AAM_Tech_Developments

By Graham Warwick
The German aerospace center will modify the aircraft by adding a fuel-cell powertrain being developed with MTU Aero Engines.
Emerging Technologies

By Guy Norris, Jens Flottau
At the recent Dubai Airshow, the Toulouse-based aircraft manufacturer and Pratt & Whitney Canada (P&WC) announced a long-awaited upgrade plan for the ATR 42/72 based on an extensively improved derivative of the PW127 engine family dubbed the XT.
Emerging Technologies

By Graham Warwick
Yates Electrospace will develop scaled-down version of its Silent Arrow unmanned cargo glider for deployment from wider range of aircraft
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Graham Warwick
Beta sees its plans for a Tesla Supercharger-style network of chargers as a key differentiator that sets it apart from other developers of eVTOL vehicles.
Advanced Air Mobility

By Guy Norris
Vertical says it remains on track to start flight tests in early 2022 as it targets certification for the VA-X4 in 2024 and entry-into-service in 2025.
Advanced Air Mobility

By Graham Warwick
The 10 years that separate the first hover flights of the Volocopter VC1 and eMagic Aircraft’s eMagic One illustrate the advances made in a decade by electric vertical-takeoff-and-landing technology.
Advanced Air Mobility

By Carole Rickard Hedden
When an electric ground vehicle and a hydrogen-fueled airframe come together, the result could be an elegant solution for cargo and personal transportation.
Advanced Air Mobility

By Graham Warwick
German startup Fraundorfer Aeronautics has begun production of its Tensor 600X two-seat autogyro.
Advanced Air Mobility

By Graham Warwick
Italian manufacturer Tecnam Aircraft has launched a transition program to enable buyers to transition via the P2012 Traveller nine-passenger regional aircraft to the P-Volt all-electric version.
Emerging Technologies

By Tony Osborne
Diehl Aerospace and Thales are to work with Airbus to develop the flight control system for Airbus’ electric vertical takeoff and landing advanced air mobility platform.
Advanced Air Mobility

By Jens Flottau
When Scott Kirby, 54, took over the CEO position at United Airlines in May 2020 after four years as its president, the airline industry was in its worst-ever crisis.
Emerging Technologies

By Graham Warwick
The ability to deliver whole blood by unmanned aircraft over long distances to medics treating traumatic injuries in the field has been demonstrated by L3Harris and Near Earth Autonomy.
Advanced Air Mobility

By Michael Bruno
Xtend, an Israeli-linked UAV operator system startup that aims to use artificial intelligence to help extend the use and range of unmanned vehicles, has raised $20 million in Series A funding, the company announced Nov. 16.
Advanced Air Mobility

By Graham Warwick
For Honda, development of a mobility ecosystem centered on an electric vertical-takeoff-and-landing (eVTOL) air taxi, will be a key step toward transforming the automaker from a product manufacturer into a system developer and service provider.
Advanced Air Mobility

By Guy Norris
Explorer Aircraft is developing a hybrid-electric regional airplane derived from the high-wing single-engine Explorer 500T utility aircraft, a more powerful version of which it plans to fly with a Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6-40A turboprop over the coming weeks.
Emerging Technologies

By Guy Norris
Electric vertical-takeoff-and-landing (eVTOL) air-taxi developer Overair has begun full-scale ground tests of the 20-ft.-dia. rotor system that will power a flying demonstrator of the company’s Butterfly quad-tiltrotor starting late in 2022 or early in 2023.
Advanced Air Mobility

By Guy Norris
High-speed vertical-takeoff-and-landing aircraft developer Transcend Air is conducting ground tests of its Vy 400 tiltwing concept at a drag-racing venue near its Boston headquarters while continuing to raise funds to support full-scale development.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Graham Warwick
Electric aircraft pioneer Pipistrel will supply startup Airflow with motors, controllers and batteries for its proof-of-concept aircraft.
Advanced Air Mobility

By Graham Warwick
Startup Archer Aviation has transported its Maker technology demonstrator to a flight test center in California in preparation for a first hover flight of the electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicle before year’s end.
Advanced Air Mobility

By Graham Warwick
Zero-emissions propulsion startup Universal Hydrogen has signed an agreement with a clean-energy subsidiary of Australian mining company Fortescue Metals Group to secure a supply of green hydrogen through to 2035.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Tony Osborne
Airbus Helicopters has performed what it claims to be the first helicopter flight on 100% sustainable aviation fuel, albeit powering only one of the two engines on the H225 testbed.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Graham Warwick
Startup ZeroAvia has partnered with India’s Hindustan Aeronautics to develop a supplemental type certificate for its conversion of the 19-passenger Dornier 228 regional turboprop to hydrogen-electric propulsion.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Graham Warwick, Jens Flottau
The family of Energia-branded concepts—with all-electric, hybrid-electric or hydrogen-fueled propulsion for low emissions and noise—are aimed to enter into service between 2030 and 2040.
Sustainability

By Graham Warwick
Austria’s CycloTech is in discussions on the first application of its cyclorotor electric propulsion system after completing initial hover flight tests of a subscale demonstrator.
Emerging Technologies

By Graham Warwick
In 2022, the U.S. Air Force plans to have government pilots fly prototype eVTOL aircraft on military bases as part of the Agility Prime program, to evaluate potential use cases as the service moves toward fielding an initial tranche of vehicles in fiscal 2023.
Emerging Technologies