UP Aerial Mobility News

Uber Reveals Flying Car Plans to Congress

26 July 2018 || 3 min read

Eric Allison, who is Head of Aviation Programs at Uber, told the House Committee on Science, Space & Technology of the higher speeds (up to 200 mph) and more reliable timing of the planned Uber Elevate initiative at a meeting Tuesday. These figures are being used by Uber to lay the foundation for a positive relationship with government representatives. In his opening...

Uber Reveals Flying Car Plans to Congress

26 July 2018 || 3 min read

Don Beyer, a rep from northern Virginia on the committee, asked Allison: Will there be air traffic jams or crashes? What happens if 25 percent of the the cars are taken of the interstate, does that congest the air above? And what are the air lanes? Are flying cars going to fly above neighborhoods?

“This will happen progressively over time,” Allison said of Uber’s plans for scaling its autonomous — flying machine operations, in answering those questions about the potential for crowded skies. He also noted that air traffic congestion won’t be a problem “because there’s just a lot more space” in the sky. He also said that the still-in-development aircraft will get “dramatically quieter” once they reach cruising speed.

The scalability of Elevate, according to Allison, is something on the order of 10% of all regional trips in the Los Angeles area for any given day.

“You could be talking about tens of thousands of vehicles active [and] enough demand to support that,” he said. “That’s an incredible number compared to what the industry can produce right now; we have to see this industry grow significantly … by multiple orders of magnitude.”

Allison said Uber is partnering with five companies that could build the the VTOL vehicles. They are Aurora Flight Sciences (a subsidiary of Boeing), Pipistrel Aircraft, Embraer, Bell Flight and Karem Aircraft. Bell Flight’s executive vice president of technology and innovation, Michael Thacker, sat next to Allison during the hearing.

Why it’s important: Uber is getting out in front of the political and regulatory hurdles that are touted as the largest barriers to entry for flying cars – and rightly so. The technological progression of design and development of Uber’s partner company flying cars is so rapid that concurrent government relations during final design and flight testing of these aircraft is integral to an on-time rollout of initial flying car commercial services in 2023.

Source

Inverse

Samson Sky at EAA AirVenture 2018

25 July 2018 || 2 min read

The Samson Sky Switchblade, one of the world’s first flying cars, will officially be unveiled this week during the EAA AirVenture 2018 airshow in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The three-wheeled vehicle is federally classified as a motorcycle. Sam Bousfield, the founder of Samson Sky, the company that produces the switchblade, explained that its speed capabilities are not just limited to the ground,...

Samson Sky at EAA AirVenture 2018

25 July 2018 || 2 min read

According to Bousfield, the Switchblade can reach more than 190 mph in the air, with an average cruise speed of 160 mph. On the ground, it can reach more than 100 mph.

Bousfield will test the vehicle’s air capabilities within the next few months. While there’s no finalized date yet for the car to be available to the public, consumers can join a waitlist. There’s no immediate fee to join the list, until the Switchblade’s first public flight, when consumers will need to pay $2,000 in order to maintain their spot.

The target price of the Switchblade will be near $140,000, Bousfield said.

“This allows people to enhance their lifestyle, so that their reach everyday can be further, faster, and get more done,” he said.

Why it’s important: The Samson Sky Switchblade is one of a few flying cars being unveiled at EAA AirVenture 2018. Others include the WorkHorse SureFly VTOL. Growing public awareness towards these aircraft is bound to provide the necessary validation for many skeptics that the concept of a flying car works – and that there are ways to scale the industry – including methods like ride sharing that Uber is working on – that adapt the cost to being tractable for the average consumer.

Learn more about the Switchblade here.

Source

FOX Business

The Bell Air Taxi – An Engineer’s View

23 July 2018 || 4 min read

While much fanfare has accompanied the unveiling of the Bell Air Taxi in the past months, hardly any insight has been provided into the technical design process or details of the air taxi. Bell is a partner in the Uber Elevate initiative, who is targeting a 2023 launch. Accordingly, Bell needs to have their air taxi ready for testing in two years. Before...

The Bell Air Taxi – An Engineer’s View

23 July 2018 || 4 min read

While much fanfare has accompanied the unveiling of the Bell Air Taxi in the past months, hardly any insight has been provided into the technical design process or details of the air taxi.

Bell is a partner in the Uber Elevate initiative, who is targeting a 2023 launch. Accordingly, Bell needs to have their air taxi ready for testing in two years.

Before working on Bell’s Air Taxi, Kyle Heironimus, an electric-propulsion lead at Bell, worked on the UH-1 Iroquois, V-22 Osprey and the 505 Jet Ranger X. Here are some excerpts from an interview with Avionics International that describe the design process and details at Bell:

Walk me through your day-to-day at Bell.

I currently function as the Bell air taxi electric-propulsion lead. My typical day is spent interfacing with our multi-disciplinary team within Bell and with a wide range of typical and non-typical aviation suppliers. Right now, I see my job as helping to pull together all of the various technical experts required to bring a hybrid electric propulsion system to life.

Explain the strategy behind the plan to put hybrid-electric propulsion on the air taxi.

We see the flexibility that a hybrid-electric system provides as necessary to build an aircraft that meets the full range of missions that we are going to fly. Of course, battery electric VTOL aircraft are already flying; however, their capabilities are significantly limited by the batteries available today. Simply put, today’s batteries are too heavy for a meaningful VTOL mission. We believe that demonstrating a hybrid-electric propulsion system positions us and our partners to take advantage of the best of current propulsion technology as well as new emerging electric motor and control technology.

Is Bell developing all of the avionics in house or working with vendors?

Bell is working with a variety of industry partners, including our own in-house experts to evaluate the best path forward for the platform. We certainly aren’t the only ones who want to shape this new market.

Heironimus with a Bell 505. Photo courtesy of Bell

Project five years from now: What will be the most significant change?

From my standpoint, increased power and energy density of electric propulsion and control components will be key to unlocking eVTOL. I certainly don’t hold the crystal ball, but in five years I hope to see components and systems reaching weights that are not only economically viable for specific missions, but are so good that they supplant legacy solutions in cost, weight and performance. Bell is well on its way to designing and certifying eVTOL aircraft.

Why it’s important: Bell is a leader in the vertical flight industry, but has kept most of the developments of their Air Taxi under wraps. The only public reveal to date is of their proposed cabin concept, which drew a large amount of attention. If the Uber Elevate goal of 2023 is to be met, expect Bell unveiling their Air Taxi by 2020, at the latest – the quantity of flight testing required to certify and commercially implement these air taxis in urban areas across the world is almost as large a task as successfully designing and manufacturing them.

Learn more about the Bell Air Taxi here.

Source

Avionics International

Terrafugia will Deliver Their First Flying Car in 2019

17 July 2018 || 3 min read

Woburn, MA based Terrafugia announced in a press release today that they would manufacture the first Transition Flying Car that will be sold to customers in 2019, and that the flying car would include new features that have not been previously disclosed by the company. “Developing this new technology has allowed us to test several different mechanisms and generate process...

Terrafugia will Deliver Their First Flying Car in 2019

17 July 2018 || 3 min read

“Developing this new technology has allowed us to test several different mechanisms and generate process improvements along the way,” said Terrafugia CEO Chris Jaran. “We are at the critical point where we can implement the best design features based on years of flight and drive testing. This will improve function, safety and aesthetics for the optimal flying and driving experience.”

The features include:

Hybrid-Electric Motor – The Transition® will now drive in hybrid mode, using a combination of an internal combustion engine and a LiFePO4 (Lithium iron phosphate chemistry) battery – proven to be much safer than other lithium battery chemistries.
Boost – The throttle incorporates a boost feature for a brief burst of extra power while flying.
Interior – The interior is remodeled with upgraded seats, an attractive and intuitive user interface experience, and increased luggage capacity.
Safety – Updated safety systems include: improved seat belts, airbags, and increased visibility with three rearview cameras in drive mode.
Partners – Terrafugia is partnering with state-of-the-art suppliers for avionics and parachutes. Dynon is providing the EFIS (Electrical Flight Information Systems) and BRS is providing a full frame parachute system.

These features will all be certifiable under both the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) and NHTSA (National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration) standards to ensure safety in flight and on the ground.

Why it’s important: While Terrafugia has announced and targeted earlier dates for deployment of their product in the past, this announcement comes ahead of EAA Airventure and other high-profile events that provide showcasing opportunities for new products. Terrafugia’s backing from Geely Holdings also should provide more emphasis on delivering on their 2019 target.

Learn more about the Terrafugia Transition here.

Source

Terrafugia Press Release

Rolls-Royce Unveils eVTOL Propulsion System

16 July 2018 || 3 min read

Rolls-Royce has designed a propulsion system for an eVTOL that they claim could be in-service in under 10 years. The British company stated that it created a design for an “electric vertical take-off and landing” vehicle. Such a vehicle could carry 4 or 5 passengers. The vehicle could travel at 250 mph (402 km/h) for around 500 miles, Rolls-Royce said....

Rolls-Royce Unveils eVTOL Propulsion System

16 July 2018 || 3 min read

Rolls-Royce has designed a propulsion system for an eVTOL that they claim could be in-service in under 10 years.

The British company stated that it created a design for an “electric vertical take-off and landing” vehicle. Such a vehicle could carry 4 or 5 passengers.

The vehicle could travel at 250 mph (402 km/h) for around 500 miles, Rolls-Royce said.

Rolls is joining an ever-growing group of eVTOL manufacturers in an industry that continues to heat up.

Rob Watson spoke ahead of this week’s Farnborough Airshow. Watson is head Rolls’ electrical team, and said: “We are well placed to play a leading role in the emerging world of personal air mobility and will also look to work in collaboration with a range of partners.”

Rolls said their initial concept propulsion system utilizes M250 gas turbine technology to generate electricity that will power six electric propulsors. These propulsors are also designed to have a low noise level, and the M250 gas turbine has logged more than 250 million flight hours across the entire fleet.

Such an eVTOL has wings that can rotate 90 degrees to facilitate vertical takeoff and landing, while also functioning like a conventional aircraft in forward flight.

“We believe that given the work we are doing today to develop hybrid electric propulsion capabilities, this model could be available by the early to mid 2020s, provided that a viable commercial model for its introduction can be created,” Rolls said.

Rolls-Royce is currently seeking out an airframe partner for their propulsion system in order to complete further refinements and integrate the system into a viable aircraft.

Why it’s important: Rolls-Royce is firmly established as one of the heaviest hitters of the aerospace propulsion industry, so their announcement to enter the eVTOL industry is not a complete surprise – more attention will be drawn to the firm when they partner with an airframe maker. Most likely, this search is already under way.

Source

Rolls Royce

Jetoptera Completes Propulsion Tests; Issues Equity

13 July 2018 || 3 min read

Edmonds, WA based Jetoptera has completed testing for its “fluidic propulsion system” and followed up this technical progress by issuing a second round of equity for $1.5 Million. Jetoptera’s J2000 VTOL will be powered by the fluidic propulsion system. The aircraft is expected to cruise at 200mph, have a range of 200 miles and a maximum take-off weight of 2000lbs....

Jetoptera Completes Propulsion Tests; Issues Equity

13 July 2018 || 3 min read

Edmonds, WA based Jetoptera has completed testing for its “fluidic propulsion system” and followed up this technical progress by issuing a second round of equity for $1.5 Million.

Jetoptera’s J2000 VTOL will be powered by the fluidic propulsion system. The aircraft is expected to cruise at 200mph, have a range of 200 miles and a maximum take-off weight of 2000lbs.

The propulsion system was tested on glider prototypes to validate a proof-of-concept design before moving on to the full scale J2000 prototype.

The CEO of Jetoptera, Denis Dancanet, stated: “Following on from fluidic propulsion’s first flight two months ago, we have developed a glider-based platform to test FPSTM systems of various sizes, shapes and power. This summer, more tests will follow employing the flying test bed for wing flight evaluations. Separately, Jetoptera’s technology maturation plan also includes upcoming VTOL and hovering demonstrations.”

Jetoptera claims that fluidic propulsion has greater efficiency than vector-thrust based propulsion systems. Fluidic propulsion is claimed to be more compact than vectored thrust with the same efficiency as a turbofan.

“It allows a rapid deployment of the best designs down selected from static and wind tunnel tests. It shows clearly the advantages of using the propulsion system for other wing-borne flight applications as well. This test is a key step in the FPSTM maturation program, which has yielded positive results and sets us on the right path for future certification testing.”

Here’s a video of the J2000 concept:

After completion of the test flight, Jetoptera issued their second round of equity for $1.5 million, which matches their initial offering in 2017 for the same amount.

Why it’s important: A growing momentum of physical testing in the VTOL industry is allowing for more publicity, and investment, to flow to a large number of smaller companies that are innovating on classical aerospace engineering design decisions to produce the next generation of aircraft. Stay tuned to Jetoptera’s fundraising progress, and to the integration of their fluidic propulsion system into the J2000 prototype.

Learn more about the J2000 here.

Source

VTOL Investor
Image // Jetoptera

Joby and Kitty Hawk Secure Funding from Pentagon

10 July 2018 || 3 min read

Kitty Hawk and Joby Aviation have received nearly $2m from the Defense Innovation Unit Experimental (DIUx). DIUx is a Pentagon organization “founded to help America’s military make faster use of emerging technologies”. None of those involved disclosed the funding details at that time. DIUx’s plan for small electric aircraft pragmatic, according to a document that detailed the funding program. “These vehicles will …...

Joby and Kitty Hawk Secure Funding from Pentagon

10 July 2018 || 3 min read

DIUx’s plan for small electric aircraft pragmatic, according to a document that detailed the funding program. “These vehicles will … offer a niche capability for specific tactical applications with a low acoustic signature, near instantaneous start/stop, ability to spread an assault force across multiple vehicles, and automated systems.”

Joby Aviation received $970,000 from the DIUx in January last year. Kitty Hawk received $1m a few months later. However, neither company is having issues with funding; Larry Page is bankrolling Kitty Hawk, and Joby closed a $100m investment round in February this year with a number of venture capital companies.

From the Gaurdian website: “Experimental airworthiness certificates granted by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), previously unreported, detail exactly how and where the aircraft are being tested.”

“Although neither vehicle can automatically sense and avoid birds or other aircraft, both are programmed to return safely back to base if their remote control systems fail. Joby’s S4 also has a full-aircraft parachute in case it suffers “a catastrophic failure”.

The S4 will mostly fly over agricultural areas and the open ocean from the ranch of Joby’s CEO, JoeBen Bevirt, located in the hills above Santa Cruz. It will also operate out of Fort Hunter Liggett, a large US army base 150 miles south of San Francisco. The FAA application says Joby has a “Department of Defense contract to perform test operations” inside the base’s airspace. Joby did not respond to multiple requests for clarification.

In May, Uber announced that it was co-developing an ultra-quiet rotor for a flying taxi with the US army.

Lt Col Michelle Baldanza, a defense department spokesperson, would say only: “DIUx is working with various personal aerial vehicle companies, all of which are selected via a competitive process open to any commercial entity.” The FAA airworthiness certificates for both vehicles specify: “No weapons may be added to the [unmanned aircraft].”

Why it’s important: A large amount of government interest is involved with two of the industry’s largest players. While there are statements that no weapons will be added to the aircraft at this time, future developments must eventually start to shift toward military applications for these planned small personal aerial vehicles.

Source

The Gaurdian

Pal-V to Demo at Farnborough International Airshow

07 July 2018 || 4 min read

The Pal-V Liberty will be on display at the Farnborough International Airshow from July 16 through 22 later this month in England. The Pal-V has been under development since 2001 and is a three seat gyroplane that converted to a two seat gyroplane. Liberty is planning on attaining FAA certification by 2020. If certification is gained by this point, deliveries should began shortly thereafter....

Pal-V to Demo at Farnborough International Airshow

07 July 2018 || 4 min read

Liberty is planning on attaining FAA certification by 2020. If certification is gained by this point, deliveries should began shortly thereafter.

The certification date of 2020 is later than intended on for Pal-V – the aircraft was initially targeting a 2017 certification completion date, which was moved to 2019, and now finally 2020.

From the Robb Report Website: “The company continues to accept orders for the Liberty, which is available in two models: the fully loaded Liberty Pioneer Edition and the base model Liberty Sport. The estimated price of the Pioneer Edition is about $600,000, and it’s roughly $400,000 for the Sport. Pal-V plans to build only 90 examples of the Pioneer Edition and sell only 25 in the North American market. Reserving a Liberty requires a non-refundable deposit of $25,000 for the Pioneer and $10,000 for the Sport. (Pal-V says it will refund the deposits if the Liberty fails to receive certification.)

Both Liberty models will have a maximum speed of just under 100 mph in driving mode and a zero-to-60-mph time of less than 9 seconds. In flying mode, both will have a high cruising speed of nearly 100 mph and a range of about 250 miles with two people aboard and 310 miles with just a pilot. Pal-V recommends a runway—paved or level grass—of at least 900 feet for takeoff and a 100-foot strip for landing.

Pal-V Liberty Flying Car

Rear view Photo: Courtesy Pal-V

It’s perhaps fitting that the world’s first production flying car is a gyroplane—an unusual aircraft design that harkens back to the earliest days of powered flight and, while never completely disappearing, has always lived on the edge of mainstream aviation. Unlike a helicopter, a gyroplane’s blades are not powered by a motor; instead, they spin freely and generate lift as a result of their forward motion through the air. The vehicle’s forward thrust is provided by a separate motor and propeller, more akin to a fixed-wing airplane. That’s why the Liberty needs 900 feet to take off; it cannot rise vertically like a conventional helicopter. But one of the primary advantages of the design is a much lower stall speed and easier handling.

The Liberty converts from an automobile into a gyroplane in about 10 minutes—the amount of time it takes to unfold the blades, which are bundled on the roof when the vehicle is in driving mode.

To operate the Liberty in the United States, you’ll need a standard driver’s license and a gyroplane license. The latter requires 30 to 40 hours of training. The company plans to offer flying lessons at its Pal-V FlyDrive Academy locations, one of which will be located in Florida.”

Source

Robb Report

Event Preview: Revolution.Aero

06 July 2018 || 2 min read

The Revolution.aero summit is planned to be held October 1 and 2, 2018 in San Francisco, California at the Grand Hyatt Hotel. The event’s mission is “The future of aviation. In two days.” The website continues to describe the event in more detail: “Revolution.Aero is the global meeting place for people who are reshaping, rethinking and revolutionizing business and personal aviation. A...

Workhorse SureFly will Fly at Oshkosh

03 July 2018 || 2 min read

Workhorse released a video on July 2nd announcing that Workhorse will be at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh, and will also be demoing their new SureFly at the event. The official announcement read: “Workhorse, an American technology company focused on providing sustainable and cost-effective solutions to the commercial transportation sector, announced that its SureFly Multi-Copter is scheduled to fly on Tuesday, July 24 during...

Japan’s Flying Car Plan

02 July 2018 || 2 min read

Japan is involved in the flying car industry, and is increasing government and local support of future flying car manufacturers and companies by laying legislative groundwork for the implementation of these aircraft in the future. After the Japanese government announced that they were launching a flying car study in March of 2018, little was heard on the subject of flying...

Airbus’ eVTOL Air Traffic Management Plan

29 June 2018 || 3 min read

CleanTechnica recently broke down Airbus’ approach to how future air traffic airspace management systems (UTM) will function, and what mechanics will drive their safety. Airbus’ initiative is called Altiscope. According to Airbus, here’s what a vertical sliver of airspace will look like in 2030: From 200 to 400 ft in the US, the airspace will mostly be for imaging and...

Airbus’ eVTOL Air Traffic Management Plan

29 June 2018 || 3 min read

From 200 to 400 ft in the US, the airspace will mostly be for imaging and analytics — think personal drones.
Higher up, 0 to 1000 ft, is the airspace mostly used by delivery platforms, such as the Airbus Aerial and other air taxi services.
From 200 to 1200 ft is that of light electric aircraft making speedy deliveries.
1000 to 3000 ft is for the Uber Elevate, Airbus Voom, and other faster, further electric air mobility services.
Within the 500 to 5000 ft arena are Bell helicopters, Sikorski, and Airbus General Aviation (GA) aircraft. This airspace is really for private, non-commercial flight, whether high-performance business jets, medical transports, gliders, or flight trainers.

“Where things get complicated are in the airspace that requires a few hundred feet to 60,000 and above. Those categories encroach on each other and will require constant reviewing.”

Airbus currently uses NASA’s Unmanned Traffic Management (UTM) for airspace coordination.

The European counterpart of NASA’s UTM system is the SESAR Joint Undertaking; endorsed by the European Commissioner for Transport, Violeta Bulc. SESAR opens the continental market for drone services and aircraft.

Why it’s important: This airspace management system is not completely revolutionary, nor will it have any effects on a user of eVTOL transportation systems – the beauty of the solution is its apparent non-existence. Once implemented fully, UTM systems will allow for users to have an uneventful, traffic incursion free flight every time – and they’ll hardly know that there’s a system working extremely hard to ensure that every flight is as uneventful as the next. The framework for these systems is being laid by many different companies around the world, and while it might not be as spark-generating as new aircraft concepts, it is as much, if not more, of a necessity for successful eVTOL operations.

Airbus’ blog on UTM is available here.

Source

CleanTechnica

Dutch Aerospace Prepares for Electric Flight

27 June 2018 || 5 min read

From a NLR Press Release: The Netherlands Aerospace Centre (NLR) has opened research installations and offices covering 18,000 m² in the town of Marknesse as its new research facility for electric flight. Together with PwC, NLR unveiled at the opening ceremony the electric Pipistrel Alpha Electro, which will be deployed as a research aircraft in NLR’s new Living Lab for...

Dutch Aerospace Prepares for Electric Flight

27 June 2018 || 5 min read

From a NLR Press Release:

The Netherlands Aerospace Centre (NLR) has opened research installations and offices covering 18,000 m² in the town of Marknesse as its new research facility for electric flight. Together with PwC, NLR unveiled at the opening ceremony the electric Pipistrel Alpha Electro, which will be deployed as a research aircraft in NLR’s new Living Lab for Electric Flight. NLR is thus ready to embark on the next step towards assuring the sustainability of aviation, namely aircraft powered by electric engines. The new-build facility with its state-of-the-art research facilities was officially opened by Cora van Nieuwenhuizen, Dutch Minister of Infrastructure and Water Management.

Van Nieuwenhuizen said in her speech: “The Netherlands is highly successful in aerospace technology. This is precisely how it should be, because demand for air transport is continuing to grow. But we can’t simply go on building more and more planes. The aircraft also need to be lighter, must be equipped with new technology and have more economical engines. They present new challenges and we must look for the answers. Wherever new ideas must lead to new possibilities, there is a need for incubators. This new NLR complex is such an incubator.”

Living Lab for Electric Flight: a new research facility for electric flight
Auditing and consultancy firm PwC made a donation to NLR to enable the purchase of an electric plane – the Pipistrel Alpha Electro – so as to press ahead with the development of sustainable aviation. The donation fits in with PwC’s ambition to be a circular and CO2-neutral business in 2030. PwC has been monetising its CO2 emissions since 2017 and uses this budget firstly to reduce and then to offset emissions. Among other things PwC is stimulating on-line conferencing, international travel by train and electric driving. The company is additionally investing in sustainable mobility innovations by bringing in knowledge and money. “There’s a lot more to gain in aviation”, said Michael de Ridder, CFO and COO of PwC. “With this donation, PwC wants to make a contribution to accelerating the transition to electric flight. As a user, an international organisation with clients worldwide, we want to take our responsibility by pursuing CO2 reduction, offsetting and innovation.”

The Pipistrel Alpha Electro allows NLR to take a significant step forward in the development of electric flight. In its Living Lab for Electric Flight, NLR will conduct research into such matters as how to increase the range of the Pipistrel Alpha Electro by using new battery technology or a fuel cell and aerodynamic enhancements.

‘Electric flight’ symposium
The event in Marknesse included a mini-symposium called “Electric flight in 2050: dream or opportunities for the Netherlands?” The symposium, attended by a sizeable representation of the Dutch aerospace sector, provided an impression of current technological advances in electric flight and outlined the perspective for opportunities and challenges for the Dutch aerospace sector in this field.

Wright Electric
A key attendee was Jeff Engler, CEO of start-up Wright Electric of Los Angeles, who gave a presentation. Wright Electric has entered into cooperation with easyJet and has expressed its ambition to develop a completely electric aircraft capable of operating flights with 150 passengers over distances of around 540 kilometres , such as between Amsterdam and London or Paris, within 10 to 20 years.

The opening and the subject of sustainable aviation also presented an opportunity for partners to display their models, such as the Delft Hyperloop, Solar Car Twente and Ehang of KPN.

Why it’s important: The NLR’s opening of a new research center and incubator represents a large-scale government effort to involve electric aircraft, drones, eVTOLS, and commercial transports into the every-day life of travelers, commuters, and logistics companies. The government backing from the Netherlands combined with support from PwC increases the resource pool available to NLR vastly – expect major updates coming from the center as work spools up.

Source

NLR Press Release

Ehang Advances Testing Efforts in US, Dubai, and Australia

25 June 2018 || 2 min read

A PR representative from the company [Ehang] told the Global Times on Sunday that they are pushing test flight cooperation projects for its Ehang 184 Autonomous Aerial Vehicle with a number of governments, including the US, Dubai and Australia. The fast rise of Chinese-made drones in overseas market is due largely to their cost-effective nature, according to experts. Ke Yubao, executive...

Ehang Advances Testing Efforts in US, Dubai, and Australia

25 June 2018 || 2 min read

The fast rise of Chinese-made drones in overseas market is due largely to their cost-effective nature, according to experts.

Ke Yubao, executive secretary general of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association of China, stated on Sunday that “Chinese commercial drones are much cheaper than locally made drones in those countries, but they offer very good quality, mainly due to low manufacturing costs in China.”

Military drone exports from China are also increasing, as Ke. In general, the saturation of manufacturing skill in the Chinese market is allowing for greater numbers of exports of both product and testing plan – in this case a Chinese company attempting to outsource their flight testing to traditionally more strict regulatory agencies like the FAA. Australia’s Aviation regulatory agency – the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) is also a traditionally firm agency in terms of safety and process standards.

Why it’s important: A Chinese Air Taxi manufacturer is seeking out Dubai, Australia and the US for its flight testing and certification efforts in lieu of pursuing domestic certification in China. Most likely, this move is to improve trust in a Chinese-designed and built air taxi system by natively certifying it within specific countries that are also slated to be pilot locations for the UberAIR initiative, slated to launch in 2023.

Learn more about Ehang’s Air Taxi

Audi and Airbus’ Air Taxi Approved for Testing

22 June 2018 || 2 min read

Audi and Airbus took a big step forward yesterday by signing a letter of intent with the government to test their Air Taxi project near the city of Ingolstadt. The letter of intent was signed by both companies in addition to the local government, firming up local political support to advance the Air Taxi project that has two industry magnates...

Audi and Airbus’ Air Taxi Approved for Testing

22 June 2018 || 2 min read

German Transport Minister Andreas Scheur stated:”Flying taxis aren’t a vision any longer, they can take us off into a new dimension of mobility. They’re a huge opportunity for companies and young startups that already develop this technology very concretely and successfully.”

Among benefits for the partnership were boosted technological activity in Germany and the long goal of traffic alleviation country-wide.

Audi and Airbus’ concept is called the Pop.Up Next, designed by Italian firm Italdesign – and is a modular eVTOL that has a detachable “base” made by Audi that serves as the car portion of the vehicle, driving it around autonomously after the Pop.Up component, manufactured by Airbus, lands on the base. The Pop.Up is a quad-rotor aircraft that Airbus is working on, in addition to their other eVTOL project, the A^3 Ventures Vahana.

Why it’s important: The Audi and Airbus partnership is further strengthened by the local government of Ingolstadt, and increasingly the tide is turning in favor of positive regulator and government relations with eVTOL manufacturers. This relationship is critical to the success of the flying car and taxi industry, as no product will ever become commercially viable without some level of support from regulators and political officials. In Germany, that’s happening already.

Source

CNET
Image // AutoEvolution

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Uber Reveals Flying Car Plans to Congress

Uber Reveals Flying Car Plans to Congress

Samson Sky at EAA AirVenture 2018

Samson Sky at EAA AirVenture 2018

The Bell Air Taxi – An Engineer’s View

The Bell Air Taxi – An Engineer’s View

Terrafugia will Deliver Their First Flying Car in 2019

Terrafugia will Deliver Their First Flying Car in 2019

Rolls-Royce Unveils eVTOL Propulsion System

Rolls-Royce Unveils eVTOL Propulsion System

Jetoptera Completes Propulsion Tests; Issues Equity

Jetoptera Completes Propulsion Tests; Issues Equity

Joby and Kitty Hawk Secure Funding from Pentagon

Joby and Kitty Hawk Secure Funding from Pentagon

Pal-V to Demo at Farnborough International Airshow

Pal-V to Demo at Farnborough International Airshow

Event Preview: Revolution.Aero

Event Preview: Revolution.Aero

Workhorse SureFly will Fly at Oshkosh

Workhorse SureFly will Fly at Oshkosh

Japan’s Flying Car Plan

Japan’s Flying Car Plan

Airbus’ eVTOL Air Traffic Management Plan

Airbus’ eVTOL Air Traffic Management Plan

Dutch Aerospace Prepares for Electric Flight

Dutch Aerospace Prepares for Electric Flight

Ehang Advances Testing Efforts in US, Dubai, and Australia

Ehang Advances Testing Efforts in US, Dubai, and Australia

Audi and Airbus’ Air Taxi Approved for Testing

Audi and Airbus’ Air Taxi Approved for Testing

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