FutureFlight

Blade Urban Air Mobility intends to fund the purchase of 20 of Beta's Alia aircraft through third-party financing supported by its operating partners. The first of the all-electric aircraft are due to be delivered in 2024, with Blade planning to put them into commercial services out of its existing private terminals in 2025, likely starting in the New York City area.

Amazilia Aerospace, the German subsidiary of Chinese freight delivery group SF Express, will provide the flight control and vehicle management systems for a hybrid-electric cargo drone to be designed and built by Pipistrel. The model is based on the Nuuva V300 aircraft that Pipistrel already has under development.

An analysis of the advanced air mobility sector by capital market analyst PitchBook provides an insightful reassessment of the gold rush market conditions surrounding plans for air taxi services using eVTOL aircraft. Its bottom line is that only the best-funded ventures are likely to inherit the sector's potential and that market projections for revenue streams reflect some rather big, and potentially hostage-to-fortune, assumptions.

Jump Aero's concept for an "electronic parachute" involves "training" software to be able to respond to potential inflight failures and damage to an aircraft's flight control computer. The software would react to ensure that the baseline flight control laws function sufficiently to support a safe, controlled landing.

According to Dan Schwinn, president and CEO of Florida-based avionics group Avidyne, developers of electric aircraft face unique challenges regarding factors such as motor and battery instrumentation and management. He believes his company can bring solutions to the table, and it is already partnered with two pioneers, Beta Technologies and VoltAero.

While the new concepts such as simplified vehicle operations have clear potential to support the unprecedented scale-up in flight operations envisaged by advanced air mobility pioneers, initial services are likely to be based on a conservative foundation of existing safety practices. FutureFlight surveyed some of the front runners among eVTOL aircraft developers to gauge their preparations for launching operations.

In 2024, UPS will start integrating Beta Technologies' all-electric Alia 250 eVTOL aircraft into its fleet. The package-delivery giant—which is Beta's third customer, following earlier commitments from United Therapeutics and the U.S. Air Force—will also use the company's battery recharging units.

Wisk Aero says that the design for an eVTOL passenger aircraft unveiled by Archer Aviation in February 2021 was based on a design for which it filed a confidential patent application in January 2020. Its lawsuit seeks an injunction to stop Archer from using its intellectual property.

The U.S. Air Force's AFWERX program has contracted with Transcend Air and Auburn University to develop flight control software that would enable the Vy 400 VTOL aircraft to replace helicopters in military resupply and emergency evacuation missions. This would involve operating just above the terrain contours in "nap of the earth" mode at speeds of up to around 405 mph.

Bell is continuing development work with its Nexus 4X passenger-carrying eVTOL aircraft and the cargo-carrying Autonomous Pod Transport. However, the company has indicated that both designs are still being defined and has not confirmed any timeline for possible service entry.