FutureFlight

Rolls-Royce will partner with Purdue University and the university's research foundation to expand its hybrid-electric engine research and development capabilities. The work at the Purdue Aerospace Technology Center will focus on high-altitude and hybrid-electric powerplants for the U.S. military.

Students from Delft University of Technology will start testing their unmanned Phoenix PT prototype with electric batteries before converting it to hydrogen power. During the course of the next academic year, the multinational AeroDelft team will also build a piloted prototype called the Phoenix FS that is based on a kit-built, four-seat Sling 4 airplane.

Lilium announced the $1 billion aircraft purchase agreement with Brazilian airline Azul as it prepares to complete a Nasdaq flotation through a merger with Qell Acquisition Corp. Azul will operate and maintain a fleet of 220 Lilium Jets, while the German manufacturer provides batteries, spare parts, and an aircraft health monitoring system.

New eVTOL aircraft could get paramedics to the scene of a medical emergency quicker than ambulances or even helicopters, and those few extra minutes could mean the difference between life and death. That's why companies like Jump, Jaunt, Volocopter, Kitty Hawk, and Urban Aeronautics all have plans to deploy their new vehicles in emergency medical service roles.

For now, Samad Aerospace is based in the UK, but the company has not ruled out moving its eStarling program to another country as it works to secure further funding of around $41 million. It reports success in recent hover testing with a subscale version of its eVTOL design and is also evaluating an eSTOL version of the aircraft, for which it now says it holds more than 100 purchase agreements.

Bye Aerospace now claims to have an order backlog for 800 of its electric fixed-wing aircraft, including the new eFlyer 800 model. The company claims the eFlyer, priced at around $6 million, can compete with turboprop and piston general aviation aircraft, such as Textron's King Air family. The manufacturer also has confirmed that Garmin will supply its G500 TXi avionics suite for the smaller eFlyer 2 model.

Sustainable technology group Johnson Matthey is looking to advance the production of green hydrogen and intends to use the assets of battery group Oxis Energy to scale up its output with improved electrolyzers. Oxis went into administration in May 2021 after failing to secure fresh investment, despite having attracted the attention of electric aircraft developers like Bye Aerospace.

Joby could be among the first of the U.S. eVTOL aircraft developers, and prospective air taxi service providers, to secure an FAA Part 135 air carrier certificate in 2022. The company has recruited a seasoned team, with both airliner and military experience, to handle detailed preparations to begin commercial services by 2024.

After suffering serious damage from a battery fire while developing a new electric aircraft, Luminati Aerospace developed a new type of battery pack that incorporates cooling techniques to increase safety. The company is concerned that battery technology adopted by eVTOL aircraft developers from the automotive sector is not fit for the aviation sector.

Backed by state government tax credits, PteroDynamics is establishing its engineering headquarters in Colorado. The company is developing its Transwing family of eVTOL aircraft, with current efforts focused on a model with a small payload and a 12-foot wingspan. Its intention is to scale up the size, payload, and range in future models, which will all feature its patented folding-wing mechanism to reduce the amount of space required for operations on the ground.