aeroG Aviation aG-4 Liberty (defunct)

(Image credit: aeroG Aviation)

aG-4 Liberty (defunct)
aeroG Aviation LLC
Woodland Park, New Jersey, USA
www.aerogaviation.com

Founded in August 2016 by Robert Gomez, aeroG Aviation LLC designs and develops passenger and air-cargo electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft for advanced air mobility. Based in Palm Bay, Florida, the company is currently focused on the AG-8 powered-lift eVTOL, in the engineering specification phase under FAA AC 21.17-4 (Type Certification — Powered-Lift). aeroG Aviation is seeking strategic partners and is open to acquisition discussions.

Before the company was founded, the team's first simulation project was the UV-4 UAV, an uncrewed air cargo eVTOL aircraft developed at Bergen Community College in 2015 by the company founder. The project was funded by the college’s STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) grant. The project was first released on Microsoft Flight Simulation X and Lockheed Martin Prepar3D v3 in January 2017. The research developed by this group formed the basis for aeroG Aviation LLC.

aeroG Aviation develops its aircraft through simulation science and theoretical proofs before committing to physical build. The company holds a signed MOU with the Advanced Air Mobility Institute supporting certification roadmap alignment and outreach, and is bringing the AG-8 to Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 with Wolfhound Studios.

aG-4 Liberty long-range passenger all-electric or hybrid-electric VTOL concept design aircraft (defunct)
The aG-4 Liberty is a long-range passenger all-electric or a hybrid-electric VTOL concept design aircraft for advanced air mobility. The aircraft has two pilots and holds 10 passengers comfortably and their luggage. Pilots and passengers enter and deplane from a rear aircraft ramp. The design was completed in November 2017. In November 2020 new images were released that displayed an updated configuration of the aG-4 Liberty's cabin, propeller design, and updated airframe.

The estimated cruise speed of the aircraft is 322 mph (519 km/h). The aircraft has four ducted fans, four electric motors and uses either battery packs or can be outfitted with a hybrid-electric power source. If using a hybrid-electric power source, the power plant would be a JET-A powered engine. The expected empty weight of the aircraft is 10,320 lb (4,681 kg), has an anticipated  maximum payload weight of 2,000 lb (907 kg) and has a calculated maximum take-off weight of 12,500 lb (5,670 kg).

The fuselage is made from carbon fiber composite to give the aircraft a high strength to low weight ratio. The aircraft has retractable wheeled landing gear. The aircraft has a whole aircraft emergency ballistic parachute in case of an unexpected inflight emergency.

For the hybrid version, the engine’s exhaust nozzles (located both sides of the fuselage) rotates its position to add vectored thrust in vertical takeoff, transition and forward flight modes. This aircraft can operate in excess of 345 mph (556 km/h) while only producing thrust from the two forward propellers in the cruise mode, cutting down on power consumption and noise while during the longest part of flight. In addition to the lift produced by the ducts, the aircraft is designed as a lifting body. The aircraft also has the increased safety of a ballistic recovery system.

The aircraft would fly manned in a highly augmented cockpit. It would also utilize multiple OLED (organic light-emitting diode) screens that display images taken from the exterior of the fuselage, binding the passenger’s sense of sight and imagination with the illusion of a glass cabin.

aG-4 Liberty interior

The goal of the development team was to create an aircraft that can serve aviation customers and cargo deliverers who need vertical takeoff and landing and want the high-end performance of a small jet or turboprop aircraft.

In 2018, aeroG Aviation completed the design and specifications for its manned passenger aircraft and the UV-4 is released for Lockheed-Martin Prepar3D v4 introducing structural improvements and autopilot features. In 2019, the company filed for an aeronautical patent to protect their unique design and method of propulsion.

Currently, the small startup research company is searching for partnerships with existing aviation manufacturing companies to bring their aircraft to the market.

Listed below are images of the aircraft's original configuration, prior to November 2020. During this period the aircraft was known simply as the aG-4.

Specifications:

• Aircraft type: Passenger all-electric or hybrid-electric VTOL concept design aircraft (defunct)
• Pilots: 2 pilots
• Passengers: 10 passengers
• Cruise speed: 322 mph (519 km/h)
• Passenger cabin length: 11.15 ft (3.4 m)
• Passenger cabin width: 13.38 ft (4.08 m)
• Entrance: Located at the rear of the aircraft for loading and unloading of cargo and passengers
• Size of rear door: 32.6 sq ft (3.03 sq. m)
• Empty weight: 10,320 lb (4,681 kg)
• Payload weight: 2,000 lb (907 kg)
• Maximum take-off weight: 12,500 lb (5,670 kg)
• Propellers: 4 ducted fans, each fan has a 5 blade composite variable pitch (constant speed) propeller
• Size of Rear Propellers: 4.27 ft (1.3 m)
• Size of Front Propeller: 3.58 ft (1.09 m)
• Motors: 4 electric motors. Each motor is a 3 phase AC induction motor rated at 1600 hp (1200 Kw)
• Power plant: Battery packs or a JET-A powered engine
• Horse power: 6,400 hp
• Fuselage: Carbon fiber composite
• Length: 41.12 ft. (12.53 m)
• Height of Aircraft: 17.55 ft (5.35 m)
• Wingspan: 48.55 ft. (14.8 m)
• Wing: Canard wing with 1 small front wing and 1 large rear high wing
• Tail assembly: 1 twin tail
• Landing gear: Retractable tricycle wheeled landing gear
• Safety features: Distributed Electric Propulsion (DEP) uses multiple propellers or electric ducted fans, each powered by electric motors, to increase safety through redundancy. If one or more components fail, the remaining ones can still ensure a safe landing. There are also redundancies of critical components in the sub-systems of the aircraft providing safety through redundancy. Having multiple redundant systems on any aircraft decreases having any single point of failure. There is also a whole aircraft emergency ballistic parachute in case of an unexpected inflight emergency.

Related Aircraft:

• aeroG Aviation AG-8 (concept design)
• aeroG Aviation UV-4 (defunct)

Company Insights:

• Airframer
• Bizapedia
• Crunchbase
• Tracxn

Resources:

• aeroG Aviation website
• aeroG Aviation Facebook
• aeroG Aviation YouTube
• aeroG Aviation Instagram
• Video: AeroG aG-4 (date unknown)
• Case study: UV-4 V/STOL UAV, Prepared3D, 2016
• Article: Students Sold on STEM Study, The Paramus Post, Apr. 27, 2016
• Article: Drones Research Taking Off At Paramus College, Daily Voice, May 26, 2016
• Article: Bergen Community College students to show off drone concept, North Jersey, Oct. 20, 2016
• Video: AeroG & Thranda UV-4 V/STOL UAV for X-plane 11 & 10, Thomas Rasmussen, Jan. 18, 2017
• Article: Aircraft Review : AeroG UV-4 UAV by Thranda, X-Plane Reviews, Jan. 23, 2017
• Article: AeroG UV-4 V/STOL UAV Aircraft Released For FSX & P3D, Fly Away Simulation, Mar. 14, 2017
• Podcast: Joseph Mattern aeroG Aviation - Electric Aircraft Designs, Electric Vehicle Podcast, Jan. 17, 2020