News

XTI Aircraft’s TriFan 600 Development Continues

• 06 Mar 2020 09:54 PM
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XTI Aircraft Company is playing the long game with the ongoing development of its TriFan 600 hybrid-electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft.

In the last year, the company — based at Centennial Airport near Denver, Colorado — refined the aircraft’s design, launched flight testing of its large-scale Proof of Concept (POC) vehicle, revitalized its funding program, partnered with a major engine maker, obtained two patents, strengthened upper management and now has a total of 81 orders for its unique aircraft.

Skyryse Says Autonomy Will Let Helicopter Taxis Compete with Ridesharing

• 06 Mar 2020 09:49 PM
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Most stories of air taxis are all about the aircraft — with futuristic visions of multi-rotor, morphing electric vehicles presented by Uber, Boeing, Joby, Airbus, Lilium and many others. Los Angeles-based air taxi startup Skyryse (www.skyryse.com) looks downright dull in comparison, with photos of the humdrum Robinson R44 helicopter — which Skyryse calls the “Toyota Camry of the sky” for its ubiquity and utility.

Cargo eVTOL Matures

• 06 Mar 2020 09:27 PM
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The Transformative Vertical Flight 2020 event in San Jose, California, in mid-January, featured a wide range of sessions and panel discussions that covered the breadth and depth of electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) progress and capabilities (see “Transformative Vertical Flight 2020,” pg. 38). One such panel covered the use of eVTOL technology for cargo.

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.

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.

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). 

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. 

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. 

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). 

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.