Chinese startup TCab Tech has conducted transition flight tests with a 50%-scale demonstrator of its planned E20 electric vertical takeoff and landing air taxi.
Vertical Aerospace expects to certificate its VX4 air taxi concurrently with the UK and Europe, with the European Union Aviation Safety Agency agreeing to validate UK Civil Aviation Authority type certification of the electric vertical-takeoff-and-landing aircraft.
As it ground-tests a 2-megawatt electric motor with the intent of converting a 100-seat regional jet to zero-emission propulsion, Wright Electric has received a U.S. Air Force contract to modify the technology into a lightweight, high-power generator as a battlefield recharger for electrified vehicles.
BAE Systems plans to provide energy-management components, including the battery and cabling, for the megawatt-class hybrid electric propulsion system being developed by GE Aviation under the recently awarded NASA Electrified Powertrain Flight Demonstration project.
German hydrogen propulsion startup H2Fly has claimed the first flight by a hydrogen-powered passenger aircraft between two commercial airports after flying its four-seat HY4 testbed from its base in Stuttgart to Friedrichshafen for display at the upcoming Aero Friedrichshafen show.
Despite advances in electric propulsion and battery energy density, as well as a patent filing showing its interest in hybrid-electric systems, Bell is taking a more conventional route to AFWerx’s High-Speed Vertical Takeoff and Landing Challenge.
Safran is gaining experience in electric propulsion, testing prototypes and studying aircraft architectures as it positions itself as the supplier of a full range of motors for all-electric and hybrid propulsion systems, from light aircraft to narrowbodies.
Bcomp, a Swiss startup producing composites using natural fibers, has received an investment from Airbus Ventures as part of a CHF34 million ($35 million) Series B financing round led by BMW i Ventures.
A hybrid-electric power system designed for applications ranging from drones to uncrewed cargo aircraft and passenger air taxis has been unveiled by startup LaunchPoint Electric Propulsion Solutions.
Austrian startup CycloTech and Japanese package carrier Yamato have completed a study into the feasibility of developing an uncrewed cargo aircraft using thrust-vectoring cyclorotor propulsion to operate in confined urban areas, even in high winds.
At first, advanced air mobility flights will be piloted. But the industry widely agrees its aircraft must become autonomous at some point if operations are to scale up to hoped-for high volumes. Rather than if, the debate centers largely on when.
German startup Theion is targeting electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft as an early market for solid-state, lithium-sulfur batteries that promise three times the energy density of conventional lithium-ion cells.
Universal Hydrogen plans to flight test its 1-megawatt, hydrogen fuel-cell propulsion system on a De Havilland Canada Dash 8-300 regional aircraft starting around September.
Germany’s government has confirmed it is funding a project to modify a Dornier 328 regional turboprop into a flying testbed for zero-emission hydrogen-electric propulsion.
Pioneer Aerospace, an experienced manufacturer of parachutes and aerodynamic deceleration systems for NASA space missions, has been acquired by Aviation Safety Resources, a company developing aircraft recovery parachute systems for the advanced air mobility market.
U.S./Spanish startup Skydweller is to add a hydrogen fuel-cell power system to its extreme-endurance, solar-powered unmanned aircraft under a $14 million contract from the U.S. Defense Innovation Unit in conjunction with the U.S. Navy.
Hydrogen-electric propulsion startup ZeroAvia has partnered with zero-emission vehicle refueling company ZEV Station to develop a hydrogen refueling infrastructure for airports in California.
Spirit AeroSystems (Europe), based in Prestwick, Scotland, has signed a term sheet in principle with UK startup Electric Aviation Group (EAG) to collaborate on the development of technologies to support zero-emission flight.
With Swiss International Airlines as its first customer, solar kerosene startup Synhelion has selected Germany’s Ineratec to provide the Fischer-Tropsch technology required to produce carbon-neutral aviation fuel using concentrated sunlight.
EHang is targeting mid-2022 for Chinese certification of its EH216-S autonomous two-seat air vehicle and preparing to announce the first group of Chinese cities where it plans to launch commercial urban air mobility services in the second half of the year following airworthiness approval.
