Transcend Air V-621 (concept design)

V-621 (concept design)
Transcend Air Corporation
Carlisle, Massachusetts, USA
www.transcend.aero

The Transcend Air Corporation was founded in 2017 in Carlisle, Massachusetts, USA. The company is in the business to design and manufacture a tilt-wing hybrid-electric vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) for efficient and low cost military aircraft and for city-to-city advanced air mobility (AAM) travel for the VIP traveler. As the aircraft can takeoff and land on any landing pad, airport tarmac, parking lot or grassy area, the aircraft will whisk the traveler to the destination faster than traditional airport-to-airport flying. Their aircraft can also fly its passengers to their destinations faster than a helicopter, according to the company.

The U.S. Air Force has supported Transcend Air's work with four research and development contracts a United States Air Force AFWERX program. The AFWERX program started in June 2021. The "AF" stands for U. S. Air Force and "WERX" is shorthand for work project. The company made it through three down-select stages to become one of five final contenders for the Pentagon’s High-Speed VTOL Challenge (HSVTOL Challenge). AFWERX's goal is finding aircraft that have jet-like speed, in-flight transition between hover and cruise, increased range and endurance, in-flight refueling capability, flexible payload and more.

The company advocates for an almost full conventional power train for their aircraft and plans to use turbine engines to power the two main tractor propellers. The aircraft is still a hybrid-electric aircraft as there are four small electric VTOL propellers in the rear of the fuselage used primarily to keep the aircraft stable during VTOL flight in any windy condition.

Prototype flight testing
Since 2009, the company has built and flown 17 prototype electric or hybrid-electric VTOL subscale and full scale aircraft and at least 15 of them have had an all electric power source. All prototypes made up to and including 2023 are uncrewed except for the Elytron subscale prototype which holds two people.

Some history of the Garrow Aircraft, Elyton Aircraft and Transcend prototypes:

• Garrow Aircraft: Proto 1. The first VTOL drone design was a made on a napkin in 2009 of a hybrid-electric VTOL passenger aircraft. The concept design was a delta wing with 3 VTOL propellers.
• Garrow Aircraft: Proto 2. VTOL drone aircraft.
• Garrow Aircraft: Proto 3. VTOL drone with 2 tilt-props, 1 main wing, 1 vertical stabilizer, fixed tricycle wheeled landing gear.
• Garrow Aircraft: Proto 4. Delta-wing and canard VTOL with 2 VTOL propellers within the fuselage of the aircraft
• Garrow Aircraft: Proto 5. Delta-wing and canard VTOL with 1 VTOL propellers within the fuselage of the aircraft
• Garrow Aircraft: Proto 6. VTOL drone with 2 VTOL propellers within the high main wing with 1 pusher propeller in front of the rear conventional tail with fixed tricycle wheeled landing gear.
• Garrow Aircraft: Proto 7. VTOL flying-wing fuselage with winglets
• Garrow Aircraft: Proto 8. VTOL box-wing design, fixed tricycle wheeled landing gear.
• Elytron Aircraft: Proto 9. Unknown
• Elytron Aircraft: Proto 10. Unknown
• Elytron Aircraft: Proto 11: Elytron 2S Proto 11 crewed aircraft
• Elytron Aircraft: Proto 12. VTOL 2 propeller tiltwing box-wing with fixed tricycle wheeled landing gear
• Transcend Air Corporation: Proto 13: VTOL open framed fuselage with 2 propellers at the end of the foward main tiltwing with a rear H-tail
• Transcend Air Corporation: Proto 14: 1/5 subscale Vy 400 (does not weight 350 lb), VTOL tiltwing with H-tail.
• Transcend Air Corporation: Proto 15: 1/5 subscale Vy 400, first flight September 5, 2018 (does not weight 350 lb) VTOL tiltwing with H-tail and fixed skid landing gear.
• Transcend Air Corporation: Proto 16: First flight January 19, 2019
• Transcend Air Corporation: Proto 17: Risk Reduction Test Vehicle (RRTV), first flight July 31, 2023

V-621 long-range hybrid-electric VTOL passenger and cargo concept design military aircraft
The V-621 is a long-range hybrid-electric VTOL passenger and cargo concept design military aircraft holding a total of 12 people. The aircraft has one pilot and is autonomous capable. The cabin holds 11 people and the intended maximum weight for each person is 365 lb (166 kg). The aircraft can be used for passengers, cargo or both.

The expected cruise speed of the aircraft is 541 mph (871 km/h), has a predicted range of 3,127 m (5,032 km) and has a target maximum operating altitude of 30,000 ft (9,144 m). The maximum takeoff weight is anticipated at 15,300 lb (6,940 kg).

The aircraft has two GE turboshaft engines powering all the aircraft's systems including the two main propellers and the four electric tailfan propellers. The superstructure of the aircraft is made of carbon fiber composite for high strength to low weight ratio. The aircraft has one high main tilt-wing and one H-tail. The aircraft has retractable tricycle wheeled landing gear.

Specifications:

• Aircraft type: Military hybrid-electric passenger and cargo VTOL concept design aircraft
• Piloting: 1 pilot and autonomous capable
• Capacity: 11 people, maximum 365 lb (166 kg) each person
• Cruise speed: 541 mph (871 km/h)
• Range: 3,127 m (5,032 km)
• Maximum operating altitude: 30,000 ft (9,144 m)
• Maximum takeoff weight: 15,300 lb (6,940 kg)
• Propellers: 2 turbine powered propellers, 4 electric tailfan propeller
• Electric motors: 4 electric motors
• Power source: 2 GE turboshaft engines
• Fuselage: Carbon fiber composite
• Windows: Typical military windows
• Wings: 1 high main tilt-wing
• Tail: 1 H-tail
• Landing gear: Retractable wheeled landing gear
• Safety features: The aircraft can land conventionally if there is a power loss in the tractor propellers. There are also redundancies of critical components in the sub-systems of the aircraft.

Related Aircraft:

• Transcend Air V-421 (concept design)
• Transcend Air V-641 (concept design)
• Transcend Air V-653 (concept design)
• Transcend Air Vy 400 (defunct)
• Transcend Air Vy 400R (concept design)
• Transcend Air Vy 421 (concept design)

Company Insights:

• Crunchbase
• Dun & Bradstreet
• Pitchbook
• Tracxn

Resources:

• Transcend Air Corporation website
• Transcend Air Corporation Instagram
• Transcend Air Corporation LinkedIn
• Kaman Aerospace website
• Israel Aerospace Industries website
• U.S. Air Force AFWERX program Wikipedia
• Article: Vy 400, Future Flight, date unknown
• Article: Transcend Air announces “affordable” city-to-city VTOL aircraft, Vertical Magazine, June 28, 2018
• Article: New York to Boston in 36 minutes thanks to VTOL air taxi, says Transcend Air, New Atlas, June 29, 2018
• Article: Transcend Air and Lily Helipads announce zero-emission landing spots, Vertical Magazine, May 17, 2019
• Article: Transcend Air Enters Agreement with GE Aviation as Engine Supplier for the Groundbreaking Vy 400 High Speed VTOL Aircraft, Business Wire, Aug. 10, 2021
• Article: Kaman Aerospace Group, Inc. selected by Transcend Air to build the Vy 400 High Speed VTOL Aircraft, Nasdaq, Aug. 12, 2021
• Article: Transcend’s New VTOL Just Got a Powerful Makeover, Robb Report, Sept. 30, 2021
• Article: Transcend Air Receives Market Research Investment to Advance U.S. DoD High-Speed VTOL Capabilities, EIN Presswire, Jan. 28, 2022
• Article: Transcend Air advances in AFWERX HSVTOL Concept Challenge, Vertical Magazine, Feb. 1, 2022
• Article: Marines Want VTOL Family of Systems for Future Vertical Lift, U.S. Naval Institute, Feb. 9, 2022
• Article: U.S. Air Force Funds Transcend Air for More Work on VTOL Operations, FutureFlight, June 21, 2022
• Article: Tiltwing plane company Transcend Air intends to initiate FAA certification ‘soon,’ founders say, Aerospace America, Feb. 17, 2023
• Article: Transcend Air Taps IAI North America as Defense Partner, Business Wire, May 8, 2023
• Article: Transcend Reboots Its Air Mobility Offering with Redesigned Vy 421 VTOL Aircraft, FutureFlight, Aug. 4, 2023
• Article: Transcend Switches To Larger Tiltwing VTOL, Aviation Week, Aug. 8, 2023