FutureFlight

Former Airbus executive Klaus Roewe will lead Lilium Jet in a three-year push to achieve type certification for its seven-seat eVTOL aircraft 2025. Rising expenditure has prompted the company to arrange a new $75 million equity line of credit with Tumim Stone Capital.

New aircraft developers Electra, Overair, and Supernal, along with transportation technology consultant Ellis & Associates, have been cleared to start exchanging information with 30 existing National Campaign partners ahead of the anticipated start of its second phase.

The long-term viability of the eVTOL market will depend on the ability to adapt and certify the segment’s vehicles for autonomous flight, according to Embraer executives. A key benefit of advanced air mobility lies with its adaptability to autonomous operations and, therefore, it potential immunity from pilot shortages.

Leasing group Avolon is working with two of its eVTOL aircraft customers, Gol and Grupo Comporte, as well as manufacturer Vertical Aerospace and Corporacion America Airports, to make plans to build and operate vertiports in Brazil. The project follows similar initiatives in the country by Eve and Helisul Aviation.

Among new civil aviation safety research projects to be supported by the European Union's Horizon Europe program are tasks related to the use of artificial intelligence and machine learning and new standards for the operation of uncrewed aircraft systems.

Honeywell says that initial ground testing of its one-MW turbogenerator has already demonstrated power density and efficiency that is significantly greater than currently available equipment provides. It is developing the equipment to power hybrid-electric aircraft and for recharging electric batteries.

Eve—which, following its recent initial public offering, is still majority-owned by Brazilian aircraft maker Embraer—is the latest eVTOL pioneer to turn to the automotive sector for help. The master services agreement between Porsche and Eve covers studies in industrial operations, logistics, supply-chain management, and part distribution. Even though Embraer itself has a global supply-chain and product-support network for its airliners and business aircraft, Eve says it requires “an unprecedented approach optimized for efficiency, productivity, and safety.”

A letter of intent signed by Quebec-based Vertiko Mobility and Jaunt Air Mobility calls for potential sales of 70 of the all-electric Journey aircraft, plus at least two of the longer-range hybrid-electric models and options for 25 more units. The companies expect to firm up the contract in March 2025, by which time Vertiko says it will have built an initial five vertiports and Jaunt expects to be close to achieving type certification for its aircraft.

Lilium claims to be the first company to achieve a transition from vertical hover to wing-borne cruise flight with a full-sized electric jet aircraft with ducted fan engines. The transition is critical to the ability of an eVTOL aircraft to operate flexibly, and Lilium says it will now extend its flight test campaign as it prepares to build a full-scale production-conforming prototype in 2023.

TCab Tech's five-seat E20 eVTOL aircraft will have six rotors, each powered by its own Safran EngineUs 100 electric motor. Safran is already providing its motors for several new fixed-wing electric aircraft and is now pursuing its first publicly acknowledged eVTOL program under an agreement with the Chinese start-up that was announced this week.