Tag: Flight Testing

Dufour Completes Initial Flight Testing of its VTOL Demonstrator

29 July 2020 || 4 min read

Dufour Aerospace has just announced that it has completed the first phase of flight testing of its tilt-wing eVTOL demonstrator aircraft. Over the course of 550 test flights, expanding the flight envelope incrementally, the vehicle demonstrated a high degree of stability and control in all conditions, including transitions from hover to cruise and back again. During the first phase of...

Dufour Completes Initial Flight Testing of its VTOL Demonstrator

29 July 2020 || 4 min read

During the first phase of testing, Dufour’s test vehicle executed full transitions to and from wing-borne cruise flight, as well as other highly precise aerodynamic maneuvers. Felix Rubin, lead engineer for aerodynamics, commented, “At larger scales, slipstream airflows over tilting wings become more turbulent and harder to predict, and care is needed to ensure that the aircraft remains stable during transition. With this large-scale unmanned aircraft, we’ve now been able to demonstrate that we can achieve that stability at high Reynolds numbers.”

The company has amassed over 30 years of experience in Swiss commercial helicopter operations, and is now applying its deep technical roots to the real world requirements of VTOL aircraft. Below is a short clip of the impressive footage that Dufour shared with the public in their latest press release:

Dufour was initially inspired by Canadair’s pioneering work fifty years ago with the CL-84, and its research since then has shown that tilt-wing convertible aircraft offer a high degree of safety and efficiency. Co-founders Dominique Steffen and CEO Thomas Pfammatter also collaborated on the aEro 1 electric aerobatic plane that debuted in 2016.

Chief Technology Officer Jasmine Kent — a software engineer who spent eight years with Google and co-founded the artificial intelligence (AI) startup Daedalean — joined the company in 2017. Kent commented, “From our simulations, we expected that our proprietary tilt-wing control system, developed over the last two years in collaboration with ETH Zurich, would perform well. But it’s encouraging to see that its performance and stability exceeded our expectations.”

Thomas Pfammatter, CEO, commented, “I’m proud that the team has been able to build on the electric propulsion technology and flight test processes we pioneered with aEro 1. We now have solid experience with both manned electric fixed-wing and eVTOL technology. As a helicopter rescue pilot, I’m looking forward to bringing these together.”

Why it’s important: Dufour aims to begin manufacturing a full-sized experimental VTOL prototype next year, with flight testing to begin with a human test pilot by 2022. With over 550 test flights of experience, the company has proven its technology and built its case for moving forward with manufacturing in the near future. In the meantime, Dufour also plans to continue collaboration efforts with Daedalean, developer of an AI-based autopilot, to eventually enable autonomous flight for its eVTOL demonstrator.

Related:

Source // Dufour Aerospace press release

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.

Kitty Hawk Shares 2018 Recap; says Cora has Ballistic Parachute

28 December 2018 || 3 min read

Kitty Hawk Aero announced their 2018 recap today, marking the conclusion of a packed year for the Larry Page-backed company. Included in the recap was the announcement that Cora has a Ballistic Parachute Recovery system, not unlike what Cirrus Aircraft use today to achieve their high safety records. Kitty Hawk has not previously disclosed that Cora has such a recovery...

Kitty Hawk Shares 2018 Recap; says Cora has Ballistic Parachute

28 December 2018 || 3 min read

Kitty Hawk Aero announced their 2018 recap today, marking the conclusion of a packed year for the Larry Page-backed company.

Included in the recap was the announcement that Cora has a Ballistic Parachute Recovery system, not unlike what Cirrus Aircraft use today to achieve their high safety records. Kitty Hawk has not previously disclosed that Cora has such a recovery system in place.

Additionally, the recap included some concrete numbers for Kitty Hawk’s accomplishments over the last year: more than 700 test flights conducted, with at least five Cora’s built (shown in their recap video) and one partnership signed with Air New Zealand. One of the main points that Kitty Hawk emphasized as part of their recap was that Cora was situated between the confluence of rotor, fixed-wing, and autonomous car disciplines.

The Kitty Hawk Cora eVTOL is powered by 12 rotors that are oriented vertically and mounted to the wings of the aircraft. One pusher-configured propellor provides for forward thrust during conventional flight. The estimated cruising speed of Cora is approximately 180 km/h, and a “triple redundant flight computer” system allows for safety of flight path control, even in the case that one or two computer systems malfunction.

Image Source // Kitty Hawk

Kitty Hawk’s recap video is here. To learn more about the Kitty Hawk Cora, visit The Hangar – the one page market overview of the urban aviation industry.

Why it’s important: Kitty Hawk’s year-in-review for 2018 contained a fair amount of information that was already known to the public, but a few announcements – such as the number of flight tests conducted, and the mention that the aircraft has a ballistic parachute recovery system – have not been shared before. With the quantity of flight testing complete and the quality of experience of the many team members of Kitty Hawk working on this product, expect 2019 to be full of continued certification and flight testing efforts.

Assen Aero Flight Tests A1 Hoverbike

06 December 2018 || 2 min read

Assen Aero successfully flight tested a prototype of their A1 Hoverbike. A video posted to Youtube earlier this week shows the bike flown remotely at low altitudes. This is the one of the first steps towards full scale technology demonstration, which may include Hoverbike races as early as next year. Assen Aero, based in South Florida, has been working on...

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Tag: Flight Testing

Dufour Completes Initial Flight Testing of its VTOL Demonstrator

Dufour Completes Initial Flight Testing of its VTOL Demonstrator

CityAirbus Unmanned Air Taxi to Take Flight This Month

CityAirbus Unmanned Air Taxi to Take Flight This Month

Kitty Hawk Shares 2018 Recap; says Cora has Ballistic Parachute

Kitty Hawk Shares 2018 Recap; says Cora has Ballistic Parachute

Assen Aero Flight Tests A1 Hoverbike

Assen Aero Flight Tests A1 Hoverbike

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