LEO Flight LEO Coupe (concept design)

(Image credit: LEO Flight Corporation)

LEO Coupe (concept design)
LEO Flight Corporation
Anderson, Indiana, USA
www.leoflight.com

Based in the USA, Pete Bitar and Carlos Salaff partnered together in the spring of 2021 and founded the company LEO Flight Corporation (formerly Urban eVTOL, LLC). The joint-venture is from Bitar's company Electric Jet Aircraft and Salaff's company SALAFF Automotive to design and manufacture electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) flying cars for advanced air mobility (AAM). The company is looking for investors.

Bitar is an avid VTOL and eVTOL inventor with over 14 patents to his name, has won multiple aerospace awards and has owned five companies throughout his career. His last two companies were AirBuoyant, LLC and Electric Jet Aircraft. Salaff is an automotive designer working with futuristic concept and production cars when at Mazda, including the Nagare, Furai, Mazda 3 and MX-5. He has won multiple design awards, has always had an interest in aerospace and outer space, and recently designed a Space Age inspired mobile office and lounge called the Pod Van.

LEO Coupe passenger eVTOL aircraft (concept design)
The LEO Coupe is a two passenger (including the pilot) eVTOL aircraft concept design. The cabin also has storage for luggage. The pilot has multiple technologies to make flying the aircraft easier. The avionics has semi-autonomous piloting that uses a fly-by-wire control system, has auto takeoff and landings, and has auto stabilization. To fly the aircraft, the pilot will need a FAA pilot's license, expanded light-sport certification, 2-3 hours of flight training and 20 hours of flight time.

The cruise speed of the aircraft is expected to be 200 mph (322 km/h), has an anticipated range of 250 miles (402 km) and has a predicted maximum payload weight of 510 lb (231 kg). The aircraft has 100 electric ducted fans (EDFs) for lift, has six EDFs for forward flight, will have 106 electric motors and will be powered by solid state batteries. The aircraft has gull-wing doors allowing ease of entering and exiting. The aircraft has front and rear box wings. The fuselage is made from carbon fiber composite to give the aircraft a high strength to low weight ratio. 

Variable geometry landing pads on each of the box wings are on the aircraft for soft landings. These landing pads (similar to an air bag) also allows you to land on a slight slope with two sets inflated pads and one set of pads not inflated to keep the aircraft in a more horizontal position. These landing pads or cat paws, also make it easier for the aircraft to land on uneven ground. In addition, by not using retractable landing gear, this will reduces the weight of the aircraft.

The compact size (10 ft wide x 20 ft long 4.6 ft high or 3.05 m wide x 6.1 m long x 1.4 m high) of the vehicle allows the aircraft to takeoff or land in a standard sized parking space and be stored in a garage. The aircraft is very futuristic yet has very practical design features such as having ultra safe ducted fans protecting passengers and ground crew, ease of entering and exiting the aircraft, having windows providing spectacular views including a transparent floor.

Safety features of the aircraft include multiple redundant systems, such as distributed electric propulsion (DEP) which means having multiple propellers and motors on the aircraft, so if one or more propellers or motors fail, the other working propellers can safely land the aircraft. Also, there is a whole aircraft ballistic parachute for emergency situations with retro rockets to help with the deceleration of the vehicle. The aircraft also as an emergency glide feature, emergency airbags and emergency flotation devices.

2021
The company foresees that urban air travel will have multiple aircraft in a city airspace and should not be problem. However, there is currently not enough parking in any city for new eVTOL aircraft. Therefore, the company has also designed a vertiport named the Vertistop which has been designed to be easy to integrate into existing infrastructure of any city.

LEO Flight's 2021 goal is to build a full scale technology demonstrator and have it flying in 2022. The company is looking for investors to build subsequent full-scale prototypes with carbon fiber bodies which is estimated to take from seven to nine months between full funding and the first full scale prototype flight. Since the New Atlas article, the company has been receiving multiple daily preorders and investors contacting the company.

The company will apply for FAA certification and sell the aircraft as a partially built kit. The expected build time for the customer will be in the range of 20 to 40 hours. LEO Flight predicts (2021) the price for each aircraft will be in the range of $300,000.00 USD, even with quantities under 100 aircraft per year.

The company foresees its compact LEO Coupe ideal for personal use, on-demand air taxi service (using an app), fire rescue, medevac, police, tourism, exploration, military and any other job where people need local air transportation.

2026
To fly the aircraft, the pilot will need a FAA pilot's license, expanded light-sport certification, 2-3 hours of flight training and 20 hours of flight time. The projected base price for the aircraft is $459,900.00 USD. The company aims to have initial production in 2027. The company states on their website that final performance specifications, pricing, regulatory requirements, and sales details to be confirmed when ordering begins.

Specifications:

• Aircraft type: Passenger eVTOL aircraft (concept design)
• Piloting: 1 pilot, semi-autonomous, fly-by-wire control system, auto takeoff/landing and stabilization
• Capacity: 2 people including the pilot and luggage
• Cruise speed: 200 mph (322 km/h)
• Range: 250 miles (402 km), including reserves
• Maximum payload weight: 510 lb (231 kg)
• Propellers: 100 electric ducted fans (EDFs) and 6 EDFs for forward flight
• Electric Motors: 106 electric motors
• Power source: Solid state batteries
• Fuselage: Carbon fiber composite
• Dimensions: 10 ft wide x 20 ft long 4.6 ft high (3.05 m wide x 6.1 m long x 1.4 m high)
• Windows: Panoramic windows with a wrap around window design allowing forward, left, right, top and bottom visibility, for spectacular views
• Doors: Gull wing doors
• Wings: Double box-wing on the front and rear of the aircraft
• Landing gear: Lands on the front and rear box wings
• Safety features: Distributed Electric Propulsion (DEP), provides safety through redundancy for its passengers and/or cargo. DEP means having multiple propellers and motors on the aircraft so if one or more motors or propellers fail, the other working motors and propellers can safely land the aircraft. For emergency situations, there is a whole aircraft ballistic parachute and with retro rockets to help the deceleration of the aircraft. The aircraft also as an emergency glide feature, emergency airbags and emergency flotation devices.

Related Aircraft:

• LEO Flight JetBike (mockup)
• LEO Flight LX-1 (technology demonstrator)
• LEO Flight LX1-R (technology demonstrator)
• LEO Flight Lynx (defunct)

Company Insights:

• LEO Flight Wikipedia

Resources:

• LEO Flight Corporation website
• LEO Flight Corporation Instagram
• LEO Flight YouTube
• LEO Flight TikTok
• LEO Flight LinkedIn
• Article: LEO Coupe's propulsion system receives DARPA contract for R&D, Urban eVTOL, July 20, 2021
• Article: Our vision for aerial mobility wins NASA HeroX award, Urban eVTOL, July 28, 2021
• Article: Urban eVTOL announces Leo, a 250-mph hypercar for the skies, New Atlas, Aug. 5, 2021
• Article: Forget the Chopper: This eVTOL Is Styled Like a Flying Sports Car That Parks in Your Garage, Robb Report, Aug.10, 2021
• Article: Urban eVTOL Reveals a Sleek Flying Hypercar, Hyperbeast, Aug. 11, 2021