Jump Aero JA1 Pulse (concept design)

JA1 Pulse (concept design)
Jump Aero Inc.
Petaluma, California, USA
www.jumpaero.com

Jump Aero Incorporated was founded in mid-2019 by Carl Dietrich, President and Chief Designer, Jeff Myjak, Head of Fabrication and Anna Dietrich, Director with their headquarters located in Petaluma, California, USA and the fabrication center in Chelsea, Massechusetts, USA. The company has been in stealth mode until the public announcement of their company on January 7, 2020. The aircraft they were designing was also in stealth mode from the beginning. On September 7, 2023, Jump Aero unveiled the design of their electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) first response multicopter aircraft. (Image credits: Jump Aero Incorporated)

The company has received a $3.6 million USD contract through the U.S. Air Force’s AFWERX Division. The breakdown of AFWERX is "AF" for the U.S. Air Force and "WERX" represents work project. In addition, the company was awarded a $1.8 million Tactical Funding Increase (TACFI) from the U.S. Air Force in 2023. Jump Aero plans to use to the Tactical Funding Increase in the development of a flying full-scale proof-of-concept aircraft expected to fly in late 2025.

Jump Aero also announced in 2023, the sale of 10 fast-response JA1 Pulse aircraft to the Australian company Electro Ventures, along with a strategic partnership to support and market the tailsitter aircraft in the Asia-Pacific region. The company has also announced an agreement for purchase options from Denmark-based international ambulance operator Falck for four aircraft.

JA1 Pulse one passenger eVTOL first responder concept design multicopter aircraft
The JA1 Pulse is a one passenger eVTOL concept design multicopter aircraft. The aircraft's main purpose is to get medical personnel to the injured in half the time it takes an ambulance and so that the medic can provide critical care and stabilize the the patient as soon as possible to increase the chances of saving the person's life. There is one seat on the aircraft. The aircraft was created to fly one-way only. Those few extra minutes at the medical emergency may be the most valuable minutes to save the person's life.

The aircraft is not a replacement for helicopters or an ambulance. The JA1 Pulse is intended to be used in combination with helicopters and ambulances to transport the victim to a hospital. The JA1 Pulse is then meant to be return to its base using a truck pulling a flatbed trailer. The aircraft has enough room inside to carry important medical equipment and medicine.

Planned operations of the aircraft

• The JA1 Pulse airlifts the medic to the patient at a very fast rate of speed
• The medic treats the person as quickly as possible to help save the person in this critical time period and stabilizes the patient
• An ambulance or helicopter takes the victim to the hospital for additional medical care
• The aircraft will be towed back to its base using a truck pulling a flatbed trailer

The aircraft can be deployed in less than 60 seconds and has a maximum range of 31 miles (50 km). The aircraft takes less than eight minutes to arrive at its destination. The maximum cruise speed of the aircraft is 288 mph (463 km/h). The empty weight of the aircraft is 2,820 lb (1,279 kg), the maximum payload is 330 lb (150 kg) and the maximum takeoff weight is 3,150 lb (1,429 kg). The maximum cruise altitude is less than 10,000 ft (3,048 m). The aircraft has simplified flight controls and can land on 10 degree slopes.

The aircraft has eight propellers, eight electric motors and uses eight batteries for propulsion. The aircraft has a biplane design. The top wing is a gull wing and the bottom wing is an inverted gull wing. The aircraft is a tail sitter aircraft and takeoffs and lands on its tail. The fuselage is made from carbon fiber composite for a high strength to low weight ratio.

The aircraft has wide wrap around windows similar to many eVTOL aircraft today and there is a large belly window for the medic. The aircraft takes off vertically and then flies the rest of the way to the destination with the pilot in a prone position. When landing, the aircraft transitions to the vertical and the medic looks out the belly window when landing, making sure the landing area is safe. The aircraft is capable of landing on a two-lane street, driveway, parking lot, in a front or back yard of a house, or in a field.

There are many advantages of electric aircraft such as having more stable in windy or gusty conditions, they are more reliable aircraft, they have a low noise footprint, a lower manufacturing cost, lower annual maintenance costs, lower annual fuel costs and have no emissions. In additions, there is the time saving and safety factor.

Electric vehicles switch immediately on and off, just as we are all aware with electric appliances, like a vacuum cleaner or tools such as an electric hand drill. A helicopter has a start-up and shut-down sequence which takes some time before the helicopter can lift-off and it takes time for the engine and rotors to come to a stop, after it lands. An eVTOL aircraft once programmed with its destination, can turn on immediately and begin to fly. When it lands, the propellers (or ducted fans) will turn off immediately keeping crew, passengers and those near an eVTOL aircraft safe. This is what the Jump Aero wants to take advantage of. Fast startup, fast flying and able to land where a helicopter might not be able to land.

There are multiple safety features of the aircraft. There are no catastrophic single point of failures. The aircraft has full envelope protection. The propellers are higher than a person's head for operational safety. The aircraft has adaptive/machine-learning (ML) flight controller in run-time-assurance architecture. The aircraft can hover at 9,514 ft (2,900 meter) density altitude with a failed propeller. There is an emergency ballistic whole aircraft parachute.

The company is seeking input from the first responder community to help them with the correct specifications needed for this type of aircraft in a first responder situation. Jump Aero is currently hiring.

The company anticipates their flying prototype will be completed in 2025 and possibly first deliveries to customers taking place in 2029.

Specifications:

• Aircraft type: eVTOL first responder fast-response transportation aircraft
• Piloting: 1 EMS Technician
• Deploy time: Less than 60 seconds
• Maximum cruise speed: 288 mph (463 km/h)
• Range: 31 miles (50 km)
• Flight time (estimated): 10 minutes
• Cruise altitude: Less than 10,000 ft (3,048 m)
• Empty weight: 2,820 lb (1,279 kg)
• Maximum payload weight: 330 lb (150 kg)
• Maximum takeoff weight: 3,150 lb (1,429 kg)        
• Propellers: 8 propellers
• Electric motors: 8 electric motors
• Power source: 8 batteries, 11 kWh each
• Fuselage: Carbon fiber composite
• Windows: 1 wrap around windows allowing forward, left and right visibility. 1 large belly window allowing excellent downward views
• Wings: 2 biplane gull wings, has a 19 ft (5.79 m) wingspan
• Landing gear: Tail sitting aircraft
• 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. There are also redundancies of critical components in the sub-systems of the aircraft. The aircraft can land on 10 degree slopes. Hovers at 2900 meter density altitude with failed propellor. There is an emgerncy ballistic whole aircraft parachute. There are simplified flight controls with full envelope protection and an adaptive flight controller with run-time-assurance architecture to bolster its safety.

Resources:

• Jump Aero website
• Jump Aero Facebook
• Jump Aero Twitter
• Jume Aero LinkedIn
• Article: Jump Aero Plans to Build eVTOL for Medical Use, Avionics International, Jan. 7, 2020
• Article: Jump Aero to Get First Responders There Faster, Electric VTOL News, Jan. 7, 2020
• Article: Jump Aero aims to put eVTOL aircraft in the hands of first responders, eVTOL Magazine, Jan. 8, 2020
• Article: NBAA News Hour: First Responders May be Early Adaptors of eVTOL, National Business Aviation Association, Aug. 3, 2020
• Article: Jump Aero and Oklahoma State University Win U.S. Air Force Contract as Part of Agility Prime, PR Newswire, Mar. 10, 2021
• Article: A Small Agility Prime Contract Is Another Side Door For EVTOL Startup Jump Aero, Forbes, Mar. 12, 2021
• Article: Jump Aero and Caltech research could help eVTOLs compensate for in-flight damage, Vertical Magazine, April 11, 2021
• Podcast: Episode 85 - Empowering Superheroes: Emergency eVTOL Aircraft from Start-Up Jump Aero, SAE International, Nov. 24, 2021
• Article: Jump Aero Electronic Parachute Improves eVTOL Failure Handling in Flight Test, PR Newswire, June 7, 2023
• Article: Jump Aero Unveils Rapid Response eVTOL Design, Receives First Order from Falck Ambulance Services and Funding from U.S. Air Force, PR Newswire, Sept. 7, 2023
• Article: Startup Jump Aero Reveals Air Force-Backed Emergency eVTOL Design, Flying Magazine, Sept. 11, 2023
• Article: Falck Buys Option For First Jump Aero JA1 Pulse First-Responder Single-Seat eVTOL, eVTOL Insights, Sept 13, 2023
• Article: Jump Aero, Electro Ventures Partner For 10 Fast-Response eVTOLs, Aviation Week, Sept. 22, 2023
• Article: This fastest eVTOL for emergency response is total game-changer, Inceptive Mind, Sept. 25, 2023
• Article: This Futuristic Single-Seat eVTOL Is a Total Game-Changer for Emergency Operations, Autoevolution, Sept. 25, 2023
• Article: 5 Cool Things About Jump Aero's 'Pulse' Emergency eVTOL Aircraft, Simple Flying, Oct. 2, 2023
• Article: Jump Aero’s JA1 Pulse Elevates Emergency Response with eVTOL Technology, Karmactive, Oct. 4, 2023
• Article: Utah State and Jump Aero to collaborate on Jump Aero first responder eVTOL services, Urban Air Mobility, Oct. 11, 2023