Volocopter’s Initial Round of VoloFirst Flights in Singapore Sold Out
After committing to launching a commercial eVTOL platform in Singapore within the next two to three years, Volocopter has now announced that advance tickets for their eVTOL flight service, VoloFirst, have officially sold out. The VoloFirst flights, priced at $365 USD per ticket (€300), will consist of a short scenic routes, a 10-15 minute flight “over the Southern waters, offering...

Volocopter’s Initial Round of VoloFirst Flights in Singapore Sold Out

After committing to launching a commercial eVTOL platform in Singapore within the next two to three years, Volocopter has now announced that advance tickets for their eVTOL flight service, VoloFirst, have officially sold out. The VoloFirst flights, priced at $365 USD per ticket (€300), will consist of a short scenic routes, a 10-15 minute flight “over the Southern waters, offering breathtaking views of the Marina Bay skyline.” The initial VoloFirst flights are expected to commence sometime in 2023.
The German aviation startup has been doing intensive work in Singapore for some time now, making strides in development and successfully performing several test flights, including a high-profile manned flight in late 2019. While Singapore is relatively untroubled by traffic congestion relative to other major urban centers (which is arguably the biggest driving factor for the rapid growth of the aerial mobility industry), the island-city state holds plenty of potential capital, as well as a strong tech research sector, both factors which seem to be leading Singapore to become a very valuable benefactor for Volocopter.

Volocopter conceptual design. The company also recently performed a successful manned flight test in late 2019. Photograph: Volocopter
According to Florian Reuter, CEO of Volocopter, “Singapore is renowned for its leading role in adapting and living new technologies. Our successful cooperation with the Economic Development Board, Ministry of Transport, and Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore on our previous flight has shown that there is no better place in Asia to launch our electric air taxi services than in Singapore. The city’s research institutes conducting R&D play an integral part in this. Topics like route validation for autonomous operations, material science, and research regarding battery technology are very important for our long-term business success.”
In order to meet their deadline of just 3 years, Volocopter intends to build up a team of more than 200 in the coming years, and remains confident that they will be able to reach their goal on schedule. As of now, the biggest obstacle in Volocopter’s path is certification, not only with EASA authorities, but local Singaporean authorities as well before Volocopter will be able to service passengers. However with the relative simplicity of Volocopter’s design, especially in comparison to the designs of other competitors, it could be entirely possible to see eVTOLs ferrying tourists and early adopters alike in 2023.
Why it’s important: Volocopter’s declaration of getting a commercial aerial mobility platform up and running in three years is an aggressive one, but is far from improbable. Considering both the simplicity of Volocopter’s eVTOL design as well as the expectation that initial flights will resemble tourist rides more than an actual method of commute, Volocopter’s goal is ambitious, but definitely possible. Volocopter’s aggressive approach is also completely understandable. Successfully getting their eVTOL platform up and running would have Volocopter passing one of the biggest milestones in the aerial mobility sector and be years ahead of most competitors.
Source // New Atlas
Lilium Partners with Lufthansa Aviation Training for Pilot Recruitment for Lilium Jet
Lilium, a German-based air taxi developer and leader in aerial mobility and eVTOL technologies, has selected Lufthansa Aviation Training to partner on the development of a pilot sourcing and training program for its Lilium Jet. With the expected advent of commercially available eVTOL platform services over the next few years, pilots will need to become familiar with the new mode...

Lilium Partners with Lufthansa Aviation Training for Pilot Recruitment for Lilium Jet

Lilium, a German-based air taxi developer and leader in aerial mobility and eVTOL technologies, has selected Lufthansa Aviation Training to partner on the development of a pilot sourcing and training program for its Lilium Jet.
With the expected advent of commercially available eVTOL platform services over the next few years, pilots will need to become familiar with the new mode of transportation and achieve type ratings as required by regulatory agencies, such as the EASA and FAA. The first phase of the training program will award pilots the type rating required to fly the Lilium Jet. Notably, the program will also employ the use of mixed and virtual reality technologies, paving the way for pilot training worldwide.
Commenting on the partnership, Remo Gerber, Chief Operating Officer, Lilium said: “Opening a new professional segment for pilots of the future is a challenge we have long been excited to undertake and Lufthansa Aviation Training is the perfect partner. Their insights, experience and dedication to forward-thinking training concepts ensure that our pilots will be selected and trained to the highest caliber, an industry standard which we will establish through this partnership.”
Lufthansa Aviation Training will provide expertise into the training and development of competencies necessary to fulfill the need for a new field of piloting, complementing Lilium’s own expertise in eVTOLs and the regional air mobility service it is building. The training program will be the first of its kind globally and a significant milestone on Lilium’s road to launch. Lufthansa Aviation Training has almost 200 training devices within its training fleet, including aircraft for pilot training, flight simulators of all common aircraft types for pilot training and emergency and service mock-ups for the training of flight attendants.

Lufthansa Aviation Training already provides services to produce commercial pilots across Europe and looks to add eVTOL type ratings in the future.
Discussing the partnership further, Tiziana Heilig, Managing Director and CFO, LAT said: “We are thrilled to be working with Lilium to create a training setup, which is unlike any seen before. As one of the leaders in this vibrant sector, we look forward to this cooperation to share each other’s wealth of knowledge to provide an unparalleled aviation training experience.”
Lilium has stated it is developing this program with input from EASA and the FAA. This will ensure the training program will produce pilots capable of operating the Lilium jet in two key global markets necessary to become a commercial success.
Why it matters: Lilium has created a robust solution to aerial mobility with its design and prototype building of the Lilium Jet. The company has also secured over $375M in funding, in addition to key industry and regulatory partnerships. This latest addition will pave the way to Lilium finding commercial success in this new industry as it tackles the hurdle of producing pilots to operate their prototype.
Source: Lilium Press Release
Joby Aviation and Beta Technologies Welcome Flying Car Simulator to Springfield Airport
BETA Technologies and Joby Aviation are planning to hold a ceremony to commemorate the groundbreaking of an “advanced urban air mobility technology simulator” facility at Ohio’s Springfield-Beckley Municipal Airport. Designed by the two pioneering eVTOL startups themselves, the facility will accelerate the Air Force’s deepening exploration of the vehicles, a project called “Agility Prime.” Custom graphic from the launch event of...

Joby Aviation and Beta Technologies Welcome Flying Car Simulator to Springfield Airport

BETA Technologies and Joby Aviation are planning to hold a ceremony to commemorate the groundbreaking of an “advanced urban air mobility technology simulator” facility at Ohio’s Springfield-Beckley Municipal Airport. Designed by the two pioneering eVTOL startups themselves, the facility will accelerate the Air Force’s deepening exploration of the vehicles, a project called “Agility Prime.”
Custom graphic from the launch event of USAF’s Agility Prime Initiative. Credit // Agility Prime
In June of this year, Beta Technologies and Joby Aviation became the first developers of urban air mobility vehicles to progress to the third stage of the U.S. Air Force’s Agility Prime program. The Agility Prime program is the flagship eVTOL initiative of the United States Air Force, and is best described as an exchange of government resources with private companies for knowledge transfer, aerial demonstration flights, and potential acquisitions of various aerial mobility companies that elect to participate.
Air Force research into flying cars is taking root in the Dayton-Springfield area in a new way, with the groundbreaking set for Thursday at Springfield-Beckley Municipal Airport. Brig. Gen. Heather L. Pringle, commander of the Air Force Research Lab (AFRL), will be among the attendees at Thursday’s groundbreaking, as will Ohio Lt. Governor Jon Husted and JobsOhio President JP Nauseef.
“Agility Prime is an exciting opportunity for the Air Force to engage with industry and learn about the difficult task of developing electric air taxis,” AFRL commander Brig. Gen. Heather Pringle said in a coalition announcement. “It also paves the way for AFRL and the Ohio community to advance the science and better understand an innovative capability with both military and commercial benefits.”
The Air Force recently launched the $35 million program, seeking to create and speed a commercial market for advanced air mobility aircraft while creating a supply chain to support production of the cars, sometimes called “air taxis,” the Air Force Research Lab said in an announcement on the groundbreaking.
Related: In September, US Air Force Leaders Gathered for the First Agility Prime eVTOL Demo

The BETA Technologies’ ALIA-250c, a three-year project resulting in precise design and development of a new eVTOL prototype. Credit // Beta Technologies
Why it’s important: Over the years, Springfield has become increasingly important to Air Force research. Its airspace has also been approved for testing beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) capabilities for unmanned aircraft or drones above the airport. As highlighted by AFRL Commander Pringle, the establishment of an air taxi simulator facility “paves the way for AFRL and the Ohio community to advance the science and better understand an innovative capability with both military and commercial benefits.”
Source // Dayton Daily News
EDF Thrust Vectoring and Intelligent Flight Path Management – How Cleo Robotics’ Dronut Could Advance Aerial Mobility
Boston based Cleo Robotics was founded by Omar Eleryan to solve the problem of safely conducting inspections in tight confines within harsh environments such as the oil and gas industry, defense surveys, industrial applications, and first responder scenarios. The benefits of the solution to this problem may have much farther reaching benefits than the market that is now served. As...

EDF Thrust Vectoring and Intelligent Flight Path Management – How Cleo Robotics’ Dronut Could Advance Aerial Mobility

Boston based Cleo Robotics was founded by Omar Eleryan to solve the problem of safely conducting inspections in tight confines within harsh environments such as the oil and gas industry, defense surveys, industrial applications, and first responder scenarios. The benefits of the solution to this problem may have much farther reaching benefits than the market that is now served.
As a Mechanical Engineer who worked in the oil and gas industry, Eleryan realized that his passion for flying drones and being involved in aviation might apply directly to the problem that he faced conducting work on a daily basis. This was the genesis of Cleo Robotics, and what is now called the Dronut. The Dronut is a 6″ diameter spherical electric ducted fan drone, scaled up from the original 3″ diameter model. What’s even more impressive than the small scale of Dronut is the amount of technology that Eleryan and his team have packed into such a small vehicle.
The Dronut uses a combination of accelerometers, gyroscopes, and cameras to deflect thrust vectoring surfaces below the ducted fan that guide the Dronut through tight areas to capture imagery of the inside of chemical tanks, or a hostile building. After the imagery is obtained the Dronut returns back to the pre-programmed home base. Dronut features intelligent flight path guidance, meaning that operators can program a pre-defined imaging path which Dronut will follow, in addition to detecting and avoiding obstacles that may conflict with the proposed flight plan. This full technology suite contained within the small drone contains three kew features that could be applied to aerial mobility applications:
- Flight path importation and route creation – aerial mobility providers could import or upload routes to aerial mobility aircraft via airspace management platforms that an aircraft would then follow to the destination.
- Collision avoidance – while the flight plan is the recommended guidance for the aircraft, potential traffic conflicts could be avoided using detect and avoid (DAA) technology.
- Thrust vectoring – possibly the most impressive feature of Dronut is the solution to the decades old problem of thrust vectoring of electric ducted fans. While many previous designs required multiple EDF’s to stabilize the vehicle, resulting in a tripod configuration, Dronut only needs one thrust vector that is smartly redirected by the vectoring surfaces mounted to the outboard perimeter of the ducted fan.

The Cleo Robotics Dronut’s charging station and controller
Additionally, Dronut’s cameras that provide the imagery capabilities required for conducting inspections could be used for tertiary purposes as well, including concurrent aerial imagery during commercial aerial mobility flights, or traffic monitoring and data sharing with other aircraft operating in nearby airspace. These capabilities have been recognized already, as the company received the AUVSI XCELLENCE Award and the New England Innovation Award for Robotics, both in 2020.
Why it’s important: Cleo Robotics has developed an integrated software and hardware package, one that’s particularly powerful since the required volume is small and the weight is low. These are key factors for effective aerial mobility aircraft that will require larger useful loads in order to carry fare paying passengers, medical transports, or other goods. While the company is currently focused on commercial applications of the Dronut, the intellectual property of the integrated autonomy package that Cleo has developed might possibly have an even larger value to future customers than the current hardware solution. In the meantime, however, there will likely be no shortage of demand for the current Dronut system, with strong interest from a number of commercial customers.
VerdeGo Aero Partners with eSTOL Developer Airflow
Airflow, a company founded by the former developers of the Airbus Vahana project, is creating an hybrid-electric, short take-off and landing (STOL) cargo aircraft for medium-distance cargo transport. According to Airflow’s founders, the idea behind the eSTOL is to solve the need for cost-efficient, high-speed, middle mile transportation, without the need for increased airport infrastructure. For example, the eSTOL could...

VerdeGo Aero Partners with eSTOL Developer Airflow


Rendering of how VerdeGo’s electric propulsion technology will integrate into an Airflow cargo eSTOL
Airflow, a company founded by the former developers of the Airbus Vahana project, is creating an hybrid-electric, short take-off and landing (STOL) cargo aircraft for medium-distance cargo transport. According to Airflow’s founders, the idea behind the eSTOL is to solve the need for cost-efficient, high-speed, middle mile transportation, without the need for increased airport infrastructure. For example, the eSTOL could provide transport directly between e-commerce warehouses on the outskirts of major cities.
To create this aircraft, which will use innovative distributed electric propulsion, Airflow has partnered with VerdeGo Aero. Founded by grandson of famous aviator Charles Lindbergh, VerdeGo Aero is one of the only companies providing IDEP (integrated distributed electric propulsion) solutions to new aircraft developers. VerdeGo has been gaining momentum in the IDEP industry, having partnered with Seyer Industries, Continental Aerospace, and XTI Aircraft for its new cargo VTOL. The company also recently ramped up its development process by optimizing its Hybrid Electric powertrain and propulsion system for production and commercial use.
While the Airflow eSTOL is not a VTOL aircraft, it seeks to solve many of the same cargo transport infrastructure problems that VTOL might, using the same innovative electric propulsion technology to limit infrastu. Airflow believes that by integrating middle-mile air transportation directly into warehouses, companies can move goods around much faster without major infrastructure development or operational costs. The below photo shows how warehouses might integrate an eSTOL directly into their rooftops:

How warehouses rooftops could integrate with Airflow eSTOL operations
VerdeGo Aero’s diesel (Jet-A) hybrid system combines a 180KW generator with a high-power battery pack that reduces emissions and fuel burn by 35% compared to conventional turbine powertrains. Integrating VerdeGo’s hybrid-electric powertrain to the eSTOL platform enhances the aircraft’s mission capabilities by extending range to four to ten times that of a battery-electric system.
Said Marc Ausman, CEO of Airflow: “Our ability to rapidly move cargo from a warehouse directly to another warehouse helps e-commerce companies centralize inventory and reduce carrying costs. These capabilities are made possible by continued strategic partnerships like VerdeGo Aero”
Why it’s important: Like VTOL aircraft, the Airflow eSTOL will enable air travel directly between destinations, allowing companies to more efficiently and more quickly transport goods. Distributed hybrid-electric propulsion will make this technology possible for eSTOL as well as eVTOL, and by forming partnerships with Airflow as well as other key companies, VerdeGo begins to show mastery of the emerging market for this key technology.
Tangram Flex Lands Agility Prime Contract
Tangram Flex, Inc. has recently been awarded with a contract to support the U.S. Air Force’s Agility Prime initiative. Based in Dayton, Ohio, Tangram Prime will primarily focus on how “flying cars could rewrite how the Air Force and civil society do logistics and transportation.” The contract will mainly focus on support for lower cost testing, verification, and validation of...

Tangram Flex Lands Agility Prime Contract

Tangram Flex, Inc. has recently been awarded with a contract to support the U.S. Air Force’s Agility Prime initiative. Based in Dayton, Ohio, Tangram Prime will primarily focus on how “flying cars could rewrite how the Air Force and civil society do logistics and transportation.”
The contract will mainly focus on support for lower cost testing, verification, and validation of software components for Agility Prime vehicles. According to Rick Peters, Tangram chief executive, “We are thrilled to continue supporting the Air Force on their most critical initiatives. Our team will continue efforts to commercialize tools for safe, secure, and efficient development and rapid integration of mission-critical capabilities with confidence.”
Agility Prime is the USAF’s initiative to develop and promote eVTOL aircraft and the aerial mobility industry, aiding companies in this pursuit. According to Will Roper, assistant secretary of the Air Force for acquisition, “Despite COVID-19, we’re still very optimistic about the future, specifically around flying cars and how they might help the military and the world produce better logistics, better medical support and better disaster relief. We really want to be engaged in this emerging market in a very different way.”
Why it’s important: The U.S. Air Force’s Agility Prime initiative shows a strong commitment to the development of the aerial mobility industry in spite of the COVID-19 pandemic. The benefits of being able to obtain contracts across both military and commercial sectors cannot be understated, especially for companies in a small but growing industry such as aerial mobility.
Source // Dayton Daily News
Joby Aviation in Talks to Purchase Uber Elevate
Multiple sources are reporting the California-based eVTOL startup, Joby Aviation, is negotiating a potential buyout for Uber’s air taxi unit, Uber Elevate. This breaking news would significantly alter the landscape of aerial mobility as Uber, one of the early influencers in the space looks to sell off its stake. Uber has been well known for its white papers, market surveys,...

Joby Aviation in Talks to Purchase Uber Elevate

Multiple sources are reporting the California-based eVTOL startup, Joby Aviation, is negotiating a potential buyout for Uber’s air taxi unit, Uber Elevate. This breaking news would significantly alter the landscape of aerial mobility as Uber, one of the early influencers in the space looks to sell off its stake.
Uber has been well known for its white papers, market surveys, and partnerships with academic institutions and eVTOL manufacturers to begin planning its entry in the aerial mobility industry across a wide variety of fields such as: infrastructure, certification, air traffic control, and product development. The company also hosts the annual Elevate Summit which has forged lasting partnerships and buzz around the industry.
The company is likely selling off Uber Elevate in light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Uber reported nearly a $3B USD loss in Q2 of 2020 and Uber CEO, Dara Khosrowshahiwill, announced the company will be positioning itself to focus on profitability. Uber reported to Axios earlier this year of interest in offloading its Elevate unit, and recently Joby Aviation has been reported as the frontrunner for a potential deal.
Based in Santa Cruz, Joby Aviation has previously formed partnerships with Uber and has raised over $700M in investments from bluechip companies including Toyota, Intel, and JetBlue.
Spokespersons from both Uber and Joby have not provided public comments on the potential deal.
Why it matters: Joby’s potential acquisition of Uber Elevate would mark a significant turning point in the aerial mobility space. Throughout most of aerial mobility’s growth, Uber has been a vocal proponent of eVTOL technology. The company has advocated for critical industry partnerships, development of infrastructure, and the regulatory buy-in necessary in order to support the new industry. Joby Aviation has been quiet in recent media, but it is well-known that the company is quickly readying for commercial production. Additionally, Joby Aviation has had great success in attracting top-tier investors as well as a successful Series C round of funding. Expect to see more news as details of this acquisition become public.
Source // Axios
Samad Aerospace completes first CTOL flight of e-Starling prototype
Samad Aerospace, the UK-based green-tech startup, has surpassed another key milestone of its Starling Program with the successful conventional take-off and landing (CTOL) flight test of the company’s 50% scale fully electric aircraft. The company’s team of engineers is pioneering the development of the world’s fastest hybrid-electric vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft, with the goal of revolutionizing civil air transportation globally....

Samad Aerospace completes first CTOL flight of e-Starling prototype

Samad Aerospace, the UK-based green-tech startup, has surpassed another key milestone of its Starling Program with the successful conventional take-off and landing (CTOL) flight test of the company’s 50% scale fully electric aircraft.
The company’s team of engineers is pioneering the development of the world’s fastest hybrid-electric vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft, with the goal of revolutionizing civil air transportation globally. Samad has been steadily developing its unique manned and unmanned aircraft with two scaled prototypes (10% and 20%) successfully built, flown, and showcased in reputable international air shows such as Singapore, Geneva and Farnborough. Preparations for the e-VTOL flight tests are already well underway, and 2021 will see the completion of the 50% e-VTOL version of the e-Starling.
During the CTOL flight test, the aircraft took off at a length of 250 meters, demonstrating a great potential for Short take-off and landing (STOL). Take-off and landing were smooth, and the vehicle maintained a comfortable cruise at a speed of (90 mph) airborne for over five minutes. Witnesses were amazed at just how quiet this aircraft was compared to a helicopter.
The flight tests included evaluations on aircraft flight dynamics, performance as well as handling qualities. As the e-Starling adopts a semi blended wing body (BWB) design, it requires a low angle for take-off; it is important to understand when the aircraft is capable of taking-off and at which speed.
Apart from slow and fast taxiing on the runway as well as take-off and landing, the half scale demonstrator also performed banking maneuvers in addition to tests on yaw, pitch and roll. The results show very stable in terms of handling quality, according to Samad’s press release. Brakes, telemetry, redundancy links, and center of gravity (CG) verification were among the other subsystem tests the team conducted.
The ability to take off and land conventionally is an important part of the safety justification for VTOL aircraft, due to its role as a key safety contingency. Proving and fine-tuning the fundamental capabilities of the aircraft such as CTOL demonstrates Samad’s calculated approach to the validation of its prototypes. As Samad’s Aircraft Design Adviser, Professor John Fielding explains, “Safety is key. We have investigated various safety challenges via CFD analysis and now through the flight tests using this 50% scaled CTOL prototype.”
Why it’s important: Samad’s Starling project has potential to result in commercializing the world’s first e-VTOL hybrid aircraft. The company’s CEO, Dr Seyed Mohammad Mohseni, praised his team’s resilience attributing this latest success to their, “striking and unparalleled dedication during unprecedented times.” Samad’s Chief Production Officer explains, “We believe passionately in our proven technology, Covid-19 threw a few challenges our way, but this passion fuels our determination, securing this success.” As explained by Samad’s Chief Technical Officer, Norman Wijker, “CTOL trials are an essential step towards VTOL aircraft development. Ticking off the CTOL flight capability is a crucial step towards the validation of all flight modes. With CTOL trials complete, we will begin hovering trials and the flight trials will be concluded by transition between hovering flight and aerodynamic flight in both directions.”
Source // Samad Aerospace press release
What China’s Aerial Mobility Policyscape Tells Us About Aerial Mobility Regulation
The General Office of the State Council of the PRC has recently issued a circular proposing to accelerate the strategic development of Urban Air Mobility (UAM) in China. The circular urges to bring the development of UAM into China’s National Strategies and to formulate relevant policies and standards to promote the healthy development of the industry, with the intent being...

What China’s Aerial Mobility Policyscape Tells Us About Aerial Mobility Regulation

The General Office of the State Council of the PRC has recently issued a circular proposing to accelerate the strategic development of Urban Air Mobility (UAM) in China. The circular urges to bring the development of UAM into China’s National Strategies and to formulate relevant policies and standards to promote the healthy development of the industry, with the intent being the accelerate the progress of China towards large scale, commercially deployed on demand aerial mobility operations.
The circular also included urges to speed up the legislative process and promulgation of the official Interim Measures for Flights Administration of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV). These measures intend to to establish a comprehensive regulatory mechanism for UAVs.
The circular also highlights the potential application of firefighting UAVs. It calls for establishing industrial standards and regulations to facilitate technological innovations that will promote industrial and practical applications of UAVs in aerial firefighting use cases – which indicates that companies such as EHang rightly have a seat at the table for these policymaking measures and are lobbying to attain provisions that benefit specific future use cases of the technology.
EHang’s Founder, Chairman and CEO, Huazhi Hu commented on the circular: “This circular issued by the State Council reflects the Chinese government’s great emphasis and strategic support for the new UAM industry. This will undoubtedly fuel the rapid development of UAM in China.”
Why it’s important: Integration of physical hardware on aircraft early on in the design process is crucial, and similarly, integration of policymaking is equally important to generate regulations that actually apply to the industry, are relevant, effective, and efficient in their guidance for deployment of larger scale operations. Where many regulations for fixed wing aircraft were established decades ago, the opportunity with aerial mobility to define again key regulations is a unique chance to create a dynamic but appropriate framework for the future. Authorities such as those in China are working away diligently, as are those in Europe and the United States. In a utopian sense, common regulation across national and continental boundaries would be the most relevant standardization of requirements, but it’s more than likely that differing political requirements and priorities would prevent such a scheme from ever coming to fruition.
Source // PR Newswire
AMSL Aero Reveals Full-Scale Prototype: Vertiia
AMSL Aero has unveiled the latest results of the development in their eVTOL aircraft, a full-scale prototype vehicle called the Vertiia. The Vertiia will be able to fly up to 800 km (500 miles) on hydrogen, and will start out as an air ambulance. Developed in conjunction with the University of Sydney and Mission Systems, AMSL Aero’s Vertiia is a...

AMSL Aero Reveals Full-Scale Prototype: Vertiia

AMSL Aero has unveiled the latest results of the development in their eVTOL aircraft, a full-scale prototype vehicle called the Vertiia. The Vertiia will be able to fly up to 800 km (500 miles) on hydrogen, and will start out as an air ambulance. Developed in conjunction with the University of Sydney and Mission Systems, AMSL Aero’s Vertiia is a transitioning multirotor eVTOL, with eight large propellers mounted on two wide carbon fiber poles extending from the upper tail and lower front of the fuselage. According to AMSL Aero, the Vertiia is rated to cruise at around 300 km/h (186 mph) and it’ll be piloted on debut, but will have autonomous capabilities built in, ready to come online when such things become legal.
The Vertiia will initially possess a range of around 250 km (155 miles) using battery-powered technology that’ll require long charges between flights. Eventually, AMSL Aero plans on extending the range to 800 km (500 miles) by replacing the batteries with a hydrogen powertrain, which will also enable quicker refueling.
The Vertiia’s first consumer will be CareFlight, an aeromedical company that looks to use eVTOL as an air ambulance, providing aerial access to remote communities may not have the ability to receive conventional medical aircraft. AMSL Aero plans to have the Vertiia commercially available by 2023.
Why it’s important: With the completion of a full-scale prototype, AMSL Aero has reached an important milestone in the development of the Vertiia, and can now begin flight tests in earnest. AMSL Aero has big plans for the Vertiia, aiming for both autonomous capability and hydrogen-powered flight in the future. While implementing these features as well as obtaining certification by 2023 will be no easy task, AMSL Aero’s current progress rate is an encouraging indicator of their future outlook.
Source // New Atlas
Airspeeder Powers Up its eVTOL Air Racer
Australian startup Airspeeder has been working on building an eVTOL ‘flying race car’ for several years. Now, after gaining many rounds of funding, several partnerships, and constructing multiple prototypes, the company is nearing completion of its full-scale air racer. The completed ‘Alauda MK4’ will be a single-seater, lightweight, manned racing aircraft capable of flying at speeds up to 130km/h (80mph),...

Airspeeder Powers Up its eVTOL Air Racer

Australian startup Airspeeder has been working on building an eVTOL ‘flying race car’ for several years. Now, after gaining many rounds of funding, several partnerships, and constructing multiple prototypes, the company is nearing completion of its full-scale air racer.
The completed ‘Alauda MK4’ will be a single-seater, lightweight, manned racing aircraft capable of flying at speeds up to 130km/h (80mph), up to 12 minutes per swappable battery. Airspeeder’s goal is to build momentum for the world of eVTOL by creating a high-speed racing grand prix series with its aircraft. Alauda MK4s will be equipped with Acronis cybersecurity software, which will allow for near-field head to head racing while preventing collisions.
In its latest developments, Airspeeder has hired Aaron Mourney, a new workshop technician, and Mitch Bannink as Chief Remote Pilot. The hiring of Bannink is particularly significant, as it indicates that Airspeeder is reaching the flight testing stage for the MK4. Airspeeder has already picked locations for its first air races, hoping to begin races as early as next year, and has even begun to seek out pilots to participate from backgrounds in military, civil UAV, motorsports and even E-Sports.

Airspeeder’s MK4 racer in the hangar
Why it’s important: Airspeeder is calling its MK4 aircraft the ‘Formula 1 of the skies’; as the intention of the air race series is push forward the industry of sustainable electric flight. The ultimate goal of Airspeeder is to make ‘flying cars’ a reality sooner rather than later, through the medium of motorsport, just as auto motorsport encouraged the development of affordable and accessible auto transport.
SkyDrive to Participate in Osaka-based Public-Private Roundtable
SkyDrive, a leader in aerial mobility development in Japan, has announced plans to participate in a public-private roundtable to realize aerial mobility in Osaka and the surrounding region. The company last week said in a press release that it plans to participate in an ongoing roundtable focusing on the implementation of a “moving revolution society” over the skies of Osaka...

SkyDrive to Participate in Osaka-based Public-Private Roundtable

SkyDrive, a leader in aerial mobility development in Japan, has announced plans to participate in a public-private roundtable to realize aerial mobility in Osaka and the surrounding region. The company last week said in a press release that it plans to participate in an ongoing roundtable focusing on the implementation of a “moving revolution society” over the skies of Osaka with a focus to bring eVTOL to the public by 2023.

A scale model of the SD-XX concept car | COURTESY OF SKYDRIVE / CARTIVATOR (Japanese eVTOL developer)
SkyDrive is a Japan’s leader in aerial mobility development, having already developed a single-seater prototype for its vehicles as well as concepts for future infrastructure. The company believes its participation in the roundtable will prove essential to raising awareness of its brand, and getting necessary investments from public/private stakeholders to realize its vision for the future of transportation.
The idea of a roundtable in Osaka was formed in December of 2018 by the Ministry of Economy and Trade and the Ministry of Land/Infrastructure/Transport/Tourism. Together, they expect aerial mobility to be a commercially viable industry and service to the public by 2023. Their stated priority is to provide aerial mobility services for urban transportation, tourism, medical treatment and disaster response.
At the roundtable’s inaugural ceremony, Mr. Hirofumi Yoshimura, the Governor of Osaka Prefecture, commented that, “Osaka, the bay area in particular, is suitable for the flying car business both geopolitically and as an economic hub. The spirit of Yatteminahare (Just do it) is valued in Osaka. Just get on with it.”

SkyDrive’s ‘flying car’ single passenger eVTOL prototype, which raised ¥3.9 Billion.
In it’s press release, SkyDrive commented, “We at SkyDrive see the Osaka-Kansai Japan World Expo 2025 as a milestone on the road toward the full-scale realization of an air mobility society and as such will aim to take a leading role in the upcoming roundtable conferences, seeking to drive forward the discussion and organize practical demonstrations of how flying cars work and can transform urban mobility. We intend to liaise with all concerned parties and make concrete proposals to contribute to the work of the Public-Private Conference of Japan and will strive to improve social acceptance of flying cars, in partnership with a group of stakeholders that we expect to include about 40 companies.”
Why it matters: 2020 has had no shortage of public/private partnership announcements. With the aerial mobility industry turning the corner on the technology requirements to realize eVTOL platforms, the next step will be getting buy-in from local and federal governments. Moving ahead, SkyDrive plans to work on its aerial mobility platform in collaboration with the national government, the Osaka prefecture, and other companies in the region.
Ampaire Flies Longest Route to Date for an Electric Aircraft
Ampaire is a Los Angeles-based company whose mission is to be the world’s most trusted developer of practical and compelling electric aircraft. To start, the company is retrofitting existing passenger aircraft to electric power – the quickest and most capital efficient approach to making commercial electric air travel a reality. Ampaire flew the largest hybrid electric aircraft at the time...

Ampaire Flies Longest Route to Date for an Electric Aircraft

Ampaire is a Los Angeles-based company whose mission is to be the world’s most trusted developer of practical and compelling electric aircraft. To start, the company is retrofitting existing passenger aircraft to electric power – the quickest and most capital efficient approach to making commercial electric air travel a reality. Ampaire flew the largest hybrid electric aircraft at the time in May 2019, and they have recently accomplished the longest flight to date for any commercially relevant aircraft employing electric propulsion, in this case a hybrid-electric propulsion system.
Ampaire’s Electric EEL, a six-seat Cessna 337 twin-engine aircraft modified with an electric motor in the nose and traditional combustion engine in the rear, took off from Camarillo Airport just north of Los Angeles at 12:20 PM. Test pilot Justin Gillen and Flight Test Engineer Russell Newman, flew up California’s Central Valley at 8,500 feet, landing at Hayward Executive Airport at 02:52 PM. Straight line distance was 292 statute miles, and the route as flown 341 statute miles.
Speed during the cruise portion of the 2 hour, 32-minute flight averaged around 135 mph. “The mission was a quite normal cross-country flight that we could imagine electrified aircraft making every day just a few years from now,” Gillen said.
This milestone in electric aviation took place after four weeks of flight testing in the Camarillo area for this second Electric EEL test aircraft, which first flew on September 10th. In that period, the aircraft flew over 30 hours during 23 flights, in 28 days, with 100% dispatch reliability. “Our success in taking this aircraft in a short period from the test environment to the normal, everyday operating environment is a testament to our development and test organization, and to the systems maturity we have achieved with our second aircraft,” said Ampaire General Manager Doug Shane. A former president of Scaled Composites, Shane is one of the world’s foremost experts on the development and flight testing of new aviation concepts.
The EEL flown to Hayward is dubbed the Hawaiʻi Bird, as it will take part later this year in a series of demonstration flights with Hawaiʻi-based Mokulele Airlines on its short-haul routes. The flight trials with Mokulele will not only demonstrate the capabilities of the EEL but will help to define the infrastructure required for wide adoption of electric aviation by airlines and airports. These flight demonstrations will mark the first time an electrically-powered aircraft has flown under an FAA “Market Survey” experimental aircraft certificate in order to gain real-world flight experience.
In Hayward, the aircraft will be partially disassembled for shipment to Hawaiʻi. The Hawaiʻi flight trials are funded in part by Elemental Excelerator, a global climate-tech accelerator based in Honolulu.
The Electric EEL can generate fuel and emissions savings up to 50 percent on shorter regional routes where the aircraft’s electrical propulsion unit can be run at high power settings, and generate savings of about 30 percent on longer regional routes such as the Camarillo to Hayward flight.
“The Electric EEL is our first step in pioneering new electric aircraft designs,” said Ampaire CEO Noertker. “Our next step will likely be a 19-seat hybrid electric retrofit program that will lower emissions and operating costs, benefiting regional carriers, their passengers and their communities.” Ampaire, with funding from NASA and others, is in the midst of design studies for such an aircraft based on the popular de Havilland Twin Otter aircraft. Ampaire has named the hybrid-electric 19-seater aircraft the Eco Otter SX.
Why it’s important: Ampaire’s strategic approach to retrofitting existing aircraft has allowed the company to rapidly progress in the development of its propulsion technology and demonstrate the potential for making commercial electric air travel a reality. The Los Angeles-based startup has achieved so in the most capital-efficient manner, and is well-positioned to continue its progress given its current partnerships and funding. As said by Ampaire General Manager Doug Shane, “the ability to put innovative electric technologies into the air rapidly in order to assess and refine them is central to Ampaire’s strategy to introduce low-emissions aircraft for regional airlines and charter operators within just a few years.”
Related: Ampaire To Electrify Caravan, Twin Otter
Source // Ampaire press release
How Iris Automation’s DAA Tech Could Make Aerial Mobility Safer
The concept of detect-and-avoid technology is not new or novel – but startup Iris Automation is drilling down to truly focus on what works and what doesn’t in efforts to develop an out-of-box system that’s readily applicable to commercial Part 107 drone operators, fixed wing aircraft, and aerial mobility operations of the future. The company’s mission, to “Make flying safer...

How Iris Automation’s DAA Tech Could Make Aerial Mobility Safer

The concept of detect-and-avoid technology is not new or novel – but startup Iris Automation is drilling down to truly focus on what works and what doesn’t in efforts to develop an out-of-box system that’s readily applicable to commercial Part 107 drone operators, fixed wing aircraft, and aerial mobility operations of the future. The company’s mission, to “Make flying safer by avoiding collisions” doesn’t include any specificity as to the means of accomplishing that goal, says CEO Jon Damush. Rather, the company is focusing their efforts on achieving their mission statement with the technology that is most adaptable for commercial drones, today.
At the core of Iris’ IP is their optical motion algorithm that can capture (using computer vision) the relative motion of objects that may be on interference paths with the subject drone/air taxi/etc. This algorithm is unique in that it can determine range using a single focal point. Traditionally, the triangulation of a focal point at a certain distance allows for range determination, similar to how the human eye works. In Iris’ case, though, this process is achieved through their proprietary algorithms that obtain useful values for range after capturing 1-2 seconds of data using a sample rate of around 10 frame/sec. After a trend is established, the Newtonian laws of motion do the rest – and can inform and alert the aircraft which the system is installed on of a collision risk. Such alerts could prevent aerial mobility aircraft to potential hazards and allow for their flight controllers to select an alternative flight path after coordination with airspace management and integration platforms.
Currently, Iris Automation’s Casia Detect and avoid (DAA) system has been implemented largely on commercial Part 107 drone operations for aerial survey and emergency medical response. In the future, this same technology could easily be installed on fixed wing aircraft (after obtaining TSO approval) or could even be used in a reverse configuration, with the camera system installed on a fixed point that then scan known targets to assess any potential interferences by unknown flying objects in a confined area. Iris CEO Damush also emphasized in an interview with TransportUP that another benefit of Iris’ technology is the ability to allow a single operator to effectively manage multiple aircraft concurrently, as attention may be divided while not sacrificing the situational awareness of a potential collision.
Iris is putting some bounds on their problem statement, as at this time the company is focused on the detection portion of DAA, and not on the interface between the sensed conflict aircraft and the flight control system; largely due to the complexity and variation in flight controller logic, stated Damush. For now, the company is delivering and improving on their Casia system in order to reach a larger range of aircraft, and also hosting conversations with manufacturers early on in the design process to develop integrated solutions where detect and avoid technology enters on the ground floor of clean sheet designs.
Certification of Casia on larger scale aircraft that already maintain type certificates from the FAA or other regulatory agencies would be via TSO authorizations (and eventual STC’s if applicable), but it’s unclear based on the currently available data how likely obtaining these approvals would be – of the total amount of drones registered in 2019 for commercial operations, the number of those then seeking additional BVLOS approval under Part 107 (flight beyond visual line of sight) was a mere 1.8%. BVLOS operations don’t necessary imply long range, rather, any operation condition where the operator cannot directly view the drone they’re operating. Such trends from regulating agencies on the rate of approval and related industry technological preparedness to support such operations are both reflective of technological maturity and operator organization.
Why it’s important: Iris Automation’s Casia detect and avoid system is poised for wider scale applications within the Part 107 drone industry, which boasted over 1.75 million new drone registrations in the year 2019 alone, around 25,000 of which were for commercial application. Aerial mobility stands to benefit from this technology, both from onboard integrated detection systems, and even potential ground-based systems that operate at vertiports to ensure airspace “safety nets” for a given location.
XTI Partners with VerdeGo Aero for Its Hybrid-Electric Cargo VTOL
XTI Aircraft, famous for developing the XTI TriFan 600 VTOL passenger aircraft, is now creating a smaller, logistics & cargo version of its aircraft using VerdeGo Aero’s propulsion solutions. Although both companies were originally developing their own eVTOL aircraft, VerdeGo transitioned to becoming a provider of IDEP (integrated distributed electric propulsion) systems in September of 2018. Since then, VerdeGo has become...

XTI Partners with VerdeGo Aero for Its Hybrid-Electric Cargo VTOL

XTI Aircraft, famous for developing the XTI TriFan 600 VTOL passenger aircraft, is now creating a smaller, logistics & cargo version of its aircraft using VerdeGo Aero’s propulsion solutions.
Although both companies were originally developing their own eVTOL aircraft, VerdeGo transitioned to becoming a provider of IDEP (integrated distributed electric propulsion) systems in September of 2018. Since then, VerdeGo has become a prominent leader in providing electric and hybrid-electric propulsion systems for new kinds of VTOL aircraft, and has formed partnerships with major industry players such as Seyer Industries and Continental Aerospace. Most recently, VerdeGo tested a production-ready version of its hybrid-electric powertrain, and optimized its diesel-hybrid generator for commercial applications.
VerdeGo’s partnership with XTI may be its most important yet. For several years, XTI has been working to develop the XTI TriFan 600, a passenger hybrid-electric VTOL with impressive passenger capacity and speed and range performance statistics. Now, XTI has chosen to extend its offerings by adding a smaller, autonomous, cargo & logistics aircraft called the TriFan 200. This may be a very wise move for the company as it will help their flight technology reach more market segments and applications. The TriFan 200 will be powered by VerdeGo’s diesel (Jet-A) hybrid-electric powertrain.

The XTI 200 cargo & logistics aircraft, interior and exterior. The aircraft will use VerdeGo’s diesel (Jet-A) hybrid-electric powertrain (left).
According to a recent press release by VerdeGo, XTI and VerdeGo’s collaboration on the TriFan 200 will lead to outstanding operational flexibility, operating economics, and mission capability. When the program reaches commercial development and certification, the TriFan 200 aircraft will be an unmanned autonomous aircraft capable of transporting 500 lbs of cargo on missions of more than 200 nautical miles. Said Robert Labelle, CEO of XTI, “The TriFan 200 aircraft will open up a significant new market for XTI to address the needs of cargo and logistics operators globally. We are excited to be partnered with VerdeGo to leverage their experience with hybrid powertrains combined with our experience from the TriFan 600
program to create an efficient, economical, profitable VTOL aircraft for fleet operators
worldwide.”

Rendering of the XTI TriFan 200 pre-flight
Why it’s important: As the era of electric and hybrid-electric VTOL aircraft inches closer to reality, it’s becoming apparent that initial use cases (especially for autonomy) will often be for cargo and logistics missions. The XTI TriFan 200 will fit this market need perfectly, allowing companies to move cargo far more quickly and efficiently than ever before. Specifically, the TriFan 200 will rapidly connect global air cargo hubs with distribution points throughout major cities, reducing the need for ground transportation of urgent deliveries. With this partnership, XTI furthers its market offerings, and VerdeGo Aero proves its capability to provide effective propulsion systems.
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