December 22nd, 2019 | by Nicolas Zart
Predicting the future use of airspace — not knowing how it will be used, what types of aircraft will be made, and how to manage it safely — is hair raising to most. Major companies like Airbus and Dassault Systèmes, among others, are simulating our unknown electric air mobility future. But what does the future really hold
December 17th, 2019 | by Nicolas Zart
Keep your eyes on the ball because electric aviation has taken off with such a steep angle of attack (AoA) that it makes the electric car world look like a snail race
December 11th, 2019 | by Nicolas Zart
January is always a tough month for us, with CES kicking off less than a week after New Year's Eve, and now the Transformative Vertical Flight 2020 Conference is two weeks later
November 15th, 2019 | by Nicolas Zart
Another week, another round of electric air mobility news, urban air mobility (UAM), and more green aviation
November 1st, 2019 | by Nicolas Zart
NASA and Uber are working to tackle the future of our urban air mobility (UAM) needs. The focus is on the future for city transport for both people and packages transported by air
October 27th, 2019 | by Nicolas Zart
The National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) outdid itself this year. Electric urban air mobility (UAM) was present with new players Jaunt Air Mobility, the fascinating XTI Aircraft, Uber Elevate, Bell, Boeing, and Airbus. What was so special about it this year? It wasn't the timid show of electric UAM shows of the past. Can you say, "They're here...?"
October 18th, 2019 | by Nicolas Zart
There is just not enough time to keep up with urban air mobility (UAM) news these days. Keeping up with the stories is almost impossible. So, here is a roundup of exciting electric UAM news
October 18th, 2019 | by Nicolas Zart
Some big news this week is that Boeing and Porsche have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to look into the "premium" electric vertical takeoff & landing (eVTOL) aircraft market. Porsche says it wants to design a premium eVTOL aircraft and Boeing has aerodynamic expertise — hence the connection. The news introduces a few key turning points with both automakers and aviation. Both of these companies are established players and are feeling the media heat from aviation and road vehicle startups. I’m excited because I've been waiting for the convergence of road and air for the past three years
October 16th, 2019 | by Nicolas Zart
The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is slowly warming up to electric aircraft, but regulatory approval takes far too long
October 16th, 2019 | by Nicolas Zart
After an 11-day hike around Zion Canyon, Brice Canyon, and the Grand Canyon, one thing became clear. Why are tourist parks and monument aviation so loud? We need quieter and cleaner electric mobility
October 12th, 2019 | by Nicolas Zart
We finally heard about Kitty Hawk's "secret project," which sports the strange name of Heaviside. It introduces the notion of range for an electric vertical take-off & landing (eVTOL) aircraft. The demonstration of the aircraft flying is fantastic but I wonder if we're about to witness another "range anxiety" war between eVTOL manufacturers? Let's hope not
September 7th, 2019 | by Nicolas Zart
In the short space of 3 years we've seen urban air mobility (UAM) develop from a concept to eHang promising the first electric vertical takeoff & landing (eVTOL) air taxi service at the end of 2019. The Vertical Flight Society, which I'm privileged to also write for, just reported that it now has 200 eVTOL aircraft in its database
August 27th, 2019 | by Nicolas Zart
You know a new industry is born when investments pour in and results encourage more spending. Now, a new lab, the Collins Electric Aircraft Lab, wants to offer urban air mobility (UAM) and the general electric aviation world a 1MW electric airplane motor
August 26th, 2019 | by Nicolas Zart
While the electric aviation industry is working on futuristic-looking electric vertical takeoff & landing (eVTOL) aircraft, more conventional electric airplanes (eCTOL) are filling different niches and needs. So, what does Faradair Aerospace have to offer with its Bio-Electric Hybrid Aircraft (BEHA)
August 26th, 2019 | by Nicolas Zart
I recently caught up with Eric Bartsch from VerdeGo Aero to talk about the differences between electric vertical takeoff & landing (eVTOL) aircraft and electric conventional takeoff and landing (eCTOL) aircraft. If you recall, we previously announced that VerdeGo stopped the development of its eVTOL aircraft to focus instead on designing powertrains for other eVTOL and eCTOL aircraft makers, a valuable way to enable more urban air mobility (UAM)
August 17th, 2019 | by Nicolas Zart
Bye Aerospace is an extremely busy electric aviation company developing the future of our urban air mobility (UAM) world. It has two electric airplanes (eCTOL) and is working on an electric vertical take-off & landing (eVTOL) project with Uber Elevate. But that's not all. It is also partnering with another two companies focusing on pre‐crash sensing technologies, parachute ballistic recovery systems, landing gear‐airframe crashworthy structural concepts, high-energy absorbing seats, and advanced restraints
August 14th, 2019 | by Nicolas Zart
South African urban air mobility (UAM) startup Pegasus Universal Aerospace, founded in 2012, has an interesting electric vertical take-off & landing (eVTOL) aircraft that can also operate as an electric conventional take-off & landing (eCTOL) airplane
July 31st, 2019 | by Nicolas Zart
A first stab at clarifying how electric and hybrid vertical take-off & landing (eVTOL) and conventional electric and hybrid aircraft (eCTOL) will interact in our urban air mobility future was recently made by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). It calls the first eVTOL rule “the first building block to enable the safe operation of hybrid and electrical VTOL aircraft.”
July 28th, 2019 | by Nicolas Zart
Forgive the last few weeks of relative silence as we gather a storm of news and press releases regarding the world of electric aviation. One of the big biggest air shows in the world, AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, just wrapped up. As with any major air shows, companies use that time to reveal plans and purchases
June 29th, 2019 | by Nicolas Zart
Airbus is letting no time go by (while Boeing deals with self-inflicted problems) by announcing more electric air mobility news, that of a hybrid aircraft with the French turbine company Safran and airplane maker Daher. And to prove the point that urban air mobility (UAM) is doing very well, Airbus aims to have the airplane ready by
