Tag: COVID-19
Pipistrel Advances on New Cargo and Hydrogen-Powered Passenger Air Vehicles
The Pipistrel eVTOL Concept was unveiled at the 2nd annual Uber Elevate Summit on May 8th, 2018 in Los Angeles, CA. Previously designed as a blended wing body (BWB), the new 801 eVTOL features 8 lift rotors mounted on a lifting surface inboard of the wing. The Pipistrel team also announced that an entire family of eVTOL’s was being developed...

Pipistrel Advances on New Cargo and Hydrogen-Powered Passenger Air Vehicles

The Pipistrel eVTOL Concept was unveiled at the 2nd annual Uber Elevate Summit on May 8th, 2018 in Los Angeles, CA. Previously designed as a blended wing body (BWB), the new 801 eVTOL features 8 lift rotors mounted on a lifting surface inboard of the wing. The Pipistrel team also announced that an entire family of eVTOL’s was being developed for scalability and mission-tailored performance.
However, the Slovenian electric aircraft manufacturer has recently announced a shift in its priorities away from it’s plan to develop the Pipistrel 801 eVTOL for Uber Air’s mobility service. This comes “after delays with the Uber flying taxi program by many international aviation authorities,” the company said. “Continual extensions to the deadline for the development of a flying taxi service, which was commissioned by U.S. company Uber, has given Pipistrel the time to investigate future opportunities, some [of which] have been in planning and development for several years.”
The Uber Air services are set to launch from 2023 in one or more of the early-adopter cities the company has identified, including Dallas, Los Angeles, and Melbourne, Australia.
Related: Uber Air Stands Up First Flying Taxi Test Site
Meanwhile, Pipistrel has advanced its research and development efforts to serve other transport applications, and has revealed plans for two new cargo aircraft as well as a hydrogen-powered 10-seat regional airliner. One of the cargo aircraft now being advanced by Pipistrel is of a similar design to the 801 eVTOL and would carry a payload of 660 pounds approximately 200 miles. In an interview, the company said that it plans to deliver the first aircraft to an undisclosed customer in Asia during 2022 but, for now, has released no more details on its performance and specifications.
The second cargo aircraft is a fixed-wing design based on Pipistrel Alpha Electro electric light aircraft. It is being developed to be remotely piloted or manned and would be used for missions such as humanitarian relief, with packages being dropped from pods on each side of the wing and a cargo payload of almost 250 pounds.
In addition, Pipistrel is working with a group of European companies to develop a 19-passenger, hydrogen-powered aircraft that would fly routes of up to 300 miles at around one-quarter of the operational cost of conventional aircraft. The company reported it is in the final stages of testing a dual hydrogen fuel cell propulsion system and said the Miniliner concept could be ready to enter service in 2028.
Why it’s important: The socio-economic impacts of COVID-19 are evident in the aerial mobility industry. Shifts in focus, as demonstrated by Pipistrel, are the key to not only surviving financially, but also making a lasting impact that could expedite worldwide health service efforts. Pipistrel’s second cargo aircraft has potential to provide relief in locations across the globe where the pandemic is most prevalent.
Source // AINOnline
Boeing’s Dreamlifter Sets Precedent for Aerial Mobility’s COVID Response Abilities
On April 18th, Boeing completed its first COVID-19 transport mission, using a 737-700 aircraft from its corporate fleet to bring personal protective equipment (PPE) from China to the United States. Since then, the aerospace giant has continued to employ tactics at a much larger scale. The first mission successfully transported 540,000 medical-grade face masks to healthcare professionals battling COVID-19 in New Hampshire. Boeing partnered...

Boeing’s Dreamlifter Sets Precedent for Aerial Mobility’s COVID Response Abilities

On April 18th, Boeing completed its first COVID-19 transport mission, using a 737-700 aircraft from its corporate fleet to bring personal protective equipment (PPE) from China to the United States. Since then, the aerospace giant has continued to employ tactics at a much larger scale.
The first mission successfully transported 540,000 medical-grade face masks to healthcare professionals battling COVID-19 in New Hampshire. Boeing partnered with FIRST® Robotics and DEKA Research and Development Corporation Founder Dean Kamen to secure the face masks from manufacturers in China and turned to Boeing to facilitate their transport.

Aerospace manufacturers and operators of any size have the opportunity to provide critical support to the places in which it’s most needed. This even includes urban air mobility-focused companies in urban settings where shorter range missions in congested areas are a priority.
Since then, Boeing has continued to support local communities and the heroic healthcare professionals working tirelessly to stop the spread of COVID-19. These efforts have included close coordination with U.S. government officials on how to best assist areas with the greatest need, and with companies including Prisma Health, Atlas Air Worldwide and Discommon.
Founder of the aforementioned companies, Neil Ferrier, aided in the latest mission in which Boeing transported 1.5 million medical-grade face masks bound for healthcare professionals at Prisma Health in South Carolina. This mission was made possible by Boeing’s 747-400 Large Cargo Freighter (LCF), a wide-body cargo aircraft also known as the Dreamlifter. At 65,000 cubic feet (1,840 m³) the Dreamlifter can hold three times the volume of a 747-400F freighter. The aircraft flew from Hong Kong to Greenville, South Carolina, with the face masks in its lower lobe. Following the delivery, the Dreamlifter returned to its home base in North Charleston, South Carolina, and has since resumed delivery of 787 Dreamliner parts in support of the global aerospace supply chain.
Boeing will continue to plan additional airlift transport missions with the Dreamlifter and has plans to add other aircraft, such as its ecoDemonstrator, an experimental 777-200, and a Boeing Business Jet, to its COVID-19 support fleet.

A Boeing Business Jet delivering supplies to support communities in need during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Why it’s important: Amidst the company’s own COVID-19 operational challenges, Boeing has stepped up to provide medical support to communities in need. The combined efforts of companies across the globe is integral to global health and financial prosperity in these times. This demonstrates the meaningful impact that aerospace companies of any size and maturity can have during these times. Aerial mobility OEMs and operators have an opportunity to step up in a similar way and establish a logistics service with potential to extend even beyond COVID-19 support.
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