Kite Magnetics says that its patented Aeroperm lightweight magnetic material is the key to the 120-kilowatt KM-120 electric propulsion system being far more energy-efficient than other motors. The young Australian company says it is close to announcing the first aircraft manufacturer with which it intends to begin flight testing later in 2023 and is offering the technology for new designs and as a retrofit package.

Skyryse claims its FlightOS automated flight control system will deliver commercial air transport levels of safety to general aviation aircraft by combining a triple-redundant fly-by-wire system with dissimilar architecture while removing mechanical complexity and adding highly intelligent computers. The FAA has now confirmed that the technology meets the means-of-compliance requirements to seek approval under existing air safety regulations.

Lockheed Martin is making an unspecified investment in electric propulsion start-up H3X with a view to using its new motor drives for defense applications. H3X has raised $9 million and is working on its HPDM family of drives, which could be used for multiple new-build and retrofit aircraft programs, including potentially a 100-seater commercial airliner.

Whisper Aero, a Tennessee-based tech start-up developing what it claims will be the quietest electric propulsion system on the market, is getting ready to finally offer the public a taste of its secret sauce. Having quietly worked on its propulsion technology since February 2021, the company has yet to reveal any details about its product, such as the expected power output and noise levels. Ian Villa, Whisper Aero’s COO and chief product officer, told FutureFlight that the company will be revealing new details about its propulsors “toward the end of March or early April.”

Charter booking platform KinectAir aims to deploy Electra's nine-passenger eSTOL aircraft on point-to-point regional air mobility services in the U.S. Pacific Northwest region from 2027. Under an agreement with Electra, Part 135 operators in its network would own and operate up to 30 of the hybrid-electric fixed-wing model, which is expected to have a range of up to 400 nm.

Solithor says its patented nano-solid composite electrolytes and nano-anodes technology, combined with a new pouch-cell design, could deliver significant improvements in the energy density of batteries for electric regional aircraft and eVTOL vehicles. It is working with aerospace group Sonaca to bring the batteries to market and integrate them with aircraft.

A $3 million investment by the United Arab Emirates’ Strategic Development Fund in Mayman Aerospace could lead to a wider agreement to produce its Speeder VTOL air utility vehicle in Abu Dhabi for the Middle East and North African market. The turbine-powered aircraft is intended for a variety of military and civil applications and is expected to have a range of up to around 400 miles.

AMSL Aero is receiving guidance and support from emergency medical services group CareFlight in the development of its all-electric Vertiia eVTOL aircraft, which could be used to take medical specialists to accident scenes and carry patients to the hospital. The Australian companies exhibited an aeromedical cabin interior mockup this week at the Avalon Air Show near Melbourne.

Doroni Aerospace recently completed the first tethered hover flight with a technology demonstrator of its H1 two-seat personal eVTOL vehicle. The Florida-based company released a video showing a basic airframe making a short hop a few feet off the ground at its Pompano Beach research and development center. The Doroni engineering team says it has also conducted ground testing of the yaw, pitch, and roll functions, as well as integration of the propulsion system and autopilot with the aircraft. 

According to Doroni, it aims to start full flight testing with a prototype of the all-electric flying car design in the fourth quarter of this year. It intends to close a crowd-funding campaign on March 3 that it says has already raised $2.7 million from around 1,550 investors.

The start-up's objective is to achieve certification under the FAA's light sports aircraft rules in the second half of 2024. The vehicle will have an estimated retail price of $195,000.

Since Lilium completed its merger with special purpose acquisition company Qell and Nasdaq flotation in September 2021, attention has shifted to the pace at which the German company can complete development and certification work for its seven-seat eVTOL aircraft. The company has adjusted the configuration of its propulsion system to reduce the number of ducted fans from 36 to 30 and this change will be reflected in the preproduction prototype.