FutureFlight

Honeywell has condensed its fly-by-wire flight control technology for use on much smaller unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) and eVTOL models. The new Compact Fly-By-Wire system can support both autonomous and piloted operations.

The Covid-19 pandemic has hit transportation companies like Uber hard, raising questions across the urban air mobility sector as to whether timelines for service entry may have to be modified.

VoltAero has partnered with airport and infrastructure group Edeis to make the case for its hybrid-electric Cassio eSTOL aircraft. The partners say the aircraft will deliver cost-effective regional air services to underserved communities, along with reduced carbon emissions.

Founder members of The new Western States Hydrogen Alliance include Korean automotive group Hyundai, which has already announced plans to develop an eVTOL aircraft.

Electra is a U.S.-based launched by John Langford, who founded Aurora Flight Sciences. The company has published almost no details on its plans to develop an eSTOL aircraft but has been boosted by a new partnership with supersonic business jet developer Aerion.

Rolls-Royce has an engineering team working a tiltwing-configured ground testbed with six propellers as it seeks to define propulsion needs for electric and hybrid-electric eVTOL aircraft.

The Brazilian aircraft manufacturer has established Eve Urban Air Mobility Solutions as a U.S.-based subsidiary spun off from its EmbraerX advanced technology division. However, Embraer has still not published performance details or specifications for the aircraft or said when it will be ready to enter service.

GE Aviation's Digital Group is working with Uber to apply its eFOQA software to support the monitoring and analysis of flight data from eVTOL aircraft used to provide Uber Air rideshare services. The technology will be available to Uber partner operators on a voluntary basis.

VoltAero's "power module" combines three 60-kW electric motors and a 370-hp internal combustion engine. The French company says this will support flights of up to almost 750 miles in its three planned Cassio single-pusherprops, seating between four and ten passengers.

Price Systems analyst Nate Sirirojvisuth challenged some of the core assumptions made by advocates of advanced air mobility business models. His new report spells out the questions that he says have to be addressed to provide a realistic assessment of the market potential for eVTOL aircraft services in areas such as the northeastern U.S.