Tag: eVTOL

Joby Aviation to Begin Manufacturing Air Taxis in Ohio

The AP reports that the same Ohio river valley “where the Wright brothers pioneered human flight will soon be manufacturing cutting-edge electric planes that take off and land vertically, under an agreement announced Monday between the state and Joby Aviation Inc.” Gov. Mike DeWine (R) said, “When you’re talking about air taxis, that’s the future. We find this very, very exciting – not only for the direct jobs and indirect jobs it’s going to create, but like Intel, it’s a signal to people that Ohio is looking to the future. This is a big deal for us.” Joby’s decision to “locate its first scaled manufacturing facility at a 140-acre (57-hectare) site at Dayton International Airport delivers on two decades of groundwork laid by the state’s leaders, Republican Lt. Gov. Jon Husted said.” Joby’s production aircraft “is designed to transport a pilot and four passengers at speeds of up to 200 miles (321.87 kilometers) per hour, with a maximum range of 100 miles (160.93 kilometers).”
;Full Story (Associated Press)

EASA Submits EVTOL Operating Regulations

Aviation Week reports that the European Union Aviation Safety Agency’s (EASA) “proposed rules for the operation of vertical-takeoff-and-landing (VTOL) aircraft, including air taxis, emphasize the continuing differences in approach by Europe and the U.S. to regulating the emerging industry.”
Full Story (Aviation Week)

Companies Make Progress on EVTOL Production

Aviation Week posted a slideshow of eVTOL aircraft in development, saying that the aircraft that have been in development throughout the 2010s are “beginning to fly, but the industry’s self-imposed deadlines for certification and service entry are looming, and much work remains to be done.” Supernal’s SA-1 is among the aircraft profiled in the piece, mentioning that BAE Systems is developing the flight control system.
Full Story (Aviation Week)

First Joby EVTOL Prototype Rolls Off Assembly Line

Aviation Week reports that Joby Aviation “has rolled out the first prototype of its S4 electric-vertical-takeoff-and-landing (eVTOL) aircraft to be built on its pilot production line in Marina, California.” The aircraft has “received FAA special airworthiness certification for flight testing.”
Full Story (Aviation Today)

Volocopter to Partner with Safran on Next-Gen Electric Powertrain

Aviation Today reports that Volocopter “signed an agreement with Safran Electrical & Power last week that includes plans for developing a next-generation electric powertrain.” The powertrain will be “designed specifically for electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft like those under development by Volocopter.” An announcement of the agreement stated, “The agreement covers the exploration of commercial and engineering partnerships, specifically around the entire electric powertrain ranging from the electrical propulsion system (EPS), battery units, and power distribution system to wider engineering services.”
Full Story (Aviation Today)

EVOTL OEM Ranking Hold Steady in Reality Index

Aviation Week reports that the ranking of electric air taxi startups “was unchanged in the latest edition of the AAM Reality Index, with Joby Aviation and Volocopter leading the pack followed by a three-way tie between Archer Aviation, Beta Technologies and EHang.” Joby’s front-runner position, with a score of 8.7 out of 10, largely “stems from its hefty cash cushion relative to its main competitors, according to Sergio Cecutta, founder and CEO of SMG Consulting, which publishes the bimonthly AAM Reality Index in conjunction with Aviation Week.” As a comparison, the company “finished the March quarter with nearly $1 billion in cash versus roughly $450 million for rival Archer.”
Full Story (Aviation Today)

FAA Publishes EVOTL Pilot Training Standards

Aviation Week reports that the Federal Aviation Administration “has published a long-awaited document outlining proposed pilot training and operating standards for electric vertical-takeoff-and-landing (eVTOL) aircraft, a key milestone that is intended to keep the agency on track to have operating rules in place by the end of 2024.”
Full Story (Aviation International News)

EASA Publishes World’s First Noise Certification Standards for EVOTLs

Aviation International News reports that EASA “has published what it claims are the world’s first proposed noise certification standards for eVTOLs.” The guidelines are “known as the Environmental Protection Technical Specifications (EPTS), the proposed specification would be applicable to eVTOLs powered by multiple vertical, non-tilting, evenly distributed rotors.” EASA says that the rules are intended to fill a gap in aerospace regulations. The agency used noise certification standards for heavy helicopters as a starting point while it “collects more noise data from specific eVTOL designs through certification projects.”
Full Story (Aviation International News)

Archer Aviation Progressing Towards Certification of its VTOL Vehicle

FlightGlobal reports that start-up electric air taxi company Archer Aviation “says it continues to progress toward certification of its four-person vertical take-off and landing vehicle ‘Midnight,’ and a commercial entry-into-service date of 2025.” Company CEO Adam Goldstein “said that the company has now submitted 15 of its 18 subject- specific certification plans to the Federal Aviation Administration.” Goldstein said of the certification, “We have continued to make significant progress towards our goal of revolutionising urban mobility. We remain steadfast in our commitment to delivering safe, sustainable and low-noise urban air mobility beginning in 2025.”
Full Story (FlightGlobal)