Tag: Airbus

Singapore to Develop Aerial Mobility Service with Airbus

12 February 2020 || 4 min read

Singapore and Airbus have secured a deal to lay the foundations for potential services with both passenger and larger cargo carrying air vehicles throughout Singapore. The island-nation-state’s plan to improve regional connectivity builds on an earlier agreement established in 2016 between Airbus and Singapore’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAAS) for proof-of-concept trials of a cargo-carrying Skyways unmanned air system. Under the memorandum of...

Singapore to Develop Aerial Mobility Service with Airbus

12 February 2020 || 4 min read

Under the memorandum of understanding, Airbus and CAAS will develop an unmanned traffic management (UTM) system to support the early phase of the air mobility service. The two will also collaborate on developing a framework for safety and operating standards as well as study issues such as public acceptance. The framework will be based upon many of the learnings that have come out of Airbus’s Skyway program, which studied the ability to pre-program safe aerial routes for autonomous drones to execute short-range parcel deliveries.

According to Jean-Brice Dumont, executive vice president of engineering for Airbus, “Skyways was a laboratory for UAM at a smaller scale. Now we need to go the extra mile, so with this agreement we are doing that. There are still questions of the business case and technology. In terms of business, we can see an appetite in the market, even though it’s a niche right now for more emergency needs where time is of the essence or where its value-added, like shore-to-ship deliveries.”

Volocopter Air Taxi Makes First Urban Manned Flight in Singapore

Technology studies will focus on traffic management as well as “the overall system, guarantees, performance, safety and cost,” says Dumont. “We are flying with a couple of vehicles and in that sense, we are already there. But when you are flying with 20 or 100 vehicles at the same time along given routes then you are defining a system and that’s what we are doing with UTM.” The vehicles that Airbus plans to implement in this program will likely be similar to what has already been developed and tested by the manufacturer. Just last month, the CityAirbus made its first untethered flight in Donauwörth, Germany, and the Vahana wrapped up its flight testing Pendleton Airport in Oregon.

Airbus Vahana amidst a test flight at Pendleton Airport in Oregon, USA. Credit // Airbus

This memorandum of understanding between Singapore and Airbus mirrors a similar agreement between Bell, Japan Airlines and Sumitomo Corp. to explore on-demand air mobility services in Japan. The partnership was announced just days prior, and centers on the use of the recently unveiled Nexus 4EX eVTOL, which plans to address air mobility studies as well as the required infrastructure and regulatory environment.

Why it’s important: Top urban air vehicle manufacturers are beginning to seek opportunities around the globe to stand up small-scale implementations of their technologies in a realistic environment. These applications and opportunities are signaling the increased readiness of the vehicles to be tested in a realistic environment in which the services can eventually be scaled to fulfill commercial passenger transportation needs. Incremental steps in these introductory applications are the key to proving the safety of the technology and garnering the required public acceptance in order to eventually make aerial mobility widespread.

Source // Aviation Week

Airbus Wayfinder Uses AI for Certifiable Autonomous Systems

01 December 2019 || 4 min read

Airbus further invests in aerial mobility with the development of eVTOL autonomous systems. A³ by Airbus is the Silicon Valley R&D outpost of Airbus, where Project Wayfinder is currently under development. The company hopes to implement artificial intelligence as a means of advancing the capabilities and applications of autonomous systems for aerial mobility. According to Airbus, “Project Wayfinder is building...

Airbus Wayfinder Uses AI for Certifiable Autonomous Systems

01 December 2019 || 4 min read

Airbus further invests in aerial mobility with the development of eVTOL autonomous systems.

A³ by Airbus is the Silicon Valley R&D outpost of Airbus, where Project Wayfinder is currently under development. The company hopes to implement artificial intelligence as a means of advancing the capabilities and applications of autonomous systems for aerial mobility.

According to Airbus, “Project Wayfinder is building scalable, certifiable autonomy systems to power self-piloted aircraft applications throughout Airbus, from small urban air vehicles to large commercial airplanes. Our team of experts is driving the maturation of machine learning and other core technologies for autonomous flight; we are creating a reference architecture that includes hardware, software, and a data-driven development process to allow aircraft to perceive and react to their environment.”

A few of the technologies we may expect to see from Wayfinder include detect-and-avoid, landing zone recognition, and other autonomous systems.

The Airbus Vahana Alpha Two tilt-wing eVTOL at Eastern Oregon Regional Airport in Pendleton, Oregon. Photo // Airbus

Through its beginnings as part of the Airbus Vahana eVTOL project, Wayfinder’s potential for applications throughout aerospace quickly became clear. The success of the project encouraged Airbus to make Project Wayfinder its own entity within A³, which now will develop intelligent technology for all types of aircraft.

The Vahana prototype was on display this summer at EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.

The Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) currently mandates “at least two adequately rested, fully qualified, and well-trained pilots,” which currently blocks implementation of autonomous system into commercial operations. While still prohibited for commercial use, autonomous piloting systems are often tested in small-scale autonomous air vehicles such as Airbus’ Vahana, and will eventually make their debut into commercial aviation with collaboration from regulators.

Why it’s important: The development of the Wayfinder technology sets the stage for the future of smart technologies for flight. Other technologies, such as Garmin’s Autoland avionics system, which automates communication between ATC and pilots, are currently under development and certification as well. Together, these kinds of systems will eventually form the air traffic management and flight systems for urban aircraft.

Source // Avionics International

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Airbus Predicts Electric Aviation will Contribute to Sustainable Cities

17 November 2019 || 4 min read

Airbus invests in electric-propulsion technology to lead the way to more sustainable flight. According to Glenn Llewellyn, General Manager, Electrification at Airbus, zero-emission flight is not the “pipedream” that most people may think. His latest project E-Fan X—a complex hybrid-electric aircraft demonstrator—is the next step in Airbus’ electrification journey. When the demonstrator embarks on its first flight in 2021, the E-Fan X will be...

Airbus Predicts Electric Aviation will Contribute to Sustainable Cities

17 November 2019 || 4 min read

Airbus invests in electric-propulsion technology to lead the way to more sustainable flight.

According to Glenn Llewellyn, General Manager, Electrification at Airbus, zero-emission flight is not the “pipedream” that most people may think. His latest project E-Fan X—a complex hybrid-electric aircraft demonstrator—is the next step in Airbus’ electrification journey. When the demonstrator embarks on its first flight in 2021, the E-Fan X will be a giant leap towards making zero-emission flight a reality by the mid-2030s.

Rendering of the E-Fan X, courtesy of Airbus.

Aviation connects people, cultures and businesses. It enables mutual understanding and is considered a contributor to world peace. The problem is not aviation. The problem is carbon.

Glenn Llewellyn, Airbus General Manager, Electrification

In preparation for the demonstrator’s first flight in 2021, the E-Fan X’s electric motor will undergo rigorous testing at the E-Aircraft System (EAS) House. This newly developed facility about 13 kilometres from Munich is dedicated to the advancement of electric propulsion and its contribution to the goal of zero-emission flight. The E-Aircraft System House is Europe’s largest test facility dedicated to alternative propulsion systems and fuels, and second in the world only to NASA’s facility in the U.S.

In early 2020, Rolls-Royce will deliver the electric motor that will replace one of the four gas turbines installed on the test aircraft—a BAe 146. The electric motor will be equipped with 2 MW of power. Once the electric motor arrives, it will undergo rigorous testing. This starts with mounting the electric motor on one of the EAS test rigs, applying the required sensors and installing cameras to monitor progress. The testing will be extensive but necessary to prove the viability of the electric motor’s capabilities in preparation for the E-Fan X’s first flight, scheduled for 2021.

Airbus is committed to developing, building and testing electric and hybrid-electric future technology that will enable the aviation industry to significantly reduce the CO2 emissions of commercial aircraft.

Timeline representation of the many electrification and aerial mobility initiatives in progress or planned by Airbus.

There are already many electrification efforts, mostly focused on smaller aircraft. Zunum Aero, backed by Boeing and JetBlue Airways Corp., aims to bring a hybrid-electric commuter model to market by 2022. MagniX Technologies Pty Ltd. is developing a propulsion system for an all-electric plane with a similar date in mind. Israeli startup Eviation is also going fully electric, with a nine-passenger plane that made its debut at the Paris Air Show in June.

Why it’s important: In June, Toulouse, France-based Airbus, its U.S. rival Boeing Co. and other large players pledged to reduce the industry’s net CO2 emissions by half in 2050 compared with 2005 levels. Airlines and aircraft manufacturers are under intense scrutiny over the industry’s role in contributing to global warming, but their ability to respond is limited by development cycles lasting a decade or longer and products that can last 50 years. Meanwhile, rising air traffic is adding to pressure on the sector to come up with a response. It is efforts such as Airbus’ E-Fan X that will ultimately alleviate the carbon footprint of the aviation industry, and inspire and jumpstart other sustainable practices in cities worldwide.

Airbus, Others Team on EcoPulse Hybrid Propulsion

23 June 2019 || 3 min read

Daher, Airbus, and Safran announced a collaborative partnership at the Paris Air Show to design and develop EcoPulse, a wing-mounted distributed hybrid-propulsion demonstrator based on Daher’s TBM platform. The partnership will leverage each of the companies’ strengths to develop the hybrid-propulsion demonstrator, which is slated for a first test flight in 2022. Safran will use its technology as a world-class...

Airbus, Others Team on EcoPulse Hybrid Propulsion

23 June 2019 || 3 min read

Daher, Airbus, and Safran announced a collaborative partnership at the Paris Air Show to design and develop EcoPulse, a wing-mounted distributed hybrid-propulsion demonstrator based on Daher’s TBM platform.

The partnership will leverage each of the companies’ strengths to develop the hybrid-propulsion demonstrator, which is slated for a first test flight in 2022. Safran will use its technology as a world-class aerospace industry engine manufacturer to develop the propulsion system. As one of the top aircraft integrators in the world, Airbus has charge of aerodynamic optimization of the propulsion system, installation of high-energy-density batteries, and their use to power the aircraft. Finally, operations such as component and systems installation, flight testing, regulatory approvals, and construction will all be handled by Daher.

Further, all three companies are based in France, which will better facilitate the collaboration on this demonstrator project. A small-scale model and animated videos of the aircraft were on display at the Paris Air Show from June 17 to June 23, and showed the three small, evenly-spaced electric motors and propellers on the leading edge of each wing. The hybrid-electric engines will replace the previously used Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6 on the TBM platform, and have the potential to create new uses for air transportation.

The EcoPulse wing will be an integration of cutting-edge technology poised to reduce drag, emissions, and noise pollution. Aboard the wing will be a turbogenerator, an electric power management system, and integrated electric thrusters called e-Propellors. While technical details and performance metrics have not yet been published, the hybrid-electric system could best be used during taxi, while also being charged during high-power flight phases such as takeoff when the turbogenerator would typically be running.

Daher Senior VP of Aerospace and Defense Business, Nicolas Orance, has emphasized their determination to reduce environmental impacts of this aircraft and in the French aircraft industry as a whole. The French Civil Aviation Authority has supported the partnership, and is working in tandem with the French Civil Aviation Research Council to kickstart the demonstrator project.

Why it’s important: The trend toward more energy efficient engineering solutions in the aerospace industry bode well for the future of aviation. Not only will this partnership demonstrate the French companies’ ability to lower their environmental impact, but it will also help set the stage for future applications of hybrid-electric systems, especially in the urban aviation industry where short-range missions could be most benefited by the attributes of electric propulsion.

Sources // Daher Youtube channel; AINonline

CityAirbus Unmanned Air Taxi to Take Flight This Month

13 March 2019 || 4 min read

Alongside the Vahana and Pop.Up Next, Airbus is also taking on the endeavor of building the CityAirbus, an unmanned air taxi currently being prototyped in Donauworth, Germany. Since 2016, Airbus has been testing components and systems of the CityAirbus in order to validate its design and eventually fly a full-scale model. Airbus describes their vehicle as “a multi-passenger, self-piloted electric...

CityAirbus Unmanned Air Taxi to Take Flight This Month

13 March 2019 || 4 min read

Airbus describes their vehicle as “a multi-passenger, self-piloted electric vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) demonstrator designed for ubran air mobility with cost efficiency, high-volume production and a low environmental footprint in mind.” The company has taken a slower, more meticulous approach to the manufacturing and sub-scale testing of the vehicle due to its complexity and in hope that the design can be feasible for full-scale production in the near future. First flight of the prototype CityAirbus vehicle was originally planned for the end of 2018, but has since been postponed to some time in the upcoming weeks.

The 4 pairs of contra-rotating propellors, each 2.8m (9ft 2in) in diameter, are powered by 8 specially designed Siemens SP200D (100kW operating power, direct-drive) drivetrains with exceptional torque to weight ratio. The result is a cruising speed of 120 km/h while on flying with the autonomous system on fixed routes. According to Marius Bebesel, head of urban air mobility at Airbus, they are focused on perfecting the architecture and safety systems with the unmanned CityAirbus first, but plan to possibly include the option for piloted flight. Though, it will be initially operated by a pilot to “ease certification and public acceptance, paving the way to future fully-autonomous operations.”

Siemens is teaming with Airbus to provide the CityAirbus propulsion system // Siemens Photo

The propulsion system is designed for a max capacity of “four passengers over congested megacities to important destinations such as airports or train stations in a fast, affordable and environmentally friendly way. The innovative four-ducted propeller configuration significantly contributes to safety and low acoustic footprint,” according to Airbus. Meanwhile, Airbus is still perfecting its design with trade studies, such as the investigation of switching from wood to composite propellors, in order to be confident in the design as a high-volume production vehicle.

For more technical specifications of the CityAirbus, visit the Hangar.

Why its important: Airbus is showing a strong commitment to the urban air mobility industry by investing in a third concept design. The specifications of the CityAirbus are comparable to the vehicles of other leading companies, possibly demonstrating the convergence on an efficient design that will best fulfill the need this industry is attempting to address. The thorough design and testing process of the CityAirbus will be put to the test in the upcoming few weeks, as it first attempts to depart the ground.

Airbus Surveys Public Sentiment of UAM

17 February 2019 || 3 min read

Airbus Surveys Public Sentiment of UAM

17 February 2019 || 3 min read

The results are in and Airbus claimed that, overall, 44.5% percent of people’s initial reaction to Urban Air Mobility initiatives is positive. The goal of this survey was to obtain an understanding of the public’s general opinion, concerns, and attitudes toward this new and growing segment of the aerospace market. To conduct this study, Airbus questioned residents in Mexico City, Los Angeles, Switzerland, and New Zealand – all cities that are forward-thinking in the realm of technological innovation, burdened by heavy traffic and congestion, or both.

Example of a scenario from the Airbus survey.

Mexico City had the highest claimed likelihood to use UAM at 67%. Not surprisingly, the groups with the longest average commute times were also determined to be most likely to use UAM.

Age and income were also influential factors in determining respondents’ views of UAM as well. The demographic with most positive reactions and acceptance toward air taxis were in the 24-35 age range, with 55% having a positive view of UAM, while the 74-85 age range had the least positive initial reaction. In Los Angeles, those with an annual income above $150,000 were the most supportive of the future use of UAM.

The highest priority concern of the surveyed communities was found to be safety, with 55.6% of responses including it as a concern. Second highest in the concerns was noise, and third was the altitude and frequency of fly-overs, likely driven by the noise byproduct as well.

Interestingly, the item of least concern to the survey population is the landing spot of the aircraft – this is arguably the top concern when evaluating the feasibility of UAM from an infrastructure perspective.

Why it’s important: By initiating this survey, Airbus has begun to test the potential market for UAM. The UAM technology itself has long been the lowest barrier to breaking open the urban aviation industry – instead, the industry depends on positive public sentiment and acceptance of the technology in one’s daily life. In other words, the technology could be present, yet if public utilization would be low due to safety, noise, or other concerns, it may not be feasible to develop the infrastructure. Airbus is raising questions crucial to understanding what it will take to integrate UAM as an accepted transportation method around the world, and, in doing so, is helping the industry as a whole.

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Tag: Airbus

Singapore to Develop Aerial Mobility Service with Airbus

Singapore to Develop Aerial Mobility Service with Airbus

Airbus Wayfinder Uses AI for Certifiable Autonomous Systems

Airbus Wayfinder Uses AI for Certifiable Autonomous Systems

Subscribe to TUP

Listen to the TUP Podcast

Airbus Predicts Electric Aviation will Contribute to Sustainable Cities

Airbus Predicts Electric Aviation will Contribute to Sustainable Cities

Airbus invests in electric-propulsion technology to lead the way to more sustainable flight.

Airbus, Others Team on EcoPulse Hybrid Propulsion

Airbus, Others Team on EcoPulse Hybrid Propulsion

Daher, Airbus, and Safran announced a collaborative partnership at the Paris Air Show to design and develop EcoPulse, a wing-mounted distributed hybrid-propulsion demonstrator based on Daher’s TBM platform.

CityAirbus Unmanned Air Taxi to Take Flight This Month

CityAirbus Unmanned Air Taxi to Take Flight This Month

Airbus Surveys Public Sentiment of UAM

Airbus Surveys Public Sentiment of UAM

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Airbus invests in electric-propulsion technology to lead the way to more sustainable flight.

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Daher, Airbus, and Safran announced a collaborative partnership at the Paris Air Show to design and develop EcoPulse, a wing-mounted distributed hybrid-propulsion demonstrator based on Daher’s TBM platform.

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