- EHANG
- H55
EVTOL / ADVANCED / URBAN AIR MOBILITY (UAM / AAM)
HANWHA AEROSPACE | HANWHA SYSTEMS | OVERAIR
Overair received $145m USD in new funding from South Korean Hanwha Group's Hanwha Systems and Hanwha Aerospace subsidiaries. "Hanwha will also provide electric motors and battery packs for Overair's prototypes, as the two companies expand their R&D co-operation." First flight of an all-electric prototype of the company's six-seat Butterfly eVTOL is expected in 2023:
(via Overair).
EVE | FAHARI AVIATION | KENYA AIRWAYS
Kenya Airways subsidiary Fahari Aviation signed an LOI with Eve Urban Air Mobility for up to 40 eVTOL aircraft. The companies will also convene a working group to develop and scale opportunities in both the Kenyan Urban Air Mobility (UAM) and cargo drone markets. First deliveries expected from 2026:
(via Eve).
EHANG
eHang received an order for five EH216 aircraft from an arm of the Hunan provincial government - Tianxingjian Cultural Tourism Investment and Development LLC - with options on 25 more. Together they will "develop a scenic flight project at the Aizhai Wonder Tourist Area". Demonstration flights in the area have already taken place, with passengers, footage below:
(via eHang).
AIRBUS | KLK MOTORSPORT | MODELL UND FORMENBAU BLASIUS GERGE
Airbus have engaged two small German automotive suppliers to design, develop and manufacture an ultra-lightweight, composite rear fuselage for the CityAirbus NextGen; KLK Motorsport and Modell- und Formenbau Blasius GERG:
(via Airbus).
DIEHL AEROSPACE | VOLOCOPTER
Diehl Aerospace have deepened their collaboration with Volocopter. In addition to flight control computers for the VoloCity they have now also been tasked with implementing a fibre optic 'fly-by-light' interface to complement the flight control system, and components for a battery management system (via Diehl).
AMAZON CLIMATE PLEDGE FUND | BETA TECHNOLOGIES
Beta Technologies flew their ALIA prototype aircraft between two Amazon Air hubs in the US, and picked up an undisclosed sum of additional funding from the e-commerce giant's Climate Pledge Fund (via Amazon).
EXPLISEAT | LILIUM
France's Expliseat have been selected by Lilium to supply seats for the 'Lilium Jet' (via Lilium).
TETRA AVIATION
Japan's Tetra Aviation raised ¥450m / $3.3m USD in new funding from investors including Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance and Mitsubishi. Proceeds will be used to further develop the company's Mk-5 aircraft which they intend to sell to individuals, for which they will seek to "obtain certification in the amateur build market in the United States."
A fourth prototype aircraft is being manufactured at present, a mock-up cockpit is set to be unveiled at Oshkosh in July and manned flight tests are planned in both the US and Japan, this year:
(via PR Times).
AFWERX | TRANSCEND AIR
Transcend Air have received a second tranche of funding from the US Air Force's AFWERX programme. The money will be used to further develop the company's Vy 400 VTOL tilt-wing aircraft in partnership with Auburn University. A one-fifth scale model will be used, as well as vehicle simulations, to further develop the aircraft for low-level flight operations in particular.
The full-size aircraft (powered by a GE CT7-8 turboshaft engine) is expected to have a 450 mile range and 400+ mph top speed. First flight is scheduled for 2023, with civilian variants expected to achieve FAA certification in 2025:
(via FutureFlight).
UK CIVIL AVIAITON AUTHORITY
The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) confirmed that it will adopt EASA's certification standards for eVTOL aircraft, as set out in Special Conditions VTOL / SC-VTOL (via UK CAA).
BLADE AIR MOBILITY | JETBLUE
Blade Air Mobility and JetBlue have teamed up to integrate the former's airport shuttle helicopter services with the latter's international flight schedule in NYC. Initially JetBlue's Mosaic+ members will be offered "limited complimentary seats" on the helicopter transfer service, with lower tier Mosaic and TrueBlue customers offered "preferred pricing" (via BusinessWire).
VERTIPORTS / INFRASTRUCTURE
SKYPORTS | SITA
Skyports will integrate SITA's 'Smart Path' biometric solutions at their vertiports. Alongside a passenger facing mobile app and 'face pods' at the terminals for passenger identification SITA will supply an automated scheduling solution for airside operations. The first site to use the technologies will be the "Cergy-Pontoise vertiport testbed in Paris...planned for completion in September 2022":
(via Skyports).
AIRBUS | MUNICH AIRPORT INTERNATIONAL
Airbus and Munich Airport International are partnering to jointly offer and market turnkey Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) solutions to cities and regions globally, building upon their existing collaboration on the previously announced Air Mobility Initiative in Germany:
(via Airbus).
AMPAIRE | BLACK & VEATCH
Ampaire announced a partnership with engineering / infrastructure specialists Black & Veatch, to explore opportunities within airport electrification planning, engineering and construction in the Americas, Europe and Asia (via Ampaire).
INMARSAT | LLEDIA-ALGUAIRE AIRPORT
British satellite communications company Inmarsat have partnered with Spain's Lledia-Alguaire Airport to establish a "European centre of excellence for Advanced Air Mobility" in Catalonia. The partners will focus on advancing Air Traffic Management (ATM) and Uncrewed Traffic Management (UTM) and in performing real world tests of the Velaris Command and Control (C2) service for unmanned vehicles:
(via Inmarsat).
ACI EUROPE | AIRBUS
Airbus signed an MoU with the European branch of the global trade association for airports - ACI Europe - that will see them work together on "the set-up of technical standards and guidance facilitating the uptake of SAF, hydrogen and electric-powered aircraft" (via Airbus).
PORT SAN ANTONIO
Port San Antonio - a redevelopment project on a former USAF base inTexas - have recently suggested that plans for the site now include the establishment of an eVTOL vertiport (via Biz Journals).
SMALL PROPELLER, COMMUTER (19-SEATS OR LESS)
OTTO AVIATION | ZEROAVIA
Otto Aviation and ZeroAvia will work together to develop a hydrogen-electric powertrain for the distinctive Celera family of laminar flow optimised aircraft, integrating ZA600 'engines' and anticipating a 1,000 nm range:
(via ZeroAvia).
H55
Switzerland's H55 have been awarded Design Organisation Approval (DOA) by EASA, putting the company on track to achieve type certification of their 100kW Electric Propulsion System (EPS) by "the end of 2023." The company aim to certify motor and batteries together, and assert that such an approach is "unique" (via H55).
HEART AEROSPACE
Heart Aerospace announced that they will amend the certification basis for their ES-19 all-electric aircraft from CS-23 to CS-25 (EASA) / 14 CFR Part 23 to 14 CFR part 25 (FAA). The change opens up the possibility of scheduled commercial operations in the United States which would not have been possible under the previous certification basis, and follows both financial investment and aircraft orders from United Airlines - announced 07/21 (via Heart Aerospace).
PACIFIC CURRENT | REGENT CRAFT
Regent Craft announced a partnership with Pacific Current (a subsidiary of Hawaiian Electric Industries) "to explore the build-out of a seaglider transportation network in the State of Hawai‘i" for transport of both passengers and freight:
"Pacific Current, a subsidiary of HEI, is named REGENT’s preferred energy and infrastructure partner for Hawai’i focusing on vehicle financing and developing and providing access to renewable energy and electric charging infrastructure. Mokulele Airlines, a Southern Airways Company, will be the launch partner for the seaglider transportation network, announcing their intent to bring a fleet of REGENT’s 12-passenger Viceroy seagliders to the island chain."
(via Regent Craft).
CRANFIELD AEROSPACE SOLUTIONS | EVIA AERO
Cranfield Aerospace Solutions are partnering with Bremen-based startup airline Evia Aero "to bring hydrogen fuel cell powered air services to Northern Europe." The companies will explore operating "sub-regional" air services and associated hydrogen infrastructure using converted Britten Norman Islander aircraft, which are expected to attain a Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) "by 2025" (via CAeS).
REGIONAL AIRCRAFT / MW+
ROLLS-ROYCE
Rolls-Royce revealed their new fully integrated turbogenerator system in the 0.5-1.2 MW range specifically targeted at hybrid-electric aircraft propulsion:
(via Rolls-Royce).
TOSHIBA ESS
Toshiba ESS released details of a prototype superconducting electric motor with a maximum power output of 2MW "less than 1/10th the weight and size of a conventional motor with the same level of power output...Toshiba ESS expects it will make a significant contribution to the electrification of aircrafts and the mobility sector."
The company plans to commercialise the technology "by the late 2020s":
(via Toshiba).
AIR NOSTRUM | HYBRID AIR VEHICLES
Spanish regional airline Air Nostrum reserved 10 x 100-seat Airlander 10 aircraft from Hybrid Air Vehicles (HAV) in the UK, becoming the hybrid airship's launch customer. HAV will now gear up for production in Yorkshire, UK and expect to deliver the first aircraft in 2026:
(via HAV).
MAEVE AEROSPACE | VENTURI AVIATION
Venturi Aviation in the Netherlands raised €3.4m in funding (from undisclosed Dutch investors) for their 44-passenger all-electric aircraft, and changed their name to Maeve Aerospace:
(via Maeve Aerospace).