Vertical Aerospace becomes the first company in the world to unveil flight footage of an eVTOL aircraft capable of carrying 250kg – the equivalent of a pilot and two passengers.

Bristol-based startup Vertical Aerospace has revealed flight footage of an electric vertical take off and landing aircraft (eVTOL) capable of carrying loads of up to 250kg – the first company in the world to do so. The prototype, named Seraph, completed its maiden flight at Llanbedr Airfield in Wales on August 22. It follows the successful flight of Vertical Aerospace’s first full-scale prototype in May 2018, the UK’s first eVTOL aircraft to be granted flight permission by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). Vertical Aerospace is working closely with global aviation regulators, including EASA, to achieve certification for
commercial flight.

Vertical Aerospace’s mission is to make air travel personal, on-demand and carbon free. Founded in 2016 by entrepreneur Stephen Fitzpatrick, the team has grown to more than 70 world-class engineers and technical experts, recruited from Airbus, Boeing, Rolls-Royce, Jaguar Land Rover and Formula 1. By combining aerospace engineering excellence with new technologies from Formula 1, Vertical Aerospace hopes to help decarbonize the trillion dollar commercial aviation industry and provide a new mode of city-to-city passenger transport.

The Seraph was built to test new technologies and systems for integration into Vertical Aerospace’s upcoming passenger model, due to be unveiled next year. The aircraft is capable of carrying loads of up to 250kg and can reach speeds of up to 80km per hour. It features a unique passive cooling system and a customizable design, meaning it can be made larger or smaller, or fitted with wheels or floats to facilitate water landings. With the Seraph, Vertical Aerospace’s team has further developed concepts from its first aircraft and built in capabilities which will be critical for attaining certification from aviation authorities.

“Today is another major milestone on the path towards carbon free flight. One year ago, we flew a full scale electric VTOL aircraft, the UK’s first. Today, we’re revealing flight footage of our second full scale prototype, the Seraph, an air taxi prototype capable of carrying 250kg. Air travel is one of the worst contributors to climate change and among the slowest sectors to decarbonize. Our mission at Vertical Aerospace is to make personal, on demand and carbon free flight a reality.” –Stephen Fitzpatrick, Founder and CEO of Vertical Aerospace.

The successful test flight comes as Vertical Aerospace announces the acquisition of MGI, an F1 engineering consultancy led by British motorsport veteran Mike Gascoyne. Gascoyne and his team of 20 specialists will form Vertical Advanced Engineering, bringing the total Vertical team up to more than 70 members. The team bring decades of experience building high performance vehicles for Formula 1 and Formula E, having worked with international racing teams including Williams, McLaren, Tyrell, Benetton, Renault and Lotus. They will apply the latest technologies and agile processes from F1 to the development of eVTOL aircraft, including for example, best practice in building fast, light-weight composite structures. The acquisition will allow Vertical Aerospace to accelerate the development of its eVTOL technology, bringing superior certified aircraft to market more quickly.

 “We have long believed that the technologies and approaches from Formula 1 could be applied to a range of engineering challenges. Vertical Aerospace’s vision provides a fantastic outlet for our experience and a unique opportunity to shape the future of flight.Joining the Vertical team will allow us to work on cutting edge engineering programs while continuing to provide world-class consultancy services to the wider engineering community.” –Mike Gascoyne, CTO of Vertical Advanced Engineering

Working closely with global aviation regulators, including EASA, Vertical Aerospace will begin with piloted air taxi services on city-to-city routes. Over time, as the technology and regulatory framework develops, it will expand the number of chartered routes served, introduce elements of autonomy, and ultimately, make completely on-demand air taxis a reality. The company has already begun the certification process for its next model, a passenger aircraft due to be unveiled next year.

Why it matters: Vertical Aerospace’s Seraph represents a major breakthrough in prototype eVTOLs. The company has been steadily working on the Seraph since its first prototype in May 2018, and has proved its significant potential with the latest 250kg capable flights. Vertical Aerospace’s announcement is important not only for the company itself, but is also an indicator of the vast improvement and progress being made in the aerial mobility as a whole.

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Workhorse plans to partner with USOG for pilot programs and drone delivery of medical supplies.

USOG (Unmanned Systems Operations Group, Inc), a unmanned mobile medical delivery logistics firm and Workhorse, a tech company focused on electric-mobility platforms seem to be a perfect fit as the two intend to deliver medical supplies via drones. The two companies have launched an initial pilot program in the San Diego area and intend to to provide programs for healthcare providers, pharmacies, and medical courier services. The training will help run Workhorse’s HorseFly program, a fully functional drone delivery system.

Workhorse’s HorseFly system integrates ground and air transportation.

HorseFly is a fully integrated delivery system that interfaces with the company’s NGEN electric delivery vehciles. The system is completely custom built and uses a high-efficiency UAV. USOG will offer the personal necessary to monitor multiple UAV flights while customers will be able to track the real-time delivery through an app. The app will real-time information such as the package’s location, vehicle status, and onboard video.

“USOG’s vision is to enable nationwide medical deliveries by UAV, and we couldn’t think of a better application for our HorseFly system,” said Workhorse CEO Duane Hughes. “We look forward to working closely with USOG as well as with the FAA and other key stakeholders on safe, secure, and timely deliveries in addition to maintaining patient privacy. While we recognize the immediate benefits of utilizing our technology in such a vital application, we’re also excited about the possibilities these types of deliveries can represent across a variety of industries and use cases on a much larger scale. As the only U.S. patented truck drone-launched system, we believe we are in an excellent position to take share in a number of nascent delivery markets.”

“This partnership represents a game-changing opportunity the broader medical field, which could set a new standard for more effective and timely patient treatment options empowered by drone logistics,” added USOG CEO Pharns Genece. “Workhorse has already delivered a complete system to us, and we are well-positioned to take advantage the FAA IPP program in the near term. Going forward, we will look to expand our work with innovative companies in one of the largest medical markets in the U.S. Our role in the chain of custody, when delivering or moving any medical cargo, is for our customers to be the number one priority. With Workhorse and its HorseFly^™ system, we believe we’ll be able to save more lives through the secure and timely delivery of medical assets via unmanned systems.”

Why it matters: The development of a multi-mode delivery system (including UAV) will ultimately offer better healthcare services for customers around the globe. Further, this partnership clearly indicates widespread commercial applications of UAV technologies are closer than we think. With the launching of pilot training programs and FAA operation certifications, the timeline for these technologies being introduced could be only months, rather than years.

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Volocopter has announced plans to fly its first public showcase this month at Singapore’s Marina Bay.

The company held a media event at the end of September and has reported the successful completion of numerous test flights in the hot and humid climate.

Since arriving in Singapore, Volocopter has received support from the Ministry of Transport, the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore, and the Economic Development Board. 

According to Volocopter co-founder, Alexander Zosel, Singapore was chosen for the demonstration as it is a candidate for the company’s first point-to-point network deployment. 

An artist’s impression of a Volocopter taxi flying near Marina Bay Sands.

“In the end, we want to have Volocopter systems here in Singapore as a public transport system for business travelers or tourists. The plan is to open the first route in the next two to three years, but this will be defined with the authorities, and that could be a tourist case or a business case for example from the airport to the business district,” said Mr Zosel.

During this time Volocopter and Skyports will showcase the world’s first full-scale air taxi vertiport prototype: The VoloPort. This infrastructure is a collaboration between Volocopter and Skyports to design and build a full-size vertiport prototype of the type of infrastructure that urban air taxis and their passengers can expect to use in the future.

“It’s a process. It’s also about growing partnerships with the ecosystem in Singapore. Not only with the authorities, also players like 5G network providers are very important to operate this aircraft, so we want to create an ecosystem here with different players.”

The flight is expected to take place as part of the Intelligent Transport Systems Worldwide Congress which runs from October 21 to 25.

Why it matters: This demo will be the first opportunity for the public to witness the flight of Volocopter 2X model eVTOL aircraft. The company has been featured on TransportUP recently for its demonstration of a staged medical rescue operation. Further, the use of the VoloPort will provide a glimpse into the future of aerial mobility infrastructure.

The X-57 Mod II, NASA’s first all-electric experimental aircraft, will soon undergo testing

The aircraft was recently finished and delivered to NASA by their primary contractor, ESAero. With the delivery, NASA intends to start their engineers in testing the X-57 Mod II in ground tests. With success in testing, NASA looks to have the X-57 Mod II lead the discussion in areas such as flight efficiency, zero carbon emissions and noise reduction. 

The X-57 Mod II, a modified Tecnam P2006T

The X-57 Mod II, a modified Tecnam P2006T, features an all electric propulsion system, powered by lithium-ion batteries. The aircraft has a maximum flight speed of 172 mph at an altitude of 8000 ft, and a total weight of about 3000 lb. 

“The X-57 Mod II aircraft delivery to NASA is a significant event, marking the beginning of a new phase in this exciting electric X-plane project,” says X-57 Project Manager Tom Rigney in the press statement. “With the aircraft in our possession, the X-57 team will soon conduct extensive ground testing of the integrated electric propulsion system to ensure the aircraft is airworthy. We plan to rapidly share valuable lessons learned along the way as we progress toward flight testing, helping to inform the growing electric aircraft market.”

The X-57 is a design driver, intended to continue progress on the electric aircraft market, as well as explore the capabilities and restrictions of the aerial mobility market. NASA intends to use the X-57 to define certification standards for the electric aircraft market, in which many vehicles in the aerial mobility market are included. 

Afterwards, there are plans to start on development for the Mod III, which will focus on energy efficiency, another vital factor in the electric aircraft market. 

For more information about specifics of the electric aircraft market, read Matt Bohlsen’s Look at the Emerging Electric Aircraft Sector.

Why it’s important: Success in the aerial mobility sector will precede a huge expansion into a new market for transportation. With many companies already spending resources in getting their vehicles properly certified and exploring regulation standards, NASA intends to try and stay ahead of the curve by developing proper certification and regulatory standards for all electric aircraft to abide by, so that they are not taken off guard in the event that aerial mobility undergoes a massive expansion.

Source // Popular Mechanics

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SkyDrive has received a $14M USD financing deal through share issuance and subsidiaries

Concept art of the SkyDrive project

Leading flying car developer SkyDrive, established by the members of CARTIVATOR, a group of aircraft, drones, and automotive engineers, has secured 14 Million USD through Third-party share issuance funding and subsidies. A total of 18.5 Million USD has now been raised and manned test flights will begin this year.

Contributing venture capital partners of SkyDrive Inc. include Drone Fund, Z Corporation, STRIVE III Limited Liability Partnership, ITOCHU Technology Ventures, Inc. and Energy & Environment Investment, Inc. The president of STRIVE III Limited Liability Partnership, Tatsuo Tsutsumi, steps up as outside director of SkyDrive Inc.

We are delighted to be able to announce this financing breakthrough, which is testament to our hardworking team and speed of development. Securing the backing of these investors will be instrumental in getting our world-leading technology off the ground and into the skies.” –SkyDrive Chief Executive Tomohiro Fukuzawa 

“We are clear that our product will improve the lives of consumers right across the world by providing efficiency of movement and creating happiness in flying – be it linking people to jobs, their family or a dream holiday. Flying cars will be the travel mode of the future and today we took a giant leap towards making that happen.”

In additional to focusing on the landmark upcoming manned test flight, the company is working on product development and certification. The next phase in SkyDrive’s expansion plan is to recruit talented and passionate people to achieve the collective goal of bringing “Flight for All”.

Why it matters: SkyDrive is another quickly growing company in aerial mobility, again indicating global interest in eVTOL technologies. With $14M, SkyDrive will be able to more quickly launch its prototype and begin test flights.

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New Images and information about  the Zeva Zero, a flying-saucer shaped  eVTOL, have been released. 

The Zeva Zero has been in development since the company’s founding in 2018. Unlike many eVTOLs, it features a disc-like structure, and is designed for a single passenger. When it transitions to horizontal flight, the entire body of the Zeva Zero tilts with its rotors, and the fuselage itself is used for lift:

How the Zeva Zero will transition from vertical to horizontal flight.

Along with these latest images of the Zeva Zero under construction, the team has also released more details on how the personal aircraft will work. Specifically, the team highlights how its design will enable stable flight for passengers, describes how the aircraft’s body will create lift, and clarifies its aim at the ‘solo commuter’ market segment. Unlike many other companies, Zeva is making its aircraft for private ownership, giving riders access to direct point-to-point transport.

The Zeva team is right on schedule, having announced the future release of its prototype this week as early as August 2018. Zeva is participating in the Boeing GoFly personal flight competition, which challenges teams to build functional prototypes for flight demonstrations in early 2020. Notably, Boeing GoFly is offering $2 million in prizes to teams that can create a ““safe, quiet, ultra-compact, near-VTOL personal flying device capable of flying 20 miles while carrying a single person”.

The Zeva team completed its first small scale prototype in January of this year:

Why it’s important: The Zeva Zero is one of the only eVTOLs in development that’s designed for private ownership rather than a shared air taxi service. It’s disc-like design is also extremely unique; making it one of the only eVTOLs that uses its body to create lift. These design choices may help Zeva carve out an important segment of the growing industry.

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EHang may soon be joining the growing list of Chinese companies seeking US IPO’s.

Chinese drone maker and eVTOL manufacturer, EHang, has filed an application for its IPO in the United States. The company aims to offer 10 to 15% of its shares for sale and could raise as much as $200M USD, however EHang declined to provide a valuation amidst volatile market conditions.

Its initial Series A funding round took place in December 2014, when GGV Capital, ZhenFund, PreAngel and private investor Nick Yang raised $10 million. GGV Capital led the round. The second funding round was for $42 million where the company upped its number of investors to seven, including all the above (sans Yang), GP Capital, Microsoft Accelerator Beijing, OFC and LeBox Capital. This time, GP Capital led the round.

EHang continues to complete passenger demonstration flights in Guangzhou. The company seeks a US IPO.

Details of the IPO pertaining to its timeline and fundraising amounts are still being drafted, however it is known that the deal is being coordinated by Credit Suisse Group AG and Morgan Stanley, as reported to Bloomberg News.

Representatives from EHang and Nasdaq declined to comment on the IPO application.

EHang offers a diverse product lineup including specialized drones and passenger eVTOL vehicles. This year, the company become the first of its kind to receive special authorization from China’s aviation regulatory agency, the Civil Aviation Authority, to test its passenger-carrying vehicles. In recent weeks, TransportUP has reported on EHang’s selection of Guangzhou as its first pilot city and completed an interview with their chief marketing officer, Derrick Xiong.

EHang has taken more than 2,000 test flight both in and outside of China, including public demo flights in Vienna in April, where it flew 17 passengers in its two-seater 216 eVTOL prototype.

Why it matters: EHang will join the growing list of Chinese companies seeking a public offering in the United States despite strong efforts from Beijing to list domestically. The company has a diverse product portfolio and has demonstrated consistent results through its highly publicized test program. We believe EHang will be a strong competitor and the estimated $200M of funds from the IPO will help drive further technological advancement and public reception of eVTOL technologies.

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