Daedalean AG — a four-year-old Swiss startup developing aircraft-agnostic flight control software using computer-vision and machine-learning to perform tasks ranging from pilot augmentation to fully autonomous flight — is conducting a Series B funding round with a $25M goal by the end of this year.
The US Marine Corps announced March 10 (during a VFS-organized media briefing) its intention to partner with the US Air Force on the latter’s Agility Prime project, contributing funding and potential use cases towards the goal of accelerating commercial certification and assessing potential government uses for non-traditional electric or hybrid-propulsion VTOL aircraft. Like the USAF, the Marine Corps said it hopes to nurture...
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....
France’s VoltAero conducted the first flight of its Cassio 1 hybrid-electric conventional takeoff and landing (eCTOL) aircraft on March 10 at its Royan-Médis Aérodrome facility. The testbed aircraft was powered by two 80-hp (60-kW) Safran ENGINeUS 45 electric motors with forward-facing propellers, three 80-hp Emrax electric motors driving a rear pusher prop, and a 402-hp (300-kW) modified Nissan V6 internal combustion...
The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) concluded on March 27 that the crash of an unmanned Kitty Hawk Heaviside (above, Kitty Hawk credit) eVTOL during an Oct. 17, 2019, developmental test flight in Tres Pinos, California, was caused by a software timing error affecting the aircraft’s controllability. The timing error had, in turn, been caused by an operator failing to terminate a battery charging script prior to...
A secretive eVTOL aircraft startup has been reportedly hiring away experienced engineers from other urban air mobility (UAM) companies, according to Aviation Today on April 6. The publication’s unnamed sources said Archer Aviation of Santa Clara, California, has collected a team of about 20 individuals, including previous employees from Kitty Hawk and from Airbus’ Vahana demonstrator team. The sources added that Archer...
SkyDrive, Inc., announced April 7
Beta Technologies has developed a modular charging station ahead of expected demand by operators of eVTOL aircraft, drones and conventional helicopters. The Vermont based company founded in 2017 said its station can be configured quickly in a variety of locations — ranging from dense urban centers to remote outposts — and with several optional modules — from a pilot lounge and sleeping quarters to an elevated landing deck — depending on the mission and environment.
In a press release dated April 4, Tokyo-based SkyDrive announced that it had hired Nobuo Kishi as its chief technology officer (CTO). Kishi — standing on the right in the photo, with company president Tomohiro Fukuzawa — previously held top positions at Mitsubishi Aircraft Corporation, and will lead the development and certification efforts to bring the SkyDrive eVTOL aircraft to market in 2023.
In March, J. Scott Drennan (shown) updated his LinkedIn profile to note that he was now the chief research and development officer at Hyundai Motor Group’s Urban Air Mobility (UAM) division, after 26 years at Bell. Most of Drennan’s career was as a structural analyst, but included three years in management roles on the joint Bell-Leonardo AW609 program (2011–2014), followed by leadership roles in air vehicle integration and innovation.
