As a followup to a vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) company we covered a little while back, XTI Aircraft announced another more pre-orders for its 60 TriFan. After a good showing in Florida and extra orders coming in from the superyacht community, the total is up to 60, and counting.
XTI Aircraft Announces 60 TriFan 600 Order
Things are definitely looking good for XTI Aircraft. Its TriFan 600 VTOL is finding even more interest. Last time we wrote about it, though, we didn’t have a figure for the total number of pre-orders. Now we do. The company just announced a total of 60 pre-orders.
The company reported that after displaying its 
TriFan 600 at the Ft. Lauderdale International Boat Show from November 1–5, 2017, the superyacht community was so impressed it decided to add to the pre-order tally, bringing it up to a symbolic but also impressive 60 orders. To be clear, these orders are from a pre-sales program. Tesla would call them reservations.
The surge in interest leading up to and following the Florida boat show also included several more large investors jumping in.
Robert LaBelle, Chief Executive Officer of XTI, was enthusiastically quoted as saying: “Owners and builders of yachts with landing pads, as well as this entire community, have embraced the TriFan. … At the Ft. Lauderdale show and in the days following, we’ve now surpassed 60 orders for the aircraft.” We can understand why.
The Superyacht Community Loves VTOLs — Makes Sense
The superyacht community certainly has the means and the potential use for a VTOL. The ability to travel the globe and keep one onboard to fly to a final destination certainly makes some strategic sense. For instance, the harbors of Nice, Antibes, and Cannes in the south of France have increased their docking fees, sometimes doubling or in some cases even tripling them. This chased away a few potential clients who anchored off-sea instead. A VTOL that can be deployed from afar would certainly help this nagging problem. Once arriving near their destination, the XTI Aircraft TriFan 600 could easily bring a small party to the local airport or land on a private residence helicopter pad.
Ah, first-world problems and possibilities!
Nonetheless, the VTOL market continues to develop and potential buyers seem to recognize its value. XTI Aircraft is appealing to this specific community by offering long range, speed, and comfort in a business aircraft, but with a quieter and cleaner hybrid-electric propulsion system.
As a quick reminder, the XTI Aircraft TriFan 600 will have a 6 seat configuration with a speed of 345 miles an hour and a range of up to 1,200 miles. The company claims a comfort normally associated with a luxury business aircraft. Add to this the ability to take off and land almost anywhere with its three-duct fans, the TriFan 600 can reach 30,000 feet in just 10 minutes.
Oh, Lord, won’t you buy me an electric Mercedes-Benz supercar, and please add to it an XTI Aircraft TriFan 600 for my villa near Eze.
Oh, how much for the new beauty? $6.5 million. All things considered, that is comparable to a good turboprop twin airplane.
We’re happy to see the superyacht community eyeing the potential of this incredible VTOL with another 60 orders. It may not be for all of us, but it could cut emissions.
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