XTI on Monday announced it signed a capital distribution agreement with investor FC Imperial Limited worth as much as $55 million, giving the firm a post-money valuation of around $275 million should the transaction go through.

“Assuming the completion of the proposed investment, we believe the additional capital will help accelerate the development of the TriFan through several major milestones, including completion of the updated preliminary design review along with launching the critical design review phase in preparation for the assembly of XTI’s Test Aircraft No. 1,” said Scott Pomeroy, chairman and CEO of XTI.

XTI, which is publicly traded on the Nasdaq, was borne out of a merger between manufacturer XTI Aircraft Company and Inpixon, a developer of real-time location systems. That transaction went through in March.

The company’s proprietary aircraft design has received patents in the U.S., Canada, Japan, China, and Europe. In 2019, a two-thirds scale prototype aircraft made its maiden voyage.

The TriFan design was inspired by the hummingbird using its wings to suspend itself in air while collecting nectar: fast, quiet, and able to hover. In the same way, the aircraft uses tilting fans to easily transition from hover to forward flight, much like the tiltrotors on the Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey or Leonardo AW609.

Unlike the cylindrical shape of most commercial airliners, the design takes the form of a bird in flight to provide lift, similar to the Boeing B-52 or Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird.

The TriFan seats a pilot and as many as six passengers. It can operate from a helipad, airport, or any “improved surface,” with no need for new infrastructure or airspace regulations.

Two massive ducted fans on either side of the aircraft’s fixed wing aid in hover and cruise flight, while a third rear fan—which stows during flight—provides power and stability during vertical takeoff. The fans are controlled using simple fly-by-wire controls and powered by a pair of turboshaft engines. The company says it will later switch to hybrid-electric and eventually full electric power to enable zero-emissions operations.

According to XTI, the aircraft’s 700 sm (600 nm) range from helipad to helipad—equivalent to the distance between Dallas and Denver or San Francisco and Portland, Oregon—is double that of most helicopters and seven times that of battery-only VTOL designs. It can also use its fans to perform a short takeoff and landing (STOL) from an airport runway for increased range (750 nm) and payload.

XTI says the TriFan’s 345 mph (300 knots) cruise speed is also twice that of a typical helicopter and will save passengers time compared to business jets and airliners. It will fly at around 25,000 feet and have a configurable fuselage for executive, commuter, and medical use cases.

At the same time, the aircraft is expected to be affordable. In 2021, XTI estimated that an eight-passenger TriFan configuration flying from Manhattan to John F. Kennedy International Airport (KJFK) would cost 80 cents per seat-mile, compared to $3.19 for the average eVTOL and $3 for the typical Uber ride.

The TriFan will be certified as a single-pilot design with IFR permissions, including flights in inclement weather. XTI is collaborating with AVX Aircraft Company on the aircraft’s design, development, and certification.

As of March, the company has a total of more than 700 conditional aircraft purchase agreements, non-binding deposit agreements, options, and letters of intent for the model.

Last month, regional airline Mesa Airlines, which works with United Airlines, placed a conditional preorder for up to 100 aircraft, the value of which XTI estimates at $1 billion. The firm also became an investor. The pending transaction represents one of the most significant so far for the young company.

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The company showcased its Sirius CEO-Jet and Sirius Adventure Jet—the initial entrants into what it claims will be the first family of hydrogen-powered, zero-emission, vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) capable aircraft—on Thursday at the Move Expo in London.

The models will be powered by a hydrogen-electric powertrain and fuel tank—a propulsion system designed to extend flight time compared to fully electric models. Similar to the Lilium Jet, the aircraft will feature electric ducted fans embedded in fixed wings and canards to provide vertical lift.

Both the CEO-Jet and Adventure Jet are expected to emit less than 60 dBA of noise at a distance of 100 meters—about the volume of a typical conversation—using what Sirius describes as a “deflected vectored thrust” propulsion system. The company claims they will reduce noise by about 95 percent compared to helicopters.

The CEO-Jet, designed to seat three passengers, will serve the private business aviation segment, combining zero-emission flight with luxurious, customizable amenities.

The Adventure Jet, on the other hand, is designed primarily for passenger and cargo transport but can also handle medical evacuations, search and rescue, firefighting, surveillance, and offshore operations. It seats up to two pilots and as many as five passengers, with a maximum takeoff weight of about 7,700 pounds, handling point-to-point trips to remote destinations such as jungles or mountaintops. It will even have an inflatable pontoon, allowing it to glide over water.

The latter design comes equipped with GPS, Doppler radar, very high frequency (VHF) and ultra high frequency (UHF) radio, and a digital autopilot system capable of hover and approach.

“The CEO-JET offers an eco-friendly option for business travel, while the Adventure Jet opens new horizons for global tourism and exploration,” said Alexey Popov, CEO of Sirius.

Founded in 2021, Sirius set out to design an aircraft that could combine the aerodynamics of an airplane with the versatility of a helicopter. The concept for a family of hydrogen-powered business jets first emerged in January, and the company shared more information in the weeks leading up to Move Expo.

The Sirius Jet’s calling card is its propulsion system—a hydrogen-electric powertrain that energizes 28 electric ducted fans, 20 embedded in the wings and eight mounted in the canard. Together with a pressurized cabin, these fans are designed to help the aircraft reach an altitude of 30,000 feet.

The fans are linked individually to one of 28 electric motors, each weighing about 21 pounds and containing a proprietary thermal management system. Air drawn through the jet’s intake passes through a cooling system and into onboard liquid hydrogen tanks. It is then channeled to a fuel cell stack, which has a high weight-to-power density ratio ideal for storing hydrogen.

Within the fuel cell, hydrogen and oxygen react to create water and electricity, the latter of which is directed to a set of battery packs that power the electric motors. The packs recharge during flight, are active for only 90 seconds per flight cycle, and do not need to be replaced, Sirius says. Water, a byproduct, is released through the exhaust valve.

By Sirius’ estimate, it would cost only $500 to fully refill the fuel tank. The company further claims the propulsion system makes its aircraft more efficient than electric VTOL (eVTOL) counterparts.

The Lilium Jet, for example, has a range of about 155 sm (135 nm); the Sirius CEO-Jet will max out at around 1,150 sm (1,000 nm), while the Adventure Jet can reach that range using its additional fuel tanks. Further, the CEO-Jet’s cruise speed and Adventure Jet’s top speed—323 mph (280 knots)—is more than double the Lilium Jet’s (155 mph, or 135 knots).

A potential CEO-Jet network in the U.S. could encompass New York City, Chicago, Kansas City, Missouri, New Orleans, and Miami. The Adventure Jet, meanwhile, could connect San Francisco, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and Phoenix. According to Sirius, the network would offer “a 4-[time] improvement in travel efficiency compared to conventional methods” such as car or traditional airplane.

At the same time, the hydrogen-powered aircraft are billed as offering the luxury of a conventional business jet. Customers have the option, for example, to customize interior colors, upholstery, amenities—including champagne fridges, custom bathrooms, art installations, and kitchens—lighting, and flooring materials such as marble, hardwood, or carpet. Passengers can even pick the scent they smell when they enter the aircraft.

Both models are equipped with an airframe parachute system that deploys automatically in case of emergency, which Sirius claims reduces risk to “virtually zero.”

Sirius hopes to set up serial manufacturing and obtain certification for the Sirius Jet family before 2028. Next year, it expects to complete an inaugural flight using a demonstration plane and open sales of 50 business jets, with deliveries beginning in 2028. By the end of the decade, it intends to launch a shuttle network across the Americas, European Union, and Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries.

So far, Sirius has received an order from Indian seaplane operator Mehair for 50 Adventure Jets plus 50 options, with another from Indonesian tourism firm Parq Development for five CEO-Jets and Adventure Jets apiece.

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Rotor Technologies has unveiled the first production uncrewed aircraft built on the Robinson Helicopter Company platform.

The manufacturer of autonomous vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft on Wednesday revealed the R550X helicopter to the public for the first time. The uncrewed aircraft, which is based on the design of Robinson’s R44 Raven II, was on display at Helicopter Association International’s (HAI) Heli-Expo in Anaheim, California, from February 27-29.

In December, Rotor said it expects the aircraft to fly commercially in the U.S. this year, followed by an international expansion. The partners claim that greater automation will drive safety, scalability, and expanded mission profiles for helicopters.

The R550X is the first production uncrewed aircraft to be built on the Robinson platform. Rotor first announced the design in December with plans to build two models, intended to be delivered to agricultural aircraft operators for crop spraying.

However, the helicopter is also designed for utility, maritime, and cargo operations—specifically, in situations where the pilot might be exposed to a hazardous environment or which are too difficult for lighter aircraft.

The experimental category aircraft has a 1,200-pound payload with no pilot, capable of flying for three hours at a top speed of 130 ktas. Its range extends beyond the vast majority of drones and eVTOL air taxis, the partners claim.

The R550X’s lidar system provides 360-degree situational awareness, which enables flights at night or in low visibility. Onboard software, meanwhile, helps avoid accidents such as inadvertent entry into instrument meteorological conditions, loss of control, mast bumping, and controlled flight into terrain.

A static prototype of the design called the Spirit of New Hampshire—which completed its first live test flight in January before guest of honor Chris Sununu, the governor of New Hampshire—was on display at Heli-Expo alongside a Robinson police helicopter, implying at least one potential use case. Visitors could interact with the aircraft’s lidar systems, camera, and synthetic vision.

The R550X will continue its North American tour next month with a planned display at Association for Uncrewed Vehicle Systems International’s (AUVSI) Xponential in San Diego, which begins April 22. The following month, the partners intend to take it to Vertical Flight Society’s (VFS) Forum 80 in Montréal, starting May 7.

Rotor CEO Hector Xu added that he and newly minted Robinson CEO David Smith are developing plans to begin low-rate manufacturing for the aircraft.

“David and I share a common product vision,” said Xu. “Our collaboration will combine Rotor’s technology with Robinson’s dynamic and scalable supply chain to deliver the world’s most capable commercial uncrewed VTOL.”

Heli-Expo marked a major leadership transition for Robinson, which has had just three chief executives across its 50-year history. Smith replaced Kurt Robinson, the son of Robinson founder and aviation pioneer Frank Robinson, as CEO in February. The company positioned Smith as a fresh face, emphasizing his commitment to innovation, expanded manufacturing capabilities, and the development of new product initiatives.

“I look forward to working with the more than 400 service centers and dealers and the more than 1,100 employees of [Robinson] as we pursue new products, markets, partnerships, and technologies,” said Smith.

Rotor is not the only company exploring automation with Robinson rotorcraft.

In 2022, an R66 single-engine helicopter completed the first Guinness World Records-certified automated autorotation procedure for an emergency landing. Skyryse, whose technology was installed on the aircraft, will sell a retrofit R66 called Skyryse One for about $2 million. But the model will not be capable of fully uncrewed flight.

Robinson competitor Sikorsky, owned by Lockheed Martin, is also exploring uncrewed prototypes. The manufacturer last year unveiled an autonomous, hybrid-electric VTOL concept called HEX, which it said will be the first in a family of self-flying VTOL models. Last month, it revealed that the aircraft will feature a unique tilt-wing design.

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The Lockheed Martin-owned firm on Tuesday unveiled its plan to build, test, and fly a fully autonomous, hybrid-electric VTOL demonstrator called HEX, which it said will be the first in a series of large, self-flying VTOL models.

Sikorsky said the HEX program is its first attempt to integrate hybrid-electric propulsion systems and advanced autonomy onto a VTOL design. The aircraft is intended to save fuel and improve performance for both commercial and military applications.

The manufacturer first hinted at a VTOL design in December 2022, announcing plans to design the HEX prototype in March. But Tuesday’s announcement revealed the aircraft will feature a unique tilt-wing architecture.

Tiltrotor or tilt-propeller designs are common in the electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) air taxi space. They involve the repositioning of those components during the transition between vertical and forward flight. Tilt-wings, by contrast, rotate the entire wing vertically during takeoff to minimize their interference on thrust.

Sikorsky also confirmed that HEX represents the inception of a family of next-generation VTOL aircraft, which was only mentioned as a possibility in March. The designs will include both rotorcraft and winged models, the company said.

The aircraft will feature different degrees of electrification, but each will be powered by the company’s Matrix autonomy system for “optionally piloted flight.” Matrix enables an aircraft to be flown by two, one, or zero pilots.

“Autonomy and electrification will bring transformational change to flight safety and operational efficiency of large VTOL aircraft,” said Paul Lemmo, president of Sikorsky. “Our HEX demonstrator program will provide valuable insights as we look to a future family of aircraft built to the scale and preferred configurations relevant to commercial and military customers.”

Sikorsky is exploring the potential for such aircraft to perform utility missions for the U.S. military or fly passengers between cities. Other manufacturers exploring eVTOL designs for air taxi services, recreational flight, or potential military use include Joby Aviation, Archer Aviation, and Pivotal.

According to Sikorsky’s website, HEX will be safer to fly and more efficient, cost effective, and sustainable to operate than conventional rotorcraft or fixed-wing designs. It said the aircraft will be capable of traveling 500 nm at high speed, lowering maintenance costs and limiting mechanical systems to reduce complexity.

Sikorsky Innovations—the company’s prototyping arm leading the HEX program—is working with partner GE Aerospace, the aircraft engine supplier subsidiary of General Electric, to finalize the design for a hybrid-electric power systems testbed aircraft, with a 600-kilowatt motor.

The testbed is the “first step,” according to the manufacturer and will be used to evaluate hover performance of the subsequent HEX demonstrator. The demonstrator will have a maximum gross weight of 9,900 pounds and a 1.2-megawatt-class turbogenerator, instead of the 1-megawatt generator proposed in March. Sikorsky in March also said that GE Aerospace would provide a CT7 turboshaft engine, though Tuesday’s announcement made no mention of it.

Over the next two to five years, the testbed and HEX demonstrator are expected to provide Sikorsky with insights into its future class of VTOL aircraft for regional and intercity travel.

“Within Sikorsky’s electric pillar, we are designing electric motors, power electronics and our own vehicle management hardware and actuation,” said Igor Cherepinsky, director of Sikorsky Innovations. “HEX will integrate these components, showcasing the growing maturity of our Matrix autonomy suite and the potential for maintenance-free systems. Seeing the results will lead us to more efficient overall designs.”

Sikorsky Innovations has developed three experimental helicopter prototypes featuring a coaxial design, with a rear propulsor in place of a tail rotor: the X2 demonstrator, S-97 Raider, and SB-1 Defiant. These models fly twice as fast as a single main rotor helicopter, with improved maneuverability and handling at low speeds, the manufacturer said.

Sikorsky has also worked with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to demonstrate military resupply and casualty evacuation. The missions were completed using an optionally piloted UH-60A Black Hawk retrofitted with Matrix and a full-authority, fly-by-wire flight control system.

VTOL technology is a decidedly new addition to the mix, by Sikorsky’s own admission. But the manufacturer’s long history of producing rotorcraft may help it merge VTOL with its existing airframes and autonomous capabilities.

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The post Sikorsky Looks to Enter eVTOL Industry with Eye-Catching Tilt-Wing Design appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

This dream provoked a vision for JoeBen Bevirt—one he has singularly pursued ever since.

After finding his natural engineering mind on a track at the University of California-Davis, and a graduate degree in mechanical engineering at Stanford University, Bevirt founded a series of successful companies in the tech sector. He started Velocity11 in 1999, developing robotic systems for laboratory work. The first iterations of “Joby”—Joby Inc., which produced the Gorillapod, and Joby Energy, focused on aerial wind turbines—came into being prior to the main event, Joby Aviation, which he founded in 2009.

Joby Aviation launched to coalesce Bevirt’s vision of an all-electric vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft and the transportation system to support and deploy it. Now, as the company surpasses 1,400 employees and celebrates the reveal of its conforming production prototype, the vision sits on the cusp of being fully realized. FLYING talked with Bevirt to illuminate the source of that vision and where it will take Joby next.

FLYING Magazine (FM): So what was it that set off that spark for you when you were that young boy?

JoeBen Bevirt: (JB): I was born and raised far from civilization in a place called Last Chance. Our house was at the edge of a beautiful meadow with fruit trees and a garden nestled among the redwoods overlooking the Pacific Ocean. In the morning I would get a ride to school with one of my parents on their way to work. In the af- ternoon I would either go to a friend’s house and wait or I would take the city bus to the transit station and then take another bus up the coast. I would get off at the bot- tom of Swanton Road and then walk a mile up to Last Chance and then the 4 miles back from Last Chance to my home. It gave me a lot of time to dream about bet- ter ways [of] getting from [point] A to B. I loved where I lived, and I loved my school, but I wanted to be able to expediently get between them.

I imagined an aircraft could take off and land in the meadow. But it was also pretty quiet, and peaceful, and the idea of a really loud aircraft didn’t appeal to me. For me, it was a question of “how do I build an aircraft that is suitable for this serene, beautiful place but that I can take off and land vertically?”

FM: How did you first try to solve that problem?

JB: I inherited my uncle’s collection of model airplane parts including a whole bunch of little model engines—and they were horrifically loud. So, I thought, this is not the answer. They were really fun but really loud. [laughs] Then I started playing with remote-control car motors, and at this point in time, they were these little brushed motors and NiCad batteries, and I mounted props to them, and built many crazy contraptions. This was one of my first experiences with iterative engineering even before I knew what engineering was.

FM: You began working with electric motors, but it took time for them to reach a usable capacity, right?

JB: In 1993 when I was in college, my proficiency with engineering had improved, and I had the opportunity to work for a company doing pioneering work on vertical take off and landing aircraft. Unfortunately, they were horrifically loud. I became convinced that electric propulsion was the critical unlock to make VTOL aircraft part of daily life. NiCad batteries had gotten to 40 or 50 watt hours per kilogram, and there were rumors that the lithium-ion battery was going to move from the lab into production and that Sony was getting close with a cell specific energy of 70 watt hours per kilogram. But even 70 watt hours per kilogram didn’t feel sufficient for a useful endurance.

There were researchers at the DOE [Department of Energy] projecting that lithium ion had the potential to get us to 200 watt hours a kilogram in 20 years. Batteries had been improving by 6 percent a year since the late 1800s, and I figured that it was going to stay on that ramp. But I was 19 years old, and I was thinking, 6 percent a year—it’s going to take 20 years to get to a useful specific energy— that felt like an eternity, and so I put my dream of electric

flight on hold. At Stanford in 1998, I met a guy named JB Straubel who was fixated on building an electric car, and over the years I had the opportunity to experience a few exhilarating test drives in his prototypes. This gave me a front-row seat to the progress being made on batteries. By 2008 I had sourced batteries with a specific energy of 170 watt hours per kilogram and a specific power of more than 1 kilowatt per kilogram, which I believed was sufficient to build a vertical takeoff and landing aircraft with 100 miles of range. After a bit of design work and analysis, I founded Joby to bring electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft to life. Today we are certifying our aircraft with cells that are more than 280 watt hours per kilogram. And we’ve moved from the idea of making something for an enthusiast to something that could be a new mode of transportation.

FM: So, with that early introduction into electrical and mechanical engineering, it was pretty clear that was your passion. Were there any other directions you thought about going?

JB: No. I loved building things and creating things. But there were no engineers in my family. I remember in seventh grade, my math teacher said, “You’re gonna be an engineer,” and I said, “I don’t wanna drive trains!” and he’s like “No, no, no, no, no…my son’s studying to be an engineer, and I think that you’re going to be an engineer.” And he explained what an engineer was, and I’m like, “That’s it!” So I had my calling since I was really little, but I first had somebody put a name to it in seventh grade. From that point, I was on cruise control, so focused. In high school, I was also really into cycling, so I designed and built one of the world’s first full-suspension mountain bikes, and it was really fun to watch the cycling industry emerge. It was funny back then because all my friends would make fun of me for putting a suspension on a bike, and I said, “But it’s so much better!” And they thought I was weak, like your legs are supposed to be the shock ab- sorbers. But it’s fun to have watched that industry evolve.

FM: So, in graduate school, were there mentors or fellow students that you worked with on the vision?

JB: Right at the beginning of my sophomore year, I went to the dean of the engineering school and said, “You’re teaching computer-aided design wrong. And you’re do- ing a massive disservice to the students, and we have to fix it.” And he said, “‘OK, that’s amusing.” And so he picks up the phone, “Paul, I’ve got somebody for you. Can I send him over?” Click. I ride over to the research park, and I knock on the door, and it says Moller International. There was something that went off in my head, but it didn’t really click. And I walked inside, and there was a picture of this vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, and I’m like— wow! And so it was serendipity.

So I went and interned for Paul [Moller] for a quarter, and then I convinced him that I should create an internship program. I had four interns for the next quarter. And then I convinced him that we should expand and have like 12 interns, and this was with a team of like 40 engineers at the time—awesome engineers—and all of a sudden there were 12 interns and the engineers were looking at themselves wondering, “What just happened?” It was my first experience of leading a larger team. Moller had built a whole bunch of breakthrough vertical takeoff and landing aircraft through the ’70s and ’80s. It was cool for me to be able to see the integration of composites and mechanical engineering and electrical engineering and software engineering—and what was needed to…make vertical takeoff and landing aircraft possible.

FM: You’ve built a company centered around a vertically integrated enterprise. You’re not just making the part— you’re figuring out is this the right composition of this base material. Why is having that depth of control over the process critical to the transformative thing that you’re trying to do?

JB: I think to engineer and build the most performant things—whether that’s at the aircraft level or whether that’s at the system level or the component level, or the individual part—you really need to understand all the nuance[s]. And whether that’s in the material properties or that’s in the way that the pieces integrate together, [or] whether [it’s] the way that the systems communicate with one another. I think that one of the pieces that I’m so excited about and passionate about is the technology that runs both the electronics and the software that run each of the components and the controls, whether it’s the flight computers or the actuators or the air data systems or the navigation systems. All of these different systems across the aircraft share a common hardware and software stack. It gives us the ability to innovate and to move aviation to the next level from a technological standpoint. The rate at which we’re able to collect data from each of those devices, the richness of the data, the temperatures and the currents and the voltages and the acceleration levels…we know so much about everything that’s going on across the aircraft…which is valuable from a product maintenance standpoint…and [provides] the ability to really understand the aircraft at a substantially more sophisticated level than we’ve ever been able to do before.

It also enables us to build a fly-by-wire control system [that] we hope will substantially improve safety by reducing pilot workload and allowing the pilot to focus on things that pilots are really good at doing. Our aircraft—you could just design it in a way that had more pilot workload than traditional aircraft. But we’ve decided to make it substantially easier and safer to fly.

FM: You’ve built a transparent culture. Is this something that you’ve driven into your organization purposefully?

JB: I think because we grew the organization organically, with that as the ethos from the beginning, I think that helps you see it [and know it’s something] that you always have to continue to nurture and focus on and foster, but it is something we cherish.

FM: Were there any challenges with getting the FAA to ac- cept and get through the first set of papers, putting it all into motion?

JB: We started working informally with the FAA back in 2015. We had conversations well back before that, but by that point in time, there was momentum building. We started the Electric Propulsion & Innovation Committee [EPIC] at GAMA. We then began a formal certification in 2018. We’d been flying our full-scale prototype for a [little more than a] year at that point, and the level of engagement and forward lean from the FAA was increasing steadily. We’ve continued to foster a really constructive relationship with everyone that we work with at the FAA. The degree with which the FAA has leaned into this industry is really fantastic. I mean, they see it as you see it, that it has the potential to transform flight both in the degree of relevancy that it has to large por- tions of the population on a daily basis but also to make it safer. And… more accessible, sustainable. So there’s a lot of value in each of these different dimensions.

FM: Can you pick a specific challenge so far that you’ve solved that has curved things up?

JB: I think that the one right now that I’m super excited about is getting this first aircraft off our pilot manufacturing line. And that it is just so exciting to have used all of our quality processes and have built all the procedures to not just build the experimental aircraft but to have the pieces in place to begin building conforming aircraft. So it’s a monumental achievement from the team. It took a spectacular amount of work, and I’m just so proud. 

Quick 6

Is there anyone living or dead that you would most like to fly with?

Kelly Johnson

If you could fly any aircraft that you haven’t flown yet, what would that be?

The F-22

What is your favorite airport that you’ve flown into?

Orcas Island Airport (KORS) in Washington

What do you believe has been the biggest innovation breakthrough or event in aviation?

Frank Whittle’s invention of the turbine

What is one important life lesson from being a pilot and inventor?

Dare to look over the horizon.

When not working towards the first TCed eVTOL aircraft, what would you rather be doing?

Catching up on the latest from our advanced research team

This profile first appeared in the August 2023/Issue 940 of FLYING’s print edition.

The post In Depth with JoeBen Bevirt Illuminates the Joby Vision appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Piasecki announced it was awarded a multiyear, $37 million contract with AFWERX, the innovation arm of the U.S. Air Force, through the division’s Strategic Funding Increase (STRATFI) program. The agreement will allow the Pennsylvania-based firm to test and demonstrate its Aerial Reconfigurable Embedded System (ARES)—the same UAS project that was snubbed by DARPA.

In addition, the contract calls for Piasecki to demonstrate hydrogen fuel cell propulsion technology for vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) and other aviation applications, which it developed in collaboration with ZeroAvia. The company says its PA-890 eVTOL will be the first zero-emission, hydrogen-powered compound helicopter to market.

ARES was initially developed in partnership with Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works, the manufacturer’s developmental aircraft unit, under DARPA. Piasecki took over after DARPA decided it was time to move on.

The system was designed with flexibility at the forefront. It can be flown crewed or uncrewed and is built to provide command, control, communications, computer, and intelligence (C4I), intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR), and combat and logistics support to “small distributed forces,” Piasecki says.

That’s a mouthful. But essentially, the company believes ARES can be a Swiss Army knife for the military. The UAS’ small landing footprint enables docking with ships or touchdowns in complex terrain, and its payload modules can be reconfigured for a variety of different missions. The latter feature can reduce the cost and logistics footprint of operations, Piasecki says.

With the Air Force’s backing, the company is now working with Honeywell to integrate a triplex fly-by-wire system on ARES, with the goal of beginning flight testing this year.

“This new funding will allow us to demonstrate ARES’ unique tilt-duct configuration, which enables seamless transition between hover and fixed-wing forward flight—a technological leap that would address critical aerial challenges faced by the U.S. military,” said John Piasecki, CEO of Piasecki Aircraft.

Simultaneously, Piasecki Aircraft will continue working with partner ZeroAvia to install the latter’s High Temperature Proton Exchange Membrane (HTPEM) hydrogen fuel cell technology on the PA-890 and other VTOL aircraft. The slowed-rotor winged eVTOL helicopter design is expected to be the first compound helicopter that runs on hydrogen and produces zero emissions.

“Higher temperature fuel cells are a critical technology to delivering improvements in specific power and unlocking truly clean propulsion for larger fixed-wing aircraft, but they will also enable rotorcraft and VTOL applications,” said Val Miftakhov, founder and CEO of ZeroAvia.

Piasecki Aircraft says the PA-890 is designed for emergency medical services, on-demand logistics, personnel air transport, and other commercial use cases. In addition to producing zero emissions, the eVTOL will fly farther than all-electric rotorcraft and quieter than fossil fuel turbine helicopters—all while cutting direct operating costs in half compared to the latter, the company says.

“Demonstration of the PA-890 would be a world first for electric aviation and would usher in a new era of clean vertical flight,” said John Piasecki. “While R&D work on these projects began several years ago, this new funding will rapidly expand our ability to deliver these radically new vehicles to customers and partners across the military and commercial sectors.”

In May, Piasecki Aircraft acquired a manufacturing facility in Coatesville, Pennsylvania, formerly home to the Lockheed Martin Sikorsky Heliplex. It intends to convert the 219,000-square-foot site—which houses engineering, flight test and delivery, and assembly, paint, and finishing centers—into an advanced research, development and testing hub for VTOL and UAS aircraft. The company expects the facility to attract about 400 workers by 2028.

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Bristow on Tuesday announced it placed deposits for early deliveries of five Elroy Air Chaparral VTOL cargo drones, part of the company’s letter of intent to preorder 100 Chaparral systems in  July 2022. The move ensures Bristow will receive some of the first commercially certified Elroy aircraft off the production line and will add the first VTOL cargo models to its aircraft portfolio.

Elroy expects the first deliveries of Chaparral will happen in 2025. Bristow, which already operates a global network of helicopter services, plans to deploy the aircraft internationally to support advanced air mobility (AAM) use cases in cargo logistics, healthcare, and energy.

A Bristow spokesperson told FLYING the early stage of Chaparral’s development and certification make it difficult to pinpoint an exact delivery date. But the company sees it becoming an integral part of its global fleet to compliment its services in existing markets.

“There is an increasing demand for the movement of time-sensitive cargo for logistics, healthcare and energy applications,” said Dave Stepanek, executive vice president and chief transformation officer at Bristow. “Securing these early delivery positions underscores our commitment to leading the [AAM] market and builds on our 75-plus year legacy of vertical lift innovations. At Bristow, we’re excited to usher in a new era of vertical lift operations and collaborate with Elroy Air to meet the emerging market of express shipping cargo in cities and regions, without relying on existing or new airport infrastructure.”

Elroy’s Chaparral, unveiled in January 2022, is a hybrid-electric, lift-plus-cruise VTOL drone with a 300 pound payload—far larger than most drones—which makes it ideal for heavy cargo operations. Those could one day include middle-mile commercial logistics, industrial cargo services, humanitarian aid shipments, and aerial lines of support for U.S. Navy ships and military bases.

Chaparral has two core components: the aircraft and its cargo pods. The drone itself cruises at 143 mph (125 knots) and can fly up to 300 sm (260 nm) —about the distance between Houston and the U.S.-Mexico border. A hybrid-electric powertrain powers eight vertical and four forward propellers, relying on both conventional turbines and electric propulsion for flexible fueling. With a 26-foot wingspan and a length of 19 feet, the airframe can be configured to fit inside a 40-foot shipping container or the cargo hold of another aircraft.

Chaparral also comes with two different cargo pods designed to load heavy or light cargo. An autonomous ground navigation system uses advanced perception and robotic technology to guide the aircraft to the pod, which is intended to be preloaded by ground personnel. Cargo loaders can then sit back and watch as the aircraft’s lift-and-latch cargo handling mechanism grabs the pod entirely on its own.

The automated ground navigation and cargo handling systems allow Chaparral to retrieve cargo before takeoff, release it after landing, and taxi to the next pod by itself. That minimizes turnaround time and operator interaction on the ground, creating what Elroy calls a “bidirectional conveyor belt through the sky.”

The company in May demonstrated Chaparral’s autonomous ground capabilities at Travis Air Force Base in California as part of the Air Force’s Golden Phoenix Technology Demonstration Event.

“Getting to this stage of the process—reserved delivery positions secured with deposits—underscores our relationship built with Bristow and we are extremely pleased to be at this stage in development,” said Kofi Asante, vice president of business development and strategy for Elroy. “Bristow’s expertise is a strong catalyst for bringing new aircraft like ours to the market. Their rotorcraft expertise, global footprint, and innovative mindset have made them a strong partner and we are excited for the next chapter together.”

Chaparral adds to Bristow’s other VTOL purchases, of which it has made a heap over the past 24 months. The company has orders for up to 55 Beta Technologies Alia-250s, up to 50 Vertical Aerospace VA-X4s, 100 eVTOL aircraft from Embraer subsidiary Eve Air Mobility, and between 20 and 50 Overair Butterfly aircraft. It also plans to buy 50 Lilium Jets and agreed to provide maintenance for the German company’s Florida network in addition to its future networks in the U.S. and Europe.

As of January, Elroy has sold more than 900 Chaparral systems representing more than $2 billion in purchase demand. According to SMG Consulting’s AAM Reality Index (ARI), that places it behind only Eve, Vertical, and China’s EHang among the major AAM players. It ranks seventh in overall ARI rating, which measures a company’s ability to produce thousands of units of commercial products per year. Rival Beta ranks second, with Vertical, Lilium, and Textron’s Pipistrel—all of whom look to serve the cargo industry—also in the mix.

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Aska, the Mountain View, California-based startup developing a car, electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL), fixed-wing glider amalgamation, this week completed the first airborne tests of its full-scale A5 flying car prototype. The successful test run comes about a month after the company received the green light for flight testing from the FAA.

The full-scale prototype, about the size of an SUV when in driving configuration, has not yet flown on its fixed wings. But tethered to the ground at a California airfield, the A5 this week took off with hovered thrust for the first time.

Founded by husband and wife duo Guy and Maki Kaplinsky in 2018, Aska unveiled its first A5 prototype—billed as a “street legal eVTOL”—just one year later. Now, the company is looking to certify the vehicle, which is expected to cost $789,000, ahead of a planned 2026 launch.

“It was an incredible feeling of accomplishment for the team to reach this new milestone,” said Guy Kaplinsky, CEO of Aska. “This moment represents a giant leap for the aviation and automotive industries. Having accomplished the first series of hover flight testing as well as driving testing, Aska is a pioneer in the field of electric flying cars with VTOL capabilities.”

The Design

The Aska A5 was first unveiled in January before a crowd at CES 2023 in Las Vegas. Designed to carry three passengers and a pilot over a distance of up to 250 sm (217 nm) at 130 knots, the “drive-and-fly” vehicle isn’t the prettiest. But it’s packed with functionality.

On the road, its rounded cabin sits atop four wheels, with an array of wings and rotors folded on top. In this configuration, the A5 is about the size of an SUV and can fit in a standard parking spot, but early models will be limited to local roads and last-mile transport. Before takeoff, the wings and rotors unfold, transforming the vehicle into a small airplane.

But for the flying car skeptics out there, the A5’s greatest advantage is its malleability. 

Not only can the vehicle drive like a car and fly like an airplane—it can also take off like a helicopter. Unlike rival Alef Aeronautics’ Model A, which is expected to take off directly from the road, Aska designed the A5 to make use of existing infrastructure, including helipads and vertiports. 

With its six independent motors, the vehicle can lift off vertically, like the air taxis being developed by Joby Aviation, Archer Aviation, and others. But with in-wheel motors, aerodynamic wings, and the blown-lift thrust of its propellers, it can also conduct short takeoff and landing (STOL) operations from a runway.

“We are working with local airports in the [San Francisco] Bay Area to test and confirm our concept of operations—they open the gate, Aska A5 drives in as a car, drives/taxis to the helipad or runway, transforms into the flight mode, and can take off,” explained Maki Kaplinsky, chair and COO of Aska.

Aska expects the A5 to make use of other infrastructure too. The vehicle runs primarily on lithium-ion batteries that can be juiced up at a standard electric vehicle charging station. But it also features a range extender that charges the batteries in flight, which can be fueled with premium automobile gasoline (mogas) from any gas station.

Initially, the A5 will be piloted, but Guy Kaplinsky predicted it may fly autonomously as soon as 2030. Before then, Aska plans to lease it to pilots and launch a flying car rideshare service.

What’s Next?

Witnessing the A5’s maiden flight was probably an overwhelmingly exciting moment for the Aska team. But above all, the test represented the next step toward FAA type certification.

“This first liftoff was a true accomplishment and years of engineering design and analysis became a reality,” said Maki Kaplinsky. “We are closely working with the FAA to ensure continued excellent progress with our flight testing. We will continue the optimization of hovering and VTOL. The next phase will be working toward transition into cruise and STOL.”

This week’s flights do not count towards certification. But without them, Aska won’t be able to get to the flights that do.

The A5 first hit the streets in 2022, moving to public roads in the Silicon Valley area earlier this year after receiving permission from the California Department of Motor Vehicles. Already, it’s driven more than 300 miles.

In June, the vehicle obtained a certificate of authorization and special airworthiness certificate from the FAA, becoming one of the first flying car designs to do so. Now, Aska is eyeing a G-1 certification basis, the same criteria awarded to Joby, Archer, and Lilium in the past 12 months.

Aska opened preorder reservations for the A5 in 2021. Prospective customers can pay $5,000 for a position on the queue, and according to the company, those reservations so far would net it $50 million if they were realized today. At $789,000 per vehicle, that equates to around 63 preorders.

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Wisk CEO Brian Yutko walked the press through the mock up of the model at the Paris Air Show on Monday morning, giving insight into the progress of the flight test program on the previous prototype—still flying weekly in northern California for various elements of the development process—and how the new model will move forward.

The Gen 6 model features 12 wing-mounted electric powerplants—six fore and six aft, distributed left and right on its fixed wings. The rear-mounted motors provide vertical lift during takeoff and landing, and feather into a standby position during forward flight. During the transition, they turn off and stow, just like on the Gen 5 model—but they are larger to support the four passenger seat cabin. The Gen 6 aircraft has a high wing, rather than the mid wing on the previous aircraft, to ease passenger ingress and egress in the final version.

“That transition from vertical takeoff to flying like an airplane, many people talk about, few people do. We’ve done it over a thousand times. All of the algorithms that have gone into making that a very robust control system—those are the kinds of thinking that will port over to an airplane like this.”

The energy storage system—battery pack array—is housed in the aft fuselage, and the power is distributed to the motors in a way that Yutko could not yet reveal in detail. But he confirmed the system’s redundancy in the event of a power failure of one or more of the batteries within the array.

Wisk has selected Safran Electronics & Defense for its SkyNaute inertial navigation systems as a key supplier to the program. “We are very excited to work with Wisk Aero. We share the same commitments to pushing the boundaries of innovation while maintaining the highest level of safety,” said Franck Saudo, CEO, Safran Electronics & Defense. “By leveraging Safran Electronics & Defense’s cutting-edge inertial technology with SkyNaute, we will provide Wisk with the most advanced solution for their autonomous aircraft.” 

Yutko also spoke to the complete backing by the mega OEM: “We think this is actually a differentiating attribute for us in this industry. Boeing has tremendous experience in development programs, engineering technology—and especially in the certification domain. We can receive expertise in those domains to supplement our teams.”

• READ MORE: Boeing Becomes Sole Owner of Wisk Aero

Yutko also doubled down on the program’s commitment to autonomous flight. We do not have a plan B for trying to figure out how you would plug in a computer to fly on board the aircraft,” he said, “or have an optional pilot or any of those things. This venture is absolutely committed to certifying the world’s first autonomous aircraft. There is no backup plan. And we’re very proud to succeed or fail on that mission. We realize that it’s risky. We realize that it’s ambitious, but people should do ambitious things, and we’re doing an ambitious thing.”

The timeline remains loose, and Yutko and the team are happy with that, as it allows for the elasticity of the schedule that’s necessary in a long-term development program seeking to certify something that has yet to be accomplished—autonomous passenger flight.

Looking to do so within the decade–by 2030, perhaps—was the only commitment Yutko would give. The team expects first flight of the new model, currently in production, later this year.

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Today, both men’s legacies live on: The former’s Sikorsky Aircraft is now the vertical lift subsidiary of Lockheed Martin, while the latter’s Piasecki Aircraft Corp. (PiAC) continues to manufacture rotorcraft and vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft.

This week, one firm’s former manufacturing plant is on the path to become the other’s state-of-the-art facility. PiAC on Wednesday announced it has acquired Sikorsky’s 219,000-square-foot Coatesville, Pennsylvania center—which closed in 2022—and plans to turn it into a research, development, and testing site for VTOL aircraft, unmanned aerial systems (UAS), and other emerging aviation technologies.

More specifically, PiAC will use the Coatesville facility to execute several ongoing projects. Those include production and testing of the company’s forthcoming PA-890 aircraft, a slowed-rotor, winged compound electric VTOL (eVTOL) helicopter. PA-890, when completed, would be the world’s first zero-emission hydrogen fuel cell rotorcraft.

The facility is slated to reopen this fall and expected to attract around 400 workers within five years.

“We chose to expand our development capabilities in the Delaware Valley because of its deep roots within the helicopter industry, its highly talented workforce, and its robust supplier network,” said PiAC CEO John Piasecki, Frank Piasecki’s son, who now leads the company alongside brother and chief technology officer Fred Piasecki. “PiAC is committed to creating local jobs by fostering cutting-edge innovation, and we’re excited to support a community that has long prided itself on delivering aviation excellence.”

PiAC’s use of the Coatesville center—which contains facilities for engineering development, aircraft assembly, paint and finishing, flight testing, and delivery—has the support of Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, former governor Tom Wolf, Sen. Robert Casey, Rep. Chrissy Houlihan, and the local Chester County Economic Development Council.

Much of the site’s resources appear to be concentrated on the PA-890, the production of which is being supported in part by the U.S. Air Force. Currently, PiAC is working with partner ZeroAvia to incorporate its High Temperature Proton Exchange Membrane (HTPEM) hydrogen fuel cell tech into PA-890 and other VTOL applications.

Ultimately, the eVTOL is expected to reduce noise and cut direct operating costs in half compared to today’s fossil-fuel-burning turbine helicopters. Its applications will include emergency medical services, on-demand logistics, personnel air transport, and other commercial use cases. The aircraft is expected to begin crewed flight tests later this year.

“It’s incredibly exciting to see a company like (PiAC), a longtime aviation industry innovator, continue their commitment to developing new technologies like the PA-890 hydrogen fuel cell-powered helicopter right here in PA’s sixth district,” said Houlihan. “These advancements have the potential to transform vertical lift flight and help eliminate carbon emissions.”

In addition to supporting work on PA-890, the Coatesville facility will progress other PiAC projects such as the Aerial Reconfigurable Embedded System (ARES), a multi-use, tilt-ducted VTOL aircraft that can fly crewed or uncrewed missions.

ARES was first developed with Lockheed Martin and is funded by the Air Force, the U.S. Army, and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). PiAC is now working with Honeywell on a triplex fly-by-wire flight control system, which it hopes will enable ARES flight testing later this year.

Another PiAC project in development is Adaptive Digital Automated Pilotage Technology (ADAPT), a flight control software package designed to improve safety and affordability. The intelligent system automatically reallocates commands between redundant control effectors—devices that generate control forces or moments on the aircraft—to respond to changes in flight, such as aircraft damage or reduced performance.

After the Coatesville center is up and running, PiAC will continue to conduct ground testing, design and engineering operations out of its current facility in nearby Essington. At the moment, the firm has no plans for a full relocation.

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