Emergency services provider Falck has agreed to purchase a single JA1 Pulse eVTOL aircraft from California-based Jump Aero. This is the first commercial order for the JA1, which is designed to carry a pilot-medic to the site of a medical emergency as quickly as possible to render lifesaving aid. The announcement came Thursday during the public unveiling of the aircraft at the Revolution.Aero conference in San Francisco. At the event, Jump Aero revealed new details about the configuration and performance of the JA1.
A single-pilot eVTOL, the JA1 is a tail-sitting aircraft with two wings and eight non-articulating electric propulsion units mounted above the pilot’s head height “for operational safety,” according to Jump Aero. A ballistic parachute provides backup safety, but Jump claims the design has “no catastrophic single-point failures.” Simplified flight controls will help pilots fly the aircraft without high levels of skill or training.
With a payload capacity of 330 pounds (150 kilograms), the JA1 allows for the carriage of one person and medical equipment, but the aircraft is not designed to retrieve patients and carry them to a hospital. With a dash speed of up to 250 knots, the JA1 is designed to be deployed within 60 seconds and arrive at a patient location within 31 miles (50 kilometers) in under eight minutes. Performance specifications include the ability to hover at a density altitude of 9,500 feet (2,900 meters) with one failed propulsor. The JA1 will be capable of all-azimuth hover in winds up to 20 knots and landing on slopes up to 10 degrees.
Jump Aero was founded by Carl Dietrich, who launched roadable aircraft developer Terrafugia in 2006 before selling the company to China’s Geely in 2017. He left Terrafugia in 2019 and then started Jump Aero.
Denmark-based Falck’s plans for the JA1 are to use the aircraft to speed up response times and reach remote, hard-to-access areas to provide life-saving medical care in situ. “This is beneficial in situations where time is critical, such as natural disasters or medical emergencies,” the company said. The electric JA1 will help Falck provide such services “in a more sustainable and timely manner.”
“For years, we have actively been exploring the potential and integration of sustainable health drones, and now, with the introduction of transporting health professionals via aircraft, we will be taking another step,” said Falck president and CEO Jakob Riis.
“Together, we will push the boundaries of what is possible in the industry, leveraging eVTOL aircraft technology to enhance the speed, efficiency, and effectiveness of healthcare and emergency response operations,” Dietrich said.
