Embraer is pursuing trademark applications for its Energia family of reduced-emissions aircraft, with attorneys for the Brazilian manufacturer this month dealing with the initial refusal by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) of some aspects of the proposed designations on the grounds of “likelihood of confusion.” The applications, which were published on December 14, 2021, cover four nine- to 50-seat models to be powered by a mix of hybrid-electric, hydrogen, duel-fuel gas turbine, and electric propulsion systems.
The applications now being processed cover the 50-seat hydrogen-powered E50-H2GT regional airliner, and the 19-seat E19-H2FC. These are expected to enter service, respectively by 2040 and 2035, serving routes of between 200 and 500 nm.
Embraer also is seeking trademark confirmation for a pair of nine-seater aircraft that could be used for a variety of business, utility and sub-regional applications. The hybrid-electric E9-HE is expected to be certified by 2030 with a range of 500 nm, while the all-electric E9-FE is set for service entry in 2035 with a range of 200 nm.
In November, USPTO published a patent application covering Embraer’s plans for a new vertical and short takeoff and landing aircraft. The design, which is very different from the four-passenger eVTOL model being developed by its Eve Urban Air Mobility division, shows two sets of airfoils, one extending from the forward section of the fuselage and the other serving as an empennage. Between the two airfoils, drawings show two sets of propellers, each directly connected to an unspecified propulsion unit.
The abstract for the patent application does not specify the proposed power source for the aircraft. It also doesn’t indicate how many seats the model might have, although, without dimensions being clear, the apparent cabin size would appear to suggest it is a general aviation aircraft with perhaps no more than half a dozen or so seats.
Separately, another more surprising patent application to surface late last year came from Gulfstream Aerospace, which appears to be working on plans for a hybrid-electric aircraft. USPTO published an abstract outlining a propulsion system consisting of a turbine engine, an electric engine, and generator, plus batteries and associated controller units. No other details were shown in an application filed back in May 2020.
