Transcend Air Vy 400R (concept design)

Vy 400R (concept design)
Transcend Air Corporation
Carlisle, Massachusetts, USA
www.transcend.aero
www.vy400.com

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

Vy 400R long-range hybrid-electric VTOL passenger concept design aircraft
The Vy 400R is a long-range hybrid-electric enhanced VTOL concept design aircraft  that holds a total of five to six people. The aircraft needs only one pilot to fly the aircraft. The aircraft will then hold between four to five passengers to depending upon the interior furnishings that contribute to the cabin weight. If the cabin has been outfitted with a heavy comfort interior, the aircraft can only hold four passengers and their luggage. If the cabin has been outfitted with a very light weight interior, the aircraft can hold five passengers and their luggage.

The estimated cruise speed of the Vy 400R is 410 mph (660 km/h). The target range with a super light interior is 610 m (982 km) with four passengers and has a range of 485 m (781 km) with five passengers. The forecasted range with a comfort interior is 500 m (805 km) with four passengers and a predicted range of 370 m (595 km) with five passengers.

The intended maximum cruise altitude for the aircraft is 8,000 ft (2,438 km) and has a maximum operating altitude of 20,000 ft (6,096 km). The expected empty weight of the aircraft is 4,800 lb (2,177 kg), has a maximum payload of 2,190 lb (993 kg) and has a maximum takeoff weight of 6,900 lb (3,130 kg).

The aircraft has two main electric tractor propellers and one electrically powered VTOL-only tail propeller. The power sources is one GE Aviation CT7-8 turboshaft engine (2,500 shp). The GE Aviation CT7-8  engine is used for many modern medium-lift helicopters. 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 a large window for the pilots and the passenger windows on the aircraft are typical round windows found on small conventional passenger jet aircraft. The aircraft has retractable tricycle strut landing gear.

Some of the safety features of the aircraft include multiple redundant systems, HUMS (health and usage monitoring), flight into known icing (FIKI) mission protection, fly-by-wire dual channel, triple modular redundant control system, advanced avionics, autopilot, envelope protection geofencing plus sensors (no flight into terrain or obstacles) and an emergency whole aircraft parachute. The aircraft has been simplified to the point of having no cables, no hydraulics and no fuel lines.

Ordering and pricing
The company is taking deposits on the Vy 400 aircraft at this time which currently has an estimated price of $6,000,000.00 USD.

Specifications:

• Aircraft type: Long-range hybrid-electric VTOL passenger concept design aircraft
• Piloting: 1 pilot
• Capacity: 5 passengers and luggage
• Cruise speed: 410 mph (660 km/h)
• Range with comfort interior: 500 m (805 km), with 4 passengers; 370 m (595 km), with 5 passengers
• Range with super light interior: 610 m (982 km) with 4 passengers; 485 m (781 km), with 5 passengers
• Maximum cruise altitude: 8,000 ft (2,438 km)
• Maximum operating altitude: 20,000 ft (6,096 km)
• Empty weight: 4,800 lb (2,177 kg)
• Maximum payload: 2,190 lb (993 kg)
• Maximum takeoff weight: 6,900 lb (3,130 kg)
• Propellers: 3 propellers
• Electric motors: 3 electric motors
• Power source: Hybrid-electric power source, using one GE Aviation CT7-8 turboshaft engine (2,500 shp)
• Fuselage: Carbon fiber composite
• Windows: Typical round windows found on conventional small passenger jet aircraft
• Wings: 1 high main tilt-wing
• Tail: 1 H-tail
• Landing gear: Retractable tricycle strut landing gear
• Safety features: The aircraft has redundant systems, HUMS (health and usage monitoring), flight into known icing (FIKI) mission protection, fly by wire dual channel, triple modular redundant control system, advanced avionics, autopilot, envelope protection geofencing plus sensors (no flight into terrain or obstacles) and an emergency whole aircraft parachute. The aircraft has been simplified and has no cables, no hydraulics and no fuel lines.

Related Aircraft:

• Transcend Air V-421 (concept design)
• Transcend Air V-621 (concept design)
• Transcend Air V-641 (concept design)
• Transcend Air V-653 (concept design)
• Transcend Air Vy 400 (defunct)
• Transcend Air Vy 421 (concept design)

Company Insights:

• Crunchbase
• Dun & Bradstreet
• Pitchbook
• Tracxn

Resources:

• Transcend Air Corporation website
• Vy 400R 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