Results for: verdego
Boeing Passenger Air Vehicle (PAV)
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)

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.
Stage of Development
Preliminary Design
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
Skyports shares how new Carbonix partnership will scale BVLOS drone operations in Australia
October 1, 2023Lilium begins eVTOL Jet fuselage assembly with Aciturri
October 1, 2023Cyclorotor Conducts First Flight of Unique Unmanned Aircraft Configuration
September 25, 2023EHang 216
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

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.
Stage of Development
Preliminary Design
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
Skyportz, Contreras Earl Architecture, and Pascall+Watson share waterfront vertiport hub concept
October 2, 2023Skyports shares how new Carbonix partnership will scale BVLOS drone operations in Australia
October 1, 2023Lilium begins eVTOL Jet fuselage assembly with Aciturri
October 1, 2023Cyclorotor Conducts First Flight of Unique Unmanned Aircraft Configuration
September 25, 2023Overair Butterfly
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

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.

Stage of Development
Preliminary Design
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
Skyportz, Contreras Earl Architecture, and Pascall+Watson share waterfront vertiport hub concept
October 2, 2023Skyports shares how new Carbonix partnership will scale BVLOS drone operations in Australia
October 1, 2023Lilium begins eVTOL Jet fuselage assembly with Aciturri
October 1, 2023Cyclorotor Conducts First Flight of Unique Unmanned Aircraft Configuration
September 25, 2023Volocopter 2X
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

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.
Stage of Development
Preliminary Design
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
Skyportz, Contreras Earl Architecture, and Pascall+Watson share waterfront vertiport hub concept
October 2, 2023Skyports shares how new Carbonix partnership will scale BVLOS drone operations in Australia
October 1, 2023Lilium begins eVTOL Jet fuselage assembly with Aciturri
October 1, 2023Cyclorotor Conducts First Flight of Unique Unmanned Aircraft Configuration
September 25, 2023Terrafugia Transition
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

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
Terrafugia Transition®
Stage of Development
Preliminary Design
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
Skyportz, Contreras Earl Architecture, and Pascall+Watson share waterfront vertiport hub concept
October 2, 2023Skyports shares how new Carbonix partnership will scale BVLOS drone operations in Australia
October 1, 2023Lilium begins eVTOL Jet fuselage assembly with Aciturri
October 1, 2023Cyclorotor Conducts First Flight of Unique Unmanned Aircraft Configuration
September 25, 2023Bell and Safran to Collaborate on Hybrid eVTOL Propulsion
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

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 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
Workhorse SureFly
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...

Workhorse SureFly

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.
Stage of Development
Preliminary Design
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
The Latest News from TransportUP
Skyportz, Contreras Earl Architecture, and Pascall+Watson share waterfront vertiport hub concept
October 2, 2023Skyports shares how new Carbonix partnership will scale BVLOS drone operations in Australia
October 1, 2023Lilium begins eVTOL Jet fuselage assembly with Aciturri
October 1, 2023Cyclorotor Conducts First Flight of Unique Unmanned Aircraft Configuration
September 25, 2023Wisk Gen 6
Quick SummaryWisk Gen 6 is an experimental airworthiness certificate holding aerial vehcil. Wisk 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, owned by The Boeing CompanyBrian YutkoCora (prototype)Stage of DevelopmentPreliminary DesignPrototype BuildFlight TestingCertificationCommercially OperatingTechnical DetailsAircraft Type: Winged VTOL Powerplant: All-electric Range: 25 miles Top Speed: 100 mph Passenger Capacity:...

Wisk Gen 6

Quick Summary
Wisk Gen 6 is an experimental airworthiness certificate holding aerial vehcil. Wisk operates as an eVTOL flying taxi with deployable rotors for vertical takeoff and landing and a single pusher propeller for sustained forward flight.
Stage of Development
Preliminary Design
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 Wisk Gen 6
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
Skyportz, Contreras Earl Architecture, and Pascall+Watson share waterfront vertiport hub concept
October 2, 2023Skyports shares how new Carbonix partnership will scale BVLOS drone operations in Australia
October 1, 2023Lilium begins eVTOL Jet fuselage assembly with Aciturri
October 1, 2023Cyclorotor Conducts First Flight of Unique Unmanned Aircraft Configuration
September 25, 2023Boeing’s GoFly Flying Car Design Contest
The GoFly flying car design contest winners were announced on Thursday. The Boeing supported contest encouraged innovators and engineers to think outside the box to come up with novel solutions to personal transportation. All 10 winners received a $20,000 reward for topping out the more than 100 entires in the first phase of the contest. The second and third phases...

Boeing’s GoFly Flying Car Design Contest

The GoFly flying car design contest winners were announced on Thursday. The Boeing supported contest encouraged innovators and engineers to think outside the box to come up with novel solutions to personal transportation. All 10 winners received a $20,000 reward for topping out the more than 100 entires in the first phase of the contest. The second and third phases aim to have the winning teams design and build prototypes that will fly in 2019.
Boeing’s support of the contest is important because the aerospace industry will benefit from a no-idea-untouched format of competition that might allow some novel designs more consideration than normally given in established aerospace companies.
Greg Hyslop, Boeing’s Chief Technology Officer, stated: “The industry, from its inception, has thrived on good competition and innovation that is fueled by that competition. We need things like this to really spark the imagination of folks and encourage them.”
Why it’s important: Boeing’s acquisition of Aurora Flight Sciences in late 2017 was a clear indicator that Boeing was serious about investing and researching eVTOL flight. Now, the GoFly competition is furthering progress in the industry and creating connections between innovators and large OEM’s that will allow for a competitive, but constructive, atmosphere in which some of the best designs will actually be produced and introduced to the public.
Source
- Seattle Times
Workhorse SureFly Applies for FAA Type Certification
Workhorse’s SureFly prototype is now taking its next step towards functional operation – applying for a Federal Aviation Administration Type Certificate. The FAA certifies aircraft based on a number of factors, and in some case it is not necessary for a completely new Type Certificate for an aircraft to be issued if that aircraft shares similarities with a currently existing...

Workhorse SureFly Applies for FAA Type Certification

Workhorse’s SureFly prototype is now taking its next step towards functional operation – applying for a Federal Aviation Administration Type Certificate.
The FAA certifies aircraft based on a number of factors, and in some case it is not necessary for a completely new Type Certificate for an aircraft to be issued if that aircraft shares similarities with a currently existing aircraft of the same manufacturer. In the case of similar aircraft, an Amended Type Certificate would be required for legal certification of the aircraft in the United States.
However, since the SureFly is unlike anything the FAA has certified before, it must satisfy the requirements of a new Type Certificate.
The challenges that will face both the FAA and Workhorse don’t stop at applying the same standards that have been used for the past 30 years to the SureFly, though – since the SureFly is not a conventional aircraft, rotorcraft, or lighter-than-air vehicle (like the Goodyear blimp) a new set of certification standards will need to be developed that are directly pertinent to the SureFly. Until these standards are developed, it would be useless to attempt to apply the same standards of fixed-wing aircraft to the SureFly for certification.
Why it’s important: Workhorse’s move to apply for a Type Certificate with the FAA for the SureFly marks the first manufacturer to begin the certification process with the FAA using a vehicle that differs from conventional aircraft or helicopters. Serious players in the flying car and taxi industry should and most likely are monitoring the progress of SureFly’s certification path to learn lessons and make design choices that are conducive to clear demonstration of satisfactory performance traits that satisfy the FAA’s requirements. Finally, the FAA will also be challenged to innovate and determine a new set of certification standards for a new class of aircraft, which for many at the agency will be a completely new endeavor.
Read about the first flight of SureFly here.
Source
- The Shepherd
An Emerging Market – Flying Taxi Insurance
Initiatives like UberAIR aim for flying taxis to be implemented in cities such as Los Angeles, Dallas, Paris, and Dubai by 2023. While this rapid deployment goal is advantageous for the consumer, it has created an entirely new mode of transportation, which corresponds to an untapped niche market for insurance firms. The closest analogous insurance structure to a flying taxi...

An Emerging Market – Flying Taxi Insurance

Initiatives like UberAIR aim for flying taxis to be implemented in cities such as Los Angeles, Dallas, Paris, and Dubai by 2023. While this rapid deployment goal is advantageous for the consumer, it has created an entirely new mode of transportation, which corresponds to an untapped niche market for insurance firms.
The closest analogous insurance structure to a flying taxi that exists today is an aviation insurance policy. Many aviation insurance policies work similar to car insurance, except additional factors such as pilot certification, aircraft condition and quality, maintenance, and number of flight hours may all factor in to premiums so that they’re more accurate.
One unique aspect of aviation insurance is the duality of coverage – not only must an aircraft be insured in the air, it must also be insured for any possible incident that occurs on the ground. This is a thread of similarity to flying taxis, which will operate over densely populated areas with a frequency greater than most aircraft. Since this is the case, aviation insurance firms that plan to provide flying taxi insurance policies will undoubtedly be required to adjust their current aviation policies to accommodate an autonomous flying taxi operation on a commercial scale.
Why it’s important: Again, the current insurance policy that most closely resembles this planned commercial flying taxi business structure is that of a commercial airline, but the format of airline policies has remained relatively unchanged for the past 30 years. Flying cars and taxis will require shifts in policy that will create an entirely new niche for insurance firms. While no aircraft insurers have come forth announcing that they will be providing such coverage, it is not unreasonable to expect work behind the scenes ongoing currently – there are large insurance policy contracts to be won by insurers competing for wide-spread commercial flying taxi operations.
Source
- Insurance Business Magazine
- Image // Terrafugia
Volocopter Displayed at CeBIT Technology Fair 2018
Volocopter displayed their VC-200 flying taxi at the CeBIT Tech Fair on June 12th in Hannover, Germany. The CeBIT Fair runs from June 12-15, and is focused on “Future Mobility, Artificial Intelligence, and VR”. The VC-200 model was on display for visitors to experience. Volocopter’s presence at the fair marks one of the most well-known flying taxi manufacturer’s continued promotion...

Volocopter Displayed at CeBIT Technology Fair 2018

Volocopter displayed their VC-200 flying taxi at the CeBIT Tech Fair on June 12th in Hannover, Germany. The CeBIT Fair runs from June 12-15, and is focused on “Future Mobility, Artificial Intelligence, and VR”. The VC-200 model was on display for visitors to experience.
Volocopter’s presence at the fair marks one of the most well-known flying taxi manufacturer’s continued promotion in its home country of Germany. Volocopter is based in Bruschal, Germany, outside of Stuttgart.
Why it’s important: Volocopter’s progress towards certification is continuing, and their appearance at CeBIT will most likely bolster public sentiment and approval toward a company who’s certification path lies through EASA, the European Air Safety Agency. Volocopter is one of the few flying taxi companies in Germany currently pursuing certification within Europe, as a large number of other manufacturers are heading overseas to follow alternate routes that may reduce delays in bridging prototyping to production models.
Source
- Getty
- Phys.org
Elon Musk Criticizes Safety of Flying Cars
In a talk given at The Boring Company’s event in Los Angeles last week, Elon Musk commented on the nature of safety (or his opinion of the lack of it) in proposed flying cars, quoting the danger of operating a large amount of them in an urban area. Musk stated: “There will be zillions of these things flying all over...

Elon Musk Criticizes Safety of Flying Cars

In a talk given at The Boring Company’s event in Los Angeles last week, Elon Musk commented on the nature of safety (or his opinion of the lack of it) in proposed flying cars, quoting the danger of operating a large amount of them in an urban area.
Musk stated: “There will be zillions of these things flying all over the place and, inevitably, somebody’s not going to service their car properly and they’re going to drop a hubcap and it’s going to guillotine somebody.” Musk has criticized flying cars and taxis before, citing noise issues among other reasons that other transportation modes (like his tunneling initiative) might be superior.
Adding context to these comments is important as well – Musk was speaking to his Boring Company fans on the advantages of using tunnels under Los Angeles to alleviate traffic jams, tunnels that could potentially be linked with Hyperloops in the future. Of course, with an initiative like The Boring Company, other modes of transportation, such as flying cars and taxis, serve as competition for Musk.
Why it’s important: The urban transportation industry is by no means monopolized, but the big technology players are making moves to take their piece of this transportation mode – with varying approaches. While Musk’s statement is feasible, and no airborne craft is without any risk for a component failing, companies like BRS Aerospace are adding parachutes to flying taxis to increase safety, among other solutions. Finally, Musk’s boring initiative also has its challenges: the rate of boring is still much slower than what Musk wants, and city infrastructure and approvals must be had to build the miles of tunnel beneath Los Angeles. Flying cars and taxis don’t require roads or tunnels to be built, just vertiports.
Source
- CNET
- Image // TED
Queensland Prepares for Flying Cars
In a recent panel Friday at the Myriad Festival in Brisbane, Shark Tank’s Steve Baxter made some outspoken comments on the future of flying cars, and informed the public as the Chief Entrepreneur of Queensland that flying cars will happen, and will be in Australia within 10 years. Here’s some of the (notable) commentary: On the timeline for flying cars...

Queensland Prepares for Flying Cars

In a recent panel Friday at the Myriad Festival in Brisbane, Shark Tank’s Steve Baxter made some outspoken comments on the future of flying cars, and informed the public as the Chief Entrepreneur of Queensland that flying cars will happen, and will be in Australia within 10 years.
Here’s some of the (notable) commentary:
On the timeline for flying cars in Australia: “The question is, do we have them one year after LA or 10 years after LA.
On convincing the public of their safety: “The hard part is convincing people we will have 10,000 of these things flying above our heads and less of us will die in transport because of it,” he said.
Steve Baxter also added that flying cars and taxis would allow people to live up to 150 kilometers away from their work, but commute in less than 30 minutes.
On regulatory agencies: “We need to smash CASA (Civil Aviation Safety Authority) and say get out of our way.”
On government permissions: “We don’t need the government’s permission to do this, we really don’t.
On the future of growth: “This is the best chance for us to have an amazing entrepreneurial reaction to a real problem which is mobility.”
Why it’s important: Steve Baxter joins the group of proponents for eVTOL’s be arguing that the rate of technological progression and ease of access and increase of mobility represent such a large benefit that the cost of government approvals and working with regulators to certify such a project aren’t large enough barriers to warrant second thoughts on continuing to progress the industry.
Source
- Brisbane Times
- Image // Kittyhawk Aero
Flying Car Parachutes? BRS Aerospace is Working On It
BRS Aerospace is coordinating with eVTOL manufacturers and regulators to add one of the most sought-after safety features to this new class of flying craft – a parachute recovery system. Parachute recovery systems have already become popularized through wide-spread inclusion on light general aviation aircraft, such as Cirrus, and have saved 380 lives in the process. Now, BRS aims to...

Flying Car Parachutes? BRS Aerospace is Working On It

BRS Aerospace is coordinating with eVTOL manufacturers and regulators to add one of the most sought-after safety features to this new class of flying craft – a parachute recovery system.
Parachute recovery systems have already become popularized through wide-spread inclusion on light general aviation aircraft, such as Cirrus, and have saved 380 lives in the process. Now, BRS aims to add this technology to eVTOLs to increase their safety.
BRS President and Director Enrique Dillion stated: “Working with a number of new aircraft manufacturers, BRS Aerospace is at the early stages of creating technology that could make eVTOL aircraft a reality.” The technology would most likely feature a ballistic-deployed drogue parachute that would then pull the primary, full size parachute out of the eVTOL and allow it to land safely.
Why it’s important: Potential unmanned flight over densely populated areas is a large safety concern, one continuously cited by the FAA as high standard that must be met by eVTOL systems – the exact same standard of safety that current aircraft in operation today meet. BRS is bridging the technological gap between concept and implementation of flying cars and taxis by providing a critical safety component that will allow for a higher standard of redundancy and recovery should off-nominal situations occur during flight. Some manufacturers, like Workhorse, whose SureFly eVTOL had its first flight in early May, already plan on having recovery systems like BRS’s installed on their aircraft. Read our article on the first flight here.
Source
- BRS Aerospace Press Release
- Image // Flying Mag
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