Category Filtering: 'hydrogen'
The explosive growth in eVTOL has led to the formation of two collaborative councils to advance the understanding. Both councils report to the VFS provisional Electric VTOL Technical Committee, led by Dr. Anubhav Datta. Contact Jim Sherman at jsherman[at]vtol.org for more information or to join.
NASA announced on Nov. 16 that Wisk and Alaka’i Technologies signed information exchange agreements with NASA this year, joining 17 companies who were announced in March (see “NASA’s National Campaign,” Vertiflite, May/June 2020). The two new vehicle partners are now preparing for the first National Campaign (NC-1) beginning in 2022, with the intent to assess operational safety scenarios focused on their respective automation and vehicle designs.
Electric conventional takeoff and landing (eCTOL) aircraft are anything but conventional, but include many of the same challenges as electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, most especially, of course, with the power systems.
On Sept. 2, startup Happy Takeoff (HTO) unveiled its hydrogen-powered Prism eVTOL concept at the VFS 3rd Workshop on eVTOL Infrastructure for UAM.
The Vertical Flight Society has been busy providing regular webinars and symposiums to help keep our members in the know and to keep advancing vertical flight. Links to past and future webinars are available at www.vtol.org/webinars
Massachusetts-based Alakai revealed to NewAtlas.com on July 9 that it was developing a second-generation liquid hydrogen-powered Skai eVTOL prototype. Originally unveiled in May 2019 (see “Flying in the Skai with Hydrogen, Vertiflite, July/August 2019), the first-generation prototype made tethered tests last year.
Yavne, Israel-based Urban Aeronautics announced on June 11 that it had signed an agreement with hydrogen fuel-cell innovator HyPoint, Inc., with offices in Menlo Park, California. Urban Aeronautics, the developer of the CityHawk Fancraft, and HyPoint, a leader in next-generation, high-power, high-temperature proton-exchange-membrane (HTPEM) hydrogen fuel-cell systems, will explore the development of an advanced version of the CityHawk eVTOL powered by HyPoint’s cutting-edge, hydrogen fuel-cell stack technology.
VFS corporate member Happy Takeoff published a 32-page white paper on Aug. 7, 2020 entitled, "Captive-Use Hydrogen For Advanced Air Mobility." Hydrogen has much greater energy density than batteries, and so holds incredible promise for electric VTOL aircraft in the future.
Three dozen of the world’s leading electric aircraft developers and technology experts will be speaking at the CAFE Foundation’s 14th Annual Electric Aircraft Symposium (EAS) which will be held online for the first time on July 28-30, 2020.
Electric and hybrid electric powered aircraft have the potential to significantly reduce air transportation costs, carbon emissions and community noise and enable new aviation markets.
Israeli ducted-fan VTOL maker Urban Aeronautics announced on March 20 a partnership with Singapore-based helicopter charter booking company Ascent Flights Global to offer UAM services in Asia using the CityHawk, a six-seat manned VTOL aircraft manufactured by Urban subsidiary Metro Skyways. Although currently powered by a turboshaft engine, the aircraft is being designed for operational conversion to a hydrogen-powered eVTOL....
