FutureFlight

Honda says that its gas turbine hybrid propulsion system will support a range of up to 249 miles for its planned eVTOL aircraft. In a September 30 announcement, it published few details as to its timeline for type certification and how it intends to achieve this objective.

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Honeywell's October 5 introduction of the Anthem flight deck system means the seven-seat Lilium Jet and Vertical Aerospace’s four-passenger VA-X4 eVTOL aircraft will become the first advanced air mobility (AAM) vehicles to benefit from cloud-connected avionics.

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Ampaire, which is being acquired by Surf Air Mobility, will soon submit an application to the FAA for a supplemental type certificate to replace the Cessna Caravan's turbine engines with a hybrid-electric powertrain. The goal is to create an airplane that can transport passengers on short city-pair routes much more efficiently than the unmodified version.

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The Skai will be powered by liquid hydrogen, generating electricity via fuel cells to drive six sets of motors and rotors. Alaka'i Technologies claims this approach makes the vehicle far more operationally flexible than battery-powered eVTOL models.

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Brazil’s Flapper and Australia’s Skyportz have committed to buying up to 130 eSTOL aircraft from Electra. Plans call for the still-unnamed aircraft to begin flight testing in the U.S. next year.

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NASA has awarded about $74.3 million to MagniX and the remainder of a $253.4 million grant to GE Aviation to participate in a program that aims to introduce electric aircraft propulsion technologies to commercial aircraft fleets by 2035.

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Eve Urban Air Mobility Solutions has signed up several prospective launch customers for the four-passenger eVTOL it intends to bring into commercial service in 2026. Avantto is the latest of these partners and will help it to develop air taxi operations in the Latin American market.

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On the Radar
FAA Approves Special Conditions for Certifying Electric Propulsion Systems

The FAA has issued special conditions for airworthiness standards to be used to certify MagniX's electric propulsion units (EPUs) for commercial aircraft under its Part 33 rules. The publication of the special conditions followed close consultation with MagniX, which is the first electric propulsion system manufacturer to have a defined path to FAA certification. It expects to complete this process in 2023.

The Everett, Washington-based company is working on plans to convert the DHC-2 Beaver and the Cessna Grand Caravan aircraft to electric propulsion. For the first Beaver conversion, it has partnered with Vancouver, Canada-based operator Harbour Air and for the Caravan with Australia's Sydney Seaplanes and Lima in the U.S. 

MagniX is also providing an EPU for the nine-seat Alice aircraft being developed by its sister company Eviation. The prototype is expected to make its first flight before the end of 2021.

"The next steps are to take our propulsion systems through the rigorous testing required to meet the FAA special conditions and to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that they are as safe and reliable, if not more so, than other certified equivalent aircraft propulsion systems," explained MagniX CEO Roei Ganzarski.

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Japanese automotive group Honda has staked its claim to a place in the advanced air mobility revolution, announcing plans to develop an eVTOL aircraft. The plans revealed on September 30 provided precious few details on the specifications and performance, but the company did say is focused on a hybrid-electric version with range as far as 249 miles, as well as an all-electric version for shorter trips of up to 62 miles.

A video release with the announcement gives an idea of the scope of applications that Honda has in mind. It provides a case study of three people needing to get to New York City from Cape Cod in Massachusetts, Springfield in Connecticut, Newburgh in New York and Edison in New Jersey. The trips are booked and coordinated via what the company calls its Honda Multimodal System.

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Featured Program

Hyundai Motor Group is making a significant investment in plans to develop the S-A1 eVTOL aircraft as part of a wider effort by the South Korean automotive group to develop its portfolio of electric vehicles.

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Featured Person
Roei Ganzarski
 

Roei Ganzarski became executive chairman of Eviation in November 2019, following the company's acquisition by the Clermont group. He is chairman of its Clermont Aerospace division and is also CEO of its electric motor making subsidiary MagniX, which was launched in May 2018. Previously, Ganzarski spent just over 13 years with Boeing, ending his time with the group as chief customer officer, and then was president and CEO of software company BoldIQ. He holds an MBA in finance from the University of Washington, having previously earned a Bachelor's degree in economics from the University of Haifa. He also graduated from the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton Business School Advanced Management Program.

UPCOMING EVENTS
 
October 12 - 14, 2021 / Las Vegas

The 2021 Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition organized by the National Business Aviation Association will feature a growing number of eVTOL aircraft developers and multiple companies now contributing technology and services for the advanced air mobility sector.

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