FutureFlight

Terrafugia parent company appears to have abandoned plans to market the Transition flying car in the U.S. market, despite having just received an FAA light-sport airworthiness certificate. Also unclear is whether Zhejiang Geely intends to advance earlier plans to develop the TF-2A eVTOL aircraft, but on February 24 the CEO of its Aerofugia subsidiary mentioned plans for a joint venture with German eVTOL developer Volocopter, in which it is also an investor.

Spanish tier-one supplier Aciturri will have comprehensive responsibility for manufacturing all the main composite structures for the Lilium Jet eVTOL, which is due to begin production around the end of 2024. It faces a tight schedule to support Lilium in sticking to its program timeline while assuring safety and quality.

Honeywell believes it should be no harder for a pilot to start flying a new eVTOL aircraft than it is for a driver to jump into the seat of an unfamiliar rental car. By reducing the amount of data shown on flight displays, it wants to make flight training easier and smooth the path to automation and eventually autonomous operations. The group also has plans to offer new safety and propulsion technology for the advanced air mobility sector.

In a succession of public statements, Chinese eVTOL aircraft developer EHang is pushing back against a litany of accusations made against it by short-seller Wolfpack Research. The company is denying Wolfpack's claims that it lacks the financial or technical foundation to bring aircraft to market, and that it may have connived with a shareholder to misrepresent the degree of commercial support for its EH216 product.

Canada-based Horizon Aircraft is developed a five-passenger eVTOL called the Cavorite X5 that features distinctive ducted fans in its wing and canard. It is unclear how this program may dovetail with Texas-based Astro's existing Elroy and Alta eVTOL developments. The combined group is seeking further investment to bring its aircraft to market.

Jaunt Air Mobility is teaming with Penn State University and Continuum Dynamics to assess how much noise eVTOL aircraft will generate and how this might be mitigated to ensure that they are significantly quieter than today's helicopters. The partners will use advanced acoustical-analysis techniques and flight-simulation software to model the performance of Jaunt's in-development Journey aircraft.

Surf Air Mobility is paying more than $100 million to acquire Ampaire, which it views as offering a fast-track to bringing hybrid-electric aircraft into commercial service by 2024. Ampaire's business plan calls for it to convert a variety of existing turboprop aircraft seating between nine and 19 passengers and able to operate on routes of up to 500 miles.

Though 2020 revenues were down 29 percent due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Airbus recommitted to its ambitious plans to bring a hydrogen-powered airliner into commercial service by 2035. CEO Guillaume Faury told reporters the ZeroE project is a high priority and that it intends to recruit new specialist partners to overcome the many challenges associated with the move towards environmental sustainability.

GKN Aerospace, which started life 262 years ago, is looking for new directions for its extensive aerospace business. The tier-one aerostructures supplier hasn't ruled out becoming a full-blown aircraft manufacturer, backed by the experience of companies it has acquired in recent years, such as Fokker of the Netherlands. But first, chief technology officer Russ Dunn says it needs to fully understand where the real opportunities lie for advanced air mobility.

Mission Aviation Fellowship, which operates around 130 aircraft worldwide providing relief to developing world communities, is examining how new electric aircraft could support its work while also making flight operations more environmentally sustainable. In March, the organization's Finland branch is holding a conference on the subject to raise awareness among stakeholders in its region.