FutureFlight

Brazil's Moya Aero has signed a letter of intent with Canadian start-up N2 Infrastructure Technologies covering the acquisition of four of Moya's autonomous eVTOL aircraft. The two companies will work together to develop use cases for the vehicle, which will have a payload capacity of 200 kilograms (440 pounds) and a range of 110 kilometers (70 miles) and could be deployed in remote areas.

The Japanese government has awarded SkyDrive a research grant worth 12.4 billion yen ($82.7 million) to fund the development of its three-seat eVTOL aircraft, which the company says will be certified for commercial operations "in the next five years." Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry issued SkyDrive the award through its small business innovation research program, which provides funding for start-ups developing advanced technologies that could have a positive impact on society. 

Supernal has turned to the parts manufacturing division of its parent company, Hyundai Motor Group, and Italy's Mecaer to design and manufacture the wheeled landing gear for its SA-1 eVTOL aircraft. The U.S.-based company aims to apply for FAA type certification before year-end and is working toward the start of flight testing with a prototype by the end of 2024.

The first prototype of what Wisk refers to as its Generation 6 eVTOL autonomous vehicle is now being built at its Mountain View, California, headquarters, as the Boeing subsidiary prepares to start flight testing in 2024. Displaying a mock-up of the four-seater at the NBAA-BACE trade show in Las Vegas, the company confirmed that it has applied for FAA type certification and is working on the key G1 and G2 stages of this process.

Bombardier's EcoJet research and development project is exploring multiple options for a quantum leap reduction in carbon emissions from business aircraft. The company is already flying a sub-scale blend-wing-body technology demonstrator aircraft. New propulsion technology combined with a new airframe architecture could be a force multiplier, it is hoped for an industry that is under intense pressure from climate change activists.

Airbus Evaluates Flight Control System for CityAirbus NextGen eVTOL Aircraft

Lilium this week made its eVTOL aircraft available for purchase by U.S. private owners through an agreement with aircraft management and charter group EMC Jet. Under an agreement announced on October 18, EMC Jet committed to taking five of the four-passenger Pioneer Edition versions of the all-electric Lilium Jet and to act as the German manufacturer’s exclusive private sales dealer in Texas where it is based through 2030.

South Korea’s efforts to be an advanced air mobility (AAM) early adopter gathered fresh momentum this week, with more announcements from U.S. eVTOL aircraft developers, a major airline, and local government agencies. During this week’s Seoul ADEX aerospace and defense show, the Asian country’s plans to prioritize electric aviation took a high profile.

During this week's NBAA-BACE business aviation show in Las Vegas, Daher CEO Didier Kayat reported that the EcoPulse company's distributed propulsion technology demonstrator will fly for the first time on electric power “within the next two weeks or so.” Kayat has committed Daher to launching a hybrid-electric production aircraft by 2027, with the specification expected to be defined next year.

Hydrogen fuel production and distribution specialists Protium Haskel and Nel Hydrogen have joined forces to advance the partly public-funded Project Heart to establish a process for supplying hydrogen-powered aircraft at UK regional airports. Germany-based Hy2gen has opted to expand its plans to produce renewable hydrogen and hydrogen-derived e-fuels in the U.S., where it says more attractive tax incentives and an efficient regulatory process are available.