Transcend Air V-641 (concept design)
V-641 (concept design)
Transcend Air Corporation
Carlisle, Massachusetts, USA
www.transcend.aero
The Transcend Air Corporation was founded in 2017 to design and manufacture a tilt-wing hybrid-electric vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) for efficient and low cost 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 is one electric VTOL propeller in the rear of the fuselage used primarily used to keep the aircraft stable during VTOL flight in any windy condition.
V-641 long-range heavy-lift hybrid-electric VTOL passenger and cargo concept design military aircraft
The V-641 is a long-range heavy-lift hybrid-electric VTOL passenger and cargo concept design military aircraft that holds a total of 37 people. The aircraft has one pilot and is autonomous capable. The cabin holds 36 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 V-641 replaces the multi-mission V-22 Osprey tiltrotor military aircraft.
The planned cruise speed is 525 mph (845 km/h), has a predicted range of 3,351 miles (5,393 kilometers) and has a calculated maximum operating altitude of 30,000 feet (9,144 meters). The cabin volume is approximately 4,200 cubic feet and a Humvee fits inside the cargo hold. The empty weight of the aircraft is expected to be 31,600 lb (14,335 kg), with a maximum payload of 25,200 lb (11,435 kg) and has a maximum takeoff weight of 56,800 lb (25,764 kg).
The aircraft has two turbine powered propellers and one electric tailfan propeller. There are four GE turboshaft T408 engines that provide 3,000 shp to power all the aircraft's systems including the one electric tailfan propeller. The GE turboshaft T408 engines are the engines used for the U.S. Marine Corps’ CH-53K King Stallion heavy-lift helicopter. The aircraft has one high main tilt-wing and one H-tail. The superstructure of the aircraft is made of carbon fiber composite for high strength to low weight ratio. The aircraft has retractable tricycle wheeled landing gear with dual nose wheels and two rear four wheeled bogies on each side near the middle of the fuselage.
Specifications:
- Aircraft type: Long-range heavy-lift hybrid-electric VTOL passenger and cargo concept design military aircraft
- Piloting: 1 pilot and autonomous capable
- Capacity: 36 people, maximum 365 lb (166 kg) each person
- Cruise speed: 525 mph (845 km/h)
- Range: 3,351 m (5,393 km)
- Maximum operating altitude: 30,000 ft (9,144 m)
- Empty weight: 31,600 lb (14,335 kg)
- Maximum payload: 25,200 lb (11,435 kg)
- Maximum takeoff weight: 56,800 lb (25,764 kg)
- Cabin volume: ~4,200 cubic feet
- Propellers: 2 turbine powered propellers, 1 electric tailfan propellers
- Electric motors: 1 electric motor
- Power source: 4 GE turboshaft engines T408, 3,000 shp
- Fuselage: Carbon fiber composite
- Wings: 1 high main tilt-wing
- Tail: 1 H-tail
- Landing gear: Retractable wheeled landing gear, dual nose wheels and a 4-wheel truck main on each side of the rear bogies
- 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 Elytron 2S Prototype 11 (experimental)
- Transcend Air V-421 (concept design)
- Transcend Air V-621 (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:
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
Recent Pages
- Land Rotor AAM Sportster (prototype)
- Merk T Copter Car 10 (concept design)
- Aeroelektromash VA-250 (concept design)
- Aeroelektromash VA-115 (prototype)
- Aeroelektromash R-34 (prototype)
- UASystems eZELOS S4 Twin-Hybrid Air Taxi (concept design)
- Applied eVTOL Concepts Epiphany Transporter (concept design)
- Lee Linker (concept design)
- Transcend Air Vy 400R (concept design)
- Transcend Air V-653 (concept design)
