eMagic Aircraft eMagic Next

eMagic Next
eMagic Aircraft
Grafschaft, Rhineland-Plantine, Germany
www.emagic-aircraft.com

In 2018, Thomas Senkel and Michael Kügelgen (pilot and engineer) founded eMagic Aircraft company to manufacture and produce electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) passenger aircraft for urban air mobility (UAM). (Thomas Senkel is the designer and pilot of the first manned multicopter in Germany under the company e-volo GmbH. The company e-volo was eventually rebranded as Volocopter and Senkel left Volocopter in 2016.) eMagic Aircraft has financed the demonstrator aircraft using their own money. eMagic is currently seeking investors to develop a serial production aircraft.

The company has made several sub-scale remote-controlled proof-of-concept aircraft which started test flying in 2019. This began the process of real-word validation of the aerodynamics of aircraft, determining components to be used, materials to be used and more. In addition, the company has made two full-scale demonstrator aircraft, the Copter (an open beam and truss structure test bed) and eMagic One (a typical aircraft fuselage with a canopy over the cockpit) and flew both remotely and piloted with success in 2020-2021. The ultimate goal from this work is to create a long-range and very safe passenger eVTOL production aircraft for Urban Air Mobility.

Kügelgen is the inventor of eVTOL aircraft, Senkel is in charge of the electric drive train of the aircraft and Moritz Pfletschinger is in charge of software development and flight controller optimization. The company is supported by a network of friends including Matthias Strieker (Silence Aircraft GmbH), Thomas Strieker (Leviora Leichtbaumanufaktur), Richard Krüger-Sprengel (Helix Carbon GmbH), Hans-Joachim Droste (Droste Ingenieure GmbH) and more.

Senkel has stated in several news articles that he's never been satisfied with the range of multicopters which is why he wanted to manufacture an original eVTOL passenger aircraft that had a useful range. He has also stated that a piloted air taxi which only holds two passengers seems to be a niche market but it's also true that most regular ground taxi rides take one passenger at a time. Senkel has stated their winged VTOL aircraft will have a range five times longer than a multicopter eVTOL passenger aircraft.

Kügelgen founded MK Technology in Germany in 1997 and is an accomplished rapid prototyping and production company. Kügelgen is a mechanical engineer and has been pilot for 45 years and is certified to fly in fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters. He has developed numerous crewed and uncrewed flight systems. He is the inventor of the sub-scale eMagic prototypes, the full-scale Copter and the full-scale eMagic One passenger eVTOL demonstrator, all of which have been aerodynamically successful and flight worthy.

eMagic Next is a three passenger eVTOL aircraft serial production design with at total of 12 propellers. The all-electric aircraft has two fixed tractor propellers for forward flight and has 10 fixed propellers dedicated for VTOL flight. It has not been reported as of December 2021 if the aircraft will be piloted or fully autonomous.

The aircraft has two independent battery systems, it has high energy-density battery packs for cruise flight and high power-density battery packs for VTOL flight. The batteries for the aircraft are in the tractor propeller nacelles enabling quick and easy battery swapping.

The aircraft has tandem wings and a vertical stabilizer for better aerodynamic handling. The aircraft has wrap around tinted windows which are slightly vertically taller than conventional general aviation aircraft which will provide better views for the pilot and passengers. The fuselage will be made from carbon fiber composite, making the aircraft strong and light weight. An interesting feature of the aircraft is its landing gear, the aircraft has a taildragger configuration with fixed wheeled landing gear. The aircraft can take off and land like a conventional general aviation aircraft.

Safety features of the aircraft include redundant flight systems, Distributed Electric Propulsion (DEP), the ability to take off and land like a conventional airplane, and has a whole aircraft ballistic parachute. With 10 fixed propellers dedicated for VTOL flight, if several of the propellers or motors stop working for any reason, the aircraft can hover to a safe landing.

The aircraft has been optimized for quiet flight and due to its low noise, will be welcome to most cities for Urban Air Mobility. Passengers will also enjoy the low cost it will be to fly in the aircraft, its long range and the aircraft's safety features. The eMagic One demonstrator has shown during flight tests that it is an incredibly quiet aircraft in cruise flight as well as hovering. The company’s motto is “Even Birds Are Jealous!”

The aircraft is expected to be used as a passenger aircraft for Urban Air Mobility. Most eVTOL aircraft for Urban Air Mobility can also be used or expected to be used for a variety of other types of travel including VIP travel, government travel and air cargo delivery. The company has not stated any estimated timeline for making their full scale production aircraft and when they expect sales to occur.

Specifications:

• Aircraft type: eVTOL passenger aircraft
• Piloting: Unknown
• Capacity: 3 passengers
• Cruise speed: Unknown
• Range: Unknown
• Flight Time: Unknown
• Propellers: 12 propellers (2 fixed tractor propellers for forward flight, 10 fixed propellers for VTOL flight)
• Electric Motors: 12 electric motors
• Power source: Batteries. The batteries are located under the propeller nacelles, enabling quick and easy battery swapping.
• Fuselage: Carbon fiber composite
• Windows: Panoramic wrap around windows allowing forward, left, right visibility, for spectacular views with a solid roof above the passenger compartment
• Wings: Tandem wings
• Tail: Vertical stabilizer
• Landing gear: Fixed wheeled taildragger landing gear
• Safety features: Distributed Electric Propulsion (DEP), provides safety through redundancy for its passengers and/or cargo. DEP means having multiple propellers (or ducted fans) and motors on the aircraft so if one or more propellers (ducted fans) or motors fail, the other working propellers (or ducted fans) and motors can safely land the aircraft. The aircraft will have a whole aircraft ballistic parachute.

Resources:

• eMagic Aircraft website
• MK Technology GmbH website
• Video: 10 Years: Worlds First Manned Multicopter (Unrevealed Footage), Forschungsbuero, Oct. 27, 2021
• Video: eMagic Copter 2021, Forschungsbuero, Oct. 28, 2021
• Article: eVTOL pioneer Thomas Senkel unveils tandem-wing air taxi prototype, New Atlas, Nov. 16, 2021
• Video: eMagic One - An eVTOL that really works, Forschungsbuero, Nov. 16, 2021
• Article: A New Tandem-Winged eVTOL Prototype Has Five Times the Range of Rivals, Interesting Engineering, Nov. 17, 2021
• Article: First man ever to fly a manned e-multicopter presents new eVTOL concept that really works, Autoevolution, Nov. 17, 2021
• Article: Thomas Senkel unveils tandem-wing air taxi prototype, Air Med and Rescue, Nov. 19, 2021
• Article: eMagic takes the wraps off its proof of concept eVTOL, eVTOL.com, Nov. 24, 2021
• Article: eMagic One Silently Comes Out of Stealth, Vertiflite, Jan/Dec 2022