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Pipistrel’s electric airplane, the Velis Electro, will soon take flight as it prepares for its 700 km trip from Zurich to the North Sea island, Norderney, after obtaining type certification from the EASA. The Velis will fly a total of 700 km (435 miles) across Germany, and will look to break or match seven world records along the way. 

The Velis Electro is an all-electric 2-seater trainer aircraft, and is the upgrade over Pipistrel’s previous Alpha Electro aircraft. The plane possesses a top speed of 181 km/h (112 mph) and a service ceiling of 3,660 m (12,000 ft). As for its power capabilities, the Velis Electro runs on a 60 kW liquid-cooled electric motor running on a 345 VDC electrical system as well as two redundant parallel batteries providing a total of 24.8 kWh of energy, which serve to give the Velis a max range at around 100 km (62 miles), meaning that the airplane will need to recharge a minimum of six times during the trip. A normal recharge of the batteries (from 35% to 95%) takes around 1 hour and 20 minutes. A full recharge (30-100%) takes up to 2 hours.

Pipistrel’s team hopes to break the following records during the flight from Zurich to Norderney:

• Lowest energy consumption (kWh/100 km) over 700 km
• Highest average speed over 700 km (km/h)
• Highest altitude ever reached by an electric aircraft (metre above main sea level)
• Fastest climb performance from 0-1000m / 1000-2000m / 2000-3000m (m/s)
• Highest average speed over 100km (km/h)
• Lowest number of intermediate stops on 700km distance (number of stops)
• Longest electrically flown distance in 24 / 48 / 56 hours (km)

According to team member Marco Bulhozer, “Flying with kerosene is extremely harmful to the climate. Aviation currently accounts for around five percent of the global warming, and the trend is increasing. The emissions at high altitude are a particular problem that arise from air traffic. We want to show that there are alternatives, even if we don’t manage the whole route in one go, CO₂-neutral flying is already possible today! Most small planes fly distances shorter than 200 kilometers anyway, and you could do that electrically.”

Why it’s important: Electric flight is constantly improving, as both demand and innovation continue to head towards environmentally friendly methods of energy. Especially for aerial mobility, where providing transportation that is quick and environmentally friendly is one of its biggest draws,the Velis Electro’s flight can publicly demonstrate that there are alternatives methods of travel such as CO₂-neutral flying and how far electric technology has developed so far.

Source // Clean Technica

Lilium, the Munich-based aviation company developing an all-electric, vertical take-off and landing aircraft for regional air mobility, has agreed with both Dusseldorf Airport and Cologne/Bonn Airport to explore how the two airports can become hubs within a regional air mobility network spanning North Rhine-Westphalia. Lilium plans to establish regional air mobility as a new mode of transportation, using its fully electric, 5-seater aircraft by 2025.

Rendering of a possible vertiport at Cologne Bonn Airport (Copyright: CGN/Lilium)

The announcement was made this week in Dusseldorf in the presence of the Transportation Minister of North Rhine-Westphalia Hendrik Wüst. As the largest and most densely populated German state (18 million inhabitants), including ten cities with over 300,000 inhabitants, as well as more than 40 universities and colleges and four international trade fair locations, North Rhine-Westphalia is an ideal location for Lilium landing sites. The Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan area is the largest in Germany and the third largest in Europe. It now aims to become home to mobility in the third dimension.

North Rhine-Westphalia Transport Minister Hendrik Wüst explained: “What sounds like science fiction today may soon be reality. In the federal state with the highest mobility needs, smart ideas for better mobility are always welcome. We need all modes of transport in order to provide people with a convincingly diverse range of mobility options.“

He added: “North Rhine-Westphalia is a model region for the mobility of the future. We want digitally-networked mobility in North Rhine-Westphalia not only to be researched and developed, but also experienced as soon as possible. This is why we support and promote many future-oriented projects and research projects here in North-Rhine-Westphalia.”

As international traffic hubs with excellent connections to air, rail and road traffic, the two airports Cologne/Bonn and Dusseldorf are an ideal starting point for the development of networked mobility, which also includes air taxis.

“We are excited to bring our innovative service to North Rhine-Westphalia,” says Lilium COO Dr. Remo Gerber. “Cities such as Aachen, Bielefeld, Münster and Siegen will be directly connected to the region’s largest international airports within 30mins, providing emission-free, high-speed connectivity at an affordable price.”

Remo Gerber added: “North Rhine-Westphalia and its airports are ideal partners for us to implement this ambitious project of the future – we are grateful to receive this support from both the Ministry and our partners at the airports to implement our vision”.

Why it matters: Lilium’s partnership with Germany’s Transport Ministry will be crucial in making aerial mobility a reality in the region. The partnership will ensure the company has public sector support in recruiting talent, meeting with regulators, and garnering public support. Expect to see more partnerships like this one across the globe as manufacturers ready their prototypes for flight.

Source: Lilium

Airspeeder, an Australian startup that makes a single-seater racing quadcopter, has officially partnered with leading cyber protection firm Acronis for both technical and commercial support in upcoming air races.

Airspeeder, founded by entrepreneur Matt Pearson, has the vision of creating the world’s first electric flying car racing series using its MK4 racers. The company has been working towards this goal for multiple years, and hopes to host the first Airspeeder Grand Prix in 2021. Notably, the company has already received backing from several major investors, including DHL and investment firm Equals.

Rendering of an Airspeeder MK4 in flight

Acronis, a global leader in data solutions and cyber security, will ensure the data security for the LiDAR and Machine Vision technology that will deliver safe close-distance racing. Essentially, ‘virtual force-fields’ will be created around each aircraft to ensure safety against collisions, and Acronis will ensure that these systems remain secure. Acronis will also help to help manage the massive amount of data involved in the air races that will help improve performance and safety in many areas. The partnership with Acronis is especially strategic since Acronis already has experience in data management and security for Formula One auto racing.

“Acronis’ place at the leading edge of innovation in data management perfectly aligns with Alauda and Airspeeder’s vision to accelerate a mobility revolution through close sporting competition. Our proven, integrated approach to providing easy, efficient, reliable and secure cyber protection for all data, applications and systems, will help Airspeeder to enhance their performance on the air track and in the back office. We look forward to delivering on the promise of a true next generation technical and sporting proposition.”  – Jan-Jaap Jager, the Board Advisor and Senior Vice President at Acronis.

Why it’s important: According to Airspeeder, its big-picture mission is to help accelerate the progress of eVTOL technology as a whole through racing competitions. It hopes that introducing this technology to the world in a racing context will accelerate both public acceptance and technological advancement, ‘hasting the arrival of eVTOL aircraft as a means of zero-emission aerial transportation’. This latest partnership with Acronis is especially significant as it adds an extra layer of validity to the upcoming future of air racing.

Related:

• Alauda Plans to Race Two Airspeeder Flying Cars in South Australia
• Alauda Airspeeder Flies at Goodwood Festival of Speed
• Drone Champions AG Flies Aerobatics with a Manned Racing Drone

teTra Aviation, winner of the $100,000 Pratt & Whitney Disruptor Award at Boeing’s GoFly personal flight contest in February, has recently partnered with Yoshimasu Seisakusho in a capital and business partnership that will have Yoshimasu investing 50 million yen (~$470,000) in the University of Tokyo aviation startup. 

The teTra 3

After winning the Disruptor Award for their single passenger hybrid eVTOL aircraft design, teTra now secures an additional investor in Yoshimasu, a Tokyo-based aircraft engine part manufacturer. Yoshimasu will also aid the startup in developing titanium and aluminum components that need to withstand high temperatures. Details are limited on teTra’s aircraft, known as the teTra 3, but the company plans to commercialize the product in the U.S. by 2021. 

teTra, led by a doctoral student at the University of Tokyo Tasuku Nakai, is notably the first Japanese company to receive a test flight permit for an eVTOL vehicle from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration. 

The GoFly Prize is sponsored by Boeing, Pratt & Whitney, as well as more than 20 national and international aviation and innovation organizations. All teams participating in the competition have also benefited from the guidance and expertise of a dedicated Mentors and Masters program.

Why it’s important: teTra Aviation takes their next step after taking the Disruptor Award from the GoFly competition. Securing Yoshimashu’s partnership presents a good milestone for teTra, and indicates a strong future for the Japanese startup in the aerial mobility industry. 

Source // Nikkei Asian Review

Pipstrel has begun accepting orders for its Nuuva series of cargo eVTOL aircraft this week. The flagship model dubbed the Nuuva V300 is a long range/large capacity autonomous eVTOL vehicle optimized for aerial cargo delivery. The cargo vehicle will be able to carry up to 460kg of payload while offering operators with low costs and high efficiency.

The large cargo compartment accepts up to 3 Euro-pallets (EPAL) that can be easily loaded with a regular forklift. The Nuuva V300 then flies a preloaded flight plan fully autonomously, controlled by a highly reliable digital flight control system. Continuous communication allows the ground operator, who manages the vehicle with simple mouse-clicks, to have ultimate control in case of changes or cancellation of the flight.

Nuuva V300 takes-off and lands using eight independent battery-powered Pipistrel E-811 electric engines (already Type Certified). The whole system is safeguarded by the integrated health self‑monitoring system that alerts of any potential malfunction even before it occurs, increasing the reliability and safety.

Nuuva V300 can be customized for a wide range of missions. For operators that prioritize longer range, the vehicle’s payload capacity and anti-ice capabilities can be traded for more usable fuel, being able to transport 50-kg payload for as far as 2,500 km – all this without compromising the ability to take-off and land vertically from altitudes as high as 8,000 ft. At lower take-off altitudes and with shorter mission requirements, the payload can be increased to up to 460 kg.

The smaller sibling of the Nuuva family, the V20, shares the same architecture and advantages of the larger V300 but is designed as a lightweight cargo courier carrying payloads of up to 20 kg. First customers will be able to take deliveries as early as 2021. Expect to see this variant used in final mile delivery services, while the V300 offers intra/intercity transport of cargo goods.

The company is currently targeting an entry into service in late 2023 for the Nuuva V300.

Why it matters: Autonomous eVTOL operation is a excellent opportunity to fully leverage the benefits of aerial mobility with its combination of leveraged technology and pilot-less operation. Pipstrel’s Nuuva series cargo eVTOL prototype will be able to carry large quantities of cargo a long distance to customers while reducing costs all around the value chain.

(JORDAN STEAD / Amazon)

In Summer of last year, Amazon received approval from the FAA to begin testing its drones in major cities like San Diego. Today, Amazon now has received official Part 135 approval to begin operating commercial deliveries on a trial basis.

According to the FAA itself, this ruling will allow Amazon to “safely and efficiently deliver packages to customers”. Most notably, this decision will allow Amazon to operate its drones (autonomously) outside of the visual line of sight, a permission not given to other kinds of drone operators.

Amazon has been developing its ‘Prime Air’ delivery service since as early as 2013, when it first posited the idea of autonomous delivery by drone in order to promote the possibility of same-day delivery for even more of its offered products. Quick delivery is a core competitive advantage of Amazon’s value proposition to customers as a company, so the implementation of ideas like Prime Air are what will allow it to stay on top of the market in years to come. Since 2013, Amazon has focused on overcoming both technological and regulatory hurdles, and today it took one step closer to its eventual goals.

The company’s drone concept aircraft has also come a long way since its inception. The original design followed a multi-copter model similar to many recreational drones of the time. The new version of the drone, unveiled last year, features a hexagonal body which also serves as a fixed-wing, allowing for more efficient horizontal flight. According to Amazon, the new drone should have a 15 mile range, carry packages up to 5 pounds, and make 15 mile journeys in under 30 minutes.
Watch flight footage of Amazon’s delivery drone below:

Notably, Amazon is not the first aspiring drone delivery company to receive commercial certification. In April of last year, Google X Project spin-off Wing also received commercial certification to operate in deliveries in Virginia, and UPS has also been trialing Matternet’s drones to transport medical supplies in North Carolina.

Why it’s important: Although Amazon is not the first aspiring drone delivery company to receive commercial certification, it is by far the largest, making this latest announcement very significant. Operating commercial deliveries by drone on such a large scale could do much to open up the skies for all kinds of aerial mobility by pushing forward flight hardware, airspace management technologies, government regulation, and even public acceptance.

BAE Systems is designing a series of power sources that will replace or reduce the need for combustion engines in modern aircraft. According to a BAE Systems press release from August 27th, “[BAE is] pairing flight controls with our aircraft power management and energy systems. Our teams are at work and expect to have operational prototypes of aircraft electrification systems for urban air mobility and regional transport jets later this year.” The press release also notes BAE Systems’ recent partnerships with Jaunt Air Mobility and Wright Electric, which hint at the types of systems that could possibly be revealed in greater detail in a few months.

“We need smarter, cleaner travel now more than ever. Greenhouse gases are on the rise and populations are growing at a rapid pace. This has cities turning to cleaner forms of public transportation on the ground, in the water, and soon enough – in the air. The first of these next-generation electric flights is set to take off in just a few years with urban air mobility aircraft. ”

“With decades of expertise in electric propulsion and flight electronics, BAE Systems is ready to help these small electric aircraft take off, by designing a series of power sources that will replace or reduce the need for an aircraft’s typical combustion engine.”

While the new electric systems have not yet been finished, BAE Systems is confident that when released, each system will massively cut gas emissions and help save on fuel costs. One of the main reasons for doing so is to combat the increased congestion of traffic around the world. BAE Systems hopes that with their new electric power and propulsion systems, it would form a new method of commute that would reduce car traffic and therefore reduce emissions.

To successfully design these systems, BAE Systems has almost 30 years of experience in aircraft electric actuation systems, and their technology has been adopted by  the transit bus industry, sending nearly 12,000 buses around the world with electric power. “The flight controls leverage more than 40 years of investment in innovation and have flown on a variety of aircraft.” BAE System’s work in their electric power systems will most definitely improve current battery technology, allowing for aircraft that will last for millions of total travel miles. 

“The path ahead is uncharted, but BAE Systems is in familiar territory. When the company first created an electric actuation system for aircraft nearly three decades ago it was ahead of its time. Now, it is ready once again to turn science fiction into reality.”

“[BAE Systems’] electrification technology quickly found a place in the transit bus industry and is now on more than 12,000 buses around the world. “

Source // BAE Systems Press Release

SkyDrive, an aerial mobility aircraft developer backed by Toyota, has officially released footage of its SD-03 aircraft in flight with a passenger/pilot on board. The company also simultaneously announced a massive Series B fundraising round from the Bank of Japan and other investors.

SkyDrive’s SD-03 aircraft is a single-person small aircraft, meant as a personal commuter vehicle for the ‘skyways’ of the future. It is piloted by the sole passenger (rather than autonomous), and is powered by four sets of counter-rotating propellers. The current version of the SD-03 has only a ten minute flight time, but SkyDrive intends to increase that time to thirty minutes in order to expand the potential of the aircraft.

Until now, SkyDrive has been fairly quiet about its progress, but this latest release marks a major step forward for the company, which hopes to allow sales of its flying vehicles in Japan by 2023. According to SkyDrive, it is already working with the Japanese government on developing a plan for regulations and airspace management, making safety its top priority. Japan hopes to allow these vehicles for business use by 2023, and for commercial use by 2030. Read more about Japan’s plan for aerial mobility here.

In addition to the unveiling of its aircraft, SkyDrive also announced a major fundraising round from several major investors. The biggest of these is the Bank of Japan, but other investors include the Itochu Corporation,
ENEOS Innovation Partners, LLC Obayashi Corporation, Energy & Environment Investment, Inc., STRIVE, Inc.,
Sumitomo Mitsui Finance and Leasing Company, Limited, and more. In total, these investments come to ¥3.9 Billion, the equivalent of $37 million USD.

Said Mr. Yuki TAKEMORI, at the Innovation Promotion Office of the Bank of Japan:
“The “eVTOL” business is a harbinger of revolution in the sky. We are a step closer to what seemed like a distant dream now that (these) new companies have joined forces. The Bank of Japan will work with the stakeholders to help SkyDrive become a company that is widely embraced by public by staying tuned to its commitment to realize a secure, safe and comfortable social infrastructure”.

Said Tomohiro FUKUZAWA, CEO of SkyDrive:
“We want to realize a society where flying cars are an accessible and convenient means of transportation in the skies and people are able to experience a safe, secure, and comfortable new way of life. We also aspire to develop markets around the world, in collaboration with our partner companies, so that an urban air mobility society with aircraft supplied by SkyDrive becomes a reality not only in Japan but also across the globe.”

The SkyDrive SD-03 in Flight

EHang has announced it has been selected to join Ambular, an international project endeavoring to develop a flying ambulance for medical emergency use.  Supported by the International Civil Aviation Organization (“ICAO”), the project also seeks to inspire the global aviation community to unleash the potential of eVTOL (electric vertical takeoff and landing) aircraft.

The Ambular project was the outcome of the ICAO’s exploration of the future of aviation in late 2017. The ICAO recognized the possible use of AAVs for extremely rapid medical transport.

As the first company in the world to launch and commercialize passenger-grade AAVs, which achieved a new milestone in the deployment and proliferation of Urban Air Mobility (“UAM”), EHang will contribute the necessary hardware (such as rotors and motors) to the Ambular project, thus driving  research and development of the power component of the aircraft.

EHang’s expertise and experience in using AAVs for emergency response is also expected to significantly accelerate development of the project.  For example, in February 2020, EHang’s two-seat passenger-grade AAV, the EHang 216, served as an air ambulance to transport medical supplies and personnel to a hospital during the COVID-19 outbreak in China, which currently relies mainly on ambulances or helicopters.  In line with the Company’s focus on social responsibility, EHang continues to explore the use of AAVs to solve challenges in emergency response, such as flood rescue, forest firefighting and high-rise firefighting.

EHang Founder, Chairman and CEO, Huazhi Hu said, “We are excited to join the ICAO-supported Ambular project, where we can work with industry leaders to fulfill the mission of ‘saving critical minutes’ in emergencies.  This can demonstrate the great value of UAM to society.  We see that UAM has the potential to materially improve transportation and have a positive impact on peoples’ lives.  Safety, smart cities, cluster management and eco-friendliness form the fundamental tenets for a modern UAM ecosystem.  The development of UAM systems will create a viable alternative to existing ground transportation.”

For more information about the Ambular project, visit the website: http://ambular.org/.

Why it matters: Emergency response is an interesting application for eVTOL technologies which could disrupt the ambulance industry. Saving minutes in life-saving situations could provide the business case necessary to justify the use of aerial mobility and this partnership paves the way to making air ambulance services via eVTOL a possibility.

Vertical Aerospace, a prevalent UK-based eVTOL developer, has just released its long-awaited new air taxi design. The company advertises that its new vehicle will be able to “reduce your journey time by over 80% and eliminate air pollution by flying above the traffic.”

According to Vertical Aerospace, the VA-1X will soon be taken through certification with EASA in Europe, and is on course to start commercial flights in 2024.

The VA-1X has been designed to be a high performing aircraft, able to connect entire regions as well as carrying out shorter missions across single cities. Capable of carrying up to five people, a pilot and four passengers, Vertical hopes for the VA-1X to be the world’s first certified winged all-electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing (eVTOL) aircraft. Build will begin shortly, with manufacturing taking place in the UK near Vertical’s headquarters in Bristol.  

With the redesign of its vehicle, Vertical has placed an emphasis on the principles of safety, experience, sustainability, noise reduction, and range. The new design is a substantial departure from Vertical’s previous design, the Seraph, which employed twelve overhead propellers in a multi-rotor fashion to lift a maximum of 550 lbs at speeds up to 50 mph. Shifting toward a far more efficient design with vectored thrust and numerous control surfaces, Vertical has chosen to undertake a more complicated project that will prove difficult to certify, but may have more transport applications than their previous aircraft design.

The VA-1X will feature a 150 mph with a useable range of up to 100 miles, meaning passengers could travel from London to Brighton in approximately half an hour, compared to two hours driving, or an hour by train. It will be completely emissions-free, and certified to the same safety standards as traditional commercial jetliners. Vertical expects initial flight prices to fall somewhere in between a private car trip and a chartered helicopter flight.

Vertical Aerospace’s website elaborates on the features and specifications we can expect to see from the first build of the VA-1X.

The mission of Vertical’s air taxi is to connect entire regions as well as carrying out shorter missions across single cities. The VA-1X is optimized for longer-range flights to take full advantage of the tilt-rotor’s efficient cruise, and its design also fits the “common reference models” released by the Uber in 2017 to help manufacturers meet their ecosystem’s design requirements. However, the two have not made public any discussion on collaboration at this time. Head of Uber Elevate, Eric Allison, responded to the Twitter reveal with positive support, so the stage has been set for a potential partnership down the line as Vertical progresses with a physical manifestation of the aircraft.

Said Michael Cervenka, CEO, Vertical Aerospace:
“eVTOL technology will revolutionize travel, combining the safety of commercial airlines with the disruptive environmental and cost benefits of the electrification of flight. With the launch of the VA-1X, we’re proud to be taking eVTOL one step
closer to mass-market adoption, and supporting the next era of aviation. At Vertical Aerospace we believe that people should be able to quickly and affordably get from A to B without sacrificing the planet – with the VA-1X, this vision will start to be realized in under five years.”

Why it’s important: With no physical prototype yet constructed, Vertical recognizes that it must move quickly to gain EASA type certification and production approval for the VA-1X in support of beginning commercial operations by 2024. To support this timeline, the company plans to forgo sub-scale prototyping and move straight to a full-scale build of the aircraft — with testing of individual systems, such as propellers. Fortunately, suppliers including Honeywell and Dassault Systems’ cloud-based 3DEXPERIENCE have already been working with Vertical as its development program nears the manufacturing phase.

Related:

• Vertical Aerospace eVTOL to be Equipped with Latest Honeywell Flight Deck Technology
• Vertical Aerospace Selects 3DEXPERIENCE for Product Lifecycle Management

Source // Vertical Aerospace; Aviation Today