CAPS (Production Aircraft)

CAPS (Product Aircraft)
CAPS 
Paris, France
www.bycaps.fr

The CAPS company was founded in 2019 by three scientists, Paul Casse, CEO, Kevin Laouer, CFO and Pierre de Chateaubourg, CTO, who met in a university physics class. Having been instructed about the technological breakthroughs in electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) technology and the problem with current urban travel, the three men decided to start their own eVTOL company to help make clean Urban Air Mobility (UAM) a reality and make it available for anyone.

From studies, they found that 70% of people traveling in urban areas are traveling alone which is the reason for the company has designed a one passenger eVTOL aircraft. The aircraft has been made to provide autonomous clean and quiet UAM in any city including incorporating the highest possible safety standards, which includes an emergency parachute in case of the unlikely event of a system failure.

The CAPS eVTOL one passenger production aircraft multicopter has eight propellers at the top of the aircraft, travels at 70 km/h (43 mph), with a range of 20 km (12 miles) and has a flight time of 20 minutes. The empty weight of the aircraft is 250 kg (551 lb) with a maximum payload of 150 kg (331 lb). The aircraft either lands in charging pods or can land using its retractable landing struts. The aircraft is being designed to be able to hand unexpected dangerous situations and navigate around them through a control center.

One of the main goals of the company is to provide their aircraft to the consumer for daily city travel and at a price so low, that people with very low incomes will be able to afford use their eVTOL aircraft. To schedule a flight, the passenger simply uses an app on their smart phone. The company states they are not making this aircraft for rich and as off 2021, CAPS expects the cost to be 1€ euro per kilometer. As of 2021, CAPS foresees flight service to begin sometime between 2024-2027.

Specifications:

• Aircraft type: eVTOL product aircraft with a separate recharging landing station
• Piloting: Autonomous
• Capacity: 1 passenger
• Cruise speed: 70 km/h (43 mph)
• Range: 20 km (12 miles)
• Flight time: 20 minutes
• Propellers: 8 propellers
• Electric Motors: 8 electric motors
• Power source: 8 independent li-ion batteries
• Empty weight:  250 kg (551 lb)
• Maximum payload: 150 kg (331 lb)
• Fuselage: Carbon-fiber
• Windows: Panoramic windows with forward, left and right visibility, with a solid roof above for spectacular views for the passengers
• Landing gear: Retractable landing struts
• Landing pod: Recharging stations placed in multiple locations in any city where the aircraft lands for passengers to board and exit. There is no landing gear as the eVTOL aircraft can only land in its custom made landing pod.
• Safety Features: Distributed Electric Propulsion (DEP), provides safety through redundancy for its passengers and/or cargo. DEP means having multiple propellers and motors on the aircraft so if one or more motors or propellers fail, the other working motors and propellers can safely land the aircraft. The aircraft has a parachute for added safety, there is also redundancy built into the aircraft was well as back-up systems. The propellers have protective guards on the perimeter of the propellers. The aircraft also has a whole aircraft ballistic parachute.

Resources:

• CAPS website
• CAPS Facebook
• CAPS Twitter
• CAPS YouTube Channel
• CAPS Instagram
• Article: Flying capsules created for cities, University of Paris, Saclay, Jan. 18, 2021
• Article: These flying capsules shape the future of urban mobility, Maddyness, Feb. 17, 2021
• Article: This flying capsule wants to revolutionize the metro-work-sleep, Detours, Mar. 3, 2021
• Video: L'interview de Paul Casse (CAPS) par Stéphane Soumier, BSmart, June 2021