FutureFlight

Hybrid-electric propulsion specialist VerdeGo Aero will be working with aircraft engines giant Pratt & Whitney after the latter's Raytheon Technologies parent company led a $12 million Series A funding round for the Florida-based start-up. The partnership has the potential to significantly expand the scope of how VerdeGo Aero's latest 185-kW VH-3 generator is used in multiple hybrid-electric powertrains and could lead to further scaling up in power outputs.

Textron's new eAviation division now says it has resumed work on Bell's planned Nexus eVTOL aircraft and may be ready to start test flights in a couple of years. The program, which last year appeared to be suspended, is now being advanced with support from Textron Aviation, automotive supplier Kautex, and newly acquired electric aviation specialist Pipistrel.

Honeywell Aerospace will provide flight control actuation and thermal management systems for Archer’s in-development four-passenger eVTOL aircraft. This week, Archer reported that it has completed the second of three phases of flight testing with its Maker technology demonstrator.

At a purpose-built facility within its Donauwörth complex in Germany, Airbus Helicopters will conduct testing and development work for its planned four-passenger eVTOL aircraft. The European aerospace group has named multiple partners for the program and aims to complete type certification in 2025.

Xwing is reporting rapid growth in both its commercial cargo operations and its workforce as it steps up efforts to gain approval for fully autonomous operations with converted aircraft like the Cessna Grand Caravan.

Another leading carmaker is entering the advanced air mobility market. Volkswagen’s Chinese subsidiary this week confirmed its intention to develop an eVTOL aircraft. Plans unveiled in Beijing on July 27 show an early prototype of a four-passenger eVTOL that the company says will be able to fly up to 200 kilometers (125 miles). It will feature eight rotors installed on an X-wing structure and a pair of propellers for cruise flight.

The 2022 Revolution Aero conference will be held in San Francisco from September 12 to 13, gathering advanced air mobility leaders and innovators to share expertise and discuss the next steps for the rapidly evolving new sector of aviation. Funding, commercialization, and new technology all feature prominently in a packed agenda.

Ampaire will combine RED Aircraft's A03 engine with its electric propulsion system to transform the single-turbine Cessna Grand Caravan into a hybrid-electric aircraft. Announcing the partnership with the German company this week, Ampaire said it could be ready to start test flights with the first prototype before the end of 2022, en route to planned FAA approval in 2024.

Lilium is expanding plans to develop eVTOL jet operations throughout Europe, and it is making progress with the design of its all-electric aircraft, the company announced last week during the UK’s Farnborough International Airshow. 

Vertical Aerospace's VX4 eVTOL prototype is now fitted with the high-voltage electrical wiring interconnection system developed by GKN Aerospace. The UK-based company has also signed partnership agreements with training group CAE and Hanwha Systems.