FutureFlight Newsletter: January 14, 2021 | Aviation International News

Autonomous Flight Advances Larger Y6S Plus eVTOL Aircraft

UK-based Autonomous Flight has made changes to its eVTOL aircraft design in the belief that it will need at least six seats to be commercially viable in its plan for scheduled shuttle operations.

Fiat Chrysler Backs Archer's eVTOL Aircraft Plans

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and Archer have announced a partnership that will see the U.S. carmaker provide composite materials and engineering support for the startup's planned four-seat all-electric aircraft.

Aviation Takes a Low Profile At Virtual Consumer Electronics Show

The only surprise announcement in the aviation sector from this week's Consumer Electronics Show has been a glimpse of a General Motors concept for an all-electric personal air vehicle. Japan's SkyDrive and Pal-V of the Netherlands also participated in the event.

GE Aviation Seeks Buyers For Airxos Unmanned Traffic Management Unit

Covid-related financial pressures have prompted GE Aviation to close the Airxos unmanned traffic management specialist it launched in June 2018. The company's Air Mobility platform supports operations by unmanned aircraft.

Former Airbus Chief Executive Tom Enders Joins Lilium Board

Tom Enders spent more than two decades with European aerospace group Airbus, including almost 12 years as CEO. He brings extensive aviation experience to the board of eVTOL developer Lilium.

Vertical Flight Society Says Covid Has Not Slowed eVTOL Progress

The Vertical Flight Society will hold its 8th annual Electric VTOL Symposium from January 26-28. The group said that investment in new eVTOL aircraft programs is still being made at a rate of around $1 billion per year.

On the Radar

Could Defense Exports Support or Disrupt Baykar's Plans For Personal Air Vehicles?

January 13, 2021 / Baykar Technologies displays its Cezeri "flying car"

Baykar Technologies’ plans to develop its Cezeri personal air vehicle (PAV) may be getting a boost from the Turkish industrial group’s growing defense sales. The privately owned group has extensive experience developing military drones, as well as command, control, communication, computer, and intelligence systems and payload hardware.

In particular, the company’s Bayraktar TB2 tactical armed unmanned air vehicle (UAV) is attracting interest from prospective export customers as an alternative to far more expensive U.S.-produced military drones. In December, UK Defense Secretary Ben Wallace hailed the performance of the TB2, fueling reports that the British Army may consider the technology as part of the five-year defense acquisition review that is due to start in the coming weeks.

The latest showcase for the TB2 has been the armed conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh territory. Azerbaijani forces used the drone to destroy Armenian armored vehicles, artillery, and air defense systems. Video reports from the war zone suggest that ground troops were also killed by missiles fired from the TB2.

GM Gives a Glimpse of Its Plans For a Cadillac eVTOL

At this week's virtual Consumer Electronics Show, U.S. automobile giant GM surprised the advanced air mobility sector by announcing plans to develop a single-seat eVTOL personal air vehicle branded as a Cadillac. But, as seen in this video, GM is tight-lipped about its plans, offering almost no projected performance figures and no timeline for the project. Critics raised questions about the adequacy of its 90 kWh electric motor and the landing gear for the vehicle.

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Featured Program

Autonomous Flight Works on Larger Y6S Plus eVTOL

Autonomous Flight believes it could take until at least 2028 to be ready to start commercial passenger services with its six-seater Y6S Plus aircraft.

Featured Person

Martin Warner

Martin Warner founded Autonomous Flight in 2017 with support from a group of private investors. The UK-based company is developing the Y6S Plus eVTOL aircraft.

Warner is founder and CEO of movie streaming company Flix Premiere and also founded the Entrepreneur Seminar training program. He sold his 3D printing business, Bot Objects, for around $50 million and also still has a stake in an air logistics software company called Parcel Fly.

UPCOMING EVENTS

January 26 - 28, 2021 /

From January 26 to 28, 2021, the Vertical Flight Society will host its 8th annual Electric VTOL Symposium. The virtual event also includes the group's 9th Biennial Autonomous VTOL Technical Meeting.