Results for: vertical aerospace

Wisk has announced the latest generation of its eVTOL aircraft, the 6th in the company’s history. Generation 6, as dubbed by Wisk, will be the first-ever candidate for FAA certification of an autonomous, passenger-carrying eVTOL air taxi and its go-to-market configuration.

“In 2010, we set out to find a way to skip traffic and get to our destination faster,” said Gary Gysin, CEO of Wisk. “That inspiration evolved into a mission to deliver safe, everyday flight for everyone. Over the past 12 years, we’ve pursued that mission through the development of five different generations of full-scale aircraft. Our 6th Generation aircraft is the culmination of years of hard work from our industry-leading team, learnings from our previous generations of aircraft, commitment from our investors, and the evolution and advancement of technology.”

Above: Generation 6’s newly designed interior with room for 4 passengers and baggage.

Unlike many other new eVTOL firms, Wisk has designed for autonomous flight from its start and has integrated this philosophy into its technical and business strategy. New terminology for this concept of operations has needed to be created, including multi-vehicle supervisors who will act as a human interface, overseeing several flights at once with the ability to intervene if an in-flight failure is encountered.

According to the company, Wisk’s 6th Generation aircraft has been designed with a tremendous amount of thought toward safety, comfort, and overall passenger experience. Generation 6 builds upon previous Wisk prototypes and is capable of carrying 4 passengers autonomously over a distance of 90 miles at 120 knots. Generation 6 also boasts a new, upsized cabin which allows ample storage for baggage and personal carry-on items, with improved passive noise reduction.

Wisk’s 6th Generation aircraft is also designed to be affordable, with a price target of $3 per passenger per mile. If target operating costs are achieved, Generation 6 could be comparable to the price of an ground based ride-hailing service like Uber or Lyft, depending on distance and traffic.

Why it matters: Focusing on autonomy truly unlocks the scale and full potential for the broader aerial mobility industry. As the first certification candidate for a self-flying vehicle to the FAA, Wisk has an opportunity to forge unprecedented advancements. Backed by Boeing’s 100+ year history in aerospace, Wisk may use the Generation 6 to entirely change the way we fly and travel.

Mayman Aerospace, developer of a high-powered VTOL utility aircraft, recently announced that it has received $1.25MM from the U.S Air Force’s Agility Prime initiative to continue development of its vehicle. Other partners to Agility Prime include Joby Aviation, Electra.Aero, Beta Technologies, and LIFT Aircraft.

Above: Depiction of Mayman Aerospace’s Speeder AUV (Air Utility Vehicle) acting as a cargo drone.

Mayman’s ‘Speeder’ AUV aircraft uses eight small jet engines to carry up to 600lb+ of payload at 500mph for a range of over 400 miles per flight, all with remotely piloted or autonomous options. According to a recent press release from Mayman, these features, along with its small size and ability to stay in the air for over several hours at a time, make the aircraft highly valuable to the U.S Air Force for logistics missions in contested and/or remote areas.

In addition to its unique range, speed, and payload capabilities, the Speeder AUV’s size is scalable, meaning its platform could be customized ‘from as small as a suitcase to the size of a small car’. A smaller size would make the aircraft highly transportable, such as in the back of a pickup truck, while larger versions could be ideal for delivering delivering higher amounts of essential materials and support in active military areas.

According to Founder David Mayman, the company will use funds provided by Agility Prime to “deliver and certify Speeder for military requirements within the next eighteen months.” A recent press release from Mayman Aerospace mentioned that the USAF’s particular interest in the aircraft is thanks to how well suited it is to handle complex, demanding and often dangerous DOD contested logistics missions, where speed, accuracy, and immediacy are key factors.

Above: A photo of one of the flight-ready Speeder prototypes on exhibition

In addition to military purposes, the company intends to market the Speeder for wildfire response, emergency rescue, land surveillance, and even recreational use. The company has already completed initial tethered flight trials with two Speeder prototypes. Trials with a third, the P2 prototype, are currently underway, with the aircraft expected to receive FAA Experimental certification by the end of 2022.

Why it’s important: While eVTOLs will be a low-impact option in cases of flights between consistent locations, the Mayman Speeder will be a far more capable option in higher-need situations where required flight times and capabilities will be high and unknown prior to missions. Use in active military areas represents a perfect use-case for the Speeder, although the company can be expected to expand into many more logistics areas as it grows with support from the USAF.

Source // Mayman Aerospace

Related:

• Mayman Aerospace debuts Speeder Air Utility Vehicle (AUV) at Draper Venture CEO Summit (July 2022)
• Jetpack Aviation’s Speeder Successfully Completes First Flight Test (July 2021)

Swedish electric aircraft manufacturer, Heart Aerospace, has joined the European Regions Airline Association (ERA), a trade association for European regional airlines and associated businesses.

Founded in 1980, ERA is a non-profit trade association representing over 55 airlines plus around another 150 companies involved in European air transport. ERA is the only association that brings together the entire spectrum of companies involved in European aviation.

The association supports and defends the airline industry in providing safe, efficient and sustainable air connectivity to all regions of Europe. By lobbying European regulatory bodies on policy matters, ERA promotes and protects social responsibility, environmental sustainability and the development of regional economies and local communities.

“We believe that electric air travel can be transformational in addressing the industry’s key sustainability challenges, and we look forward to working with the ERA in shaping the future of regional air travel in Europe,” said Anders Forslund, CEO of Heart Aerospace.

Last year, United Airlines announced plans to purchase up to 100 19-seat Heart Aerospace ES-19 electric aircraft. Heart has also gained investments from Breakthrough Energy Ventures, EQT Ventures, European Investment Council, Lower Carbon Capital, and Mesa Air Group.

“ERA is committed to supporting a transition to more sustainable aviation; hence, we are very pleased to welcome Heart Aerospace into membership. Heart is a pioneer for sustainable aviation, and with its mission to create not only the world’s greenest, but most affordable and accessible form of transport, I am sure the company will play a significant role in the future of Europe’s regional air sector,” said Montserrat Barriga, Director General, ERA.

As of publishing, Heart Aerospace will deliver the first ES-19 electric airliner certified for commercial flight by 2026.

Why it matters: For Heart Aerospace, membership of the ERA will be an important platform for cooperation and the exchange of ideas for sustainable growth of the European regional airline industry. Their participation in the association will also include Heart in important policy-making discussions for the infancy of electric flight in the EU.

Source // Heart Aerospace

Vertical Aerospace has announced a partnership with Babcock International an aerospace, defense and security company to explore new applications of for its VX4 eVTOL aircraft.

The VX4 has proven demand in the passenger transportation markets from established airline customers
including Virgin Atlantic, aircraft lessors such as Avolon, and helicopter and tourism operators such as
Bristow and Iberojet. With today’s announcement, Vertical and Babcock will set up a Joint Working Group
(JWG) to explore how to use the VX4 in new applications such as aerial EMS and cargo transportation.
The VX4 has the potential to transform these types of operations and reduce their carbon impact at a lower
overall cost.

The piloted zero operating emissions four-passenger VX4, is projected to be capable of travelling distances
over 100 miles, achieving top speeds of over 200mph, while producing minimal noise and having a low cost
per passenger mile.

Babcock has over thirty-five years of experience in EMS, performing thousands of missions every year
globally, and is the largest single operator delivering helicopter emergency services (HEMS) in the UK.
By reducing the medical response time, Babcock not only saves lives, but also significantly minimizes the
long-term effects of injuries. This will include reviewing how to use the VX4 in vital services such as attending
accidents and providing emergency transport between hospitals.

The partnership will also see the two companies working on developing modular MRO capabilities to enable
cost effective maintenance of the aircraft in both remote and challenging environments. The partnership
will also see the two companies working on the development of modular MRO capabilities to maximize
availability and enable cost effective maintenance of the VX4 in service. Leveraging Babcock’s experience
in the defense industry, the partnership will also explore how the eVTOL concept may be expanded in the
future to support the armed forces with medium range logistics delivery and casualty evacuation services.

Stephen Fitzpatrick, Founder & CEO, Vertical Aerospace, said “Climate change is the greatest challenge of
our time. As with all other areas, the emergency services and logistics sectors must respond and adapt. I am
delighted that Vertical Aerospace will be able support Babcock, a trusted provider of emergency response
services, in their efforts to decarbonize their operations.”

Phil Craig, Managing Director of UK Aviation at Babcock, added: “Partnering with Vertical Aerospace not
only enables us to harness our extensive digital and data expertise across Babcock, but also our reputation
as a trusted MRO provider with a highly skilled workforce. As a business, we’re committed to reducing our
carbon footprint and this partnership is an exciting step into the world of electric aircrafts. Exploring VX4’s
technological capabilities allows us to understand how it can be used to deliver critical care and logistical
support in challenging environments with zero emissions.”

Why it matters: eVTOL platforms offer an opportunity to disrupt the emergency medical services and logistics sectors as demonstrated by this partnership and others of its kind throughout the industry. Babcock’s experience will complement Vertical’s VX4 and potentially the two can bring to market a transformed transportation experience for EMS responses.

Mayman Aerospace, developer of an optionally-piloted, single-seat, high-powered VTOL utility aircraft, recently unveiled a prototype of its ‘Speeder’ at the 2022 Draper Venture Network CEO Summit in Northern California.

Above: A flight-ready prototype of the speeder was recently showcased at the 2022 Draper Venture Network CEO Summit in Northern California

The Speeder by Mayman Aerospace is features eight small jet engines, which will allow it to travel in unpiloted cargo mode for over 400 miles per flight at speeds over 500 mph, all while carrying up to 1000lbs of cargo. While the Speeder will be able to carry a pilot situated similarly as on a motorcycle, the unpiloted version’s high speed, range, and payload capacities will make it a highly useful tool in applications such as emergency response, firefighting, rapid cargo logistics, military operations, and much more.

At the Draper Venture Summit taking place in June of 2022, attendees of the networking event had the chance to view the details and design of the prototype aircraft as well as sit in the pilot’s position to get a sense of what this new vehicle will be like to fly.

Said Tim Draper, a primary investor in the Mayman, “The Speeder AUV is a total game changer. It is one of the most exciting, industry disrupting technologies we’ve seen and we were thrilled to provide this platform for its first public unveiling. We believe Speeder is the future of VTOL flight and I’m personally looking forward to flying one myself.”

Above: View from the open-air cockpit of the Mayman Aerospace Speeder prototype

In particular, the Speeder’s ability to fly in situations that would ground a helicopter, drone, or airplane, all while flying with extremely high payloads for long periods of time, has encouraged many organization to seek business with Mayman. According to a recent press release, the company is already in advanced conversations with potential customers in in national defense, critical cargo, wildland firefighting (coordinated swarmed support for air tankers) and disaster relief (delivery of medical supplies, water, generators, and medevac).

Mayman Aerospace is a new brand created by micro-jet engine expert Jetpack Aviation, which has been creating jetpack-related products for over ten years with great success. According to CEO David Mayman, the new brand was created to separate the company’s consumer markets from its commercial markets. This move will allow Mayman Aerospace to create a uniquely competitive and flexible product for customers in many industries, especially for customers interested in the cargo autonomous and remotely-piloted cargo versions of the aircraft.

Above: Rendering of a Mayman Aerospace speeder fighting a wind turbine fire.

Above: A cargo version of the Speeder will carry supplies between remote destinations

Why it’s important: While the Mayman Aerospace Speeder is not electrically powered, its VTOL capabilities in range, payload, and flight time far surpass options in development from many leading cargo eVTOL companies. While eVTOLs will be a low-impact option in cases of flights between consistent locations, the Mayman Speeder will be a far more capable option in higher-need situations like wildfires, emergency rescue, and rapid-cargo needs in difficult situations and terrain, where required flight times and capabilities will be high and unknown prior to missions. As Mayman Aerospace continues to make progress, industry stakeholders can begin to note in which situations and industries VTOL or electric VTOL aircraft will be more suitable.

Dufour Aerospace, a Swiss company developing tilt-wing eVTOL aircraft, has announced a partnership with new Australian firm V-STAR Powered Lift Aviation for eVTOL applications in Australia.

Above: Rendering of Dufour Aerospace’s eVTOL on a potential rescue or cargo mission in Australia

Australian firm V-STAR Powered Lift Aviation is a newly formed venture by a group of business leaders with significant experience in defense, commercial, and search and rescue operations around the globe, and was created through a merger between two leading South Australia aviation businesses.

According to recent press release from Dufour, V-STAR sees the potential for many domestic applications of VTOL aircraft in Australia, and hopes to take advantage of the unique market opportunities presented by Dufour’s aircraft.

Said V-STAR’s CEO and Founder Tony Laws: “These new aircraft designs will change the way we approach regional travel and transport in Australia. Anywhere we need to get people and equipment quickly and cheaply is where these aeroplanes come in.”

The agreement between Dufour and V-STAR will give V-STAR early access to Dufour’s unmanned and manned tilt-wing aircraft. The unmanned aircraft will be capable of carrying up to 88 lbs of cargo, while the manned version could carry up to 7 passengers plus a pilot, or about 1600 lbs of cargo.

Dufour’s Co-Founder and CEO Thomas Pfammatter commented: “We are very much looking forward to exploring the many opportunities for deploying unmanned and manned tilt-wing aircraft in Australia. The formation of V-STAR Powered Lift Aviation marks an important milestone in this journey. We are proud to be working with such an experienced team to move sustainable aviation forward.”

Dufour has over 30 years of experience in Swiss commercial helicopter operations, and has been working on its eVTOL program since 2018. Watch a recent test flight video of a scale prototype from Dufour below:

Why it’s important: With this announcement, V-STAR and Dufour aerospace have given themselves additional credibility on the market, and have begun to set up a path to commercial operations for Dufour’s eVTOL aircraft. With the aerial mobility on the rise in Australia, Dufour and V-STAR are now well set up to make their mark on this new aerial transportation industry.

Source // Dufour Aerospace

Related:

• Australia Releases Timeline for Advanced Aerial Mobility Progress; Skyportz Positions for Future (July 2022)
• Savback Helicopters to distribute Dufour Aerospace eVTOL aircraft in Scandinavia (January 2022)
• A First Look at Aero3, Dufour Aerospace’s Flagship eVTOL Aircraft (August 2021)
• Dufour and Blueberry Aviation Enter Strategic Partnership (April 2022)

In an effort to attract talent and technology from independent innovators and startups, Embraer has launched the Energia Initiative. Energia is a family of all-electric, hybrid, and hydrogen fuel-cell aircraft which Embraer will develop in collaboration with outside organizations and innovators.

This week, Embraer announced it has completed its first in-person consortium with independent innovators interested in advancing aerospace technologies. At the event, 16 organizations from across the world were invited to present to Embraer on topics such as electric powertrains, fuel cells, and battery technologies.

“To meet the climate challenge it is essential to encourage every innovation path, not just rely on traditional players. Embraer has a natural affinity with nimble innovators, and we believe the growing eco-system of small, tech-savvy start-ups have a huge contribution to make – if given the opportunity.” said Carlos Illario of Embraer. “We do not underestimate the scale of the challenge. Some of the technologies aviation needs are yet to be discovered. So, it is essential to harness all the world’s available talent to find answers that work, are affordable, and practical in the real world.”

With the first startup day wrapped up, Embraer hopes to extend invitations to organizations with business ideas to innovate in cabin systems, connectivity, ground handling, and more. Embraer’s Energia Initiative will likely become a powerful voice for helping transform commercial aviation and will surely have trickling effects into eVTOL technologies and aerial mobility applications.

Above: Embraer’s vision for the company’s future hybrid-electric, all-electric, and hydrogen cell aircraft.

Why it matters: Advancements in propulsion powertrains and battery technologies will be critical to realizing and commercialization of urban aerial mobility. By inviting outsiders to collaborate in the future of its aviation products, Embraer is showing its commitment to furthering these technologies through innovative development practices.

Dufour Aerospace announced today that Savback Helicopters will promote and distribute Dufour’s innovative tilt-wing aircraft – Aero2 and Aero3 – in Scandinavia. Dufour expressed confidence that Savback “will bring significant knowledge of use-cases and market prospects, especially in Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark and Iceland.”

Savback Helicopter’s tagline is “a breath of fresh air” and Dufour Aerospace “couldn’t agree more”. The Swedish helicopter sales and marketing company, Savback, has over 30 years of experience selling more than 900 helicopters in 75 different countries. They’re known to use their influence to advise clients on the environmental performance of different models of helicopters to enable more environmentally-friendly processes and practices – leading Dufour to partner.

“We strongly believe that Dufour Aerospace’s 8-seater Aero3 provides options for both today’s helicopter market, as well as new use cases which its cutting-edge technology opens up for us,” said Reja Savbäck, CEO of Savback Helicopters. Thomas Pfammatter, CEO and Co-Founder of Dufour Aerospace, added: “Savback Helicopters is a reliable, experienced partner, well-positioned to promote our Aero3 aircraft in Scandinavia. It makes us proud that such an experienced company strongly anchored in the helicopter market believes in the real potential of our vision, designs and team.”

Dufour shared that while the manned Aero3 is eminently suitable for addressing the needs of Advanced Air Mobility, the company is initially focused on applications that do not require additional new infrastructure, such as Air Ambulance and Search and Rescue.

Why it’s important: This distribution partnership will allow Dufour to be afforded of the increased network of Savback’s clients, and position Dufour as a leading eVTOL company for distribution in Scandanavian countries that Savback has ample experience with. Additionally, this partnership underscores throughput of helicopter to eVTOL aircraft experiences for both customers and operators, and would create a common thread, and natural progression, for helicopter operators to then step forward into the aerial mobility space.

Read the full release on Dufour’s website here.

Heart Aerospace, the Swedish based electric aircraft manufacturer, has selected Garmin’s G3000 avionics package for its ES-19 regional airliner.

This marks the second installation of a G3000 on an electric aircraft following Joby earlier this year. Heart Aerospace gained public attention earlier this year when US-based United Airlines announced a conditional order for 100 of its electric aircraft with options to order an additional 100 units as well.

Image: A rendering of Heart Aerospace’s 19-seat regional electric aircraft that will soon be operated United Airlines.

The G3000 is a well-known avionics suite in business and general aviation. It features multiple flight displays, touchscreen controllers, and offers a familiar interface for pilots. Now, Garmin will optimize the G300 to add increased emphasis on power management and battery usage. This new version of the G300 can even be updated in the future for further developments in the electric aircraft/eVTOL space.

Typical arrangement of the Garmin G3000 flight deck displays.

“We’re confident in Heart’s practical, market-driven approach to expanding the regional air transport market with the introduction of the first all-electric airliner,” said Carl Wolf, Garmin VP of aviation and marketing, “whose lower operating costs have the potential to enable more universal access to air travel and a broader network of short-haul flights.”

Heart Aerospace plans to develop an all-electric 19-seat aircraft to target small regional markets at a significantly lower direct operating cost as compared to turboprop/jet aircraft. The ES-19 features an all aluminum airframe and has a high-wing, T-tail configuration with four electric motors. The first model will have a range of 250 miles and is targeting entry into service in 2026.

Why it matters: Garmin has many decades of success in the aviation industry, and so is well positioned to begin making electric aircraft avionics. Its products have revolutionized avionics offerings for general aviation by offering increased ease of use and innovation over more conventional products. The G3000 will seamlessly integrate with Heart Aerospace’s configuration, and will open the door for Garmin to become an industry expert in electric aircraft interfaces.

Related:

• Surf Air Mobility to Order 150 Grand Caravan EX Aircraft for Hybrid-Electric Product Offering
• Blade Partners with magniX for Electrification of Lima Cessnas
• Harbour Air and MagniX are Partnering to Create an All-Electric Airline
• DHL Express to Order 12 Alice Electric Cargo Aircraft from Eviation
• VoltAero Signs with Airways Aviation as Launch Customer in France

Samad Aerospace and Aerosud Aviation have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for the development and manufacturing stages of Samad’s Starling Cargo, a remotely operated eVTOL cargo aircraft.

Aerosud, a South African aerospace engineering company, specializes in commercial aerostructure part design and manufacturing for international Tier 1 suppliers. The Starling Cargo aircraft will be a cargo variant of the Starling Jet, which will eventually carry passengers according to Samad. The Starling Cargo will have both remote piloting and autonomous capabilities, and will have a payload capacity of 60 kg, cruising speed of 83 knots, flight ceiling of 10,000 feet and a range of up to 117 nautical miles. 

Photograph: Samad Aerospace

According to Dr. Seyed Mohseni, CEO of Samad Aerospace, “We look forward to working with Aerosud Aviation to bring our eVTOL Starling Cargo aircraft to market for delivery during the next couple of years. The Starling Cargo aircraft will make air cargo faster, greener and more sustainable.”

Rob Jonkers, director of programs at Aerosud Aviation, added: “We look forward to working with Samad Aerospace to bring to market this unique Starling Cargo eVTOL, which has particular advantages in the South African and African context given sparse infrastructure to move cargo at medium to long distance at speed. The flexibility of Starling Cargo operations will bring a new dimension to delivery turnaround times country and continent wide.”

A Starling Cargo prototype on the runway

Samad Aerospace has reported that interest in the cargo variant of their eVTOL aircraft has come from a number of corporations in industries such as oil and gas, gemstone mining, medical logistics, and emergency response. In addition, Samad plans to use the Starling Cargo to provide humanitarian aid, such as critical delivery of food, medicine, and equipment to regions of world with underdeveloped or damaged infrastructure. 

Starling Cargo prototype Top Down

Why it’s important: Samad Aerospace has become one of the more prevalent eVTOL companies in the world. Together with Aerosud Aviation, the two companies will be working toward major milestones in the development and manufacturing of full-scale prototype eVTOL jets. Expect to see more from Samad Aerospace and the Starling fleet in the near future.

Source // Samad Aerospace press release

Reveled in September, Airbus announced the next iteration of its eVTOL development, the CityAirbus NextGen. This fully electric vehicle is equipped with fixed wings, a V-shaped tail, and eight electrically powered propellers as part of its uniquely designed distributed propulsion system. It is designed to carry up to four passengers in zero-emissions flight for multiple applications.

As more information about NextGen comes out, this week Airbus announced it has selected Thales and Diehl Aerospace to design and develop the primary and secondary flight control computers for the eVTOL aircraft, respectively. The two flight control computers will be redundant and completely independent of one another to improve system-level safety of NextGen.

“I’m delighted to announce today the first system partnership for the development of our CityAirbus NextGen” Joerg P. Mueller, head of urban air mobility at Airbus said in the release. “UAM is a joint effort. Nobody can do it alone. Airbus is reaching out to potential partners from the industry to design and build an optimised vehicle for safe and efficient air transport in urban environments. With Thales and Diehl, we are proud to have two excellent partners with a lot of expertise on board.”

Thales and Airbus have a long standing relationship from the company’s commercial aerospace business. Thales has been responsible for developing Airbus’ now industry-leading fly-by-wire flight controls beginning with the A310 some 40 years ago. Diehl also has deep ties with Airbus and Thales and has extensive experience developing avionics systems on commercial airliners and helicopters.

“We are thrilled to see that our close cooperation with Airbus and Diehl is once again delivering concrete results through an agreement that will add a whole new dimension to air mobility,” Yannick Assouad, Thales Executive Vice President, Avionics, said, commenting on the new partnership. “With this safe and innovative flight control solution, we are working together to build an airspace environment we can all trust.”

Why it matters: Thales and Diehl’s partnership with CityAirbus brings decades of avionics prowess in fly-by-wire technology and systems architecture to the eVTOL space. With EASA working on special rules for the certification of aerial mobility crafts and Airbus’ relationship with the regulator, CityAirbus is likely to be a technological and commercial success. Expect more partnerships coming from CityAirbus NextGen to be announced as details of the development emerge.

Samad Aerospace continues to display progress of their E-Starling eVTOL aircraft, with its VTOL operations now having been announced to be fully functional. As of now, Samad’s development has been centered around their half-scale prototypes of the E-Starling, which has undergone various flight testing. While conventional flight was displayed back in March 2021, Samad Aerospace’s development has taken another step forward, showing footage of the E-Starling’s now fully functioning front and rear lift fans for VTOL flight. 

The flight tests included evaluations on aircraft flight dynamics, performance as well as handling qualities. As the e-Starling adopts a semi blended wing body (BWB) design, it requires a low angle for take-off; it is important to understand when the aircraft is capable of taking-off and at which speed.

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.” The company 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.

Samad Aerospace’s E-Starling

Why it’s important: Samad’s Starling project has potential to result in commercializing the world’s first e-VTOL hybrid aircraft. The company’s CEO, Dr Seyed Mohammad Mohseni, praised his team’s resilience attributing this latest success to their, “striking and unparalleled dedication during unprecedented times.” Samad’s Chief Production Officer explains, “We believe passionately in our proven technology, Covid-19 threw a few challenges our way, but this passion fuels our determination, securing this success.” 

Source // New Atlas

Dufour Aerospace has just published specification details on the Aero3, its flagship VTOL tilt-wing aircraft that aims to combine exceptional space, load and range for various transportation missions including most of today’s helicopter applications. This piloted, multi-purpose hybrid aircraft is a successor to the unmanned demonstrator aircraft test flown by Dufour Aerospace since 2020.

A demonstration of the Aero 3’s transition from horizontal to vertical flight. Credit // Dufour Aerospace

Aero3 will feature a decentralized electric main propulsion system of eight motors powering six propellers fixed to the main tilt-wing and two smaller tail propellers. Its large cabin and wide doors allow for a 6- or 8-seat configuration and offer enough space for patient or cargo transport. The design features an exceptional cruise speed of 350 km/h (189 knots) and a range of up to 1020 km (551 nautical miles), Aero3 will be the perfect tool for most VTOL applications.

According to Thomas Pfammatter, CEO and Co-founder of Dufour Aerospace: “The tilt-wing design of Aero3 combines the best of the worlds of helicopters and airplanes – the ability to take off and land like a helicopter and the efficiency and speed of an airplane in cruise flight. It is the perfect tool to serve future Advanced Air Mobility markets because it is efficient and safe. But even while these markets are in their infancy, our product will replace a significant number of today’s light and medium helicopters, as it meets the requirements of today’s operations at much lower costs, more sustainable and will be much quieter. It will seamlessly integrate with existing infrastructure and airspace.”

“Our test flights with a large-scale demonstrator and the wind tunnel tests have clearly confirmed the exceptional performance and versatility of the tilt-wing design,” said Jasmine Kent, CTO and Co-founder of Dufour Aerospace. “The results met our high expectations. The tilt-wing is a proven aerodynamic concept with a long history of thousands of flight hours in several projects, such as the inspirational Canadair CL-84, so there are fewer risks than with other VTOL concepts. Now three years into our tilt-wing development programme, we are confident that this aircraft can be built successfully to meet certification requirements.”

Why it’s important: While Aero3 is the flagship of Dufour Aerospace’s tilt-wing product family, the Swiss company is simultaneously and ambitiously working on a smaller, unmanned aircraft named Aero2, using the same aerodynamic and technical principles. Aero2 is designed for logistics applications, inspection, monitoring, mapping, and public safety tasks; this implies that Dufour will have the capability to reach a wide array of markets and potential customers with its suite of products, thereby diversifying its revenue streams. Earlier this year, the company also announced that it received funding from session.vc and existing investors to accelerate growth; these investments have proven to be essential in the progression towards the commercial launch of its versatile (hybrid) eVTOL platform.

Source // Dufour Aerospace press release

Qarbon Aerospace has agreed with LIFT Aircraft to perform the system integration and assembly of LIFT’s HEXA eVTOL flying car at Qarbon’s Red Oak Facility. Additionally, Qarbon will secure supply chain sourcing as well for the HEXA, making the company the end-to-end manufacturer for LIFT’s flying car. 

According to Qarbon’s CEO Pete Wick, “This integration and assembly work expands upon the strong existing relationship between Qarbon Aerospace and the LIFT Aircraft team. We’re very proud that LIFT has placed their confidence in us to support them as the manufacturer of choice for their first-to-market eVTOL aircraft.”

Based in Red Oak, the company was formed just last month in May 2021 as a result of the acquisition of Qarbon Aerospace (formerly known as Triumph Group, Inc.) by equity firm Arlington Capital Partners. With three facilities — Red Oak, Milledgeville, GA and Rayong, Thailand — Qarbon now operates nearly 2 million square feet of factory space, where large, complex structural components are manufactured, such as fuselages, wings, flight control surfaces, and engine nacelles. 

LIFT CEO Matt Chasen pilots the HEXA over Camp Mabry, Texas as part of a visit for the USAF’s Agility Prime Initiative. Photograph: Sean Kornegay

Qarbon now is in charge of the manufacturing of the HEXA, a 18-propeller, 1-seater eVTOL aircraft. Designed for both recreational and military use, the HEXA provides services such as recreational trips over San Francisco Bay or air ambulance duties through the United States Air Force. The recreational flight services are available to anyone, and will cost $249 (currently $199 for early bird flight reservations) for a 15 minute flight with no pilot’s license required. Before flight, the customer will be required to undergo a 1 hour flight lesson, which covers safety training, flight controls instruction in a VR simulator, preflight checks, and a flight briefing from a “remote safety pilot.”  The HEXA also is currently part of the United States Air Force’s Agility Prime Initiative, and is in development for air ambulance and cargo retrieval services. 

Visit LIFT’s website here.

Air Force Chief of Staff Charles Q. Brown, Jr., is shown seated in the HEXA aircraft. Photograph: Sean Kornegay

Why it’s important: With the manufacturer for the HEXA now selected, LIFT is one step closer to introducing a reinvention to how consumers and USAF approach transportation and logistics by providing easily accessible eVTOL flights nationwide. The first round of HEXAs are now slated for assembly at the Red Oak Facility, meaning that LIFT’s vision of making flying accessible to anyone could soon become a reality. 

Source // Dallas Innovates

Oxis Energy, the battery supplier for Bye Aerospace’s eFlyer 800, has filed for bankruptcy as of May 19th according the the company’s website. The company held over 40 patents for battery technology pertaining to UAM platforms which promised to fuel the industry and future platforms like the eFlyer, most notably Li-S cell construction architectures.

Li-S cell chemistry offers higher energy density over traditional battery cell designs.

Authorized insolvency practitioners Simon Girling and Christopher Marsden of BDO LLP will oversee the transition for Oxis.

“The company was unable to secure the investment required to continue its product development,” Girling stated in the release. “However, we are hopeful of obtaining a sale of the company’s specialist testing equipment, together with approximately 200 patents held by the company, and the opportunity remains for an acquirer to purchase these assets in situ at an internationally acclaimed testing center, and separate R&D facility.”

At the time of the announcement, Oxis was closing in on Bye’s 550 Wh/kg energy density requirements for the eFlyer. In company reports last year, its Li-S cell prototypes had achieved 471 Wh/kg and would be able to begin shipping prototypes as early as Q3 2021.

The company had hoped to pursue even higher densities, targeting 550 Wh/kg by 2023 and 600 Wh/kg by 2026.

Why it matters: Oxis is one of the few suppliers as reported by TransportUP to have filed for bankruptcy thus far in 2021. While to be expected as the industry matures and investors select winners, the announcement offers some exciting news in that energy densities required to sustain eVTOL/hybrid-electric fixed wing platforms can be met. With over 200 patents, 40 of which directly related to Li-S architecture slated for the eFlyer, expect to see some sort of M&A activity around Oxis Energy as they look to apply their technical prowess under new ownership.