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Japanese-based eVTOL maker, SkyDrive, this week announced it has received its first order from a private party of its SD-05 two-seat eVTOL. The SD-05 has already received numerous orders from commercial operators since its unveiling last year, but the first order comes from long-time SkyDrive investor, Kotaro Chiba.

Chiba has invested in SkyDrive since 2018 and is the co-founder and managing director of DRONE FUND. DRONE FUND is a venture capital firm that focuses on drone technology and advanced air mobility (AAM) industry which aims to develop these technologies globally. Chiba is an angel investor with over 60 start-ups as well as 50 venture capital funds experience.

Chiba said “In 2018, I was captivated by SkyDrive’s vision of the future and its innovative aircraft, fueling my dream of flying cars. Upon seeing the company’s first prototype, I was convinced that my dream was finally within reach, and I enthusiastically made the decision to invest in SkyDrive. Driven by my passion for the first flying car of the future, I obtained my private pilot license. Since then, SkyDrive has conducted successful crewed test flights and applied for type certification, further solidifying my confidence in the team’s ability to make the dream a reality. I eagerly anticipate the exciting adventures that lie ahead in the skies with SD-05.”

Tomohiro Fukuzawa, Founder & CEO of SkyDrive Inc., said “Since we unveiled the design of our SD-05 in September 2022, we have received numerous inquiries, not only from companies but also from private individuals. As we aim to create a future where everyone has access to eVTOLs as their daily transportation, we understand that it is important that we have an option for individuals to own their aircraft. We received inquiries from Mr. Chiba more than once and we are truly grateful that he confirmed the pre-order as the first individual owner right after we decided to receive pre-orders from individuals. We will develop fully automated aircraft in the future and further promote the realization of a society where everyone utilizes the sky for daily transportation.”

SkyDrive did not disclose the terms of the new personal-use preorder agreements, including whether or not they are backed by a down payment. The company has also not revealed the purchase price for the SD-05 vehicle, which it aims to start delivering in 2025.

Why it matters: Owner-operator arrangements for eVTOL aircraft offer private owners access to aerial mobility and true freedom to travel with fewer limitations than those placed on commercial operators. With deliveries starting in 2025, SkyDrive continues to be one of the leading eVTOL makers to market and has built a strong order book and recently secured an additional round of Series C funding.

Source: SkyDrive Press Release

Salt Lake City, UT – Altaport, a leading developer of airport and heliport automation systems, has announced strategic partnerships with market leaders and innovators in the aerial mobility industry to act as a systems integrator for eVTOL vertiports. These partnerships will enable Altaport to combine multiple critical systems into a single platform, facilitating the safe and efficient handling of high-volume ground operations for eVTOL and cargo drones. The collaborations augment Altaport’s existing system functionalities and reflect the company’s commitment to providing comprehensive vertiport management solutions for the future of electric aviation.

Ultimately, Altaport, in partnership with key service providers, aims to build the future of aerial mobility by serving as a platform for collaboration between public and private entities in the advanced air mobility ecosystem for vertiport infrastructure.

To this end, Altaport will develop a VAS (Vertiport Automation System) product, able to be integrated in Vertiports throughout the world.

Altaport has partnered with key market leaders and innovators in the aerial mobility ecosystem, including TruWeather, Electro.Aero, Fortem, 1200.aero, ResilienX, and Moonware. These partnerships will augment Altaport’s existing system functionalities, which include resource scheduling, ground service provisioning, passenger management, and vehicle charging. The new partners bring expertise in areas such as low altitude micro-weather, ADS-B, FOD detection, airspace incursion sensors, ground handling operations, and charging solutions for the electrified future of air mobility.

Said Robert Carroll, Altaport co-founder: “We are pleased to be working side-by-side with our partners to build the future of mobility. The advanced air mobility ecosystem will require massive coordination between sophisticated public and private entities. Altaport, in partnership with key service providers, has an important role to play as a platform for collaboration.”

Altaport’s current digital tools are currently used by heliport and airport managers worldwide to orchestrate ground operations. In addition to the new partnerships, Altaport also has an existing partnership with Volatus to provide the digital components of their vertiport solutions.

With these strategic partnerships, Altaport is well-positioned to continue developing their advanced Vertiport Automation System (VAS) and prepare infrastructure managers to meet the demands of the budding eVTOL aerial mobility industry.

Why it’s important: Altaport’s VAS system, along with its partners’ technologies, will provide essential functionalities for managing high-volume, highly autonomous ground operations at vertiports, including resource scheduling, ground service provisioning, passenger management, and vehicle charging. These partnerships also provide real-time visibility into factors that affect vertiport operations, such as weather, airspace awareness, and system health monitoring. Altaport’s existing deployment in Brazil and upcoming expansion to Latin America and North America lay the foundation for an advanced air mobility ground infrastructure network to support the launch of eVTOL operations.

BLADE, provider of Air Mobility services worldwide, has recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding agreement with Jaunt Air Mobility to bring Jaunt’s eVTOL aircraft to India for commercial operations.

Above: Rendering of Jaunt’s Journey aircraft with BLADE branding

BLADE currently operates major helicopter and private jet flights on-demand in urban locations throughout the world, providing the most accessible urban air mobility solution to date. Already, Blade’s prices near UberX prices in New York locations. With the introduction of EVAs (electric vertical aircraft), urban flight will become even more affordable.

With this new agreement, Blade India has agreed to work with Jaunt Air Mobility, a key developer of a unique eVTOL aircraft, to launch electric vertical air mobility networks in India starting in 2027. The MoU states Blade’s intention to purchase 150 Jaunt Journey aircraft, with an option to order another 100 aircraft to meet projected demand.

Currently, India represents the third-large aviation market in the world. Said Amit Dutta, Managing Director of BLADE India: “With its vast expanse and increasing congestion, India is one of the biggest markets in the world for AAM solutions. With BLADE’s first mover advantage in nurturing the Urban Air Mobility ecosystem in India and Jaunt’s technical expertise, this partnership is well poised to pioneer the transition to electric and revolutionize the transportation system.”

Simon Briceno, Chief Commercial Officer for Jaunt, commented: “We are thrilled to partner with an exceptional BLADE India team to pursue the launch of a new form of urban air travel in India and the subcontinent region. ur collaboration with BLADE India and our clear path towards aircraft certification means that the Indian public will soon be able to benefit from the development of a new safe, affordable, and accessible mode of transportation”

According to Jaunt, it’s aircraft design will offer the safety, flexibility, comfort, and efficiency benefits of a helicopter combined with those of a fixed wing airplane, at a fraction of the operational and maintenance costs, all with zero emissions and a very low noise profile.

Branching out to electric air mobility has been part of BLADE’s roadmap for several years now, with plans to augment and eventually possibly entirely replace helicopter routes with all-electric vertical aircraft. To this end, it has also made agreements with Beta Technologies, Boeing’s Wisk, Jet Linx, and EmbraerX’s EVE.

Through this partnership, Jaunt and also will work with Blade to help develop the necessary infrastructure and customer-facing experiences for electric air mobility in India. This will include the introduction of charging infrastructure, as well as use Blade’s existing short haul operational routes in India to integrate the Jaunt Journey.

Why it’s important:

With this agreement, BLADE adds yet another eVTOL maker to its ever-growing list of partners. By cornering the existing market for on-demand helicopter transportation, BLADE has made itself the forerunning company for eVTOL operations going forward, as many of its existing routes and operations can be replaced with eVTOL to save on operating and maintenance costs, and increase demand.

In addition, this agreement markes a major partnership for Jaunt Air Mobility, who has been working on the goal of signing commercial operator agreements with transportation providers globally. Jaunt has already also made partnerships in South Korea and Latin America. It’s partnership with Blade is one of its most significant to date, providing the company with clear and high-potential path to market in India.

Source // BLADE Air Mobility, Global NewsWire

Related:

• BETA and Blade complete first piloted eVTOL flight in New York area
• EmbraerX’s Eve to Provide BLADE with up to 60 eVTOL Aircraft
• Jaunt and MintAir partner to launch aerial mobility service in South Korea
• L&T Technology Services is Awarded $100 million to Manufacture Jaunt Air Mobility Aircraft

South Korean Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) developer PLANA, led by CEO Branden J. Kim, has officially established its U.S. branches in Silicon Valley and Irvine, California.

The establishment of these offices is to facilitate the FAA certification process of the company’s AAM aircraft and expand into the global markets. The company will also continue to partner with other American companies to expand the ecosystem for its AAM aircraft.  

FAA certification is a process that verifies the airworthiness of all parts, including design, as well as the type and production qualification of the airframe as a passenger aircraft. In the U.S., electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft are also required to meet the safety standards applicable to large transport class aircraft, and all certification processes must be completed before the product can be marketed and exported to the US and other countries.  

“FAA certification is one of the most important processes for companies in the aerospace industry,” said Braden J. Kim, CEO of PLANA. “With the establishment of the U.S. subsidiary, we plan to increase our interactions in the newly created AAM market as well as FAA certification.”

PLANA is a hybrid-electric AAM aircraft company in South Korea. PLANA is developing an aircraft that uses sustainable aviation fuel in its turbogenerator-based serial hybrid powertrain, and thereby reduces carbon dioxide emissions by more than 80% compared to existing helicopters. Its aircraft can operate over 500km with 5 people including a pilot. The company is currently conducting test flights and verification of a scaled-down aircraft that is 1/5 the size of an actual aircraft and plans to participate in the Grand Challenge (K-UAM) demonstration project conducted by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport in the second half of this year.

Further, last month PLANA signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with South Korean Low-Cost Carrier (LCC) Jeju Air to create and commercialize an AAM ecosystem.

Related:

• Jeju Island to launch first South Korean air taxi routes by 2025
• Jaunt and MintAir partner to launch aerial mobility service in South Korea

Why it’s important: PLANA acknowledges the criticality of certifying its aircraft in the United States with the FAA, as it will unlock a vast market for commercial AAM operations. This move is a strategic play toward that effort, and will work synergistically with its local efforts to develop an aerial mobility network in popular tourist destinations such as Jeju Island. PLANA is joining two heavily-active areas in the AAM industry in California, with Archer, Wisk, and others based in Silicon Valley, as well as Supernal based in Irvine.

The Association for Uncrewed Vehicle Systems (AUVSI) selected Near Earth Autonomy as an Xcellence in Mission – Humanitarian Award Finalist on April 7th out of a pool of 100 candidates.

The AUVSI Xcellence Awards were held in Pittsburgh, PA to honor individuals and organizations that are innovators in the uncrewed systems industry, with a demonstrated commitment to advancing autonomy, leading and promoting safe adoption of uncrewed systems, and developing programs that use these technologies to save lives and improve the human condition.  

Near Earth develops technology enabling uncrewed aircraft across of various scales to autonomously take off, fly, and land, without requiring GPS. Near Earth partnered with L3Harris to develop a safe and efficient method for autonomous just-in-time, long distance, precise delivery of blood and critical medical supplies to warfighters in contested, unprepared, maritime, and confined environments. 

Near Earth integrated their autonomy technology with the L3Harris FVR-90 fixed-wing, vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) gas-electric hybrid aircraft designed for long endurance flight (12-18 hours), and temperature-regulated blood transportation containers. In test and demonstration events, Near Earth’s system guided aircraft from take-off to hazard avoidance and safe delivery at the point of need. Over 30 autonomous land-based deliveries and 10 ship deck landings have been successfully  completed to date.  

“I’m confident that Near Earth Autonomy’s autonomous blood delivery work will positively impact how we support forward care providers in future military and civilian  settings,” said Nathan Fisher, Division Chief of Medical Robotics and Autonomous Systems at the Telemedicine and Advanced Technology Research Center. “This technology provides a lifeline in austere settings, sustaining life in the critical window between injury and when more advanced care is available.”  

Why it’s important: AUVSI’s recognition of Near Earth Autonomy’s work in the humanitarian space highlights some potential future use cases for the aerial mobility industry, as work is already underway on logistical supporting roles within the medical industry. In the future, air ambulances could also be eVTOL aircraft that feature quicker dispatch times and even possibly reduced crew requirements to increase efficiency of response in the most crucial of medical emergency or evacuation scenarios.

London, UK – Vertical Aerospace, the pioneering British electric aircraft company, has been awarded Design Organisation Approval (DOA) by the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) for its VX4 eVTOL aircraft. This significant milestone brings Vertical Aerospace one step closer to achieving Type Certification for its cutting-edge aircraft, as the DOA signals the government’s confidence for design of a safe and reliable aircraft.

The DOA is the first of its kind to be granted by the CAA for an eVTOL aircraft, making Vertical Aerospace a trailblazer in the aerial mobility industry. This authorization allows the company to conduct design activities and issue design approvals, demonstrating its commitment to meeting stringent safety and regulatory standards.

In order to obtain the DOA, Vertical Aerospace underwent a comprehensive assessment by the CAA, which evaluated the company’s procedures, quality management system, technical workforce competence, and facilities and equipment. This recognition from the CAA reflects Vertical Aerospace’s dedication to ensuring safety is at the core of its VX4 eVTOL aircraft.

The VX4 is a piloted eVTOL aircraft with a capacity of four passengers and a range of 100+ miles (160km). Vertical Aerospace conducted a successful maiden flight of a prototype VX4 with a tether in September last year, and the current flight test program aims to test higher altitudes, speeds, and the transition from vertical to horizontal flight for the first time.

Stephen Fitzpatrick, the founder and CEO of Vertical Aerospace, expressed his excitement about the DOA, stating, “Vertical is the first British electric aircraft company in history to receive a DOA from the UK aviation regulator. This approval is a critical step forward in our mission to decarbonize air travel and bring the UK’s first electric aircraft to market.”

Vertical Aerospace has also initiated the certification process for the VX4 in Japan, with the Japan Civil Aviation Bureau’s (JCAB) acceptance of the VX4’s validation program. The company has secured 100 VX4 pre-orders through leasing firm Avolon, with Japan Airlines, and 200 pre-orders with Japanese conglomerate Marubeni Corporation.

In addition to working towards Type Certification with the CAA and validations with the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in the USA, Vertical Aerospace is also in discussions with the National Civil Aviation Agency of Brazil for the VX4’s future validation program.

Paul Harper, Vertical Aerospace’s head of certification, praised the achievement, saying, “Receiving a DOA from the CAA is a huge testament to our team and the hard work we are doing to ensure safety is at the core of the VX4. It represents a significant milestone on our journey to Type Certification and we would like to thank the CAA for their guidance and continued support. I believe that in formally working with JCAB, as the fourth aviation regulator Vertical is committed to certifying with, we are on track for establishing the most detailed understanding of global regulators’ needs and differences for eVTOLs. This will give us a competitive edge in bringing the VX4 into service.”

Vertical Aerospace’s DOA from the CAA, along with its ongoing efforts towards international certifications and partnerships, demonstrates the company’s dedication to leading the way in the development of electric aerial mobility and contribute to the decarbonization of air travel.

Why it’s important:

Vertical Aerospace’s recent Design Organisation Approval (DOA) from the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) for its VX4 eVTOL aircraft marks a pioneering achievement in the aerial mobility industry, as it is the first of its kind awarded by the CAA for an electric aircraft. The DOA signifies Vertical Aerospace’s capability to design a safe and reliable aircraft, and brings the company closer to achieving Type Certification, a crucial milestone for commercial operation. Vertical Aerospace’s global approach to aerial mobility, as demonstrated by its partnerships with international aviation regulators, highlights its commitment to becoming a leader in the emerging eVTOL market and advancing electric vertical aviation as a sustainable transportation solution.

Volocopter has announced this week the opening of its production facilities in Bruchsal, Germany. The facility includes final assembly lines and area on the airfield to conduct flight tests and pre-delivery quality checks. Volocopter stated in a press release that they have obtained regulatory approvals to produce up to 50 VoloCity aircraft each year.

Volocopter has held a production certificate with EASA since 2021 and the approvals cover the entire VoloCity production process including manufacture of carbon fiber components, assembly of the electric propulsion unit, and final assembly.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony was held on 4 April 2023 at the Bruchsal facility. The event also featured a crewed flight of the Volocopter 2X. Key guests included Dr. Volker Wissing, Federal Minister of Digital Affairs and Transport; Mr. Winfried Kretschmann, Minister of the State of Baden-Württemberg; Dr. Anna Christmann, Federal Government Coordinator for German Aerospace Policy; and upward of 70 business and political representatives.

“Right here is where the aircraft that will change how humanity moves about cities will take off and make its way across the world. This region is known for transforming mobility – the bicycle, the car, and soon Volocopter, too. Electric air taxis and Volocopter in particular is a technology made in Germany that will make the world a more sustainable place,” said Dirk Hoke, CEO of Volocopter.

“Germany is already a world leader in the development of air taxis, thanks in part to Volocopter’s great pioneering spirit. I would like to support and build on this leading role by creating a framework that enables innovation and progress. We are working with key industry players on a strategy for air taxi operations here in Germany, in which all technical and legal issues are addressed without delay. We are doing this so that the first drones carrying people and goods can take off very soon,” said Dr. Volker Wissing, Federal Minister of Digital and Transport.

Volocopter will spend the next month fully ramping up operations at the new production facility and expects to start offering commercial flight services in 2024.

Why it matters: Volocopter is advancing ahead of the competition with full scale assembly lines and production certificates to manufacture its Volocity eVTOL. While a long road is ahead for full vehicle certification and entry into service, Volocopter has made significant progress and appears on track for commercial operations next year.

Source: VoloCopter Press Release

Hillwood hosted the second annual Forward Fort Worth mobility innovation summit early in March this year, a gathering of 150 supply chain executives, entrepreneurs, and investors from across the globe committed to advancing and commercializing mobility innovation throughout the supply chain.
 

“Now more than ever, surface and air mobility innovation across the supply chain requires a powerful combination of people, places and unparalleled strategic partnerships,” said Hillwood Director of Logistics Innovation Ian Kinne. “The two-day event provided a great opportunity for discussion on the innovative technologies and advancements that will ultimately shape the future of mobility for a wide variety of supply chain stakeholders.”

On March 1st, Mike Berry, president of Hillwood, was joined by Fort Worth Mayor, Mattie Parker and Perot Jain Managing Partner, Anurag Jain to welcome attendees and kick off the program at Hotel Drover in Mule Alley. With the overarching goal of driving cross-stakeholder conversations that accelerate the commercialization of transformative mobility technologies throughout the supply chain, the two-day event featured the following panel topics:
     • Warehouse of the Future 
     • The Integration & Commercialization of Advanced Air Mobility Aircraft
     • The Future of Transportation: OEM Perspective
     • FreightWaves State of the Market
     • Which Comes First, Vehicles or the Infrastructure? 
     • Investing in Technologies for Resilient Supply Chains

Speakers and panelists represented AFWERX, City of Fort Worth, ConGlobal, Crown Castle, DroneUp, FAA Southwest Region, FreightWaves, Gideon, Great Dane, Hillwood, Ironspring Ventures, Joby Aviation, NASA, NFI, Nikola Corp., PepsiCo, Perot Jain, Peterbilt Motors, Robotic Research, Ryder System, Inc., Sidewalk Infrastructure Partners, Terberg Taylor Americas, Uber Freight, Visit Fort Worth, and Waabi.

Why it’s important: Hillwood’s Forward Mobility Summit focused on an entire mobility ecosystem and included attendees from various areas of the industry, not just on companies manufacturing eVTOLs or electric vehicles or the IT or software firms that help to coordinate logistical problems; the summit helped to bring together a variety of players that more completely represent multimodal approaches to mobility and who will hopefully be able to leverage one another’s strengths to more efficiently build out the future mobility landscape in Fort Worth and beyond.

Learn more about Hillwood’s focus on convening mobility innovators and visionaries at the AllianceTexas Mobility Innovation Zone here.

Global aerospace and defense industry leader Lockheed Martin has announced a major investment in Regent, developer of an electric ground-effect aircraft that will use distributed electric propulsion to travel overseas. The investment by Lockheed will help expedite the development of Regent’s seagliders for defense applications.

Regent’s seaglider seeks to combine the high speed of an airplane with the low operating cost of sea vessel. The aircraft will be fully-electric, and can to travel up to 180 miles in a single hour. The company’s vision is that the aircraft will be used to transport people and cargo between coastal destinations. It will be able to carry a total of 12 passengers, or up to 3500 lbs of payload.

Regent’s seagliders intend fulfill a need within the U.S. Department of Defense for high-speed, low-cost, runway-independent travel. Configurations are currently being planned for cargo and military personnel, but also for civilian and even luxury commercial travel.

With the new investment by Lockheed Martin, development of the Seaglider has received a major boost.

Said Billy Thalheimer, co-founder and CEO of Regent, “We see defense strategy evolving toward an island-hopping force featuring agile, affordable, and distributed craft. This investment is a strong signal that seagliders can fill this immediate need in the high-priority missions faced by our Department of Defense. Lockheed Martin’s expertise and resources will be invaluable as we work together to adapt seagliders for defense use cases that are critically important to national security”

Said Chris Moran, vice president and general manager of Lockheed Martin Ventures, “This investment reflects our commitment to innovating technologies that have the potential to transform the way we adapt to our customer’s needs and support mission success.”

Above: Footage of a recent prototype flight of the seaglider

Regent has already received orders for over 400 aircraft to date, mainly from commercial air travel customers like Japan Airlines, Mokulele Airlines, Southern Airways Express, FRS (Germany), and Ocean Flyer (New Zealand). In total, this has brought Regent’s order book up to $7.9B USD.

Why it’s important: Although Regent has also received many customers in the commercial transportation sector, this investment from Lockheed Martin shows the aircraft’s high potential for Defense as an initial break-through industry. Investments from major global leaders like Lockheed-Martin lend major credibility to new kinds of electric propulsion aircraft, and provide a way for them to prove their immense value propositions. By making this investment, Lockheed has signaled its interest in the development and application of these kinds of aircraft, as well as helped Regent to speed its path to commercialization.

Source // Regent, Globe Newswire

Related:

• Seaglider manufacturer REGENT secures investment from Japan Airlines (February 2023)

Ionblox, a high-performance lithium-ion cell company based in California, has announced that it has closed a $24 million Series B investment round led by German eVTOL startup Lilium, with participation from Applied Ventures, LLC, and Catalus Capital. The funds will be used to scale up Ionblox’s operations and manufacturing capabilities, as well as to invest in expanding the company’s team with a particular focus on hiring manufacturing talent.

Founded in 2017 by Sujeet Kumar, Herman Lopez, and Michael Sinkula, Ionblox aims to transform the future of mobility by land and air. “Our unique batteries can be scaled up with low risk and at a competitive cost because we use commercially available materials and proven production processes and equipment, rather than costly and hard-to-scale proprietary materials,” said Kumar.

Ionblox’s proprietary pre-lithiated silicon oxide anode and cell design can enable multiple performance attributes, such as fast charging, high energy, high power, and long life at low cost, pushing the limits of traditional battery storage technology. The company has more than 40 patents, including for the pre-lithiation of all silicon-based anodes.

Ionblox has developed a commercially scalable battery with a silicon-dominant anode that can provide high energy, high power, 1,000 fast charge cycles, and a clear path to low-cost production. The company has addressed all the well-known challenges of using silicon as an active material, and created a cell design that can uniquely deliver the key performance attributes for automotive and aviation applications.

“The long-term success of the eVTOL regional air mobility revolution depends on the continued development of high-performance batteries. After an extensive review, Ionblox’s pouch cell technology will be well-positioned to achieve superior combined performance for high power and energy density. We are very excited to continue our joint development,” said Yves Yemsi, COO of Lilium.

Lilium is a German eVTOL startup that has developed a six-passenger electric aircraft, the Lilium Jet, which will be the world’s first electric vertical take-off and landing jet. The company plans to create a regional air mobility service that will enable people to travel more quickly, affordably, and sustainably than traditional ground-based transportation. The company has raised more than $375 million in funding to date, with investors including Tencent and Atomico.

“Applied Ventures is very impressed with the tremendous progress Sujeet and the Ionblox team have made developing silicon anode batteries in collaboration with Applied Materials, Lilium, and EV companies,” said Anand Kamannavar, global head of Applied Ventures. “We look forward to supporting Ionblox in accelerating the commercialization of its next-generation batteries.”

Ionblox recently received its third development contract from the United States Advanced Battery Consortium LLC (USABC) for developing low-cost, fast-charge electric vehicle batteries. The company’s batteries are suited for high-performance automotive and aviation applications, enabling electric vehicle and electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft companies to achieve their performance goals.

Above: Profile view of the Lilium eVTOL jet

Why it’s important:

The success of the electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) industry is heavily dependent on the development of high-performance batteries. These batteries need to be able to provide the necessary energy density and power required for safe and efficient flight while being as lightweight as possible. Ionblox’s proprietary pre-lithiated silicon oxide anode and cell design offers several key performance attributes, including fast charging, high energy, high power, and long life at a low cost. These attributes make the batteries ideally suited for high-performance automotive and aviation applications, including eVTOLs.

Ionblox’s collaboration with Lilium and other investors, as well as its partnership with USABC, both demonstrate the industry’s recognition of the importance of battery technology in the eVTOL sector. These investments and partnerships also highlight Ionblox’s potential to become a major player in the battery technology market, especially for eVTOL applications.

Related:

Archer has completed another round of wind tunnel testing at the RUAG Large Subsonic Wind Tunnel in Emmen, Switzerland. The six-week campaign collected data to validate Midnight’s aerodynamic models, load predictions, performance, stability/control characteristics.

The data will be used to validate against full-scale results in Archer’s upcoming flight test program of its ‘Midnight’ eVTOL. DeHarde, a German based model creator, built a 27.6% scale of Midnight for the wind tunnel testing.

The purpose of this test campaign was to develop a comprehensive dataset to validate Archer’s engineering design tools and to confirm the aerodynamic predictions of the Midnight eVTOL. Overall, 878 measurement sweeps were made by varying model angle of attack and sideslip and capturing force and moment trends for over 400 different model configurations. These model changes included varying control surface deflections, adjusting forward boom tilt angles, and stepping through an airframe component build-up. This build-up started with a bare wing/fuselage and then successively added booms, landing gear, tail, and stopped lifter propellers. This build-up approach allowed Archer to investigate and clearly understand the incremental effects of each airframe component.

The results further reinforce confidence in the capability and performance of the Midnight design. For example, cruise drag predictions trend extremely well with test data, which in turn further validates the confidence in Midnight’s range. The measured stability characteristics reinforce that the V-tail, flaperons and ruddervators are correctly sized and that they have adequate aerodynamic control power, while also confirming that control surface hinge moments meet requirements and that our actuators are properly sized. Testing for simulated ice accretion has given the team a good understanding of the speed additives necessary to protect the aircraft from performance degradations that we would expect to see during an inadvertent icing encounter.

The company has also completed series of wind tunnel testing at Politecnico di Milan, University of Florida, and University of Notre Dame.

Why it matters: Wind tunnel testing represents a significant risk-reduction and validation milestone for Archer. With the tests, Archer can nearly replicate real-life flight conditions and validate various components in the design/configuration of Midnight. This data will tremendously in finalizing the flight test configuration and contribute to the timely entry to service of Archer’s Midnight eVTOL.

Source // Archer Aviation

Related:

• United Airlines Completes $10M Pre-Payment for 100 Archer eVTOL Aircraft (August 2022)
• Archer Unveils its Production Aircraft, Midnight (November 2022)
• Archer Achieves Forward Flight Transition with Maker (December 2022)

LYTE Aviation, a new advanced air mobility innovator, has just revealed its 40-seat hybrid eVTOL SkyBus and SkyTruck programs.  Its LA-44 SkyBus and complementary SkyTruck cargo variant are vertical take-off and landing vehicles – designed to be five times more fuel efficient than current helicopters and support a 4.5 tonne payload, by employing hybrid-electric propulsion technology.

“The use of turbine engines will likely remain unavoidable for the foreseeable future, so in order to achieve useful and business-sensitive ranges as well as quicker time to market, we have opted for a hybrid, partly electric VTOL,” LYTE founder and CEO Freshta Farzam said.

Unveiled at the Helicopter Investor’s London 2023 conference, the LA-44 is powered by four conventional turbine engines, running on sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) complemented with four electric motors at the wingtips for control and stability, powered by hydrogen fuel cells.

The turboprop engines of the SkyBus will be capable of using Jet-A or sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), but LTYE’s ultimate objective is to rework the aircraft with all-hydrogen propulsion. In the meantime, the SkyBus is slated to offer a range of 1,000 km with a max speed of 300 km/hr powered by its hybrid electric tandem tilt-wing design.

“Conventional, highly reliable turboprops are the best option for our aircraft program for the time being, with the aim to operate and refuel practically anywhere with the current infrastructure. With the constant evolution and expected investment in global infrastructure, including vertiports, energy sources (SAF & green Hydrogen) and electric power plants, the ambition would be to become fully hydrogen-electric in the future,” Farzam said, aiming to displace air transport and land transport modalities such as buses, trains and trucks.

Why it’s important: Given the large size and noise footprint of the piloted SkyBus passenger aircraft, it may be tough for LTYE to secure certification and public acceptance. However, the company plans to pursue entry into service of its SkyTruck cargo variant as a primary goal, which will prove the technology and enable operation away from populated areas while accumulating hours on the airframe and supporting infrastructure.

Lyte has already held talks with prospective infrastructure partners and operators in the Middle East, while also targeting countries such as Norway and Canada as early-adopter markets. The project was initially funded by private investors, and LYTE is now preparing to launch a Series A round to fund building a full-scale prototype by 2024.

Intel confirmed today that they intend to join Airspeeder as their new Official Intelligence Partner in a strategic sponsorship agreement to provide end-to-end systems support and insights to help power the world’s first flying electric car racing series. The announcement coincides with public unveiling of the new Mk4 Airspeeder at Adelaide’s Motorsport Festival and will bring the global tech giant’s computing technologies to flying car racing.

As the Airspeeder Series’ Official Intelligence Partner, Intel’s Core and Xeon Scalable processors will help shape the sport to maximize its appeal to racers and fans alike. The new strategic sponsorship deal was revealed in a joint presentation at the Motorsport Show in Adelaide on March 25th, where Adelaide-based Alauda unveiled its new Mk4 Airspeeder – the first-ever piloted craft to take part in the Airspeeder race series.

“We’re incredibly excited to have Intel on board. The technology, insight and innovation it’s bringing to Airspeeder will transform our racing series, making it even more immersive and dynamic for pilots and spectacular for our audiences. Just as importantly, Intel’s ‘pervasive connectivity’ perfectly matches our vision of an always-connected, vertical-enabled future. Through the actionable insights provided by AI, we can achieve next-level eVTOL performance and control, which we see as the key to unlocking the future of private air mobility.” – Matt Pearson, CEO, Alauda Aeronautics.

“This is another example of Intel continuing to deliver the compute power needed to stretch the notion of what’s possible, make what was once science fiction a reality, and transform the way we live our lives. Helping Airspeeder bring this new concept to life has the potential to not only change the way we race, but also opens up endless possibilities in urban mobility.”- Andrew McLean, Managing Director ANZ, Intel.

Why it’s important: The partnership between Airspeeder and Intel will help to enhance the IT infrastructure and technological support network of Airspeeder as they work to bring their flying car racing series to a larger scale. Further, the announcement also is one of the first IT partnerships within the aerial mobility industry, offering Intel the chance to gain insights into the types of data that are collected and offloaded from unmanned aerial mobility systems along with the operational constraints and concerns of the industry. Potentially, lessons learned from Intel’s partnership with Airspeeder could eventually expand beyond just that of the flying car racing industry and into the general aerial mobility sphere.

Archer Aviation has announced a new upcoming route in partnership with United Airlines connecting downtown Chicago to O’Hare International Airport (ORD). The Chicago-based airline has made headlines over the past few years for its investment in eVTOL aerial mobility, most notably for its $1B USD order for 200 Archer eVTOL aircraft with deliveries starting as early as 2024.

The 10-minute trip will connect Vertiport Chicago with O’hare, a trip which today can take up to 45 minutes using alternative modes of transportation. This announcement is the second of its kind with the two companies already planning a route between Manhattan and Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR).

Vertiport Chicago, North America’s largest vertical aircraft take off and landing facility, is located in the Illinois Medical District near the Chicago Loop. This site was selected as the takeoff and landing site for this airport-to-city center route because of its unparalleled convenience, access and service.

United and Archer’s goal for its UAM network is to provide residents and visitors in the Chicago Metropolitan Area with a safe, sustainable, low noise, and cost-competitive alternative to ground transportation beginning in 2025. Chicago is the third most populous city in the United States, a center for business, innovation and investment, and home to United’s headquarters. This makes it a unique city for Archer and United to build out. The early launch routes will focus in on airport-to-city center transportation service, which are referred to as “trunk” routes. Once the trunk routes have been established, United’s next step will be to build out “branch” routes to connect to surrounding communities.

“Both Archer and United are committed to decarbonizing air travel and leveraging innovative technologies to deliver on the promise of the electrification of the aviation industry,” said Michael Leskinen, President of United Airlines Ventures. “Once operational, we’re excited to offer our customers a more sustainable, convenient and cost-effective mode of transportation during their commutes to the airport.” 

“Technological innovation thrives here in Chicago, and this venture between Archer and United is yet another example of this strength,” said Chicago Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot. “This exciting new technology will further decarbonize our means of transportation, taking us another step forward in our fight against climate change. I’m pleased that Chicago residents will be among the first in the nation to experience this innovative, convenient form of travel.” 

ComEd, the Midwest’s largest utility company, will work with United and Archer to establish the power infrastructure necessary to support eVTOL aircraft operations in and around the Chicago Metropolitan Area. 

Why it matters: While eVTOL certification are still underway, planning for commercial operations offers a glimpse into the near-future reality of aerial mobility. Passengers will receive a new, more convenient option for getting to and from the airport, while helping to decarbonize aviation and save time that would be spent otherwise in traffic.

Source: Archer Aviation Press Release

Related:

• Stellantis to Help Mass-Produce Archer’s Midnight eVTOL (January 2023)
• Archer Achieves Forward Flight Transition with Maker (December 2022)
• Archer Unveils its Production Aircraft, Midnight (November 2022)