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.
The UK aerospace industry has broadly welcomed a government decision to provide £685 million ($897.2 million) in funding for the Aerospace Technology Institute to accelerate the development of green aviation technologies.
Startup HyPoint has partnered with an aerospace R&D company to combine its aircraft fuel cells with liquid hydrogen tanks and offer manufacturers the ability to carry more hydrogen for greater range.
Joby Aviation has begun building the first production prototype for certification flight testing of its S4 electric vertical takeoff and landing air taxi.
The UK’s Cranfield Aerospace Solutions has secured £10.5 million ($13.8 million) in investment from HydrogenOne Capital Growth and Safran to develop hydrogen fuel-cell electric propulsion for aviation.
Volocopter has taken another step toward its goal of operating a commercial electric air taxi service during the 2024 Paris Olympics by conducting a series of test flights in France to measure its aircraft’s acoustic signature.
No one has made a piloted flight of a full-scale, type-design-conforming electric aircraft that has included a vertical takeoff and landing and demonstrated the design payload and range.
With the goal of being able to develop tourism sustainably, Air Greenland has partnered with lessor Avolon to explore the potential for zero-emission domestic air travel using Vertical Aerospace’s VX4 electric air taxi.
