Innovation At EAA AirVenture: A Chance To Create

John Morris

BlackFly Starts Production

Maureen Spuhler

Canadian company Opener has begun production of its battery-powered BlackFly, which can be flown semi-autonomously by non-pilots.

Aeroxo Aviabike

Maureen Spuhler

Originally a small UAV developer, Aeroxo started in Russia but is in the process of moving to Latvia. The tiltrotor ERA Aviabike is the company’s first manned vehicle. Projected performance for the single-seater includes maximum takeoff weight of 771 lb, and a top speed of 124 mph. Aeroxo is a Phase II winner in the GoFly Prize competition.

This Aria Sings for Texas A&M

Maureen Spuhler

Another GoFly interim prizewinner, Texas A&M University, is talking up its Aria single-person air vehicle.

Electric Jet

Maureen Spuhler

Pete Bitar, founder and chief conceptualist of Electric Jet Aircraft, is based in Anderson, Indiana—and building a personal VTOL device has long been a dream of his. He is seen here with his EJ-1 Electric Jet jetpack, which has so far undergone tethered trials. The full Jetpack, which produces 328 pounds thrust, is projected to retail for $39,995.

VertiCycle

Maureen Spuhler

The VertiCycle is EJA’s entry (through its subsidiary, Electric JetBike) in the GoFly Prize. It expects to meet the goal of carrying a 200 lb pilot for 30 minutes at 35 mph or more.

Athena Aero

Maureen Spuhler

The Calgary, Alberta-based company is developing a single-seat ducted fan aerial vehicle under the GoFly Prize rules.

Assen Aero Hoverbike

Maureen Spuhler

Miami-based Assen Aeronautics A1 flying hoverbike is a hybrid electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL) personal flying device initially made for recreation and sports. It weighs 112 lb and can carry a 335 lb payload. The hybrid drive powers two forward and one aft electric motors for vertical propellers situated around the pilot’s saddle. The batteries can provide 20 minutes of flight and the 18.5 liter gasoline tank can provide up to 55 minutes. Its ceiling is 4,000 ft and its speed 62 mph.

Trek Aerospace

Maureen Spuhler

Claiming to be a world leader in shrouded prop technology, Trek Aerospace is developing the 10-rotor, ducted fan, electrically-powered, eVTOL (all-electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing) FlyingKart FK2 under GoFly Prize rules. Trek was awarded $50,000 in March 2019 as a Phase II winner of the competition.

Zeva Aero

Maureen Spuhler

Standing for Zero-emissions Electric Vertical  Aircraft, Zeva came to AirVenture with this full-scale prototype of its Zero all-electric, blended wing body aircraft, which it projects will have a range of 50 miles at 160 mph. The structure will have a fuselage covering in the final version.

An Uber Vehicle Makes Progress

Maureen Spuhler

Slovenia’s Pipistrel, a member of Uber’s Elevate aerial ridesharing program, showed a scale model of its five-seat eVTOL aircraft, which features low-pressure electric fans housed in canoes shoulder-mounted either side of the cabin and a pusher propeller on top of the tail for propulsion. Pipistrel says the fans draw 50% less power in hover than traditional rotors. At least one proof of concept vehicle, probably scaled, is in flight development, a company spokesman said.

Innovation and the GoFly Prize

Prizes do bring results, spurring imagination and innovation, says Gwen Lighter, CEO of the $2 million GoFly Prize global competition launched in 2017 to develop personal flying vehicles for everyone. The challenge has attracted 3,678 innovators from 829 teams around the world. Finalists now have full or semi-scale prototypes flying, and seven of them could be found here at AirVenture in the Innovation and Urban Air Mobility pavilions as they ready for the flyoffs next February. Lighter has been delighted with the response to the competition. “Everyone realizes that this really is a golden moment in aviation where we have the tools to be able to make our wildest dream, that dream of pure human flight, a reality,” she says.

John Morris

John has led Aviation Week's ShowNews, the best-read daily news magazine of aerospace trade shows, for nearly two decades. His background in business journalism before joining Aviation Week includes stints at Reuters, the American Banker daily banking newspaper and as business news editor at the Milwaukee Journal and the Cincinnati Enquirer.

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