Results for: uber

FAA Issues New Guidance on eVTOL Certification

AIR ONE Prototype Showcased at Kentucky Derby

Virtual ATC Tower Training Opportunities for Aerial Mobility

Airbus Vahana

21 June 2018 || < 1 min read

Quick SummaryVahana is a project worked on by the A^3 technological development arm of Airbus which is headquartered in Silicon Valley, CA. Built as a (now-completed) eVTOL technology demonstrator and proof-of-concept for future aircraft like the CityAirbus, Vahana uses variable-angle rotors that provide thrust vertically for takeoff and landing and swivel forward to facilitate accelerated conventional flight.CompanyAirbus CEOA^3 CEO Product...

Airbus Vahana

21 June 2018 || < 1 min read

Quick Summary

Vahana is a project worked on by the A^3 technological development arm of Airbus which is headquartered in Silicon Valley, CA. Built as a (now-completed) eVTOL technology demonstrator and proof-of-concept for future aircraft like the CityAirbus, Vahana uses variable-angle rotors that provide thrust vertically for takeoff and landing and swivel forward to facilitate accelerated conventional flight.

A^3 Airbus Group in Silicon Valley, CA.

A^3 is a venture created by Airbus, a Colonge, France, company.

Stage of Development

Preliminary Design

Prototype Build

Flight Testing

Project Complete

Technical Details:

Aircraft Type: Winged VTOL

Powerplant: All-Electric

Range: 31 miles

Top Speed: 136mph

Propeller Configuration: 8 propellers; 4 on each of the two tilting wings.

Passenger/Payload Capacity: Single Passenger

Autonomy Level: Autonomous/remote pilot

Dimensions: 20 ft wingspan, 9 ft height

Other Information:

Weight: 1600lbs

Motors: 8 electric motors at 45kW each

From Airbus:

Project Vahana intends to open up urban airways by developing the first certified electric, self-piloted vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) passenger aircraft. We envision Vahana being as a cost-comparable replacement for short-range urban transportation like cars or trains. A core premise of this project is that full automation and sense-and-avoid technology will allow us to achieve higher safety levels by minimizing human error while allowing more vehicles to share the sky. As a platform, Vahana can be as diverse as its wheeled grounded counterpart when being used for cargo delivery, emergency services, search and rescue, or even as a tool to deploy modular infrastructure in disaster sites. There is no other project that we know of that incorporates this much automation in vertical flight. With Airbus’ long history in aircraft certification and safety, we are uniquely positioned to realize large-scale automated flight within urban environments.

Our Take on Vahana

Since its creation, Vahana has achieved multiple important milestones integral to the future of aerial mobility. These have included building a fully-electric aircraft that can autonomously transition from vertical to fixed wing flight, enabling that aircraft to fly for a significant range, and completing over 130 test flights to prove the safety of eVTOL aircraft overall. The work A^3 did with Vahana allowed Airbus to lay the groundwork for larger aircraft such as the Airbus CityAirbus. Although the project is now completed, the Vahana team was able to make many significant discoveries and developments for the future of aerial mobility at airbus.

References

The Latest News from TransportUP

MAGicaALL Motors Selected to Power CityAirbus NextGen

FAA Issues New Guidance on eVTOL Certification

AIR ONE Prototype Showcased at Kentucky Derby

Virtual ATC Tower Training Opportunities for Aerial Mobility

United HeliFlight Service – “A Canary for eVTOL’s”

21 June 2018 || 3 min read

Marisa Garcia outlined in Forbes yesterday the prospect of using new helicopter-connection services, like the recently announced United Airlines HeliFlight service, as a “canary” or sorts for the future success of eVTOL transportation. Namely, Garcia focused on the potential hurdles that eVTOL’s might have to overcome that make them similar to helicopters: the high investment in technology that mandates a...

United HeliFlight Service – “A Canary for eVTOL’s”

21 June 2018 || 3 min read

Namely, Garcia focused on the potential hurdles that eVTOL’s might have to overcome that make them similar to helicopters: the high investment in technology that mandates a high utilization rate for a return on any level of investment. Other similar helicopter connection services exist, like FlyBlade, which is independently growing as one of the largest on-demand helicopter and aircraft charter businesses in the world, but Garcia argues that even companies like FlyBlade start to lose ground when they partner with another transportation entity to provide true door-to-door service, like Blade did with Delta. Supposedly, that partnership will now neither be confirmed nor denied by a Delta spokesperson reached out to with that very question.

However, there are a number of advantages that eVTOL’s have over the conventional helicopters that are outline in Garcia’s commentary: they’re quieter than helicopters, fully electric, and as a result, lower impact on the surrounding urban areas that they’re slated to operate in. Additionally, the sheer volume of funding that has poured in over the past few years has allowed for rapid industry progress. Coupled with mergers and acquisitions by numerous aerospace firms, the industry is burgeoning with preparedness and a level of work intensity that has not crossed the aerospace field (in terms of aircraft development time) in history.

Why it’s important: As Garcia stated in her commentary, the next 12 months will serve as a great barometer for the success of commercial eVTOL implementations and also for on demand door-to-door transportation business models in general. Companies like FlyBlade are most likely seeking to expand their reach, if not implement the infrastructure to be the single B2C model that a consumer may use to get from their door in New York to their condo in Los Angeles. Time will tell.

Source

Forbes
Image // United

Joby Aviation

21 June 2018 || < 1 min read

Quick SummaryJoby Aviation is a Santa Cruz, CA based company developing the Joby S4 eVTOL. The S4 has been kept predominantly under wraps from the public during the design phase, but recently announced plans for a new manufacturing facility to begin production of its vehicle. Joby's team is extremely experienced and has executed on numerous projects in the past that...

Joby Aviation

21 June 2018 || < 1 min read

Quick Summary

Joby Aviation is a Santa Cruz, CA based company developing the Joby S4 eVTOL. The S4 has been kept predominantly under wraps from the public during the design phase, but recently announced plans for a new manufacturing facility to begin production of its vehicle. Joby's team is extremely experienced and has executed on numerous projects in the past that demanded a high degree of technical acuity, and the company is well-funded by Toyota and other investors.

Joby Aviation, a Santa Cruz, CA, USA based company.

Stage of Development

Preliminary Design

Prototype Build

Flight Testing

Certification

Commercially Operating

Technical Details

Aircraft Type: Winged VTOL

Powerplant: Distributed Electric Propulsion (DEP) System powered by lithium-nickel-cobalt-manganese-oxide batteries

Range: 150 miles

Top Speed: 200 mph

Propeller Configuration: Four (4) propellers tilt vertically including its entire motor nacelle, and two (2) of the propellers tilt vertically with a linkage mechanism

Passenger/Payload Capacity: 1 pilot and 4 passengers

Autonomy Level: Piloted

Dimensions: 35 ft wingspan, 24 ft length

Other Information:

Safety assurance in excess of CS-23 cert requirements
Unified flight control – extremely simple vehicle operations (SVO)
100 times quieter than a helicopter
Weight: 4,000 lb
Windows: Large windows for spectacular views for the passengers
Fuselage: Composite
Landing gear: Tricycle wheeled retractable landing gear.
First flight: On February 1st, 2018, a prototype executed a 15 minute, 15 mile loop which included a piloted vertical takeoff

Our Take on Joby

Joby's small media presence seems to be by design - Joby's team has been working with maximum intensity on bringing the project to fruition and testing their full scale S4 prototype. The company has recently closed large funding rounds - which included investors such as Toyota, JetBlue Baillie Gifford - and is demonstrating strong momentum as it stands up its new manufacturing facility in California. Once the facility is operational, it's likely we will be seeing substantially more news from Joby as it begins testing and certifying vehicles.

References

The Latest News from TransportUP

MAGicaALL Motors Selected to Power CityAirbus NextGen

FAA Issues New Guidance on eVTOL Certification

AIR ONE Prototype Showcased at Kentucky Derby

Virtual ATC Tower Training Opportunities for Aerial Mobility

Lilium Jet

21 June 2018 || < 1 min read

Quick SummaryThe Lilium Jet is an eVTOL designed and manufactured near Munich, Germany. The Jet uses swiveling ducted fans to provide vertical thrust for takeoff and landing. These same fans then slowly rotate towards rear facing as the Jet accelerates and converts to its forward flight mode.CompanyCEOProduct NameLilium, a Munich, Germany based companyDaniel WiegandLilium JetStage of DevelopmentPreliminary DesignPrototype BuildFlight TestingCertificationCommercially...

Lilium Jet

21 June 2018 || < 1 min read

Quick Summary

The Lilium Jet is an eVTOL designed and manufactured near Munich, Germany. The Jet uses swiveling ducted fans to provide vertical thrust for takeoff and landing. These same fans then slowly rotate towards rear facing as the Jet accelerates and converts to its forward flight mode.

Lilium, a Munich, Germany based company

Stage of Development

Preliminary Design

Prototype Build

Flight Testing

Certification

Commercially Operating

Technical Details

Aircraft Type: Winged VTOL

Powerplant: All-Electric

Range: 300 km / 186 miles

Top Speed: 300km/h / 187 mph

Propeller Configuration: 36 ducted fans

Passenger/Payload Capacity: 5 passengers

Autonomy Level: Semi-Autonomous, Autonomy function built in.

Dimensions: 36 ft wingspan

From Lilium's Technical Overview

"At Lilium, we have invented a completely new aircraft concept for the modern age. While vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) itself is not new – after all, quadcopters, tilt rotors and tilt wings are well-known concepts – we did not want to accept the compromises inherent to these configurations.

Quadcopters excel with their simplicity but are highly inefficient in cruise flight. Transition aircraft can fly three times faster and ten times further with an equally sized battery, but system complexity is usually much higher.

So, the goal was set: defining a transition aircraft concept with better performance in safety, noise, speed, range and payload than existing concepts, while cutting complexity to one third.

We challenged physical limitations, mechanical complexity and energy laws, until we came up with something new and unique. Something simple and efficient."

The Jet

The Lilium Jet consists of a rigid winged body with 12 flaps. Each one carries three electric jet engines. Depending on the flight mode, the flaps tilt from a vertical into a horizontal position. At take-off, all flaps are tilted vertical, so that the engines can lift the aircraft. Once airborne, the flaps gradually tilt into a horizontal position, leading the aircraft to accelerate. When they have reached complete horizontal position, all lift necessary to stay aloft is provided by the wings as on a conventional airplane.

The beauty of this system is its simplicity. In comparison to existing concepts, Lilium Jets require no gearboxes, no foldable or variable pitch propellers, no water-cooling, and no aerodynamic steering flaps. Just tiltable electric engines.

What’s more: The Lilium Jet has the highest possible structural efficiency. As we can provide differential thrust from the engines in cruise flight, no stabilizing tail is necessary.

The design of the electric engines ensures a very low drag coefficient in cruise flight, leading to a higher speed and range. The energy consumption per seat and kilometer thereby becomes comparable to an electric car – but the jet is 3 times faster.

The Lilium Jet uses an integrated high-lift system. The objective is to increase the lift of the wings even at low speeds to save energy. While hovering is very energy-consuming, as an aircraft must provide thrust equal to its own weight, dynamic lift of wings consumes much less energy to stay aloft. So, it is important to create as much dynamic lift from the wings as possible, even at very low speeds.

The electric jet engines work like turbofan jet engines in a regular passenger jet. They suck in air, compress it and push it out the back. However, the compressor fan in the front is not turned by a gas turbine, but by a high performance electric motor. Therefore, they run much quieter and completely emission-free.

Our Take on the Lilium Jet

The Lilium Jet is sleek, fast, and successful thus far in flight testing. Lilium has produced (in under 5 years) a very viable prototype eVTOL with a target entry to market of 2025, and a target first manned flight in early 2019. Given their past timeline and rate of progress, both of these goals seem achievable by the German team. Furthermore, the company has gone to great lengths to ensure that their entire experience matches the design paradigms of their eVTOL, and that they make no compromises in safety or the operation of their eVTOL. While keeping relatively quiet in terms of public demonstration flights, the videos depicting flight testing of the Jet are impressive enough on their own and should be a good indicator for future success of the company.

References

The Latest News from TransportUP

MAGicaALL Motors Selected to Power CityAirbus NextGen

FAA Issues New Guidance on eVTOL Certification

AIR ONE Prototype Showcased at Kentucky Derby

Virtual ATC Tower Training Opportunities for Aerial Mobility

Boeing Passenger Air Vehicle (PAV)

21 June 2018 || < 1 min read

Quick SummaryThe Boeing Passenger Air Vehicle is a venture originally headed by John Langford, who's company Aurora Flight Sciences was acquired by Boeing in November of 2017 (AFS is now a subsidiary of Boeing's NeXt technology ventures arm). The Boeing PAV is similar in design to the Kitty Hawk Cora, as it utilizes vertical lift propellors for takeoff and landing...

Boeing Passenger Air Vehicle (PAV)

21 June 2018 || < 1 min read

Quick Summary

The Boeing Passenger Air Vehicle is a venture originally headed by John Langford, who's company Aurora Flight Sciences was acquired by Boeing in November of 2017 (AFS is now a subsidiary of Boeing's NeXt technology ventures arm). The Boeing PAV is similar in design to the Kitty Hawk Cora, as it utilizes vertical lift propellors for takeoff and landing and transitions to forward flight using a single pusher propellor. The first flight of the PAV was on January 23rd, 2019.

Boeing NeXt

Stage of Development

Preliminary Design

Prototype Build

Flight Testing

Certification

Commercially Operating

Technical Details

Aircraft Type: Winged VTOL

Powerplant: All-electric

Range: 50 miles

Top Speed: Undisclosed

Propeller Configuration: 8 lifting rotors, 1 pusher propeller

Passenger/Payload Capacity: Two-seater

Autonomy Level: Autonomous

Dimensions: 30 feet wingspan, 28ft length

Other Information:

Infrastructure:

Aurora’s eVTOL aircraft will provide on-demand transportation to minimize long commutes due to heavy traffic and urbanization in populated areas.
The infrastructure plan includes urban “vertiports” for passenger boarding and vehicle servicing.
eVTOL aircraft will operate a “hub-to-hub” service between designated vertiports.
The first test bed flights are scheduled to begin in 2020 in Dallas, Texas, USA and Dubai, The United Arab Emirates.

Operational Overview:

The eVTOL aircraft includes eight lift rotors for vertical takeoff and cruise propeller and wing to transition to high-speed forward cruise.
At destination hub, the aircraft transitions back to rotor-borne flight for vertical landing.
Fully electric operation decreases or eliminates emissions and noise pollution for a quieter flight.
While initially operated with a safety pilot, the eVTOL aircraft is designed for fully autonomous operations.
The flight capability for eVTOL aircraft is three times more efficient than a multi-copter aircraft.

Capabilities:

The eVTOL will be used for short-haul transport of passengers or cargo.
Current configuration allows for two passengers including the pilot plus luggage.
Offerings will include specific configuration options to address mission requirements for civil and military operations.

Our Take on Boeing NeXt and Aurora

Aurora Flight Sciences is unique - it is a medium size company, with around 470 employees, and is now a Boeing subsidiary under the Boeing NeXt technology ventures arm. Furthermore, Aurora has completed a number of other theoretical and physical design projects, including autonomous, novel flight control, and novel configuration - all components that require mastery and experience in to successfully design a competitive eVTOL. The first test of the full scale prototype was on January 23rd, 2019 in Manassa, VA.

References

The Latest News from TransportUP

MAGicaALL Motors Selected to Power CityAirbus NextGen

FAA Issues New Guidance on eVTOL Certification

AIR ONE Prototype Showcased at Kentucky Derby

Virtual ATC Tower Training Opportunities for Aerial Mobility

EHang 216

21 June 2018 || < 1 min read

Quick SummaryThe Ehang AAV is the largest autonomous aerial vehicle that Ehang, a Chinese company with a large wealth of experience in drone manufacturing, has designed and flown to date. Ehang mostly specializes in smaller drone technologies, but has scaled their experience and product with the AAV. EHang has conducted successful flight tests in extreme environments, including a typhoon, and...

EHang 216

21 June 2018 || < 1 min read

Quick Summary

The Ehang AAV is the largest autonomous aerial vehicle that Ehang, a Chinese company with a large wealth of experience in drone manufacturing, has designed and flown to date. Ehang mostly specializes in smaller drone technologies, but has scaled their experience and product with the AAV. EHang has conducted successful flight tests in extreme environments, including a typhoon, and has hosted numerous public demonstration flights. The company is quite popular in China and is rapidly spreading their global influence, having conducted demonstration flights in Asia, the middle east, Europe, and North America to date.

Ehang, based in Guangzhou, China.

Stage of Development

Preliminary Design

Prototype Build

Flight Testing

Certification

Commercially Operating

Technical Details

Aircraft Type: Wingless VTOL

Powerplant: All-Electric

Range: 22 miles with max payload

Top Speed: 80 mph

Propeller Configuration: 16 lift/thrust rotors (8 dual rotors)

Passenger/Payload Capacity: 2 Passengers, or 485 lbs total payload

Autonomy Level: Autonomous

Dimensions: 18' 4" wingspan, 5' 9" length

Other Information:

Flight Endurance: 25min (est)

Empty Weight: 793 lbs

Cruising altitude: 1600 ft (AGL)

Charging Time: 1 hr

Max Takeoff Weight: 1322 lbs

Materials:

Main frame: Reinforced composite material with carbon fiber and epoxy

Other components: aerial aluminum alloy

Interior:

Seat Depth: 1' 3"

Seatback Height: 2' 10"

Seatback angle: 95 degrees

Storage capacity: 18-inch backpack

Our Take on the EHang AAV

Ehang boasts more drone building experience than most other eVTOL manufacturers, and seemed to have benefited from approaching the eVTOL design process by scaling up their previous drone projects, designing an autonomous vehicle from the start, and conducting rigorous testing early and often. The company has rapidly filled a large product line and advanced drone technology in that time frame, despite being a relative newcomer to the aerospace industry when compared with other larger OEM's. Their strength in relationships with with Chinese local and national government officials and the CAAC has aided their progress, including the facilitation of a pilot program that offers limited aerial mobility operations in select cities along coastal China. Given the huge emerging market for on-demand transportation in China, and Asia in general, EHang has great potential to make a huge impact on the way people move. Furthermore, the recent explosion of ride-sharing services like Uber and Grab in Asia will aid in shifting public sentiment toward accepting on-demand transportation, regardless of mode.

References

The Latest News from TransportUP

MAGicaALL Motors Selected to Power CityAirbus NextGen

FAA Issues New Guidance on eVTOL Certification

AIR ONE Prototype Showcased at Kentucky Derby

Virtual ATC Tower Training Opportunities for Aerial Mobility

Overair Butterfly

20 June 2018 || < 1 min read

Quick SummaryOverair was founded in 2004 by Abe Karem, founder ofLeading Systems and Frontier Systems. At Frontier Systems, Abe led the development of Optimum Speed Rotor (OSR) technology and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) systems, as well as the A160 Hummingbird Optimum-Speed Rotor UAV, now owned by Boeing. Karem Aircraft became an independent company and rebranded as Overair Inc. in January...

Overair Butterfly

20 June 2018 || < 1 min read

Quick Summary

Overair was founded in 2004 by Abe Karem, founder ofLeading Systems and Frontier Systems. At Frontier Systems, Abe led the development of Optimum Speed Rotor (OSR) technology and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) systems, as well as the A160 Hummingbird Optimum-Speed Rotor UAV, now owned by Boeing.

Karem Aircraft became an independent company and rebranded as Overair Inc. in January of 2020, following a $25 million investment by Hanwha Systems. Upon being approved for the investment, Hanwha Systems became a 30% owner of Overair, Inc. Overair has over 100+ years of combined aerospace engineering and management experience, as well as 20+ years of VTOL propulsion development experience. $150 million dollars of military and private funding of future tech development also aid the company.

Overair, formerly Karem Aircraft, based in Santa Ana, CA, USA

Stage of Development

Preliminary Design

Prototype Build

Flight Testing

Certification

Commercially Operating

Technical Details

Aircraft Type: Winged VTOL, Intercity

Powerplant: All-Electric

Range: 100 miles (161 km)

Top Speed: 200 mph (322 km/h)

Propeller Configuration: Quad tiltrotor with Optimum Speed Tiltrotor (OSTR) technology; large rotor, slow turning propeller.

Noise signature: "at low point of human hearing range"

Passenger/Payload Capacity: 1 pilot, 5 passengers

Autonomy Level: Piloted

Flight Control Redundancy: dual, triple in certain cases

Dimensions: Unknown

Certification Date: 2025

From Karem:

Our Take on Overair

Since Overair is a smaller firm than the large aerospace corporations that have dominated the industry for decades, they'll most likely be able to accommodate some of the requests that Uber has that other companies wouldn't. However, their largest hurdle is completing their preliminary design process and moving forward with production of a prototype and testing of the Butterfly. Overair currently plans to have an operable ride-sharing eVTOL aircraft available by 2025; their continued focus on battery and aerodynamic efficiency has the potential to give the Butterfly a economic advantage over the other competitors in the urban air vehicle market.

References

The Latest News from TransportUP

MAGicaALL Motors Selected to Power CityAirbus NextGen

FAA Issues New Guidance on eVTOL Certification

AIR ONE Prototype Showcased at Kentucky Derby

Virtual ATC Tower Training Opportunities for Aerial Mobility

Volocopter 2X

20 June 2018 || < 1 min read

Quick SummaryThe Volocopter 2X is one of the most visually remarkable eVTOLs today - featuring almost 20 propellers (18, to be exact) all arranged in a circular symmetrical pattern. Volocopter has been successful thus far in garnering public support and even in hosting ride-along events for high-profile individuals.CompanyCEOProduct NameVolocopter, based in Bruchsal, GermanyFlorian ReuterVolocopter 2XStage of DevelopmentPreliminary DesignPrototype BuildFlight TestingCertificationCommercially...

Volocopter 2X

20 June 2018 || < 1 min read

Quick Summary

The Volocopter 2X is one of the most visually remarkable eVTOLs today - featuring almost 20 propellers (18, to be exact) all arranged in a circular symmetrical pattern. Volocopter has been successful thus far in garnering public support and even in hosting ride-along events for high-profile individuals.

Volocopter, based in Bruchsal, Germany

Stage of Development

Preliminary Design

Prototype Build

Flight Testing

Certification

Commercially Operating

Technical Details

Aircraft Type: Wingless VTOL

Powerplant: All-Electric

Range: 17 miles

Top Speed: 62mph

Propeller Configuration: 18 independent electric motors and propellers

Passenger/Payload Capacity: 2 passengers, 350 lbs max payload

Autonomy Level: Autonomous

Dimensions:

7 ft height by 30ft rotor rim diameter

Cockpit: 10 ft length / 4 ft width / 4 ft height

Skids: 11 ft length / 6.5 ft width

Other Information:

Operating weight empty (OWE): 640 lbs

Rate of climb (@ MTOM): 9 ft/s

Altitude (service ceiling): ≥ 6,500 ft AMSL

Noise level: ~ 65 dB(A) at 250 ft

Safety and Redundancy:

Full aircraft emergency parachute

Multiple redundancy in all critical components such as propellers, motors, power source, electronics, flight control, displays

Highly reliable communication network between devices through meshed polymer optic fiber network (fly-by-light)

Composition/Structure:

Fibre composites; lightweight construction

Diameter of a single propeller: 5'10"

Power Supply and Battery:

Number of battery packs: 9 independent battery systems with quick release

Battery type: Lithium-ion battery

Power supply: 9 batteries supply 2 motors each

Max. charging time < 120 min

Fast charging time < 40 min

Battery changing system: Quick-change system; plug-in system

Battery cooling: Active air cooling

Engine type:

3-phase PM synchronous motor, brushless DC electric motor (BLDC)

Certification:

Light sport multicopter; German ultralight (UL)

Our Take on the V2X

Volocopter leverages engineering experience from Germany and a very successful marketing and placement campaign that has promoted its V2X eVTOL to a variety of potential customers worldwide. Most notably, the public demonstration of the V2X in Dubai attracted a large amount of attention and interest in the V2X, and the continuing high performance in flight demonstrations and testing should enable Volocopter to place themselves in a competitive spot for certification of their aircraft - one of the last hurdles they must clear before the V2X is produced and commercially delivered. Volocopter is absolutely an important eVTOL player to watch in the coming years.

References

The Latest News from TransportUP

MAGicaALL Motors Selected to Power CityAirbus NextGen

FAA Issues New Guidance on eVTOL Certification

AIR ONE Prototype Showcased at Kentucky Derby

Virtual ATC Tower Training Opportunities for Aerial Mobility

Terrafugia Transition

20 June 2018 || < 1 min read

Quick SummaryThe Terrafugia Transition is a flying car with foldable wings produced in Woburn, MA by aerospace company Terrafugia. Terrafugia is also working on future eVTOL prototypes, such as the TF-2 and TF-X. The Transition is named such because of the foldable wing mechanism that allows for the wings to stow for legal driving on US roadways and then extended...

Terrafugia Transition

20 June 2018 || < 1 min read

Quick Summary

The Terrafugia Transition is a flying car with foldable wings produced in Woburn, MA by aerospace company Terrafugia. Terrafugia is also working on future eVTOL prototypes, such as the TF-2 and TF-X. The Transition is named such because of the foldable wing mechanism that allows for the wings to stow for legal driving on US roadways and then extended at an airport for "Transition" to flight mode.

Terrafugia, based in Woburn, MA, USA

Stage of Development

Preliminary Design

Prototype Build

Flight Testing

Certification

Commercially Operating

Technical Details

Aircraft Type: Intercity fixed wing STOL

Powerplant: Rotax 912iS

Range: 400 miles

Top Speed: 100+ mph

Propeller Configuration: One pusher propeller

Passenger/Payload Capacity: 4 passengers

Autonomy Level: Piloted

Wingspan/Dimensions: 26.6 feet

Additional Information

Useful Load: 500 pounds

Maximum Altitude: 10,000 feet

Fuel Burn (at cruise): 5 gph

Dimensions (Drive Mode): 6.5’ x 7.5’ x 19.5’

Dimensions (Flight Mode): 6.5’ x 26.5’ x 19.5’

Funding (unconfirmed): $6.8M

*Note - Terrafugia was acquired by Geely Holdings Ltd in November of 2017. Read our article on the acquisition here.

Our Take on the Transition

Terrafugia is no stranger to the flying car market - their efforts to design and produce the Transition dates back to 2006 when a group of MIT engineers decided to create some truly revolutionary. The first flight of the Transition occurred in 2009. Following the first flight, improvements were made and another design iteration completed to yield a better flying car in 2012. Now, flight testing is ongoing and Terrafugia's last hurdle to clear before production of the vehicle is the regulatory one. All indicators lead to Terrafugia applying the Transition for FAA Type Certification in the US - which will be the one of the first applications by a manufacturer of a true flying car - which will definitely encourage and gain the attention of other eVTOL manufacturers who are planning their certification paths while attempting to take in some lessons learned from other companies. Terrafugia may have the most engineering and flight operations experience for flying cars of any company in the world today, which gives them a large advantage and insight into what requirements actually matter for driving their product to success.

References

The Latest News from TransportUP

MAGicaALL Motors Selected to Power CityAirbus NextGen

FAA Issues New Guidance on eVTOL Certification

AIR ONE Prototype Showcased at Kentucky Derby

Virtual ATC Tower Training Opportunities for Aerial Mobility

Bell and Safran to Collaborate on Hybrid eVTOL Propulsion

20 June 2018 || 2 min read

Bell and Safran announced on Tuesday that they’d be working together on Bell’s new eVTOL system. Bell will be responsible for the design cycle, including manufacturing of the eVTOL, with Safran providing “a disruptive propulsion system”, according to Safran’s press release. Scott Brennan, Bell’s Director of Innovation, commented at a transit conference in Cologne: “This announcement is another proof point...

Bell and Safran to Collaborate on Hybrid eVTOL Propulsion

20 June 2018 || 2 min read

Scott Brennan, Bell’s Director of Innovation, commented at a transit conference in Cologne: “This announcement is another proof point of our commitment to providing transportation of people and logistics in new, innovative and more efficient ways. Our work with Safran is a historical milestone for future transport solutions.”

While the announcement will undoubtedly aid Bell with their propulsion system, not much has been publicly released regarding their VTOL concept since the unveiling of the cabin of their Air Taxi at CES in January 2018 – detailed in TransportUP’s article here. This partnership leverages experience from Safran, but may also be Bell acknowledging the technical difficulties of hybridized eVTOL transport design and searching for heavy hitters in industry to provide a tailor-made solution.

Why it’s important: This announcement marks a large partnership between a propulsion and aerospace design company. While these partnerships are very common in the traditional aerospace industry, many eVTOL manufacturers are opting to insource their propulsion system to maintain complete control over the product that they’re designing. The Bell Safran partnership will certainly bring more experience and focused expertise to the table, but may also induce additional coordination challenges as integration of the eVTOL amplifies any small discrepancies that occurred during the design process.

Source

Safran Press Release

Workhorse SureFly

19 June 2018 || < 1 min read

Quick SummaryThe Workhorse SureFly VTOL is a hybrid-powered personal transport vehicle being developed in Ohio, with a target entry to market price of less than $200,000. The vehicle is developed by Workhorse, a leader in electric and hybrid vehicle solutions. The SureFly uses 8 contra-rotating propellors to generate lift, and is roughly the same size as a pickup truck.CompanyCEOHQProduct NameWorkhorse...

SureFly Applies for FAA Type Certificate

Workhorse SureFly

19 June 2018 || < 1 min read

Quick Summary

The Workhorse SureFly VTOL is a hybrid-powered personal transport vehicle being developed in Ohio, with a target entry to market price of less than $200,000. The vehicle is developed by Workhorse, a leader in electric and hybrid vehicle solutions. The SureFly uses 8 contra-rotating propellors to generate lift, and is roughly the same size as a pickup truck.

Workhorse designs and manufacturers electric trucks and VTOLS.

Stage of Development

Preliminary Design

Prototype Build

Flight Testing

Certification

Commercially Operating

Technical Details

Aircraft Type: Wingless VTOL

Powerplant: Gasoline combustion engine

Range: 60 minutes of continuous flight

Top Speed: 70 mph

Propeller Configuration: 2 propellers per arm, contra rotating. Eight independent motors with each propellor

Passenger/Payload Capacity: Two seater, 400lbs payload

Autonomy Level: Pilot operated, semi-autonomous

Other Information:

Empty Weight: 1100lbs

Max Takeoff Weight: 1500lbs

Dual Lithium Battery Packs: 7.5kWh each, for emergency landing power (5 minutes) in case gasoline generator fails

Ceiling: 4000 feet

Funding: Acquired by Navistar, which has $256M funding and 2 other acquisitions according to Crunchbase

Dimensions: Undisclosed

From Workhorse:

Piloted Vehicle designed to carry pilot and passenger or pilot and cargo
Fixed Prop Pitch and no transitional parts (No wings, tail, tilt rotor or tilt wings) for simplicity and safety
Full computer and electrical system redundancy
Ballistic Parachute
Fuselage and props are carbon fiber for durability and light weight
Gasoline Piston Engine drives dual generators to provide power to prop motors

Our Take on SureFly

Workhorse's SureFly VTOL conducted its first flight in May of 2018 and was moving forward with the FAA Type Certification Process until acquired by Moog (a Torrance, CA based aerospace controls manufacturer) in late 2019. While the company had not yet officially applied for a Type Certificate for the SureFly, it did operate the aircraft under an Experimental Type Certificate from the FAA. Although the project showed a fair amount of potential, not much information has been released regarding the future of the SureFly since it was acquired by Moog. Workhorse also makes electric pick up trucks, as well as last-mile drone delivery system, which it has also sold in part to Moog. According to Moog, the acquisition of these technologies will allow it to "more rapidly develop innovative system solutions to better support both existing and new customers in the aerospace market."

References

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WISK Cora

18 June 2018 || < 1 min read

Quick SummaryCora is an experimental airworthiness certificate holding flying taxi that is being developed in New Zealand. Google's Larry Page is backing the project, which evolved from Zee.Aero. Cora operates as an eVTOL flying taxi with deployable rotors for vertical takeoff and landing and a single pusher propeller for sustained forward flight.CompanyCEOProduct NameWISK, a California-based corporation, operated by Zephyr Airworks...

WISK Cora

18 June 2018 || < 1 min read

Quick Summary

Cora is an experimental airworthiness certificate holding flying taxi that is being developed in New Zealand. Google's Larry Page is backing the project, which evolved from Zee.Aero. Cora operates as an eVTOL flying taxi with deployable rotors for vertical takeoff and landing and a single pusher propeller for sustained forward flight.

WISK, a California-based corporation, operated by Zephyr Airworks in New Zealand and in partnership with The Boeing Company

Stage of Development

Preliminary Design

Prototype Build

Flight Testing

Certification

Commercially Operating

Technical Details

Aircraft Type: Winged VTOL

Powerplant: All-electric

Range: 25 miles

Top Speed: 100 mph

Passenger Capacity: Two passengers

Propeller Configuration: 6 lift propellers under each wing (non-tilting), 1 rear pusher-propeller for forward thrust.

Autonomy Level: Autonomous

Dimensions: 36ft wingspan

Other Information:

Operating Altitude: Between 500 ft to 3000 ft

Regulation: Cora has an experimental airworthiness certificate from both the New Zealand Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). We are working with the CAA on further certification goals to bring an air taxi service to the commercial market.

Funding: $6.5M (unconfirmed), with backing from Google co-founder Larry Page

Our Take on Cora

Cora is poised for great success in the flying taxi industry - the biggest hurdle to overcome for the company at this point is regulatory. Cora made its first flight in October of 2017, and sparked a large amount of media attention. The path forward will be a pioneering one for the Mountain View, CA based company, as no other manufacturer has attempted certification with the New Zealand CAA (Civil Aviation Authority) that is known to date. If the company can successfully navigate this certification process and argue for equivalency under the United State's Federal Aviation Administration, KittyHawk has the potential to be one of the leading manufacturers of flying taxis to both private and commercial users. Additionally, the first flight of the KittyHawk Flyer drew even more attention to KittyHawk, as the Flyer requires no pilot.

References

The Latest News from TransportUP

MAGicaALL Motors Selected to Power CityAirbus NextGen

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Virtual ATC Tower Training Opportunities for Aerial Mobility