategy and with Kenya Airways to purchase 40 eVTOL Aircraft.

“Today, we celebrate a historic milestone in a journey that we began nearly five years ago in EmbraerX, the market accelerator of Embraer, a leader in the global aviation industry,” said André Stein, Co-CEO of Eve, on the day of the public listing. “This transaction is a key enabler of our mission to become a leading player in a potential $760 billion UAM addressable market, and we thank the entire team at Eve and Embraer for all of their hard work, and our partners at Zanite as well as our other investors for their support,” he said.

Eve has created a comprehensive, practical and capital-efficient UAM solution spanning electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) vehicle design and production, service and support, fleet operations and urban air traffic management (UATM).

Meanwhile, Eve’s strategic partnership with Embraer includes a royalty-free license to Embraer’s background IP to be used within the UAM market as well as access to thousands of skilled Embraer employees on a flexible, first priority basis and use of Embraer’s global infrastructure. The strategic alignment with Embraer also provides Eve with important cost and execution advantages as it seeks to scale its UAM solution globally.

“We believe Eve is uniquely positioned to develop, certify and commercialize our UAM solutions on a global scale,” said Jerry DeMuro, Co-CEO of Eve. “Our pipeline of launch orders for 1,825 vehicles secured via non-binding letters of intent from 19 customers consists of industry leaders who also invested in Eve, including Azorra Aviation, Falko Regional Aircraft, Republic Airways and SkyWest, and provides powerful validation of our business strategy and vision.”

Why it’s important: Eve has expressed its dedication to accelerating the UAM ecosystem and benefits from a startup mindset, backed by Embraer’s more than 50-year history of aerospace expertise. With a singular focus, Eve is taking a holistic approach to progressing the UAM ecosystem, with an advanced eVTOL project, a comprehensive global services and support network, and a unique air traffic management solution. The closing of the business combination generated $377 million of gross proceeds, which will be used to accelerate the development, certification and commercialization of Eve’s comprehensive UAM solution.

Source // EVE press release

Skytrans, a regional airline based in Cairns, Australia, has announced that it will purchase and operate up to five of startup Stralis’ new hydrogen fuell-cell powered aircraft, with initial operations expected to begin in 2026.

Above: Rendering of a Beechcraft B1900D-HE retrofitted with Stralis’ hydrogen fuel-cell propulsion

For its initial aircraft, Stralis will retrofit hydrogen-electric propulsion systems into conventional Beechcraft 1900D airplanes, with eventual ‘clean-sheet’ aircraft to follow. By using this retrofit design, Stralis expects its first hydrogen fuel-cell airplanes to begin test flights in 2025 with certification and entry to operations by 2026.

The retrofitted B1900D-HE will carry up to 15 passengers, while later clean-sheet aircraft from Stralis will seat up to 45. Fuel-cell powered B1900D-HEs will have a range of up to 800km per flight, which suits many of Skytrans’ current routes.

Skytrans currently owns and operates five Havilland DHC-8-100s, some of which would be augmented or replaced with the new hydrogen fuel-cell aircraft from Stralis. In the partnership with Stralis, Skytrans has ordered three fuel-cell powered B1900D-HE’s, with options for another two.

With the addition of these new aircraft as well as more potential hydrogen aircraft in the future, Skytrans hopes to reach completely net-zero emissions by 2050.

Above: A Havilland DHC-8-100 aircraft currently operated by Skytrans

Stralis, also based in Australia, hopes to use momentum generated by sales of its retrofitted B1900D-HE aircraft to create and sell its own clean-sheet airframes: The SA-1, a hydrogen fuel-cell turboprop aircraft with room for 45 passengers and a range of 3,000 kilometers, and the SA-2, a hydrogen fuel-cell jet with room for up to 90 passengers and ranges over 7,000 kilometers. Stralis hopes to begin operations of the SA-1 by 2030, and of the SA-2 by 2035.

Said Stralis’ Chief Technology office Stuart Johnstone: “As green hydrogen drops in price, it will become price competitive with fossil fuels within the next five years and we want to be well positioned to capitalise on the opportunities from this technology. When the B1900D-HE enters service in 2026, it will have comparable operating costs to conventional 19 seat turboprop aircraft, and 25 per cent less operating costs by 2035.”

CEO of Skytrans Alan Milne stated: “We are proud to be leading the nation in developing its hydrogen industry and we want to play a leading role in showing that this technology can work in aviation. The impacts of climate change are concerning for local communities and that’s why we are playing a major role in reducing the environmental impact of aviation.”

Above: A Beechcraft 1900D operated by the Swiss Air Force.

Why it’s important: Companies like Skytrans and Stralis are starting to push the boundaries on new types of propulsion for conventional regional aircraft and routes. By retro-fitting Beechcraft 1900D aircraft rather than initially creating entirely new aircraft, Stralis should achieve a much quicker route to certification and launch of operations for its first aircraft. Once fuel-cell aircraft by Stralis are already in operation by companies like Skytrans, the market adoption of fuel-cell and electric propulsion aircraft should accelerate greatly, giving both Stralis and other companies the opportunity to create new kinds of aircraft and also put more hydrogen fuel-cell aircraft into operation.

Source // AuManufacturing, Simple Flying, Stralis, Skytrans

Related:

• HyPoint Partners with Gloyer-Taylor Laboratories for Upgrade in Hydrogen Fuel Capacity for Aerial Mobility Aircraft
• Plug Power Invests in Airflow’s eSTOL for Hydrogen Propulsion
• HyPoint and Piasecki Aircraft Announce Partnership for Development of Hydrogen Fuel Cell System
• Honeywell Purchases Ballard Systems for Developing Drone Hydrogen Fuel Cells
• Airbus Focuses on Hydrogen Power for Flight

CASA, the Civil Air Safety board of Australia, recently disclosed their timeline for the advancement of aerial mobility. Companies such as Skyportz in Australia are making moves to be well positioned for the future expansion of some of the aerial mobility use cases defined in the timeline.

Pip Spence, CEO of CASA, said of the released white paper: “we brought in RPAS legislation ahead of many other countries and we continued to sharpen our focus on emerging technology over the years. We are committed to advancing these pioneering technologies and see this roadmap as a priority as we  frame the future of Australian aviation.”

The announcement builds on the New and Emerging Aviation Technologies white paper, which is supported by a $32.6M grant fund. This fund is open to both local and international companies wanting assistance to trial, test and bring their activities to Australian shores. 

Skyportz is the sole vertiport firm in Australia, and has been working for 4 years to encourage the development of Advanced Air Mobility policy at all levels of Government, particularly in the space of essential vertiport  infrastructure. 

“We were one of the industry players that was invited to contribute to this CASA timeline document and we are so pleased with the clarity this will provide to the industry”, said Clem Newton-Brown, CEO of Skyportz. 

Skyportz has over 400 potential sites owned by property partners wanting to get a  first mover advantage in this emerging industry. 

Why it’s important: Local relations and an established footprint are crucial components of any successful vertiport campaign, and companies such as Skyports are establishing inroads in the locales where there are few competitors. Some aerial mobility OEMs are working to vertically integrate vertiport infrastructure, with varied degrees of success. In many OEMs’ home countries, integration and vertiport construction efforts are quite efficient, but political and private partnerships in other locations will require more coordination and challenge the two camps (horizontal and vertical integration) of the infrastructure of aerial mobility.

Learn more about the roadmap here: https://www.casa.gov.au/sites/default/files/2022-06/the-rpas-and-aam-roadmap.pdf

Lilium, the German company behind the world’s first eVTOL jet, has announced that it will partner with Astronics for its aircraft’s secondary power distribution system.

Above: Image of Lilium’s eVTOL jet prototype, propelled by 36 ducted fans

While technology by Lilium will distribute power for the propulsion of the Lilium Jet, the secondary system from Astronics will convert high voltage energy from the Jet’s batteries to low voltage to provide energy for the aircraft’s flight controls, avionics, navigation, communication, sensors, internal and external lights, and passenger comfort systems. Astronomics will design, develop, and build these systems.

In addition, Astronics will also provide charging power distribution units which will manage battery charging, and monitor battery insulation. These systems will be able detect and report short circuit risks across the system.

The systems provided by Astronics will be critical for the Lilium jet’s success. According to a recent press release from Lilium, Astronics is one of the leading Tier 1 aerospace suppliers in its field, and provides power, lighting, and connectivity solutions for OEMs such as Airbus, Boeing, and Embraer. Astronics offers complete design, integration, and certification services, making it an expert in both creating and supplying new kinds of systems.

Martin Schuebel, Senior Vice President Procurement at Lilium, commented: “Astronics is our ideal partner for this very important component of our aircraft. It is our intention to collaborate with the best aerospace suppliers and leverage their expertise. Astronics’ expertise is unique, and their collaborative approach makes them a perfect match for us. The partnership will also help pave the way for the coming industrial ramp-up.”

Why it’s important: With this announcement, followers of the electric aerial mobility can get a glimpse into what kind of systems external companies can provide for the development of eVTOL aircraft. By attaining a partnership with an eVTOL aircraft developer as prominent as Lilium, Astronics has put itself on the map as a trustworthy provider of secondary power distribution systems for electric aircraft. As a result, it’s possible the industry may see more electric aircraft developers, whether of VTOL or fixed-wing, forming partnership with Astronics or similar companies.

Source // Lilium

Related:

• Lilium Completes Transition from Hover to Winged Flight (June 2022)
• NetJets to Buy 150 Lilium eVTOL Aircraft (March 2022)
• Lilium Lists on the Nasdaq, Completes Business Combination with Qell Acquisition Corp (September 2021)

Skyfly, based in the United Kingdom, has announced the ‘Axe’, a two-seater personal use eVTOL capable of flying up to 200 miles while still fitting in a two-car garage. The Axe is currently being offered at approximately £150,000.

Above: Skyfly’s axe ready to fly in a pilot owner’s driveway

The Axe is unique in that although it has fixed-wing, its rotors do not tilt for flight. The aircraft can take off, land, and cruise with the four rotors at its wingtips in the same position. This design reduces complexibility, both bringing down manufacturing costs and increasing reliability, while still allowing for a fixed-wing, which greatly increases flight range as compared to competitors.

In all-electric mode, the Axe can fly up to 100 miles, but with its small lightweight built in rotary generator in operation, can fly 200 miles per flight. According to CEO Michael Thompson, users can learn to fly the Axe in about an hour, since it uses similar controls to consumer drones.

Currently, Skyfly is seeking to reach a private-use market rather than a commercial air taxi market with its aircraft. Its price point of £150,000 and simple design reflects this, as well as its choice to certify under the UK’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) BCAR Section S, which will provide a much faster and less costly route to certification than if Skyfly were seeking commercial operations.

By certifying under the BCAR Section S, Skyfly expects that customers who order their aircraft now will be able to begin flying within two years.

According to a press release from Skyfly, safety will be ensured through a redundant propulsion system, a conventional fixed-wing mechanical control system that will allow glider landings in the event of power failures, and a rocket launched ballistic parachute system allows the entire aircraft to make soft landings if necessary.

Said Michael Thompson, CEO of Skyfly, “The Axe gives customers the ultimate flexibility and opens a whole new market for new and existing pilots that would not have previously been available; With the Axe, you can fly from your garden to your friend’s house, avoiding traffic jams and cutting journey times to a quarter compared to using a car – as well as enjoying stunning views along the way.”

Current competitors to the Axe include the AIR ONE, which comes at a similar price tag and can also fly 100 miles on a full charge, and the Jetson ONE, which has a lower range but a lower price tag as well. Both aircraft are similarly positioned toward the private-use eVTOL market.

Why it’s Important: Skyfly’s Axe represents the third major company to enter the private-use eVTOL market. While air taxi companies may tackle a large economic scale, there is still plenty of demand for private, compact, affordable aircraft that can be flown either for recreation or for commutes. By entering the market with a simple design that has a clear path to certification in the next two years, Skyfly has made itself a significant player in the market for these private-use aircraft.

Source // Skyfly

Related Articles:

• AIR ONE Prototype Showcased at Kentucky Derby (May 2022)
• Jetson ONE completes ‘first-ever eVTOL commute’ (June 2022)
• Jetson ONE eVTOL sold out for 2022 deliveries (March 2022)
• AIR Unveils its First eVTOL Prototype (October 2021)

Since 2020, Diehl Aerospace and Volocopter have partnered on the development of avionics for Volocopter’s VoloCity eVTOL aircraft. The two companies will now expand the scope of their partnership to include the development of optical and energy management components of these avionics.

Diehl Aerospace is a joint venture of the German Diehl Group and the French Thales Group. It currently supplies cabin liners, lavatories, galleys, cabin lighting, avionics, fire protection, and air distribution systems to a variety of commercial and military customers including Boeing and Airbus.

Above: The Volocopter Volocity eVTOL, which is already undergoing test flights

Last week, Diehl announced they will expand their partnership with Volocopter to develop “fly-by-light” avionics and energy management components. In a company press release, Diehl goes on to explain that they will develop an optical splitter and data concentrator unit which will use light signals and optic fiber to transmit information rather than traditional copper “fly-by-wire” applications.

This next generation technology eliminates issues with electromagnetic interference and will increase overall safety in operations of Volocopter’s VoloCity.

With use of the Fly-by-Light technology in the eVTOL VoloCity, Diehl seeks to make significant contribution to ensuring maximum safety and high reliability in the aerial mobility industry. “We are excited to further expand our partnership with Volocopter, an innovative pioneer in the UAM market, bringing our many years of experience and expertise in flight control systems to the table,” said Florian Maier, CEO of Diehl Aerospace.

In addition to providing the Volocity’s flight control system, Diehl will also supply further sub-components for the Battery Management System of the VoloCity. The Battery Management system will monitor and manage the health of battery packs installed in the aircraft, again increasing vehicle safety. The VoloCity features nine battery packs that are replaced and recharged after each flight. In order to monitor the battery status during the flight, the pilot receives all flight-relevant information via the Battery Management system such as remaining energy, and options to control the power supply levels.

Why it matters: Volocopter’s partnership with Diehl greatly increases its technical competitiveness with other aerial mobility manufacturers. With decades-long experience in developing components for commercial airliners, Diehl has an opportunity to apply its technical prowess in a new segment. With this announcement, Volocopter continues to move towards entry to commercial service and intends to bring its VoloCity to the 2024 Olympics in Paris.

Source // Volocopter, Dhiel

Related:

• Volocopter Completes First Full-Scale Flight of VoloCity eVTOL (April 2022)
• Volocopter Receives Production Approval from EASA (July 2021)
• Thales and Diehl Aerospace to Develop Flight Computers for CityAirbus NextGen (November 2021)

Archer Aviation Inc. announced that based on the recent successes seen in its Maker flight testing program it is confident it will achieve its goal of flying full transition flights with Maker by year end. Archer is conducting multiple tests weekly as it progresses through Maker’s flight test campaign. 

According to the Company’s press release, the work the team put in during the first half of this year to upgrade and test the aircraft’s Tilt Propeller System (TPS) is proving successful. Archer believes that its progress from first hover flight through full transition will be the fastest pace any eVTOL company has reached this milestone. 

In December of 2021 Maker successfully completed its first hover test flight. After completing that initial flight test, the engineering team spent the following months focused on advancing the development and testing of the systems needed to progress to full transition as efficiently as possible.  Flight testing during the most recent phase has centered around various hover scenarios to analyze the TPS in the air. As testing progresses, the flight envelope will be expanded with flights at increasing climb and descent rates, and airspeeds. Archer plans to continue to conduct multiple flight tests weekly as the campaign continues into the second half of this year.

“What differentiates Archer from other players in our industry is our approach to commercialization as well as our laser focus on achieving that goal. The advancements we are making in our flight test campaign are nothing short of remarkable. I wake up every day inspired by our team.” said Adam Goldstein, Archer’s Chief Executive Officer and founder.

“Our recent test flights with Maker have shown impressive results,” said Dr. Geoff Bower, Chief Engineer of Archer. Dr. Bower oversees Maker’s flight test campaign and brings over a decade of experience in the eVTOL aircraft industry during which he has helped design and build 5 previous generations of full-scale eVTOL aircraft and completed successful flight test campaigns. “The rigorous testing our team has completed over the past several months has helped not only validate our design, but also furthers our mission to certify our production aircraft.” 

Why it’s important: Archer has had recent success in employing its industry leading talent and focus on using key enabling technologies that are in the market today to unlock this historic progress. This signals an increased likelihood of meeting its goal to certify the vehicle by the end of 2024, and proceed with key collaborations such as UAM operations alongside United Airlines.

Iris Automation shared late last week that the company will be hosting a BVLOS (beyond visual line of sight) sUAS demonstration in conjunction with the University of Nevada Reno / Nevada Autonomous program, and UAV pioneers Censys Technologies that will outline the technological progress occurring that’s enabling this type of operation. Autonomous AAM aircraft will require effective BVLOS technology in the future to operate without pilots, and a natural throughput from drone to eVTOL applications of this tech will likely occur over the next decade.

The event highlights Censys Technologies’ Sentaero BVLOS, Sentourion Mobile Command Center, CensWise Vegetation Management Software, and Iris Automation Casia I (Onboard Detect and Avoid) and Casia G (Ground-based) Aircraft Detection Technology to show the different applications and ways the platforms can be used for a multitude of business and public-oriented situations.

The event will occur at the Reno-Stead Airport, 4895 Texas Avenue, Reno, Nevada 89506, Second Floor Conference Room, and run from 8AM to 1230PM on Friday, July 1st.

The event is open to all commercial drone users, companies and public safety agencies. Key highlights include:

• Demonstration Review – Censys Product Overview Briefing/Trailer

• Casia G ground-based detect and avoid solution demonstration – Iris Automation (Flying – Demonstration)

• Brandon Karr – Pearland, Texas Police Department – Responsible for sUAS and US Leader in DPS (recently returned from Interpol Leadership Discussions)

The event will also include discussions with Trevor Parrott, Censys Technologies CEO, and Jon Damush, Iris Automation CEO (Remote).

Nevada is designated by the Federal Aviation Administration as one of seven states to serve as a center for the development and testing of unmanned autonomous vehicles and systems. Nevada Autonomous manages Nevada’s Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Test Site activities statewide, bringing leadership, know-how and a focus on safety to each opportunity and test.

Why it’s important: This event will showcase some of the emerging technology that will eventually be used in aerial mobility applications for autonomous flights beyond visual line of sight, and also help to pre-empt conversations on future integration and regulatory considerations for successful, safe implementation.

More event information: https://www.unr.edu/ncar/programs/nevada-autonomous

In the latest announcement of airline eVTOL orders, Kenya Airways subsidiary, Fahari Aviation, has signed a letter of intent for 40 Embraer EVE eVTOL aircraft. It is expected orders will begin in 2026. The two companies will also partner on the market development of aerial mobility in Kenya and conduct studies on the use of cargo drones.

Allan Kilavuka, Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Kenya Airways, commented on the joint project between the two companies,

“Urban air mobility is the future of transport and we are honoured to be the champions of this in the region. The journey to realise the dream of eVTOL vehicles in Kenya is on course, and the partnership with Eve is a key achievement for us as part of the strategy to adopt new technologies as a growth strategy for the sustainable development of Africa.”

Over the past months, Eve has conducted similar studies in Scandinavia with Widerøe Zero. Embraer’s Eve has also secured major orders with BLADE for up to 60 aircraft.

Andre Stein, co-CEO of Eve, commented on the latest agreement with Fahari Aviation,

“This is a new chapter of the Eve and Fahari Aviation partnership to strengthen both companies’ commitment to establishing the foundations that will sustainably support the ecosystem for urban air mobility in Kenya. Last year, we announced a collaboration to develop operational models for Fahari Aviation’s key markets, and today’s announcement confirms that it is evolving successfully.”

Why it matters: Not many developments for the eVTOL space have been yet made public in Africa. Kenya Airway’s order is a significant step and offers an opportunity to expand urban mobility to the continent. While Eve has yet to fly its prototype, the orders show confidence in the aerospace giant, Embraer, and their potential to deliver a safe, secure, and reliable product to its customers.