FutureFlight

At this week's Vertical Flight Society Forum 76 conference, FAA and EASA officials defended their approach to setting type certification requirements for eVTOL aircraft and urban air mobility operations in the face of impatience from aspiring air taxi group Uber Elevate.

Britten-Norman and unmanned systems specialist Blue Bear Systems Research will integrate autonomous flight capability with the Islander's existing Garmin avionics suite. The UK manufacturer also intends to offer electric and/or hybrid electric propulsion for the Islander.

Canada-based Mannarino Systems & Software has developed its M-RTOS real-time operating system to provide a flexible platform for remotely piloted aircraft of almost any size.

Jaunt says its eVTOL aircraft program has fallen about a year behind schedule, with type certification now projected for the end of 2026. The company has started flying a technology demonstrator and says it is working on a Series A funding round and securing new partners.

MTU Aero Engines believes that a strong consensus is building around the use of hydrogen as a power source for air transport aircraft and that this can be achieved via a couple of different paths.

During this week's AUVSI conference and exhibition, Canada-based CS Communication & Systems introduced a set of tools aimed at reducing the cost and complexity involved in meeting testing and certification requirements for software supporting airborne systems.

Under the Green Flyway program to support the development of electric aviation, Are Ostersund Airport in central Sweden and Roros Airport across the border in Norway are inviting electric aviation pioneers to take advantage of their uncongested airspace as a base for flight testing new aircraft.

Paris city and regional leaders, along with transportation groups ADP and RATP, are asking urban air mobility technology, policy, and infrastructure specialists to support plans to develop air taxi services in time for the 2024 Olympic Games.

EHang has altered the configuration of the 216 by putting the 16 propellers on eight protruding arms above the 216L's fuselage. It says the new version will be able to serve medium-haul routes but has not yet specified its range.

Although the new app was initially intended to support operations with smaller drones, SkyGrid says that it could be adapted for use with larger and more complex autonomous aircraft.