FutureFlight

Hanwha Aerospace is joining forces with advanced engineering company Stirling Dynamics to produce a key component of Vertical Aerospace’s four-seat eVTOL air taxi. The South Korean aerospace company, which last year agreed to build the electromechanical actuators for Vertical's VX4 aircraft, recently signed a strategic alliance agreement with Stirling Dynamics in support of their mutual actuator development work.

The agenda for the latest Revolution.Aero event, to be held in Dublin on April 25-26, promises to deliver a reality check about prospects for the much-hyped advanced air mobility industry. Speakers from leading companies in the field will discuss the latest technology, infrastructure, and financing for a sector now facing fresh pressures as it races to meet investors' expectations fueled by aggressive service-entry pledges for new aircraft and business models.

Flying Whales this week selected Honeywell’s one-megawatt generator to power its planned giant hybrid-electric airship. The start-up, which is based in France and has a Canadian subsidiary, has been developing its hybrid-electric airship since 2012.

CargoTron is entering the contest to bring medium-capacity freight drones to market with plans for a remotely piloted PD250 model that it says will be able to carry a 250-kilogram (550-pound) payload over distances of up to 600 kilometers (375 miles).

Limosa has joined forces with BAC Aerospace to begin a campaign leading to type certification from Transport Canada for its planned LimoConnect eight-seat eVTOL aircraft. The Montreal-based start-up is aiming to complete the approval process and launch series production of the aircraft by 2028.

Heart Aerospace has enlisted BAE Systems to help it define the battery system for its planned ES-30 hybrid-electric regional airliner. The Swedish start-up says it is targeting a power density of 330 Wh/kg as part of a propulsion system that will combine four battery-driven electric motors with a pair of as-yet-unspecified turbogenerators.

Vertical Aerospace's engineering team has been issued the design organization approval it needs to complete UK type certification for its four-passenger VX4 eVTOL aircraft. The company will seek validation of this certificate by air safety regulators in Europe, the U.S., Japan, and Brazil.

More evidence of the Nordic region countries becoming earlier adopters of electric aviation has surfaced over the past week, with initiatives announced in Finland and Sweden. Along with neighboring Norway, governments in the region are pressing for progress in eliminating carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions from domestic flights well ahead of the global air transport industry’s commitment to achieving its net zero objectives by 2050.

Charter flight platform Blade Air Mobility is stepping up its plans to develop eVTOL air taxi services in the Indian subcontinent with a new agreement with eVTOL aircraft developer Jaunt Air Mobility. In a March 28 announcement, its Blade India joint venture with New Dehli-based investment group Hunch Ventures said that it intends to acquire at least 150 of Jaunt’s planned four-passenger Journey vehicles for its network by 2027.