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Transformative Vertical Flight 2020

Transformative Vertical Flight 2020

  • 05 Mar 2020 05:25 PM
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In the seven years since 100 invited visionaries gathered in Arlington, Virginia, for the first annual VFS Transformative Vertical Flight (TVF) Workshop, the dream of electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft has progressed from something perceived as a wild-eyed fantasy promoted by secretive companies to a diverse and full-fledged industry.

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The First Electric VTOL Unicorn: Joby Aviation

The First Electric VTOL Unicorn: Joby Aviation

  • 05 Mar 2020 09:04 AM
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For the past 11 years, Joby Aviation has been on a quest to develop the ultimate electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, but few details of the company’s aircraft and progress have been shared with the public.

That changed in January when Joby stepped out of the shadows and released images of the production version of its all-electric, five-seat tiltrotor in conjunction with the announcement of a $590M Series C financing that brought the company’s total funding, including previous rounds, to $720M.

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Drone Remote ID and TCs

  • 03 Mar 2020 10:45 AM
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On Dec. 31, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) published its notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) for “Remote Identification of Unmanned Aircraft Systems.” The long-awaited NPRM, docket No. FAA-2019-1100, is expected to result in a “Final Rule” that will require remote ID for most drones, exempting government UAS, some amateur-build drones, and micro air vehicles (MAVs) and toy drones weighing less than 8.8 oz (204 g). 

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EHang Flies in North Carolina

EHang Flies in North Carolina

  • 03 Mar 2020 10:43 AM
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EHang flew its two-passenger 216 Autonomous Aerial Vehicle (unmanned) for a crowd of around 100 in Raleigh, North Carolina, on Jan. 7, in conjunction with the 2020 North Carolina Transportation Summit. This was the first free-flight public eVTOL air taxi demonstration in the US. 

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Six UAM Aircraft “Well Along” in Certification

Six UAM Aircraft “Well Along” in Certification

  • 03 Mar 2020 10:42 AM
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On Jan. 13, the US Transportation Research Board held a panel on “Automation Technology and Transportation,” with senior US government transportation officials. Notably, Jay Merkle the executive director of the FAA’s UAS Integration Office, spoke about urban air mobility (UAM) aircraft. 

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Elroy Air

Elroy Air

  • 03 Mar 2020 10:41 AM
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EmbraerX, Embraer’s US-based disruptive business subsidiary, announced its expansion into the commercial air cargo market on Jan. 8, via a collaboration agreement with Elroy Air (see “Cargo eVTOL Matures,” Vertiflite, March/April 2020, pg. 54). 

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Overair Closes on $25M

Overair Closes on $25M

  • 03 Mar 2020 10:39 AM
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Hanwha Systems $25M investment in California-based Overair — a spinoff of Karem Aircraft — reached its final approvals, the Korean aerospace systems giant announced on Jan. 15. With the investment, Hanwha now owns a 30% stake in Overair, which is developing the eVTOL Butterfly quad-tiltrotor for the Uber Elevate mission. 

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Cora Down Under and Autonomous

Cora Down Under and Autonomous

  • 03 Mar 2020 10:38 AM
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On Feb. 4, Wisk announced a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to establish a passenger transport trial in Canterbury, New Zealand. Wisk’s Cora two-seat eVTOL has been testing in the Canterbury region since 2017. Based in the San Francisco Bay Area and New Zealand, Wisk is an independent company backed by The Boeing Company and Kitty Hawk Corporation (see “Cora + Boeing = Wisk,” Vertiflite Jan/Feb 2020, pg. 40).

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Bell APT70

Bell APT70

  • 03 Mar 2020 10:37 AM
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The Bell Autonomous Pod Transport (APT) 70 biplane tailsitter drone completed its first beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) flight on Jan. 16, traveling along a 10-mile (16-km) path at Choctaw Nation test site under the FAA UAS Integration Pilot Program (UASIPP).

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Toyota’s Hydrogen eVTOL

Toyota’s Hydrogen eVTOL

  • 03 Mar 2020 10:35 AM
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On Feb. 10, Reddit editor Red_Jensen posted a high-resolution image of a large unmanned aircraft hovering at the Mojave Air and Space Port in southern California. The aircraft — N871YT, registered to Toyota — appears to have six lift propellers and no forward thruster. It may be designed as a cargo transporter, with twin outriggers and twin tails.

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