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Earlier last week TransportUP covered the Volocopter press release outlining provisional steps for a partnership with Japan Airlines. The intent of this partnership is to supplement the current aerial mobility sphere in Japan, through the combination of aerial transport already provided by JAL and the support of shorter intra-island routes via air taxis. These routes are reportedly to cover both urban areas (intracity routes) and intercity and even more remote use cases to provide for transportation of goods and services to areas beyond those common to ultra-high population densities.

This announcement comes 6 months after JAL’s Innovation Fund invested in Volocopter GmbH earlier this year – but differs from the general slew of investment fund trends for one key reason.

According to Volocopter’s press release, “JAL will provide their in-depth knowledge accumulated via safe aircraft operation experience to a next-generation air mobility operation platform service. In addition, through air mobility services, JAL aims to deliver medical care in remote areas to achieve key sustainable development goals.”

The Volocopter VoloCity (left), Japan Airlines logo (right)

An increasing number of intercity and intracity use cases have been defined for aerial mobility aircraft, but the vast majority of rural operations focus on human aid and disaster relief, as well as logistics operations. Due to Japan’s more unique population of more elderly citizens in rural portions of the country (many of which lacking easy access to transportation) the emphasis on rural operations is a special identifier for this join venture. Generally, one of the most underestimated market segments for aerial mobility operations are transport to/from urban centers to remote locations 100-150 miles away. Given that a slightly older population living further outside of larger cities in many cases has more disposable income than those who are younger and tend to live in urban centers, early adopters of aerial mobility transport from rural areas may number larger than many projections estimate.

While Volocopter does not yet have a certified aircraft per Japanese Civil Aviation authorities, the company told Helicopter Investor in an interview that transferral of certification credit from EASA was being considered as a more efficient means to deployment.

Why it’s important: The operational experience of Japan Airlines should provide the stability and foundation for larger scale aerial mobility operations. Volocopter will be committing their significant investments toward their air taxi to the partnership, but the frequent flyer customer base from JAL should serve as a readily available trial market once a certified aerial mobility aircraft is available for transport.

Read the press release here.

Gravity Industries, a company that has been developing an ‘Iron Man’ style jet-powered flight suit since 2017, recently demonstrated its medical emergency response potential in the UK late last month.

The Gravity Industries jet suit flies up a mountain in the Lake District, UK during a simulated emergency medical response mission.

The recent collaboration of Gravity Industries and UK’s Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS) simulated a hiker receiving a leg injury that would leave them unable to walk. In the simulated event, the hiker was in a remote area inaccessible by car and difficult to access by foot. Using the Gravity Industries jet suit, a responder was able to arrive on the scene from an access road in just 90 seconds, when the trip would have taken 25 minutes to walk.

With victims of incidents such as spine injuries, mere seconds can make the difference between life or death, and the Gravity Industries jet suit might be able to save paramedics entire minutes. Said GNAAS director of operations Andy Mawson: “We think this technology could enable our team to reach some patients much quicker than ever before. In many cases this would ease the patient’s suffering. In some cases, it would save their lives.”

The Gravity Industries jet suit uses six small jet engines to fly; two positioned on each of pilot’s arms, and two on their back. The micro-jets can be powered by either kerosine jet fuel or diesel, and the suit can reach speeds up to 32mph. The helmet included with the suit even features a heads-up display showing key data like thrust and fuel remaining.

Why it’s important: While the Gravity Industries’ jet suit has mostly remained a proof of concept for what might be possible in personal air transportation, this emergency rescue simulation has shown the high potential for this flight technology to save lives and more. While many aerial mobility companies envision shared electric air taxis, solutions like the Gravity Industries jet suit could be well equipped for rural transportation needs where infrastructure is limited.

EHang has unveiled the logistics version of its flagship product EHang 216 – the “EHang 216L”, for short-to-medium-haul air cargo transport logistics in both urban and rural areas. The 216L boasts a payload capacity of over 400 pounds, which is notably higher than many urban cargo drones currently on the market.

Similar to the EHang 216F passenger drone, The EHang 216L drone employs a fully redundant safety design and particularly, a distributed electric propulsion configuration consisting of 8 arms and 16 independent motors and propellers. The design delivers the key characteristics for which EHang is known: safety, autonomy, cluster management, interconnection and clean energy.

The high payload capability of the EHang 216L opens up more commercial opportunities for the EHang in various urban and rural aerial logistics use cases that require frequent and point-to-point flight tasks. For example, EHang 216 hopes to use the 216L to transport agricultural products (e.g. tea, fruit, etc.) between communities in mountainous regions with poor road conditions. The aircraft can also be deployed to deliver supplies and oil samples for offshore oil rigs autonomously, replenish supplies in busy international ports more efficiently, and respond to disaster relief and emergency supply needs more effectively than traditional solutions.

EHang’s Founder, Chairman and CEO Hu Huazhi said, “We’re thrilled to unveil another new version of AAV following the EHang 216F.  The EHang 216L will meet the demand for heavy-lift AAVs for short-to-medium-haul aerial logistics.  With increasing payloads and flight ranges, aerial logistics is expected to be one of the initial commercial applications of AAVs as it has higher efficiencies but lower emissions than the conventional ground transportation.  The launch of the EHang 216L also complements our existing aerial logistics AAV portfolio, which consists of the medium-sized Falcon B and the small-sized GD 2.0X.  It also enables us to meet customer needs in various aerial logistics use cases.”

EHang notes that According to Frost & Sullivan, the urban air mobility (“UAM”) global logistics market could reach US $46 billion by 2023, and China is projected to be the largest regional market in the world in 2023, accounting for 45% of the global logistics UAM market.

Why it matters: Building upon the success of the EHang 216 passenger aircraft, the 216L promises to deliver on the need for aerial urban vehicles with high-capacity cargo carrying capabilities. The EHang 216L’s cargo capacity of 200kg makes it likely winner as it can deliver far more than just a few packages as offered by other competitors. With the EHang 216L, EHang makes its AAV (autonomous aerial vehicle) offerings even more comprehensive, and it will be exciting to see how customers utilize the payload capabilities of the aircraft in the near future.

Souce: EHang press release

UAVOS, a Silicon Valley based company that manufactures aerial, terrestrial and aquatic unmanned vehicle solutions for commercial, industrial and defense purposes, has unveiled a semi-autonomous passenger air taxi concept. The final version of the aircraft will seat a pilot plus four passengers, and will have an all-electric range of about 113 miles.

A front depiction of UAVOS’ SumoAir air taxi concept.

The vehicle is made up of a large front to back two-rotor set, to which the passenger module is attached. Similar to Airbus and Audi’s Pop.Up model, the passenger cabin can be detached from the rotor set module and re-attached to a road car module, so that passengers can transition directly from flight to driving on city streets. Notably, aside from the Pop.Up or the Terrafugia TF-2, the SumoAir is the only air vehicle featuring this modularity concept.

According to UAVOS, the SumoAir project is a part of its R&D efforts to explore and understand the fundamental technologies behind electric aircraft and the urban air mobility (UAM) market.  While UAVOS already has a fair amount of expertise in developing unmanned aircraft for commercial purposes, the SumoAir would be its first passenger-carrying vehicle. The SumoAir is can be piloted manually or flown with complete autonomy if regulations allow.

UAVOS CEO and Lead Developer Aliaksei Stratsilatau believes that beyond regulations, safety and cost, factors affecting aerial mobility development will also include integration between the aviation, automotive, telecom, software, cybersecurity real estate industries. He says, “By 2030, 43 cities will be home to over 10 million people. In congested cities such as Los Angeles and Moscow, commuters spend nearly 100 hours a year in traffic jams. We expect autonomous flying will definitely ease the traffic burden on city roads.”

Why it’s important: UAVOS has a unique concept in the aircraft’s modular design, which would allow passengers to transfer from aerial to street travel with great ease. Although it is yet unclear whether this design will win out over aircraft without this added complexity, UAVOS’s experience in UAV creation may give it the edge it needs to make this concept a reality. Also notable is SumoAir’s ability to auto-rotate in an emergency situation, which other air taxis with smaller rotors may not have.

SAMAD aerospace, a British hybrid electric VTOL aviation company that calls Cranfield Technology Park home, announced the launch of their Q-Starling concept on Monday. The Q-Starling concept is an addition to the luxury personal aerial vehicle (PAV) category of aircraft within the aerial mobility industry.

SAMAD’s press release on the aircraft focuses on design foundations grown from both fast jets and VTOL aircraft, and emphasized the sustainable nature of their new design in production and operation.

Dr. Seyed Mohseni, CEO of SAMAD aerospace, commented that “The Q-Starling will give owners the ultimate luxury in personal hybrid-electric flying. The efficient sustainable Q-Starling will give passengers unparalleled point-to-point mobility options.”

Q-Starling’s Propulsion and RCS System

SAMAD aerospace categorized the Q-Starling as “a clever mix of fighter jet and VTOL allowing you to fly from a tennis court or super-yacht helipad to an event 500 miles away in under 2 hours.”

Production of the aircraft All materials used in the aircraft are made of ultra-light carbon fiber giving a higher performance capability and enabling semi-aerobatic maneuvers due to the increased strength of the composite material and design.

Aviation giant Airbus has continued to push forward industry advancement with the release of three new hydrogen-powered aircraft concepts. Although the concepts are fixed-wing rather than eVTOL, the release of these new aircraft can do much to push forward the world of aerial mobility propulsion, suggesting high potential for the future of hydrogen-powered flight. The new aircraft (depicted below) are scheduled to enter flight service by 2035.

The ‘ZEROe’ zero-emissions aircraft series includes a turbofan concept, a turboprop concept, and a “blended wing body” concept, which will open up multiple options for hydrogen storage and distribution and cabin layout

Liquid hydrogen represents a fairly bold choice for Airbus for the future. Previously Airbus had been working on the E-FanX, a now archived battery hybrid-electric concept. While many companies such as eViation Alice, Ampaire, and VoltAero are still focusing on creating rechargeable hybrid aircraft, which will greatly improve fuel use efficiency, Airbus is entering new territory in choosing liquid-hydrogen propulsion. eVTOL companies using hydrogen as a power source so far only include the Alaka’i Skai, and the Urban Aeronautics CityHawk. In general, hydrogen power is often chosen for its energy efficiency by weight. For example, a pound of liquid hydrogen can output more energy than can a lithium-ion battery of the same weight, making it a good choice for efficiency in aircraft design. However, hydrogen is not always as readily available as electricity.

This release by Airbus represents the company’s larger efforts to innovate in aviation. Of late, Airbus has also concluded its Airbus Vahana eVTOL project, and begun additional work on its Airbus CityAirbus eVTOL concept, which has now successfully completed autonomous hover flight. Airbus also recently outlined its vision for the future world of aerial mobility as a whole in its Airbus Altiscope blueprint.

Why it’s important: Airbus’s choice of hydrogen gives significant insight of what kind of fuel zero-emission aircraft may use in the future. Although many current eVTOL concepts currently are battery-electric only, some have chosen to use hydrogen as well for their various purposes. To many aircraft developers, choosing between hydrogen and battery-electric will be an important strategic business and technology choice, focused on what kind of applications their aircraft require.

Sources last week reported to a variety of media outlets that Michigan-based General Motors is exploring investment opportunities in the aerial mobility space. In recent months, the company has been seeking growth opportunities in complementary markets to their automotive expertise, two sources familiar with the matter said.

GM’s World HQ in Detroit, MI

Rumors were emboldened when CEO Mary Barra highlighted the synergies between electric vehicles (EVs) and its research in electric battery technology. “We believe strongly in our EV future and not just for vehicles, the strength and flexibility of our Ultium battery system opens doors for many uses”, she added, “including aerial mobility.”

Mary Barra, CEO of General Motors

GM spokesman Stuart Fowle declined to comment on any formal statement, but said “It’s an area we’re really excited about and looking at.”

Barra recently appointed Alan Wexler as SVP of Innovation and Growth to explore alternative transportation opportunities which leverage GM’s capabilities. This group has to date been responsible for the formation of a defense business unit and a $214M contract to build up troop carriers for the US Army.

GM will face competition in this space as other automotive giants like Hyundai have made staggering investments in this new industry.

Why it matters: General Motors seems to be following the actions of other automotive OEM’s who have realized the business opportunities aerial mobility will offer; including the likes of Hyundai Motor, Toyota, Daimler, Volkswagen and Geely, among others. Automotive and aerospace have long shared opportunities for technology crossovers, and GM’s entry into aerial mobility could provide the expertise required to mass produce eVTOL products with a significant cost advantage.

Reuters reported on Monday that German aviation startup Volocopter entered a partnership with logistics group DB Schenker to operate heavy lift cargo eVTOLs. A key challenge that faces the aerial mobility industry today (and a hindrance from full scale implementation of commercial eVTOL flights) is obtaining substantial operational data for performance and safety that will pave the roadway toward full-fledged certification. Volocopter’s announcement of the VoloDrone unveiled the perfect system to being acquisition of this data.

The VoloDrone has a useful load of 200 kg, and supports light package delivery trips of not more than 40 kilometers. As UPS, Walmart, and Amazon continue their advancements with commercial deployment of logistics aircraft, Volocopter’s partnership with DB Schenker will also establish the German company’s infrastructure for data collection. However, the partnership is B2B oriented, as opposed to the B2C use cases that UPS, Walmart, and Amazon are hyper focused on.

In an interview with Reuters, Volocopter CEO Florian Reuter commented that “The logistics opportunity in the urban market is just as big as the passenger market. When people associate logistics with drones they always think of the 3 kg, last-mile delivery to the doorstep,” Reuter said. “It’s the middle mile, not the last mile, that we are serving.” Reportedly, Schenker selected Volocopter after suporting a portion of the company’s $103 million funding round in February. Volocopter has raised over 120 million euros from investors to date, and an operational VoloDrone prototype should be implemented some time during 2021.

Volocopter also recently announced commercial ticket sales for VoloCity airtaxi rides. Prices are currently high, at 300 euros for a 15 minute flight, but are intended to decrease as implementation of these aircraft expands.

Reuter commented that the certification timeline for the VoloCity from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) is expected “towards the end of 2022”. The VoloDrone will follow with certification in 2023. While the VoloDrone might not receive certification prior to the VoloCity passenger version, special flight permits would allow for case by case use approvals for the VoloDrone. Such permits would require additional training for Schenker operators to ensure that safety protocols are adhered to, and the intent is to make the training relatively easy for employees.

Why it’s important: An increasing number of cargo logistics applications for aerial mobility companies are offering low-hanging fruit for data collection that will eventually be used for system certification. Fortunately, the lower risk exposure to conducting logistical operations will pave the way for a safer systems-based maturation and integration program for many manufacturers. However, Volocopter has established themselves as an outlier by selecting the business to business format, in lieu of B2C transactions. B2B use cases may benefit from easier of implementation than B2C: business will likely employ more routine and repeatable flight paths and delivery requirements than those of customer deliveries, which vary in frequency and location to a larger degree.

Source // Reuters

Turkish aerospace company Baykar Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Systems Co’s Cezeri successfully conducted hover tests in its first maiden test flight. Weighing in at 230 kg (507 lb.), the prototype flying car ascended to about 10 meters in the air during trials. According to Baykar Chief Technology Officer Selcuk Bayraktar, “We will make more advanced prototypes in the upcoming process, and perform flights with a human [on board].”

Bayarktar also noted that an expected timeframe could see the launching of the commercial variant after all development and trials to be after 10-15 years. “After smart cars, the revolution in automotive technology will be in flying cars. So from this point of view, we are preparing for tomorrow’s races, rather than today’s,” he said.

Unveiled at Teknofest in 2019, the Cezeri is one seater quadcopter that is expected to be able to reach a flight ceiling of 2000 meters and a maximum speed of 100 kph. The craft’s name is inspired by Ismail al-Jazari, a renowned Muslim engineer who lived between 1136 and 1206. The company already produces drones for both armed and non-armed forces as well as control systems, simulators, and avionics systems. Selcuk Bayraktar has confirmed that plans are in place to conduct test flights with a human pilot.

Turkish aerospace company Baykar Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Systems Co’s Cezeri successfully conducted hover tests in its first maiden test flight.

Why it’s important: Countries and companies worldwide are continuing to make inquiries and decisions to enter the aerial mobility market. Turkey, Japan, and many other countries are now all looking into supporting their own native aerial mobility vehicles with political and financial backing. With this latest technological milestone, Turkey and companies within it hope to continue to expand domestic aerial mobility technology in the coming years.
Source // The EurAsian Times

AutoFlightX, the developer of eVTOL aircraft and large-scale drones since 2018, is continuing to create ever bigger autonomous aircraft with the release of its V400 eVTOL aircraft this week. The company prides itself on being one of the aerial mobility industry’s top developers of high-capacity, fixed-wing eVTOL cargo drones, with plans to create and deploy a passenger-ready model by 2025.

On September 13th, 2020, AutoFlightX unveiled the V400 “Albatross” at the World UAV Federation’s 2020 Drone World Congress in Shenzhen, China. This aircraft is the company’s biggest commercially produced aircraft yet, with a wingspan of 30 feet and a payload capacity of up to 220 lbs. The Albatross will come in both a completely electric version with a range of 185 miles, and and a hybrid-electric version with a range up to 620 mi. Previous models included the V50 White Shark drone, which could only carry loads up to 45 lbs, but broke multiple flight duration records.

The V400 “Albatross” unveiling at the World UAV Federation’s 2020 Drone World Congress in Shenzen, China

AutoFlightX is now accepting orders for the V400, which can be used for express delivery, disaster relief, first response, and other applications. Construction of the V400 prototype is now completed, and the maiden flight is expected by the end of this year. AutoFlightX is headquartered in Shanghai, with research and development facilities in Munich, Germany, and Shenzhen, China.

Why it’s important: AutoFlightX has said that while it is currently building cargo drones, it intends to use the commercialization of its eVTOL aircraft to build the vision for its UAM air taxis of the future. In 2018, it shared a prototype for its V600 passenger vehicle, which it hopes to begin producing in 2025. Said an AutoFlightX spokesperson, “AutoFlightX believes that the research, design, certification, and mass production of eVTOL with large payload capacity are fundamental to the commercialization of the UAM vision.” Additionally, AutoFlightX believes that the V400 will meet the current requirements of the Civil Aviation Administration of China, and thus has a clear path to commercialization in that country.