FutureFlight

Elroy Air’s autonomous eVTOL cargo aircraft has flown for the first time, the California-based aircraft developer announced on November 16.  The hybrid-electric Chaparral C1 prototype performed its inaugural flight on November 12, taking off vertically from the company’s flight test operations center at Byron Airport, just east of San Francisco. It successfully landed without incident after a 57-second hover flight. 

Air Chateau International, a private helicopter operator in the UAE, intends to purchase up to 100 Midnight eVTOL aircraft from Archer Aviation in a deal worth $500 million. In a memorandum of understanding signed at the Dubai Airshow on November 16, Air Chateau agreed to send Archer a nonrefundable pre-delivery payment of $1 million by the end of December.

Dallas Fort Worth International Airport and Arlington Municipal Airport want to attract eVTOL aircraft operators, so they have joined forces with manufacturer Overair to devise a plan for the required infrastructure, including vertiports and charging facilities. Meanwhile, Overair is getting closer to being ready to start test flights with a full-scale prototype of its Butterfly aircraft.

Wright Converts Crop-spraying Aircraft to Hybrid Electric Power

Wright Electric and Axter Aerospace have started flight testing a Thrush crop-spraying aircraft that they have converted to use a hybrid-electric propulsion system. The partners aim to start offering the conversion package after securing a supplemental type certificate for the modification in 2027.

Bangalore could be an early adopter of eVTOL air services in India based on a new partnership between Eve Air Mobility and Hunch Mobility, which plans to acquire up to 200 of its four-passenger aircraft. Eve is also now working with vertiport developer Kookiejar and its local partner Air Chateau on plans to develop infrastructure in the UAE.

In a sign that it is embracing an electric aviation future, New York City hosted public flight demonstrations of eVTOL aircraft developed by Joby and Volocopter at the Downtown Manhattan Heliport this week.

After becoming Lilium's Middle East authorized dealer for the four-passenger Pioneer Edition of the Lilium Jet, ArcosJet has committed to acquiring 10 of the aircraft with deliveries due to be made in 2026 and 2027. At the Dubai Airshow, Lilium also announced that Michelin will develop and manufacture tires for its eVTOL aircraft, while InoBat will provide batteries.

Japanese eVTOL aircraft developer SkyDrive says a Setouchi Islands tourism association has agreed to purchase an unspecified number of the company’s three-seat SD-05 air taxis for commercial use. The company signed a memorandum of understanding with the Okayama Kurashiki Mizushima Aero & Space Industry Cluster Study Group (MASC), in which they pledged to collaborate on the development of commercial eVTOL operations in Japan’s Setouchi Islands, a group of thousands of small islands in the Seto Inland Sea. 

Skyryse has achieved what it says is the first-ever fully automated autorotation landings with its modified Robinson R66 helicopter. Announcing the breakthrough this week, even though the flight itself happened back in July, the company said it expects to roll out the first production example of the rotorcraft in the first quarter of 2024.

The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) is backing AMSL Aero’s plans to develop a hydrogen-powered version of its Vertiia eVTOL aircraft with a AU$5.43 million ($3.45 million) grant. The award will help to fund the development of a hydrogen fuel cell powertrain for the aircraft's electric propulsion system, which produces zero emissions.