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SF Express, the Chinese integrated logistics provider, intends to expand its delivery network fleet through the deployment of large cargo unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) with vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) capability.

To accomplish the expansion, SF Express has partnered with its Munich-based subsidiary, Amazilia Aerospace, and Slovenian aerospace OEM Pipistrel. The synergies achieved via this agreement will ultimately accelerate the development of a commercial large scale UAV operation. Amazilia Aerospace will deliver an advanced digital flight control and vehicle management system for an innovative VTOL cargo drone designed and manufactured by Pipistrel.

SF Express is in pursuit of a VTOL aircraft capable of service in the environment of remote and isolated areas. Specifically, the envisioned aircraft will be able to lift more than 300 kg of cargo in a 2.3m³ volume space over a range of 500km with cruising altitudes up to 6000m and VTOL capability up to 2500m above sea level. Pipistrel specifically designed the aircraft to meet these demanding requirements. Further, the aircraft will be equipped with 8 vertical-lift packages each consisting of a Pipistrel E-811 EASA Type certified powered rotor with highly efficient and redundant battery packs that assure safe operation even if 2 rotors are inoperative. The aircraft design and component production of the prototype will be carried out in Pipistrel facilities.

The Amazilia Aerospace Automatic Flight Control System and Vehicle Management System (AFCS/VMS) is a versatile system that includes both the avionics hardware and software capable of automating the entire cargo mission. It can be integrated into both VTOL and conventional aircraft configurations and has been designed specifically to meet the requirements for large scale logistical operations by logistics companies such as SF Express.

Amazilia Aerospace builds on years of research at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) reinforced with aerospace industry experience. The team will develop and deliver an ACFS/VMS which is compliant to aerospace industry standards. This system is not only compatible with the economics of unmanned aerial cargo transport but also scalable and versatile, which integrates well with a variety of aircraft types and sizes.

The aircraft prototype is scheduled to undergo flight testing with the Amazilia Aerospace system in Europe followed by operational validation in China starting in 2022. By 2023, SF Express intends to deploy the HVTOL cargo drone fleet in their domestic and non-domestic business operations.

Why it’s important: In a well-articulated address of the challenges and opportunities ahead, SF EXPRESS VP & SF UAS Chairman LI Dongqi said the following: “Our efforts to achieve 36-hour countrywide delivery throughout China face significant challenges, such as natural barriers, underdeveloped logistics infrastructure, and more, especially in rural China. SF Express intends to adopt cargo VTOL drones to solve this bottleneck due to their flexibility and high speed, which is on par with helicopters, and has low costs which are competitive with truck delivery. The high-altitude capability allows us to extend our civil air cargo service coverage to even difficult to reach mountainous areas. We believe VTOL drones will become a major vehicle in China, and SF Express alone will need more than 1000 in the next 10 years. ”

Source // Pipistrel press release

eVTOL developer Orca Aerospace and the Netherlands Aerospace Centre (NLR) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to research and develop Orca’s new eVTOL aircraft. Both organizations believe this aircraft will offer more affordable and sustainable flight options for emergency medical response and passenger transportation.

Although it also has potential as an air taxi, Orca’s eVTOL aircraft concept is designed specifically for airborne medical services and patient transportation. Orca envisions that its aircraft will complement existing air and ground based EMS in order to provide quicker response times, reduce inefficiencies, and improve economics of operations.

Orca’s aircraft will be entirely electric, featuring 4 vertical lift propellers on its tail, 2 tilt-rotor propellers for VTOL and forward flight on its nose, and 1 rear pusher propeller purely for forward flight. In total, the aircraft can transport up to 3 pax: 1 pilot, 1 patient on a stretcher, and 1 emergency medical service provider. Cruise speeds will be around 296 km/h, while range is estimated at 110-130 km. In accordance with the EASA SC-VTOL, the propulsion system is sized to overcome single engine failures, in both hover and cruise modes.

According to the NLR, the collaboration with Orca will contribute to its goals for more sustainable aviation in the Netherlands. With over 100 years of experience within the European aerospace industry, the NLR will assist Orca with the development of operational concepts on eVTOL vehicles, supporting qualification, certification, and establishing and supporting a mutual R&D network for critical technologies.

Why it’s important: The Orca aircraft is well under development in the Netherlands, and features compliance with the EU’s most recent standards for eVTOL safety. In some aspects, the Orca even exceeds GA aircraft in safety capabilities. While many eVTOL concepts are being developed the world over, Orca’s significant progress, its collaboration with the NLR, and its focus on emergency medical response applications will all give it an edge in its market sectors as eVTOL aircraft begin to move into production.

Aura’s Powercell is claimed to be 90% recyclable, and made primarily of aluminum foil and graphene, containing zero cobalt. Cobalt is used in almost all lithium batteries today to increase energy density and cycle life, but it is one of the most destructive metals to produce in terms of its human rights impact.

At the end of its lifespan, Cobalt can be melted down and recycled back into its base materials. Aura then uses those base materials to make their Powercells. In short, Aura’s supply chain is achieves sustainability by potentially using 100% post industrial and consumer waste in its battery production.

The Powercell is rated for 250,000 cycles, several orders of magnitude greater than high performance drone lithium-polymer (LiPo) and Lithium-Ion (Li-ion) batteries which are rated at approximately 200 and 1000 cycles, respectively.

Why it’s important: With 40 years of combined direct experience with electric VTOL systems, Aura’s founders have laid the pathway to extreme high energy, heavy lift electric VTOL applications. Delivering on industry needs at both a component and systems levels, Aura Aerospace is establishing a platform of safety, reliability and dependability in high power electric VTOL systems. Furthermore, the cycle life improvements of the Powercell over other batteries will significantly decrease battery replacement costs over the life of a product or vehicle, making it an appealing investment for eVTOL operators. Ongoing battery replacement can dramatically increase cost of ownership, as well as significantly impact environmental sustainability.

Bye Aerospace, a growing developer and manufacturer of all-electric aircraft, has partnered with aviation propulsion expert Safran to power its eFlyer2 and eFlyer4 aircraft. The eFlyer2 is an advanced, all-electric trainer aircraft that has already been in the skies quite often for extensive flight testing. A $5,000 deposit is required to pre-order the aircraft, and 711 of these purchase deposits have already been made. According to Bye Aerospace, the purpose of the eFlyer is to create an environmentally sustainable aircraft for flight training and recreational purposes.

Bye Aerospace’s ‘eFlyer2’ all-electric trainer aircraft. Photo: Bye Aerospace

Safran, a global leader in aviation propulsion technologies, has spent much of the past few years preparing both for growing eVTOL markets and for electric propulsion in general aviation aircraft. The company has already established several partnerships for electric propulsion, including with electric aircraft developers Zunum Aero, VoltAero, Bell, and even Boeing. With these partnerships, Safran has created development efforts for eVTOL and for traditional aircraft electric propulsion, as well as created its own electric motor specifically for eVTOL.

According to Safran, its ENGINeUS ^TM product line includes a broad range of electric motors with power outputs from single digit to 500 kW. The ENGINeUS ^TM 100, which will equip eFlyer 2 & eFlyer 4, has particularly high performance and features a fully integrated motor controller within the motor package. The thermal management is provided by an optimized air-cooling system, jointly integrated by Safran & Bye Aerospace into the aircraft structure. Said George E. Bye, CEO of Bye Aerospace, “Bye Aerospace has concluded that Safran’s ENGINeUS ^TM 100 smart electric motor is the optimal production solution to meet the requirements of our rigorous FAA and EASA certification schedules for eFlyer 2 and eFlyer 4…We must continue forward at a high-tempo pace to meet the demands of aviation enthusiasts worldwide who have been waiting years for all-electric airplanes to come to market.”

Why it’s important: Companies like Bye Aerospace are expanding the envelope for what kind of performance specifications are possible using all-electric motors. By creating electric systems for traditional fixed wing aircraft, Bye Aerospace is getting electric flight tech in the air sooner rather than later, which will help pave the way for future applications for electric propulsion in new eVTOL aircraft and more. Notably, Bye Aerospace joins Pipistrel, MagniX, and VoltAero by flight testing and even beginning to sell all-electric aircraft.

Caravella Aerospace is in the process of developing a 2-seater partially electric roadable aircraft, the CaravellAir. (A “roadable aircraft” is a combination vehicle that combines an aircraft’s ability of flight with the on-road driving capabilities of an automobile.) According to Joe Caravella Jr, owner of Caravella Aerospace, “The CaravellAir integrates car, plane, and motorcycle components into one vehicle that can drive or fly on demand.” 

Located in Sherman Oaks, California, Caravella Aerospace has developed a one-seater prototype of the CaravellAir that has been street legal for over 8 years, and road tested for over 3000 miles from San Diego to San Francisco. For its powertrain, the CaravellAir prototype has a propeller drive system that is connected to a motorcycle engine that can push the fuselage above 80 mph (129 kph) on an active runway testing back to 2015. The fuselage itself (coupled with mock-up flight surfaces) is flight ready, and has successfully demonstrated real-world road operations up to 70 mph (113 kph). Caravella Aerospace is currently working on development of the CaravellAir flight surfaces.

Caravella Aerospace has developed a proof-of concept version of the CaravellAir that has been street legal for over 8 years, and road tested for over 3000 miles from San Diego to San Francisco. Photograph: Caravella Aerospace

Recently, Caravella Aerospace presented its proof-of-concept prototype at the SAE 2020 AeroTech Digital Summit in June of 2020. Joe Caravella Jr. described the CaravellAir prototype as “a proof-of-concept and stepping stone to a future 2-seat certified, partially-electric vehicle.” 

Model rendition of the CaravellAir
Photograph: Caravella Aerospace

Why it’s important: While the CaravellAir is still in the early proof-of-concept stage, its folding wing design is quite sound, and has even been flight proven on aircraft such as the Terrafugia Transition. In addition, the CaravellaAir has showed impressive progress in roadworthiness certification, something which many other roadable aircraft concepts have not yet achieved. If CaravellAir successfully finishes development through flight testing, certification, and production, the result will be an affordable, efficient aircraft that will add greatly to the growing market for privately owned roadable aircraft. 

Source // Caravella Aerospace

According to Pegasus Universal Aerospace CEO, Robbie Irons, the company’s debut of its vertical takeoff and landing business jet has received a very positive response from the global market, receiving interest from corporate, medical evacuation, search and rescue, and other market sectors. Inquiries have come from countries and clients around the world to use the Pegasus Vertical Business Jet (VBJ) for purposes such as business transport, border control, policing, oil and gas and cargo applications, amongst others. As of now, Pegasus will focus primarily on the corporate applications for the VBJ, with its main goal being to achieve FAA/EASA certification.

The Pegasus VBJ. Photograph: Pegasus Universal Aerospace

The VBJ is currently in the concept validation and prototype build phase, with simulation results being validated through scale model testing. According to Irons, the scale model prototype has “achieved perfect stability and gave Pegasus confidence that with a custom controller and the increase in power to weight ratio when scaling the aircraft up to quarter scale, stability will be achieved successfully”. If funding and development milestones are reached without issue, Pegasus expects the VBJ to attain certification by 2025/2027. “Our biggest focus at this moment in time is to secure our strategic funding partner for Pegasus by the end of 2020 as it will ultimately determine the pace at which the VBJ development programme moves forward,” Irons stated.

The design of the VBJ is complex, and for that reason Pegasus is working with several OEMs including Epsilon Engineering to aid with the development process. “The Pegasus VBJ provides a hybrid propulsion solution and although we address all the performance capabilities of the eVTOL sector, we provide substantially more,” said Irons, “The VBJ falls into the VTOL segment with a maximum takeoff weight of 5700 kg (Part 23 & Part 29 certification), serving longer range needs, offering more passengers onboard, single pilot operation with dual pilot capability, higher airspeeds, and higher altitudes with multiple enhanced safety and redundancy measures in accessing heliports, helipads and conventional runways.”

The interior of the VBJ.
Photograph: Pegasus Universal Aerospace

Why it’s important: Despite the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on the aviation industry, Pegasus has been able to remain firmly on track and is negotiating with many high-level investors and OEMs to support and participate in the development aircraft, largely thanks to the global interest in its unique Vertical Business Jet (VBJ) design.

Source // defenceWeb

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

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

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

Q-Starling’s Propulsion and RCS System

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

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

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

Samad Aerospace, a UK-based hybrid-electric VTOL firm, has announced plans to begin ground testing a 50% scale model of its e-Starling aircraft next month. The e-Starling will be a six-seat, all composite vehicle, designed for air taxi use. It is scheduled to begin initial flight services in 2025.

Samad Aerospace’s e-Starling artist rendering.

“The ground testing is a very important process, and will involve different checks to make sure all aircraft systems and subsystems are working properly both individually and as a whole,” says Samad founder and chief executive Seyed Mohseni. The first two scale models are now being assembled at Samad’s base in Cranfield, UK. Flight tests are expected to begin this year with phased entrance into VTOL tests.

“We are taking a step-by-step approach to the e-Starling certification programme to make sure the aircraft operates perfectly as both a fixed-wing aircraft and a rotorcraft. Once we fully understand both elements of the flight-test process it will have a better chance of trouble free certification programme.”

Samad’s use of a 50% scale flight vehicle will provide the crucial data needed to finalize its full size prototype and complete its preliminary design. “We will build and fly the first of three e-Starling prototypes in 2023 and hope to certificate [under the European Union Aviation Safety Agency’s new eVTOL regulations] in 2024″, Mohseni adds. The first aircraft are scheduled for delivery to customers in 2025.

Seyed Mohseni, CEO of Samad Aerospace

Samad is currently in discussions with Garmin, GE Aviation, Honeywell, Safran, and Pratt and Whitney to supply systems and avionics on e-Starling.

The six-seat aircraft will be propelled by five electric-powered fans: two on the trailing edge of the wing thrusting vertically, two units embedded in the aircraft’s blended wing body, which are only used during vertical flight. One fixed fan coupled with a range extender is located in the tail “providing the necessary thrust to take the aircraft beyond stall speed and transition from hover to cruise for shorter journeys”, says Mohseni.

The e-Starling’s final version will have a projected range of about 400 miles and a top speed of about 300mph, at a list price of $6.5MM USD.

Why it matters: Although Samad has not yet had many media releases, this news offers an inside look at the company’s inside plans to bring a well-priced air taxi to market within the next five years. Samad’s partnership with reputable suppliers promises to provide a familiar flight experience to both operators and passengers. As the company begin testings and solidifying final design of e-Starling, it should start to emerge more prevalently in the media and a high-potential aircraft in this emerging industry.