Results for: beta

The Aerial Mobility Podcast

20 August 2018 || < 1 min read

From air taxis to eVTOLs, hoverbikes, investor insights, and market analysis, TransportUP is bringing you weekly discussions with the most important, and interesting people in the industry.Latest Episodes Our Most Recent ArticlesCrisalion Mobility and Skyrisks sign agreement to collaborate on development of aerial mobility insurance policiesDecember 5, 2023Lilium Receives DOA to Receive Type Certificate from EASADecember 3, 2023Xwing and Daedalean...

Astro Aerospace Partners with Kasaero GmbH

19 August 2018 || 2 min read

The Texas based eVTOL developer Astro Aerospace has established a partnership with German company Kasaero, which specializes in lightweight design, composites, and certifications. Astro Aerospace’s AA360 has reached the pre-order stage. Company stock is available on the public stock market. The AA360 features sixteen rotors, full autonomy, and an interior designed for 360-degree visibility. In May, Astro Aerospace recently acquired Passenger Drone, as well...

Bell’s Patent Application May Reveal Air Taxi Design

16 August 2018 || 2 min read

A patent filed by Bell Flight in January of 2018 may hint at the design of its air taxi concept. US Patent 2018/0208305 shows a three fanned air taxi that has tilting rotors – one on each wingtip and one at the tail of the aircraft – that would enable vertical takeoff and landing. Furthermore, the patent includes provisions for...

Workhorse Unveils New Brand Identity

14 August 2018 || 3 min read

Workhorse unveiled their new “Work Ahead” brand identity in New York City amidst the display of their SureFly flying taxi. Steve Burns, CEO of Workhorse, stated: “We are at a watershed moment as the worlds of alternative energy and transportation become further intertwined. As more brands enter the space, having a strong marketing platform that lets workers know that Workhorse...

Workhorse Unveils New Brand Identity

14 August 2018 || 3 min read

Workhorse unveiled their new “Work Ahead” brand identity in New York City amidst the display of their SureFly flying taxi.

Steve Burns, CEO of Workhorse, stated: “We are at a watershed moment as the worlds of alternative energy and transportation become further intertwined. As more brands enter the space, having a strong marketing platform that lets workers know that Workhorse is a brand they can get behind, because we get behind them, is more important than ever.”

Workhorse is one of the few flying taxi companies to have initiated the flying car certification process with the FAA in the United States.

The SureFly eVTOL

“The SureFly is a two-place hybrid-electric VTOL multi-copter aircraft developed by Workhorse in Loveland, OH. It is designed to accommodate a pilot and passenger or a pilot and cargo, up to 550 pounds at a speed of about 70 miles per hour, for up to two hours, day or night. The aircraft utilizes a fly-by-wire flight control system designed to maintain the flight envelope of the aircraft.”

The SureFly has a ballistic parachute that works above 100 feet AGL in the event of major powerplant abnormalities – but also features eight rotors for redundancy; if one of them fails the aircraft can still operate normally.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) accepted Workhorse’s application for Type Certification in June of 2018. The SureFly is anticipated to have a $200,000 MSRP.

Why it’s important: Workhorse was the first company to apply for and be accepted to commencement of the FAA Type Certification process, which means that they lead the flying taxi industry in certification efforts in the United States. Their path forward will be closely monitored by other flying car and taxi companies looking to gain intuition into best practices for navigating an entirely new certification space with the Federal Aviation Administration.

Source

Workhorse Group Inc
MarketsInsider

UberAIR adds University of Texas as Partner

11 August 2018 || 3 min read

UberAIR announced Thursday that they’d be adding the University of Texas – Austin to their list of partners that will develop rotor technologies, according to TechCrunch. The news enhances the players roster for the Uber Elevate Initiative, which aims to have functional aircraft in operation by 2023 in Dallas, Dubai, and Los Angeles. Uber has established a rigorous eCRM (common...

UberAIR adds University of Texas as Partner

11 August 2018 || 3 min read

UberAIR announced Thursday that they’d be adding the University of Texas – Austin to their list of partners that will develop rotor technologies, according to TechCrunch.

The news enhances the players roster for the Uber Elevate Initiative, which aims to have functional aircraft in operation by 2023 in Dallas, Dubai, and Los Angeles. Uber has established a rigorous eCRM (common reference model) that allows for standardization in mission capability across a range of manufactured flying taxis.

Uber is requires a fully electric vertical take-off and landing vehicle that has a cruising speed of 150 to 200 miles per hour; a cruising altitude of 1,000 to 2,000 feet; and a range of up to 60 miles for a single charge.

Uber, on the other hand, is trying to build out the service in much the same way it did with car hailing so many years ago.

At the University of Texas – Austin, a research team led by Professor Jayant Sirohi, one of the country’s experts on unmanned drone technology, VTOL aircraft, and fixed- and rotary-wing elasticity, will analyze the effectiveness of a stacked rotor system that may replace a classic single rotor configuration.

This configuration is called co-rotating, as the rotors spin in the same direction while the aircraft is in flight. Preliminary studies indicate that there may be a performance benefit to selecting this configuration over a classic single rotor.

Sirohi commented on the state of eVTOL aircraft:

“There’s a lot of things to be done. We are not doing vehicles. We’re doing a specific rotor system on one of the engineering common reference models that Uber has released. The reference model is a benchmark for what the aircraft should do in field tests and eventually operations”.

“We are pursuing these technologies to see what the gaps are in where we are today and where we need to be,” Sirohi said.

Why it’s important: The news that Uber has added more partners to their already large and growing list of players in the air taxi industry is a conscious effort by Uber to “surround themselves with the best people in the room” and build out the community and following of their newest planned service in a similar manner to how the original ride-hailing function of the application was grown.

Watch Uber Elevate Videos

Source

San Francisco Chronicle

Flying Car Startups to Pitch at Revolution.Aero

09 August 2018 || 2 min read

Five or six “shortlisted” eVTOL companies that have secured less than $5 million in funding will be invited to the Revolution.Aero conference October 1 and 2 at the Grand Hyatt, San Francisco, according to the conference’s website. “They will then receive comments from the judges and be voted for by the audience” stated the conference schedule – indicating that the...

Terrafugia to Build and Test Transition Flying Car at Nashua Airport

06 August 2018 || 4 min read

Terrafugia is bringing urban air mobility to the Gate City at Nashua airport. Terrafugia is currently in the process of leasing hangar space at 101 Perimeter Road. Chris Jaran, CEO of Terrafugia, stated: “It is enough space for us to do all of our testing for the Transition flying car and to accommodate the first couple of years of production....

Terrafugia to Build and Test Transition Flying Car at Nashua Airport

06 August 2018 || 4 min read

Terrafugia is bringing urban air mobility to the Gate City at Nashua airport.

Terrafugia is currently in the process of leasing hangar space at 101 Perimeter Road.

Chris Jaran, CEO of Terrafugia, stated: “It is enough space for us to do all of our testing for the Transition flying car and to accommodate the first couple of years of production. As the years move on and we build more aircraft, there is an ability for us to expand there.”

The Transition is scheduled to begin production in early 2019, and has a target price around that of a high-end luxury vehicle.

The Nashua Airport Authority has already granted Terrafugia permission to operate its vehicles at the municipal airport.

“We are in the middle of the legal discussion about the content of the lease, but we should be in there Sept. 1,” Jaran added.

Jaran outlined the search process:Terrafugia’s chief pilot searched all airports within a 50-mile radius of the company’s Woburn, MA headquarters, and eventually settled on about three. The hangar in Nashua had the most available space, and the airport’s management was eager to have them on board.

Terrafugia’s Nashua workforce will start off with about six to 10 employees consisting of mechanics and pilots, and will slowly increase.

Jaran envisions Nashua eventually becoming Terrafugia’s maintenance and pilot training base.

“We are rapidly expanding,” said Jaran. Terrafugia has grown from 19 employees last year to over 200 today.

Terrafugia, based in Woburn, Mass., is leasing space at the Nashua airport to test the Transition, a two-seat car and aircraft with a foldable wingspan. (DENNIS VAN TINE/ABACA PRESS/TNS)

“We are really going to be the first flying car to achieve the goal of production. We are looking forward to a bright future in the vertical lift and urban air mobility — a very new and very dynamic industry,” said Jaran.

“As a unique automotive vehicle and a light sport aircraft, the Transition is built for both aviation and automotive safety to comply with Federal Aviation Administration and National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration standards,” says a release. “The new features will enable the Transition to meet all the necessary requirements while optimizing the flight experience for both pilot and passenger.”

Jaran also hinted that the company is working on development of a larger eVTOL aircraft (possibly dubbed the TF-X), but that its development timeline was further away than the full scale production of the Transition.

“We would need a larger facility for that, but we have already had discussions with some owners of facilities near the Nashua airport. But it is a bit early to actually do that.”

Why it’s important: Terrafugia is committing its manufacturing and flight testing efforts to the Nashua airport, and by extension will be committing themselves to working with local regulations in addition to the FAA during certifying their Transition flying car. In general, aircraft are only certified under the Federal Aviation Administration, but because the Transition is also intended to be road-legal, it must also be certified under the Department of Transportation as well.

Learn more about the Transition here.

Source

New Hampshire Union Leader

Boeing Will Design Autonomous Aircraft at MIT

03 August 2018 || 3 min read

Audi and other European car makers, including Italian design firm Italdesign, are in a battle for flying taxi supremacy against Uber. They announced in May the creation of the Urban Air Mobility division – a dedicated division in Ingolstadt tasked with testing flying taxis. Boeing has countered this week by announcing the development of the Boeing Aerospace & Autonomy Center in Cambridge, Massachusetts....

Boeing Will Design Autonomous Aircraft at MIT

03 August 2018 || 3 min read

Boeing has countered this week by announcing the development of the Boeing Aerospace & Autonomy Center in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The center will be located on the grounds of MIT’s mixed-use district.

Boeing’s Aerospace and Autonomy Center at MIT

The center’s mission is to design, build, and test autonomous aircraft, and work will be conducted by both Boeing employees and those from Aurora Flight Sciences – an MIT spinout.

Aurora Flight Sciences was purchased by Boeing in November of 2017, and is already specializing in autonomous aircraft design. Aurora uses algorithmic design processes to optimize for the best result.

Greg Hyslop, Boeing CTO, stated: “Boeing is leading the development of new autonomous vehicles and future transportation systems that will bring flight closer to home. By investing in this new research facility, we are creating a hub where our engineers can collaborate with other Boeing engineers and research partners around the world and leverage the Cambridge innovation ecosystem.”

Boeing did not provide any details on its eVTOL projects, while Aurora, on the other hand, is already developing several vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) projects, including their eVTOL concept and LightningStrike XV-24A.

Why it’s important: Continued investment by large aerospace firms in the infrastructure necessary to design, build, and test flying taxis is critical for the sustaining growth of the industry. The location for Boeing and Aurora Flight Science’s new research center at MIT is fitting – Aurora Flight Sciences spun out of students at MIT. Additionally, an investment in developing commercial real estate is a large expense, indicating the confidence with which Boeing and Aurora Flight Sciences have for moving forward in the industry.

Source

Autoevolution

Automated Flight Startup Xwing Raises $4 million in Funding

02 August 2018 || 3 min read

Marc Piette is the founder of a two year old autonomous aviation startup named Xwing, which has kept a low profile until today – they’ve been busy developing a software package for general aviation aircraft, helicopters, and eVTOLs that automates the flying process. Xwing announced Tuesday that raised $4 million in a seed round. Investors included Eniac Ventures, Array Ventures,...

Automated Flight Startup Xwing Raises $4 million in Funding

02 August 2018 || 3 min read

Xwing announced Tuesday that raised $4 million in a seed round. Investors included Eniac Ventures, Array Ventures, and John and Patrick Collison, Stripe founders. Nat Friedman (Xamarin), Microsoft, and GitHub, also invested.

The additional funding will advance the Xwing’s resources in aerospace engineering and software development.

Xwing currently has around a dozen employees – and many of which have substantial experience in the aerospace industry, working at companies such as Agusta Westland.

Piette sees several limiting factors in small passenger aircraft: the skill level and price required to learn how to operate an airplane outweighs the benefits. Light general aviation aircraft sales number in the thousands per year, while sales of cars number in the tens of millions.

The company is focusing on the key functions of autonomous flight, such as sensing, reasoning and control.

Xwing is also poised effectively to apply its solutions to many different platforms – their near plug and play compatibility for their software stack will enable hundreds of general aviation aircraft, helicopters, and flying cars and taxis to be autonomously operated.

Similar to an active monitoring automotive system, the Xwing Autonomy Flight Management System (AFMS) system continuously analyzes the surrounding environment and makes changes to flight path if conflicts are detected on top of flying a predefined route. Xwing stated that the AFMS will integrate with air traffic control, create flight plans to navigate through airspace, monitor aircraft systems, and more.

Xwing is currently in discussion with a number of large, unnamed aircraft manufacturers that are considering testing Xwing’s AFMS in their airplanes.

Why it’s important: Xwing is the first company to focus solely on the automated flight segment exclusively – and is benefiting from the smaller scope and intense direction of their product. While many eVTOLs are being designed to be autonomously operated, Xwing’s solution bridges the gap between piloted and non-piloted systems much more cost effectively and quicker than developing an entire new flight management and guidance system.

Source

TechCrunch

Investors Have Committed $1 Billion to Aerospace Start-Ups This Year

31 July 2018 || 2 min read

“Money is pouring into start-ups making spacecraft, aircraft, or building businesses around them; this year, financial data firm Preqin tracked venture investment totaling $927 million in the sector through July 26.” Due to technological advances that allow for more streamlined designing and prototyping of complex aerospace systems, investments are being driven more and more frequently in larger amounts to support...

Investors Have Committed $1 Billion to Aerospace Start-Ups This Year

31 July 2018 || 2 min read

Due to technological advances that allow for more streamlined designing and prototyping of complex aerospace systems, investments are being driven more and more frequently in larger amounts to support the rapid development of new innovative technologies.

Among the many aerospace startups being invested in, flying cars have gained a large amount of traction. An article published in The Verge detailed how Google co-Founder Larry Page owns not one, but three flying car companies.

The flow of capitol is indicative of even greater investor sentiment and confidence than was present in the 1990’s – but since the majority of new aerospace companies are privately held and youthful, it’s hard to predict with much certainty the long-term financial performance of the industry.

Visionaries like Page have the means to support multiple aerospace start ups regardless of external funding or approval – the only hindrance from progress being their own decision to stop work. However, given the increasingly competitive and filled flying car industry, all signs hint at ramping up development and testing to deploy first. Page’s lesser-known flying car company, Opener, made a huge splash as video of the Opener BlackFly eVTOL was released to the public for the first time.

Why it’s important: While general public approval is helpful for implementation of aerospace systems at scale, investor sentiment is equally as critical during periods of development of complex technological systems. All indications at the moment point towards positive sentiment and continued investment in the flying car arena.

Source

Quartz

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

Samson Sky Switchblade

25 July 2018 || < 1 min read

Quick SummaryThe Samson Sky Switchblade is federally classified as a motorcycle - but it also flies. With room for a pilot plus one passenger, the Switchblade can both drive on roads and use runways to take off and land, using wings the fold out from storage underneath its body. The Switchblade prototype was featured at EAA AirVenture 2019, and has a...

Samson Sky Switchblade

25 July 2018 || < 1 min read

Quick Summary

The Samson Sky Switchblade is federally classified as a motorcycle - but it also flies. With room for a pilot plus one passenger, the Switchblade can both drive on roads and use runways to take off and land, using wings the fold out from storage underneath its body. The Switchblade prototype was featured at EAA AirVenture 2019, and has a target price of around $120,000.

Samson Sky

Stage of Development

Preliminary Design

Prototype Build

Flight Testing

Certification

Commercially Operating

Technical Details

Aircraft Type: Intercity Roadable Aircraft

Powerplant: Samson 190 hp liquid-cooled V4

Range: 450 miles / 724 km

Top Speed: 200 mph / 322 kph

Propeller Configuration: A single rear ducted fan for flight

Passenger/Payload Capacity: 2 passengers, 544 lb / 247 kg

Autonomy Level: Piloted

Wingspan/Dimensions: 26.9 ft (8.2 m) // 20.2 ft (6.2 m) x 5.1 ft (1.5 m)

Additional Information

Estimated GTOW	1,750 LB (Gross Take-off Weight)
Length	16.8 ft / 5.1 m (ground mode)
Length	20.2 ft / 6.2 m (flight mode)
Vehicle Width	6 ft / 1.8 m
Height	5.1 ft / 1.5 m
Wing span	26.9 ft / 8.2 m
Wing loading	26 psf / 127 kg/m2
Fuel capacity	30 gal. including reserve / 114 L

Performance

Maximum Airspeed	200 mph / 322 kph
Cruise speed	160 mph / 257 kph
Max driving speed	125+ mph / 201+ kph
Range	450 miles / 724 km
Fuel capacity	30 gal / 114 L
Take-off distance	1,100 ft / 335 m
Landing distance	1,600 ft / 488 m
Stall speed (with flaps)	67 mph / 108 kph
Max Takeoff Weight	1,750 lb / 794 kg
Payload	544 lb / 247 kg

Mileage

Fuel economy on ground	~40 mpg / 17 km/L
Fuel economy in air	~9g/hr / 34 L/hr
Type Fuel	91 Octane Auto

Engine

Samson 190hp liquid cooled V4

Our Take on Samson Sky

The Switchblade fits into a fairly unique class of 'road-able' aircraft, and is one of very few to make it this far towards production and sales. (Others include Pal-V, Aeromobil, and the Terrafugia Transition). Samson Sky's unveiling of its prototype at Air Venture 2019 was the company's largest publicity attraction to date, and has gained them a large amount of traction in terms of public awareness of the company. The target price of $120,000 for the vehicle is expensive, but comparable to that of a well-equipped general aviation aircraft, making it competitive for private ownership. Keep track of flight testing progress as Samson Sky is already taking pre-orders for the Switchblade.

References

The Latest News from TransportUP

Crisalion Mobility and Skyrisks sign agreement to collaborate on development of aerial mobility insurance policies

December 5, 2023

UrbanAero Launches CityHawk Development

24 July 2018 || 3 min read

An Urban Aeronautics Press Release was issued yesterday announcing the launch of their new website, www.metro-Skyways.com in addition to announcing the launch of full-scale development for the CityHawk hybrid-power, eVTOL flying car. The vehicle is being developed at Urban’s subsidiary, Metro Skyways Ltd, with first manned flights in 2021 to 2022. After these flights, FAA certification will follow. CityHawk is an equivalent...

UrbanAero Launches CityHawk Development

24 July 2018 || 3 min read

The vehicle is being developed at Urban’s subsidiary, Metro Skyways Ltd, with first manned flights in 2021 to 2022. After these flights, FAA certification will follow.

CityHawk's main advantage over helicopters and currently proposed eVTOL aircraft is its car-sized dimensions, resulting from its wingless, rotorless design, combined with its significant payload of up six occupants. Urban Aero Photo

CityHawk is an equivalent to a ground taxi with its large 6 seat cabin. Its compact, wingless fuselage and “six-degrees-of-freedom-uncoupled” flight modes deliver true, unencumbered, three-dimensional access and mobility. This locates the CityHawk at the forefront of eVTOL flight technologies.

“Initial development and testing will utilize two, 1,000-horsepower-class turboshaft engines coupled to electric power generators for operating the vehicle’s thruster propellers. Upon the issuance of an FAA type certificate for the basic air vehicle (in conjunction with Urban Aero’s Canadian partner, Cert Center Canada (3C)), the company will transition the design of the main power supply for CityHawk to 100 per cent clean, hydrogen propulsion.”

The 2000lb Cormorant has so far completed 250 flights validating the technology that is integral to both Cormorant and CityHawk. CityHawk’s design is identical to the Cormorant’s configuration, but it will be equipped with two engines in order to conform with the FAA’s commercial certification requirements. This safety feature is in addition to CityHawk’s ability to deploy a ballistic parachute in the event of a catastrophic failure of any kind. That parachute could come from a company like BRS Aerospace.

CityHawk is designed to meet current FAA requirements for twin-engine helicopters (FAR 27). Its main advantage over helicopters is its car-sized dimensions, resulting from its wingless, rotorless design, combined with its payload of up six occupants.

Why it’s important: The CityHawk was merely a concept car before this initial launch. Now, with additional information on the aircraft and the targeted performance values, investors and industry members alike will most likely turn more attention to the CityHawk’s development as Cormorant proof of concept flights start to taper off to give way to full time production of the first CityHawk prototype.

Learn more about the UrbanAero CityHawk here

Source

Urban Aeronautics Press Release
Vertical Magazine

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

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Quick Summary

Stage of Development

Technical Details

Additional Information

Performance

Mileage

Engine

Our Take on Samson Sky

References

The Latest News from TransportUP

Crisalion Mobility and Skyrisks sign agreement to collaborate on development of aerial mobility insurance policies

Lilium Receives DOA to Receive Type Certificate from EASA

Xwing and Daedalean Partner to Drive AI Innovation in Aviation

Oregon will use up to 126 Jump eVTOL aircraft for emergency response

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