Vertiflite May/June 2021

Meanwhile, the HEXA will be part of a public demonstration on June 3 to show a detect and avoid (DAA) system developed by Ohio’s Ghostwave, Inc. The system monitors the locations of multiple aircraft and drones in the air and will use real-time sensor data integrated with the telemetry on board HEXA. Overair To Begin Testing This Summer Seoul, Korea-based Aju Business Daily posted a story on March 29 reporting that Overair — which is 30% owned by Hanwha Systems — will be testing the electric propulsion system of its Butterfly quad-tiltrotor eVTOL this summer. Overair plans to test a full-scale experimental prototype in 2022, followed by a conforming prototype capable of flying 200 mph (320 km/h) in 2024. Hanwha Systems is also a member of UAM Team Korea — an industry, academia, research council and policy community promoting rapid implementation of UAM — along with Korean Air, SK Telecom and Doosan Mobility Solutions; the group was launched in June 2020 in response to the Korean government’s “K-UAM Roadmap” to commercialize air taxis in South Korea. Vertical Aerospace’s X-Factor Rolls-Royce Electrical announced on March 9 that it was selected by Bristol, England’s Vertical Aerospace to power its all-electric VA-X4 air taxi; Rolls-Royce acquired Germany- based Siemens’ electric aircraft propulsion systems business unit in 2019. According to the press release, this is the company’s first production aircraft agreement, after several partnerships on demonstrators. Rolls-Royce will design the “system architecture of the whole electrical propulsion system, the electric power system that includes our latest 100kW-class lift and push electrical propulsion units, the power distribution and the monitoring system that will support operations.” Meanwhile, Vertical has renamed its aircraft designations. What was previously called Vertical Aircraft’s “Proof of Concept” (POC) is now the VA-X1 and its Seraph is the VA-X2. The VA-X4 is the new designation for its winged, vectored-thrust, five-seat air taxi previously designated the VA-1X. It is expected to fly 120 miles (190 km) of over 200 mph (320 km/h) — improvements over its previously announced VA-X4 performance estimates — and “is on course to certify in 2024.” The company expects to roll out the VA-X4 this summer, with initial tethered tests starting by the fall and untethered tests next year. In February, Alpharetta, Georgia-based Solvay announced that it is partnering with Vertical Aircraft to develop the VA-1X composite structure. Solvay plans to “provide access to its extensive composite and adhesive qualified product portfolio and specialized technical and application support” at Solvay’s European Application Centers and at Vertical’s facilities in Bristol.

Safety Agency (EASA), once approved. On April 19, Volocopter and Geely displayed the Volocopter 2X at the Shanghai International Automobile Industry Exhibition 2021.

Embraer Takes Flight

Embraer’s eVTOL subsidiary, Eve Urban Air Mobility Solutions, Inc., posted a video on its YouTube channel on March 17 that gave a number of insights into its developments. The company has been flying a large subscale model, conducted forward-flight wind tunnel testing of propulsion system components, performed piloted simulations and passenger experience trials (including for passenger accessibility), and testing a full-scale iron bird propulsion system rig. Testing is being conducted at Embraer’s private airport near Gavião Peixoto, São Paulo, Brazil. A photo of the subscale demonstrator first appeared online in February.

LIFT Aircraft’s Airlift

Austin, Texas-based LIFT Aircraft has continued working with the US Air Force’s Agility Prime program. On March 23–24, the Air Force moved one of the company’s HEXA single-seat eVTOL ultralights on an HC-130J transport aircraft from Springfield, Ohio (where it had been testing near the Air Force’s Wright-Patterson Air Force Base) to LIFT’s hometown of Austin, Texas. The HC-130J Combat King II is based on the C-130 Hercules, but used for personnel recovery missions. This is the first time a military aircraft has been used to transport an eVTOL aircraft, which could find uses for personnel recovery or other contingency operations. The HEXA began conducting airworthiness flight testing for the Air Force in February and LIFT plans to return with a HEXA later this year. In April, it conducted a demonstration flight at the University of Texas Austin.

May / June 2021

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