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Oxis Energy, the battery supplier for Bye Aerospace’s eFlyer 800, has filed for bankruptcy as of May 19th according the the company’s website. The company held over 40 patents for battery technology pertaining to UAM platforms which promised to fuel the industry and future platforms like the eFlyer, most notably Li-S cell construction architectures.

Li-S cell chemistry offers higher energy density over traditional battery cell designs.

Authorized insolvency practitioners Simon Girling and Christopher Marsden of BDO LLP will oversee the transition for Oxis.

“The company was unable to secure the investment required to continue its product development,” Girling stated in the release. “However, we are hopeful of obtaining a sale of the company’s specialist testing equipment, together with approximately 200 patents held by the company, and the opportunity remains for an acquirer to purchase these assets in situ at an internationally acclaimed testing center, and separate R&D facility.”

At the time of the announcement, Oxis was closing in on Bye’s 550 Wh/kg energy density requirements for the eFlyer. In company reports last year, its Li-S cell prototypes had achieved 471 Wh/kg and would be able to begin shipping prototypes as early as Q3 2021.

The company had hoped to pursue even higher densities, targeting 550 Wh/kg by 2023 and 600 Wh/kg by 2026.

Why it matters: Oxis is one of the few suppliers as reported by TransportUP to have filed for bankruptcy thus far in 2021. While to be expected as the industry matures and investors select winners, the announcement offers some exciting news in that energy densities required to sustain eVTOL/hybrid-electric fixed wing platforms can be met. With over 200 patents, 40 of which directly related to Li-S architecture slated for the eFlyer, expect to see some sort of M&A activity around Oxis Energy as they look to apply their technical prowess under new ownership.

DENSO, a leading mobility supplier, has signed a long-term agreement with aerospace leader Honeywell, establishing an alliance focused on electric propulsion units to meet new aerospace needs. Drawing from their automotive and aerospace backgrounds, the companies will develop and manufacture electric propulsion systems for aircraft, initially prioritizing the urban air mobility (UAM) segment with a focus on air taxis and delivery vehicles. The formal alliance follows the companies’ initial teaming agreement announced in 2019.

DENSO and Honeywell are in advanced discussions with current and prospective customers and intend to deliver flight test configurations of the electric propulsion systems within the next year. This focus on electrified power sources will not only help the companies fulfill UAM’s promise of providing cleaner, safer, more efficient, quieter and freer-moving transportation in and between cities, but also strengthen each company’s efforts to achieve carbon neutrality by 2035.

Electric Propulsion Unit (EPU) equipped in the propeller section of both wings. Credit // DANSO, Honeywell

“Mobility needs are changing and this collaboration represents how DENSO is evolving to meet them,” said Jiro Ebihara, a senior executive officer and head of the Electrification Systems Business Group at DENSO Corporation. “While we have committed to achieve a carbon-neutral society, we still need to reduce traffic and offer eco-friendly movement in population-dense areas. Working with Honeywell will help address both these issues and furthers our goal of creating mobility that is green and offers peace of mind.”

The alliance with Honeywell enhances DENSO’s Second Founding, the company’s strategy to provide value beyond a vehicle-centric focus and produce the core technologies for future mobility. It also bolsters DENSO’s two great causes: “Green” – acting environmentally friendly – and “Peace of Mind” – creating a safer and more seamless world for all. These guide DENSO as it leverages its 30-plus years of electrification know-how to create cleaner, more efficient mobility and will help the company reach its 2035 goal to be carbon neutral. Honeywell has also pledged to be carbon neutral in its facilities and operations by 2035. The two companies plan on working together to “seek customers who can help transform how the world moves, making transportation safer, more sustainable and efficient.”

Why it’s important: DENSO’s ability to produce quality components at mass scale paired with Honeywell’s storied aerospace expertise makes for an alliance ready to take UAM to new heights. Additionally, the alliance’s electric propulsion systems will integrate seamlessly with Honeywell’s fly-by-wire, avionics and actuation systems, extracting the most thrust and lift from every watt of electricity. Honeywell has already formed numerous partnerships and contracts with OEMs including Pipistrel and Vertical Aerospace after the creation of its new aerial mobility business unit, which demonstrates the company’s bullish outlook and commitment to the budding industry.

Source // DENSO, Honeywell press release

EHang, a long time leader in aerial mobility development, has now added another vehicle to its line-up: The VT-30 AAV, which, unlike EHang’s existing EHang 216, features a fixed-wing for longer distance inter-city travel.

Prototype of EHang’s VT-30

With a hybrid structure, VT-30 is designed to travel a distance of up to 300km with a designed flight time of up to 100 minutes and is designed as a safe, convenient, efficient, eco-friendly and intelligent air mobility solution for inter-city travel. As EHang’s long-range flagship product, VT-30 will complement EH216, a product focusing on intra-city air mobility, to further expand EHang’s air transportation network and expland its overall future urban air mobility (UAM) ecosystem.

VT-30 has a streamlined fuselage with a combined lifting rudder surface at the tail. Equipped with eight propellers on each side, it has a pair of fixed wings, and a propelling propeller at the rear, which are designed to achieve a maximum balance of hybrid lift and push. The distinctive design enables VT-30 to enjoy the advantage of both vertical and taxi take-off / landing modes, while satisfying the need for longer distance and flight time. Using these modes, it can either minimize or completely eliminate runway needs for take-off and landing versus traditional fixed-wing aircraft. Moreover, the tri-redundancy fly-by-wire control system can be flexibly altered into multiple modes, implying a much higher safety level for the aircraft.

The VT-30 Prototype on an EHang take-off/landing pad

VT-30 is geared towards inter-city travel between city clusters (such as the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, Yangtze River Delta, Bohai Rim, etc.), as it is able to carry two passengers from one city to another. VT-30 boasts the merits of eco-friendliness, zero emissions, and low noise, fully aligned with EHang’s principle of green travel. Compared with conventional inter-city transportation modes, VT-30 is expected to provide more efficient, environmentally friendly and low-cost solutions to urban dwellers as well as expanding the capacity of existing UAM services.

So far, VT-30 has conducted vertical take-off and landing, power system and other tests. Moving forward, EHang will continue to conduct various tests and optimizations under different environment conditions, while continuously improving AAV safety and stability, with the goal of accelerating long-distance AAVs to be used in various scenarios such as air commuting, aerial sightseeing, and aerial logistics.

“Our passenger-grade AAV EH216 is already fully equipped to travel in the cities with its lightweighted and streamlined structure, and the launch of the VT-30 provides a powerful complement to the inter-city air traffic network by meeting needs for covering longer distance,” said Mr. Huazhi Hu, Founder, Chairman and CEO of EHang, “Moving forward, these two product series will be used as core development for a service-oriented operations strategy to improve the safety, duration and capacity for carrying both passengers and goods. We will work continuously to obtain regulatory certification for our various AAV products, including the VT-30, and provide a more convenient and efficient public urban air mobility operational services.”

VT-30 Prototype Hovering Above its landing pad

Why it’s important: With this latest product launch, EHang joins the ranks of of aerial mobility companies that are offering longer range, intercity aircraft. Prior to this release, EHang had been leading the market for non-winged AAV’s (autonomous aerial vehicles), having already launched in several cities around the globe with the EH216, and with this new aircraft in combination with its proven technology, EHang becomes an even greater key presence on the global market.

Also notably, EHang has chosen an increasingly popular ‘Lift and Push’ design, which features lifting propellers on struts along the aircraft’s sides. Other increasingly successful companies featuring this design include the recently released VoloConnect, Wisk’s Cora, and the Beta Technologies Alia. Significantly successful aircraft featuring tilt-rotors, another prominent design, are the Joby Aviation eVTOL, and the Vertical Aerospace VA-1X.

Source // EHang

Related:

• EHang’s Pilot City Initiative Expands to Zaragoza, Spain
• EHang 216 AAV Completes First Trial Flights in Beijing and over South China Sea
• Volocopter Unveils New Medium Range eVTOL: The VoloConnect

While 2021 has been a path to recovery for many commercial airlines, private jet and travel booking platforms have fared very well – and in some cases – to record levels. Demand for on-demand charter services skyrocketed in late 2020, and data from 2021 indicates continuing increases in requirements for point to point travel booked on short notice.

Companies such as Wheels Up released Q1 earnings results recently, and figures such as 68% revenue increases and 56% membership increases reflect a steady rise, even amid an economy still recovering from the pandemic.

Companies like Volocopter plan on employing integrated management software, dubbed VoloIQ. Image // Volocopter

Kenny Dichter, Founder & CEO commented on the recent growth: “We started this year strong, with record revenue driven by increased flying from our significant membership growth, and contributions from recent acquisitions. Our customers are flying longer distances and across all fleet categories.”

Companies like Wheels Up have performed so well amidst the current economy due to focus on creating a marketplace for private aviation, increasing the addressable market while enhancing member and customer experience and optimizing operations and fleet utilization. Furthermore, introduction of the initial digital marketplace app to non-members with dynamic pricing and real-time availability, allowing anyone looking for flights to immediately search, book, and fly Wheels Up, has contributed to growth. All these focus points closely align to planned eVTOL aerial mobility market interaction methods, which rely on digital booking platforms that update in real-time to confirm flight details and bid between operators, much like how Uber and Lyft operate today.

Other private aviation booking platforms have also focused on improved fleet scheduling and utilization and provide new reservation capabilities to enhance the customer experience; again, traits that will be part of future aerial mobility experiences.

Why it’s important: Where aerial mobility stands to go above and beyond current aviation booking platforms today is the ground-up incorporation of features that are now being used to augment the current, traditional booking approaches that largely dominate the private aviation industry. Foundational integration of features such as on-demand booking platforms and customer feedback loops allow for a much more seamless flight management software suite, and improved efficiencies that allow for safe and customer-focused scaling of aerial mobility technology. And, while current demand is not 100% predictive of the future, the current reflection of rising demand within private aviation, amidst the current economic environment, is a promising sign for what the future may hold.

As it nears ever closer to developing the electric flying car races of the future, Airspeeder has announced that unmanned races of its MK3 prototype vehicle will take place later this year.

Airspeeder’s MK4 electric ‘flying race car’.

For several years, Airspeeder has had a vision for creating the ‘Formula 1 of the skies’; seeking to create a high-performance eVTOL aircraft accompanied with a series of grand prix events to bring on the new age of vertical flight and aerial mobility. According to the company, it hopes that their vehicles will do for eVTOL what auto racing did for the auto industry – push the boundries of engineering in efficiency, performance, and safety to their highest levels, and add excitement to the world of vertical flight to the public eye.

Alauda is now working on finalizing the MK4, the 4th and highest performance version of its single-seater eVTOL air vehicle. Billed as, ‘The world’s first electric flying race car’ The MK4 can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 2.3 seconds (faster than a Tesla Model S or Lamborghini Huracan) and fly at race speeds of 160 km/h at up to 20 minutes per battery (Batteries will be quickly swappable in rapid pit stops).

The initial unmanned remotely-piloted races later this year will set the stage and provide format for the manned races that are scheduled to begin in 2022. Although these races will feature the MK3 rather than the MK4, the MK3 still boasts incredibly impressive stats. Empty weights of aircraft are 287 lbs, and race speeds will still reach over 120km/h at heights between 40 and 200ft above ground. Races will take place in remote locations with up to 10 Airspeeders flying in close proximity, protected by Acronis’ ‘digital force fields‘ that will prevent collisions. Racers can pass around or under other Airspeeders for what will likely be very thrilling aerial action.

Watch the original reveal video for the MK3 racer below:

Why it’s important: As the age of eVTOL aerial mobility draws nearer, Airspeeder’s grand prix series will give this technology a chance to be pushed to the limit, in order to both experiment with what eVTOL can do, and to increase performance statistics for these aircraft. By utilizing effective software to keep pilots safe, Airspeeder will also both increase excitement about this technology and prove its safety. With unmanned races coming soon, the stage is set for a successful and exciting future of aerial racing.

Textron has announced plans to delay its entry into service (EIS) target date for its eVTOL projects under the company’s eAircraft division. The announcement came during an April 29th call to investors and stated that battery technology has not yet reached the critical level required to enable the company’s UAM visions.

Scott Donnelly, CEO of Textron (parent company of Beechcraft, Cessna, Bell) – stated while the firm has a sufficient technology readiness level in other core design areas, battery technology continues to lag behind.

“This has always been hugely important in our industry. We would never undertake a new airplane, fixed-wing or vertical take-off and landing, without having the right propulsion system to make sure that it’s going to be successful. And I think largely, that comes down to the battery technology. So we’ve got teams, obviously, that have been following that and working on that, and we’ll make our move when we think it’s the right time.”

eAircraft, a newly formed division of Textron, combines expertise from Textron Aviation, Bell, and Textron Systems. Bell most notably has been responsible for the Nexus project; the multi-rotor ducted fan configuration that continues to be a winner in the eyes of Textron executives.

Scott Donnelly, CEO Textron Inc

Donnelly doesn’t appear to be immediately concerned about other eVTOL competitors making it to market faster. “We do think there’s a potential for a very, very large market out there in that urban air mobility space, but you have to make sure that all the technology you need to have in place to have a useful aircraft is there,” he says.

“But look, am I worried about some of these guys that have never certified an aircraft obviously going to dominate a market? I’m not worried about that at all.”

Why it matters: Bell/Textron is one of the world’s long-time leaders leaders in vertical flight. Its expertise and hesitancy to quickly enter the market may signal a dose of reality amidst surging investments and SPAC deals among competitors that have never before built and certified an aircraft. However, the alternative could be true, that newer companies have been agile enough to create innovative solutions that will work even with existing battery technology. Regardless, Textron and Bell’s long-time expertise in the vertical flight industry set a benchmark for may be possible in the coming years. When they do release an aircraft, it will be likely be very notable within the industry. Expect to see Textron and Bell’s Nexus project more active over the coming years as battery technologies improve.

Source // FlightGlobal

The US Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) has granted Bell a $950,000 contract to conduct applied research into a high-speed vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft.

Few details have been disclosed regarding “Bell’s High Speed VTOL (HSVTOL),” as it is referred to in the contract notice. However, the research contract comes several months after the US Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) said it was looking ahead for a VTOL aircraft with “jet speeds” to replace its Bell Boeing CV-22 Osprey tiltrotor.

Diagram from Bell’s “Active Sail Blade” application published in December 2020. Source // Bell

Bell has been exploring aircraft that can take off vertically using tiltrotors, but then fly forward in cruise mode using thrust from jet engines, according to patent applications published between 2017 and 2020 by the US and European patent offices. Rotor blades would fold back to reduce drag during forward jet-powered flight.

“During operation as a turbofan engine, the bypass fan produces a bypass airflow to provide thrust to the aircraft,” explains a Bell patent application published by the European Patent Office in April 2020. “During operation as a turboshaft engine, the bypass airflow produced by the bypass fan is blocked, allowing other aircraft systems to utilize the power produced by the convertible engine via the power output shaft.”

Lieutenant General James Slife is the commander of AFSOC, and recently explained “we’re looking at a generational movement for vertical take-off and landing capability going into the future. I think it’ll probably be something quite different than the V-22.” Meanwhile, Bell is also pursuing development of the V-280 Valor for the US Army’s Future Long Range Assault program, which will have a cruise speed of 280 kts, only 29 kts faster than the CV-22 Osprey. However, the AFSOC has its sights set on a vehicle capable of “jet speeds” so it is unlikely that technology from the V-280 will be applied to Bell’s HSVTOL.

Why it’s important: The research Bell is conducting has potential to immensely grow the realm of possibilities for commercial aerial mobility. By optimizing vehicle design for higher speeds through the cruise phase of flight, eVTOL operators will have the option to connect passengers to further away destinations. Ultimately, the technology Bell is developing is ideal for bridging the regional mobility gap in the current air transportation industry.

Source // FlightGlobal

After a somewhat turbulent history, Eviation’s Alice is once again on track to begin manufacturing of its all-electric, 9 passenger fixed-wing aircraft.

The Eviation Alice prototype in its hangar

Designed specifically for regional mobility, with a range of up to 440NM and a cruise speed of 220kts, Eviation’s Alice features an extremely sleek design, giving off a high impression of luxury for such a small aircraft. According to Co-Founder and CEO of Eviation, the company believes that ‘electrification and democratization’ represents the future of passenger aviation. Its claimed mission is to ‘change the way people travel regionally through affordable, sustainable aviation.”

Eviation has now taken a significant step forward by partnering with electric propulsion specialist MagniX for its electric propulsion system. For several years now, MagniX has been working hard to develop advanced propulsion units for electric aviation, and is responsible for creating one of the world’s largest flying electric aircraft, the modified ‘eBeaver’ seaplane, which was part of a deal with Canada’s Harbour Air to electrify its entire fleet within the next 10-15 years. Although MagniX has retrofitted aircraft with its electric propulsion systems before, the Eviation Alice will be its first aircraft that was designed to be electric from the ground up.

MagniX’s EPUs (electric propulsion systems) are well flight-proven with many test flights in existing aircraft, and are on a path to FAA Part 33 certification in 2022. The EPUs offer an exceptional level of redundancy and reliability with consistent performance, as well as high levels of energy-use efficiency and low sound emissions profiles.

Interior of the Eviation Alice

Said Eviation CEO Omer Bar-Yohay, “The magniX delivery is one of the key milestones in getting emission free, low-cost, all-electric aviation off the ground with the first flight of Alice. We’re confident the system will propel us to bringing Alice to market and delivering a sustainable, scalable mobility solution that will revolutionize passenger and cargo flights.”

Commented Roei Ganzarski, CEO of magniX, “The Alice is the epitome of the future of air transportation. All-electric by design, taking advantage of light-weight powerful and reliable propulsion systems. Together, we will enable a great flying experience – zero emissions, quieter, lower cost, all from and to airports closer to more communities. ”

Why it’s important: MagniX’s work represents the next big step in getting electric aircraft into the skies. Starting out by retrofitting existing ICE aircraft with electric propulsion, the company is now moving up to making systems for aircraft that are electric from the ground up. As MagniX evolves into creating electric propulsion for new kinds of aircraft, it is likely that many eVTOL companies may turn to the company for their own electric propulsion systems. In addition, the success of MagniX’s propulsion systems in the skies with Alice will set an industry precedent for other electric aircraft certification, including eVTOLs.

Source // PR Newswire

uAvionix Corporation announced on April 28th a new member to its suite of certifiable avionics for Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS). Weighing in at 80 grams, ‘George‘ is the first autopilot product from uAvionix. With a low SWaP, certifiability, and U.S-based manufacturing, George is a solution for enterprise operations and those wishing to type certify their Unmanned Aerial Systems. Built around the world-class Cube from CubePilot, George marries the of the innovation of over a decade of open-source autopilot excellence with Design Assurance Level (DAL) C hardware and safety and sensor monitoring. Together, these enable customers to meet the Type Certification and safety case requirements for Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) operations. The autopilot hints towards the future of third-party components specifically tuned for sUAS and aerial mobility use, as these hardware components are TSO’ed and so applicable for use on certified aircraft within the United States.

Key features of the George Autopilot from uAvionics

George’s triple redundant IMU system includes three accelerometers, three gyroscopes, three magnetometers, and three barometers, one of which has been TSO certified under TSO-C88b in other uAvionix products such as skyBeacon, tailBeacon, and ping200X. The hardware platform is designed and built to RTCA DO-254 DAL-C, and meets rigorous DO-160G and MIL-810H power and environmental qualifications. Triple redundancies enable greater confidence in passengers and operators alike, as they have been instrumental in risk mitigation and certification requirements for commercial aircraft, and will be so in future aerial mobility platforms in the years to come as well.

George is plug-and-play compatible with all of uAvionix’s certified and uncertified products, including GPS and dual-band ADS-B receivers for Detect and Avoid (DAA). The ability to rapidly deploy and install new autopilot technology on a sUAS foreshadows the application of similar technology to aerial mobility aircraft, where modular line replaceable hardware will enable quick maintenance and fault resolution during extended, rigorous operation of aerial mobility aircraft.

“The flight control capabilities of the Cube are superb, backed by hundreds of thousands of man-hours of engineering and experimentation over the past 10 years,” said Paul Beard CEO of uAvionix. “But what has been lacking is a hardware platform that matches that capability in robust performance. George brings everything we’ve learned about certified avionics to the autopilot space in a way that outperforms existing enterprise and military autopilots in a lower SWaP package.”

George will be available for beta test launch customers in June 2021 with production units available in the Fall.

Why it’s important: uAvionix’s George autopilot for sUAS is similar to what could be expected from third-party line replaceable hardware that aerial mobility aircraft use in the future. The triple redundancy of the system, combined with the flexibility of application spectrum all contribute to the value that similar avionics and flight path control hardware will provide for the future of drone and manned/unmanned aerial mobility vehicles.

Beta Technologies, an innovative Vermont-based eVTOL developer, has recently become one of the first eVTOL companies to ever receive a MFR (Military Flight Release) from the United States Air Force. This marks one of the first ever such approvals for a vertical flight electric aircraft.

Capable of both fixed-wing forward flight and vertical take-off, BETA’s ‘Alia’ aircraft weighs in at arounnd 7,000lbs, and can carry at least four passengers plus a pilot. The aircraft will remain semi-autonomous during initial operations, but will have full-autonomous capabilities. BETA expects the Alia to go into operation within the next five years, and has already inked partnerships with both BLADE Urban Air Mobility and UPS.

The MFR from the Air Force will now allow Beta to perform flight tests in collaboration with the Air Force with a pilot on board. For now, the MFR is allowing these tests only for fixed-wing forward flight mode of the aircraft, rather than for vertical flights as well. After an early series of tethered hover tests, Beta has been flying Alia with its overhead lifting propellers removed while it tests the aircraft’s fixed-wing handling abilities and characteristics. The company plans to return to hover testing in the near future, and expects its work with the Air Force to eventually fully test Alia’s vertical capabilities and complete flight envelope as well.

With this announcement, Beta becomes competitive with Joby Aviation, which was the very first eVTOL aircraft to receive an MFR through the U.S Air Force’s Agility Prime initiative. Both companies have received approval from the FAA for piloted flight tests, but Joby only received it from the USAF for unmanned flight tests, whereas Beta’s are now for piloted tests.

The Beta Technologies’ Alia prototype

Why it’s important: Beta Technologies has now inked deals with both UPS and BLADE urban air mobility. Now that is has approval for manned flight tests from the Air Force, it will become one of the first US-based eVTOLs to fly manned. Although Joby has recently taken much of the limelight through its partnerships with Agility Prime and massive fundraising, Beta has well earned a spot competing with it, and should be watched closely as it develops further.