Rolls-Royce’s Spirit of Innovation electric aircraft came close to exceeding the speed record for electric aircraft on its first flight, company officials say.
Alaka’i Technologies is awaiting FAA approval to begin free-flight tests on a new prototype of its Skai zero-emission hydrogen fuel-cell-powered electric vertical-takeoff-and-landing aircraft.
Alphabet subsidiary Wing has paused some of its drone package deliveries in the suburbs of Canberra, Australia, after one of its drones was attacked by a raven.
The U.S. startup has selected Toulouse as the location for its second design and engineering center, establishing a presence in Europe as Airbus advances its plans to field a hydrogen-fueled airliner by 2035.
The EBS system uses a 100-kW electric motor connected to the main gearbox which could provide up to 30 sec. of additional power in the event of an engine failure, allowing the pilot to make a safe auto-rotation landing.
Kaman is developing an unmanned cargo rotorcraft, the Kargo, to meet the anticipated U.S. Marine Corps requirement for an autonomous resupply vehicle to support distributed operations.
The grant supports an A$8 million program that will run to December 2023 which involves development and optimization of a quiet, efficient and lightweight propulsion system that increases the range and reduces the noise and cost of the Vertiia.
Airbus Helicopters says it has achieved much of what it wanted to get out of its flight test campaign of its CityAirbus advanced air mobility demonstrator.
Germany’s Becker Avionics and drone detect-and-avoid system developer Iris Automation have entered into an agreement to jointly develop a collision avoidance system for general aviation aircraft.
Joby Aviation has become the first company to fly an electric vertical-takeoff-and-landing aircraft as part of NASA’s Advanced Air Mobility National Campaign.
Unique weather conditions in urban landscapes are a key challenge for the safety and reliability of advanced air mobility operations that will require the development of new sensing and forecasting capabilities.
Harbour Air, MagniX and H55 have completed the preliminary design review on their electric propulsion modification for the 1940s-vintage de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver.
Electric Power Systems has confirmed that its battery system will power Archer’s Maker electric vertical-takeoff-and-landing demonstrator when it flies this year.
Cambridge University has launched the Aviation Impact Accelerator, an international group of experts who will develop a modeling tool to help decision makers understand the complete aviation system and explore potential pathways to net-zero flight.
Call them letters of interest, pre-orders or some other term, electric aircraft startups are persuading potential customers to make early commitments of different forms to their products. In return, customers are gaining an ability to influence the design and investors are receiving votes of confidence in the aircraft.
Among the technologies integral to managing high-density airspace, fully autonomous aircraft, and air taxis are detect-and-avoid systems that allow aircraft to maneuver around weather, turbulence, obstacles and other aircraft.
Startup HyPoint has entered into a $6.5 million collaborative agreement with Piasecki Aircraft to develop a hydrogen fuel cell propulsion system for electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicles.
Switzerland’s Dufour Aerospace is unusual among electric vertical-takeoff-and-landing startups in targeting the established helicopter market, and in particular emergency medical services.
Disruptive innovation by startups could play a key role in enabling a sustainable future for aviation, but the sector is barely being considered by investors, the Hamburg-based Sustainable Aero Lab says.
