ERC Flies eVTOL Prototype and Commits to Uncrewed Version

ERC System is set to announce plans for an uncrewed version of the lift-and-cruise eVTOL aircraft it is developing. The German company has opted to prioritize hybrid-electric versions of both the uncrewed and crewed models to deliver the range and payload it feels are needed to satisfy initial special logistics applications for the aircraft.

On Tuesday, ERC announced that it has completed an initial phase of flight testing with its full-scale Romeo prototype. Flights started in November at Erding near Munich under an operational permit from Germany's LBA aviation authority.

The tests included a mix of out-of-ground-effect hovering and flights along a runway. According to ERC co-founder and CEO David Löbl, the flights validated earlier tests with the Echo sub-scale demonstrator as well as wind tunnel work.

“It takes off and lands vertically like a helicopter but uses wings to cruise efficiently like an airplane,” Löbl continued. “This allows us to operate at a fraction of the cost of helicopters, while reducing transport times significantly compared to less costly, but slower ground-based vehicles—a clear benefit for critical missions, such as interhospital patient transports.”

Now, ERC will focus more intently on confirming partners to supply key systems, including elements of the hybrid-electric powertrain, flight controls, and avionics. Löbl told AIN that minimizing weight for the aircraft is critical to achieving its maximum advantage compared with other eVTOL models.

The Romeo prototype has a maximum takeoff weight of 2,735 kilograms (6,017 pounds) and a wingspan of 16 meters (about 52 feet). For the crewed production aircraft, ERC is targeting a range of 800 kilometers (432 nm) and a payload of 500 kilograms (1,102 pounds).

According to ERC, the Romeo is the heaviest all-electric eVTOL to fly so far in the EU. The design features eight motors powering rotors that are almost 8 feet in diameter and a large cabin that is representative of what would be offered for medical transportation services.

Supporting Critical Missions

The company will announce specifications for the new uncrewed version in the second quarter of this year. It aims to bring this model into commercial operation first, with the crewed version targeted for type certification in 2031.

ERC chief commercial officer Maximilian Oligschläger told AIN that the company is in talks with prospective customers seeking new solutions for critical missions such as military logistics, emergency medical support, and cargo distribution. German aerospace group IABG, which is the start-up’s main financial backer, is actively involved in helping military clients to access new technology, with European strategic defense independence increasingly becoming a priority.

DRF Luftrettung, which operates medical flights in Germany, Switzerland, and Austria, has committed to a strategic partnership with ERC. Its CEO, Krystian Pracz, welcomed the Romeo flight testing as an important transition of the design from concept to reality.

The rotorcraft operator is providing ERC with specialist input on medical, technical, and flight operations based on its five decades of experience in air rescue flights. “Together we are developing an additional option for patient transport and emergency medical services,” Pracz explained. “Current trends in healthcare, [such as] the reduction and specialization of clinics, longer distances, and an increasing shortage of skilled workers, require new solutions. That is why we are convinced that the ERC aircraft will have a permanent place in our fleet in the 2030s as a useful addition to established air rescue with helicopters.”