Looking Back At 2019: Vertical Flight

Graham Warwick December 23, 2019
Military Helicopter

CH-47F Block II Flies

Credit: Boeing
Boeing flew the first CH-47F Block II Chinook ahead of schedule in March, but its future was clouded by U.S. Army plans to procure 542 aircraft for regular forces. Congress has blocked the cut. Boeing, meanwhile, has received a contract to remanufacture the first 15 of 69 MH-47G Block IIs for U.S. Special Operations Command. Block II adds advanced rotor blades, a higher-power drivetrain, and unsegmented fuel cells to increase the aircraft’s payload and range.
UK helicopter

UK’s Crowsnest Flies

Credit: Lockheed Martin
Leonardo Helicopters and Lockheed Martin conducted the first flights of the EH101 Merlin naval helicopter with the Crowsnest airborne surveillance and control system (ASaC) in March. All 30 UK Royal Navy Merlin Mk. 2s are being modified to carry the Thales-developed system, but 10 mission systems and radars are being purchased. The ASaC capability is due to enter service in 2020.
Compound helicopter

Sikorsky-Boeing Defiant Flies

Credit: Sikorsky/Boeing
SB-1 Defiant
combat rescue helicopter

HH-60W

Credit: Sikorsky
HH-60W
Urban air taxi

Airbus Flies CityAirbus

Credit: Airbus

CityAirbus

eVTOL aircraft

Lilium Jet eVTOL Flies

Lilium and CustomCells began ramping up battery cell production in March 2023.

light armed helicopter

KAI Flies LAH

Credit: Korea Aerospace Industries
Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) flew the first prototype of its Light Armed Helicopter (LAH) on July 4. With assistance from Airbus, KAI is developing the LAH as an armed version of the Light Civil Helicopter (LCH), an upgraded development of the Airbus H155. The first LCH flew in France in 2018. The LAH is scheduled for delivery to the South Korean army in 2023.
Air taxi

Volocopter Unveils VoloCity

Credit: Volocopter
Volocopter's eVTOL air taxi.
Utility helicopter

Turkey's Gokbey Flies

Credit: Turkish Aerospace
Turkish Aerospace flew the complete prototype of its T625 Gokbey medium utility helicopter on June 29. Powered by a pair of LHTEC T800 turboshafts, the 6-metric-ton T625 has been designed as a dual-role military/commercial platform, primarily to replace Bell UH-1 Huey helicopters serving with the Turkish Army and Air Force. Production is planned to begin by the end of 2021.
Attack helicopter

FARA Competitors Revealed

Credit: Bell
360 Invictus
Air taxi demonstrator

Vahana Completes Flights

Credit: Airbus A3 [A-CUBED]
Airbus’ Silicon Valley outpost A3 wrapped up testing of its Vahana autonomous air-taxi demonstrator in November, completing 138 flights totaling 13.4 hr., with the tilt-wing eVTOL having flown at speeds up to 100 kt. The battery-powered aircraft’s longest flight lasted 19 min., 56 sec. and the longest distance flown was 27.13 nm.
eVTOL air taxi

Boeing Forms UAM Joint Venture

Credit: Wisk
Boeing and startup Kitty Hawk unveiled a joint venture in December, Wisk, to develop the Cora two-seat eVTOL autonomous air taxi. The companies announced a strategic partnership on urban air mobility (UAM) in June. Kitty Hawk, backed by Google cofounder Larry Page, is continuing development of two other eVTOLs, the multicopter Flyer and tiltrotor Heaviside.

From armed scouts to air taxis, vertical flight was one of the most active sectors of the aerospace industry in 2019. Here are some of the milestones.

Graham Warwick

Graham leads Aviation Week's coverage of technology, focusing on engineering and technology across the aerospace industry, with a special focus on identifying technologies of strategic importance to aviation, aerospace and defense.