Beta Technologies has raised $375 million in a round of private financing led by TPG Rise Climate, the dedicated climate investing strategy of TPG’s global impact investing platform TPG Rise, and Fidelity Management & Research Company. The Vermont-based electric aerospace company plans to use the funds to support the advancement of its integrated electric aviation system, including its zero-emissions aircraft, electric propulsion systems, and nationwide multimodal charging infrastructure.

France-based Thales will help to develop avionics for the Eve aircraft, as well as flight controls, electrical systems, and capability in navigation, communications, and connectivity. Since January 2022, Eve and Thales have been working on a series of studies to assess the technical and economic feasibility of an all-electric aircraft, and this process will continue for the rest of 2022.

New advanced air mobility operators must assume a significant regulatory challenge and establish operating credentials under FAA Part 135 rules or equivalent legal structures in other countries. Some startups have found the process so onerous that they’ve opted to effectively buy approval with the acquisition of a company with an existing certificate. Others, such as eVTOL developer Joby Aviation, have taken the direct route.

A letter of intent between Eviation and Cape Air covering the purchase of 75 fixed-wing Alice electric aircraft comes amid questions about the timing of the new design’s first flight. Last scheduled for January, that flight would support certification in 2024.

H2Fly set an altitude record for a hydrogen-powered passenger aircraft by taking the HY4 demonstrator to 7,230 feet, a day after a 77-mile journey between Stuttgart and Friedrichshafen Germany on April 12 marked the first time anyone piloted such an aircraft between two major airports.

Volocopter is one of five eVTOL aircraft developers among the 30 partners involved in the Re.Invent Air Mobility Challenge that is preparing to launch air taxi services when the French capital hosts the 2024 Olympic Games. The exercise could be a key test of public acceptance of eVTOL aircraft in urban areas, and noise levels will be a big part of that equation.

Under a newly signed agreement between Airbus and Kawasaki, the European airframer will provide aircraft characteristics, fleet energy usage, and insight on hydrogen-powered aircraft for ground operations, while Kawasaki performs a cost outlook, works on technology drivers on the various elements of the supply chain, and builds infrastructure deployment scenarios for targeted airports.

Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in late February, military and humanitarian logistics planners have been wrestling with how to get supplies into the war zone. It has been tempting to imagine the role that some of the autonomous VTOL aircraft now in development could play in such scenarios. In this FutureFlight video we take a look at what Kaman has in mind for its Kargo UAV and also other autonomous aircraft now in the works with innovators including Elroy Air, MightyFly, Pipistrel, and Kitty Hawk.

Odys Aviation is working on a distinctive blown-wing design for a hybrid-electric aircraft that would have range of up to 1,000 miles, making it suitable for serving routes currently supported by regional airlines, but with the flexibility to operate from urban areas.