2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

Charles Alcock

News and developments about aircraft engines, including turbofan, turboprop, turboshaft and piston.

News and issues relating to civil and military unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS) of all kinds and sizes, including those used for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR), combat (unmanned combat air vehicles, or UCAVs), law enforcement, research and other applications. Of particular focus is the FAA's planned integration of UAS into the U.S. national airspace system.

Essential news and analysis on the defense aerospace business. Your trusted source for new and ongoing programs and requirements in military aircraft (manned and unmanned), engines, avionics, weapons and associated systems, including ground-based air defense.

Partners seek to boost military options for countering drone threats 

Honeywell and Odys Develop Laila VTOL Anti-drone Platform

News and developments about airplanes, helicopters and unmanned air vehicles used in all varieties of operations, including airlines, military, business, commercial, general aviation and private.

News about bills, laws, regulations and other governmental decisions affecting aviation and aerospace. Topics include FAA re-authorizations, taxes on fuel and aviation activities, environmental legislation, ICAO decisions, governmental mediation of labor conflicts and World Trade Organization disputes and decisions.

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Full-scale, pre-production aircraft is set to start test flights

Oman Will Assess Use Cases For Odys' Laila Hybrid-Electric VTOL

Peter Shaw-Smith

Honeywell ground control stations enable BVLOS operations

Odys Taps Honeywell for UAS Ground Control Stations in Oman

Logistics group Aramex Emirates is evaluating plans to deploy a pair of hybrid-electric aircraft being developed by Odys Aviation for cargo flights in the UAE and Oman. A letter of intent signed on January 9 could pave the way for possible sales of the U.S. company’s Laila uncrewed air vehicle and the larger VTOL aircraft that Odys is now calling the Alta.
Depending on progress made under the partnership, Dubai-based Aramex could start operations with the Laila UAV, which has a 130-pound payload and a projected range of 450 miles. Odys has already flown a full-scale example of this model and aims&nbsp;to start series production in 2026, after rolling out a prototype this year.
With a 22-foot wingspan, Laila features a scaled-down version of the hybrid-electric propulsion system Odys plans to use for Alta, which is primarily intended as a nine-passenger regional airliner. It also employs the company’s patented flap-based thrust vectoring system for lift and blown wing architecture.
Odys, which is preparing to launch a Series A funding round, now anticipates that it can complete type certification of Alta in 2028. The aircraft will have a range of 750 miles, or 200 miles if using only electric propulsion, and a cruise speed of 345 mph.&nbsp;
<figure role="group" class="caption caption-drupal-media align-center">
<article class="media media--type-image media--view-mode-default">
 
 
 <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/futureflight/import/Odys%20Media%201.jpg" width="6016" height="4016" alt="Odys Aviation is developing a nine-passenger hybrid-electric aircraft." title="Odys now refers to its nine-passenger hybrid-electric regional airliner as the Alta. (Image: Odys Aviation)">

</div>
 
 <div class="field field--name-field-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">Odys now refers to its nine-passenger hybrid-electric regional airliner as the Alta. (Image: Odys Aviation)</div>
 
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<figcaption>Odys now refers to its nine-passenger hybrid-electric regional airliner as the Alta. (Image: Odys Aviation)</figcaption>
</figure>
Aramex will now work with Odys to define possible routes and concepts of operations for both aircraft in the Gulf region and hopes&nbsp;to firm up commercial arrangements once approvals have been secured from the local regulator. Part of the attraction for the logistics group is the potential to reduce carbon emissions from cargo flights by up to 76 percent, depending on whether the turbogenerator runs on sustainable aviation fuel or existing jet-A supplies.
The agreement reached at the end of the recent COP28 climate change conference hosted by Dubai is expected to advance cooperation under the UAE-U.S. Partnership for Accelerating Clean Energy, which was signed in November 2022. This could provide the platform for implementing decarbonization projects valued at approximately $100 billion by 2035.
Aramex has already made some use of drones and robotic technology for its various logistics services and is now looking for greener alternatives to ships and trucks. “VTOL cargo aircraft will provide us with the operational edge for our business-to-business and business-to-consumer middle-mile [services],” said Angad Singh, the company’s global director for innovation. 
“Building on our announcement earlier in 2023 that Odys has partnered with the UAE Ministry of Economy’s NextGen FDI program, we are excited to be able to continue our momentum in the region and are looking forward to leading the development of the sustainable, low-carbon aviation sector in the UAE, Oman, and other Gulf states,” commented Odys co-founder and CEO James Dorris. The NextGen FDI technology investment program was launched in July 2022 with partners including several leading Gulf banks, the Dubai South airport&nbsp;and free-zone business park group, and Dubai Internet City.
Last year, Aramex and the Emirates Postal Group signed letters of intent with <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2023-11-28/dronamics-plans-manufacture-and-fly-cargo-drones-uae">Dronamics</a> covering possible purchases of its Black Swan UAV for logistics operations.&nbsp;Express delivery group <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2023-03-17/ups-will-test-betas-electric-aircraft-uae-cargo-missions">UPS</a> is already evaluating the use of Beta Technologies' Alia eVTOL aircraft for cargo services in the UAE.

Managing Editor

Aramex Considers Odys' Hybrid-Electric Aircraft for Gulf Cargo Services

Odys Aviation is working to bring an uncrewed air vehicle (UAV) called Laila to market over the next 24 months, targeting a variety of logistics roles. The newly disclosed project is being advanced at the same time that the California start-up is developing its nine-passenger hybrid-electric VTOL aircraft, which features flap-based thrust vectoring to generate lift and a blown wing.
To boost capital reserves raised through its <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2022-02-11/odys-secures-funding-develop-hybrid-blown-wing-evtol-aircraft">$12.4 million seed round</a>, Odys is preparing for a Series A funding round. Some financial support for the planned 130-pound-payload UAV has come from eight U.S. Department of Defense contracts that will result in the delivery of 10 pre-series-production aircraft for test and evaluation in 2025. It has already flown a full-scale prototype of this model, for which it aims to start series production in 2026.
Laila is expected to have what the military defines as a Group 3 expeditionary footprint, meaning it can be shipped anywhere in the world and be ready to fly in less than 20 minutes. Its projected range is 450 miles, with a cruise speed of 125 mph and a service ceiling of 18,000 feet. In addition to the Pentagon, Odys has been in touch with prospective customers involved in logistics, e-commerce deliveries, and offshore and humanitarian support roles.
Laila will have a scaled-down hybrid propulsion system and use the distinctive flap-based thrust vectoring system, similar to the nine-passenger aircraft. “This is a great first product to derisk our technology, regulatory compliance pathways, and production processes,” co-founder and CEO James Dorris explained.
According to Jonathan Stephens, Odys’s head of certification and airworthiness, while Laila will not necessarily require a type certificate to enter service, the company intends to pursue that level of approval. One path to market could start in Europe by seeking design approval from EASA, which would lead to a design verification report. The company believes the work required to obtain the design verification report could be transferable via an FAA 44807 exemption certificate, or a type certificate, that would enable U.S. operations.
<h3 class="subheading">Green, Lean Regional Airliner Is in the Wings</h3>
In tandem, at <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2022-04-18/odys-aviation-makes-long-beach-hub-its-evtol-ambitions">Odys’s headquarters in Long Beach</a>, California, engineers will spend the next 24 months completing the conceptual design and begin the assembly of a prototype for what the company views as a new type of regional airliner. Operating purely on electric power, the aircraft is expected to have a range of 200 miles, increasing to 750 miles with power from the as-yet-unspecified turbine engine. The Odys aircraft will operate at altitudes of up to 30,000 feet and at speeds of up to 345 mph.
<figure role="group" class="caption caption-drupal-media align-center">
<article class="media media--type-image media--view-mode-default">
 
 
 <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/futureflight/import/Odys%20Media%201.jpg" width="6016" height="4016" alt="Odys Aviation is developing a nine-passenger hybrid-electric aircraft." title="Odys will apply the same flap-based thrust vectoring and blown wing technology for its nine-passenger regional airliner. (Image: Odys)">

</div>
 
 <div class="field field--name-field-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">Odys will apply the same flap-based thrust vectoring and blown wing technology for its nine-passenger regional airliner. (Image: Odys)</div>
 
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<figcaption>Odys will apply the same flap-based thrust vectoring and blown wing technology for its nine-passenger regional airliner. (Image: Odys)</figcaption>
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According to Dorris, battery-electric propulsion technology is too constrained in terms of payload and range for “meaningful high-impact missions,” and he expects this to remain the case for at least&nbsp;10 to 20 years. Odys has also eschewed the reliance that most eVTOL aircraft developers have on tilting fans and rotors to generate lift, in favor of its own flap-based thrust vectoring as the primary mechanism for generating lift. The flaps direct thrust from the rotors downward, and these have been combined with a blown or box wing architecture to support stability and extended range.
The passenger aircraft’s turbine engine will be able to operate on 100 percent sustainable aviation fuel. However, Odys is predicting reductions in carbon emissions of between 70 and 90 percent even&nbsp;if jet-A is used, depending on the route flown.
“With our hybrid-electric aircraft, the reserve mission can be operated on fuel, so we can use all the battery power and don’t have to save 30 to 40 percent for the reserve,” Dorris told AIN, explaining how the design will meet standard safety requirements to have sufficient power to cover for any flight diversion.
According to Odys, the aircraft will be especially efficient and have a low environmental footprint on high-frequency routes such as Los Angeles to Las Vegas, as well as on slightly longer sectors such as Los Angeles to San Francisco. It targets operators wanting to feed traffic into major hub airports with passengers connecting to high-value long-haul services, and therefore needing to be able to check luggage onto the aircraft.
The company says the aircraft will be able to serve 52 percent of U.S. domestic routes, with prospective operators also expected to start serving more convenient municipal airports, such as Santa Monica. “On many current regional routes, many travelers are not flying because they find it preferable to drive, and so the airline industry is missing out on a significant part of the customer base,” Dorris told AIN. In his view, growing numbers of travelers are demanding a way to fly with a lower environmental impact, and government policy is increasingly providing a further inducement for airlines to decarbonize their fleets.
According to Odys, it now holds letters of intent covering provisional sales agreements with 13 undisclosed airlines and operators across four continents for more than 1,200 aircraft. It values this business at more than $10 billion, which implies a base price per aircraft of around $8.3 million.
The projected timeline for Odys’s passenger airliner to enter service has slipped by around a year from mid-2027 into 2028. The company has signed memorandums of understanding with several key suppliers, who for now are undisclosed.
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Odys Unveils Laila UAV as Prelude to Hybrid-Electric VTOL Regional Airliner

Odys Aviation has relocated from Burbank to Long Beach, California, as it accelerates the development of its hybrid-electric eVTOL aircraft project with a recent $12.4 million round of seed funding out of a total of $18 million. The 15,000-square-foot facility at Long Beach Airport (LGB) will support advanced testing of Odys's eVTOL technology, as well as construction and assembly of its first human-scale demonstrators, which it plans to test and fly at a location&nbsp;outside Long Beach.&nbsp;
Odys&nbsp;said its new proximity to other entities within the aviation and aerospace industry will help cement its position as a major player in the local community of aerospace startups.&nbsp;
"We're thrilled to establish our footprint in Long Beach and engage with like-minded aerospace and aviation companies," said&nbsp;James Dorris,&nbsp;co-founder and CEO of Odys Aviation. "The forward-thinking members of the ‘Space Beach’ community make this an ideal home base for Odys to build the future of sustainable, hassle-free travel."
Long Beach has hosted some of the aerospace industry's most high-profile companies, including Boeing, Rocket Lab, Virgin Orbit, and Relativity Space. Odys cites the diverse pool of talent in the area, proximity to the Los Angeles Airforce Base, Long Beach's airport, and nearby industrial space as drivers for its decision to relocate.
Long Beach had recently signaled its desire to include advanced air mobility (AAM) in its future public transportation plans through a partnership with eVTOL aircraft developer Wisk Aero. On February 22, the companies announced the establishment of&nbsp;a working group to evaluate opportunities and plan&nbsp;for their launch.
The Odys engineering team expects to demonstrate a single-seat scaled technology demonstrator of the planned nine-passenger aircraft later this year. The aircraft will use what the company calls a patented “flap-based lifting technology” that extends flaps up to an 85-degree angle from the wing to generate vectored thrust from 16 wing-mounted propellers for both vertical and cruise flight. The company has tested the system with a three-foot wing and is building a larger demonstrator unit for the blown-wing concept.
The production aircraft, for which Odys hasn’t yet frozen the design, would fly to a range of&nbsp;1,000 miles at speeds of up to 345 mph and cruise&nbsp;at an altitude of&nbsp;30,000 feet. Odys co-founder and CEO James Dorris told&nbsp;FutureFlight&nbsp;that given the size of the cabin, most flights will likely range from 100 to 500 miles, and for what he characterized as significantly lower operating costs than those of turboprop business aircraft like the Pilatus PC-12 and Textron’s King Airs. He added that the fixed-wing model’s relatively high cruise speed will set it apart from other eVTOL models. 
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Senior Editor

Gregory Polek

Odys Aviation Makes Long Beach the Hub For Its eVTOL Ambitions

Odys Aviation this week reported that it has raised $12.4 million in seed funding to help it bring a nine-passenger hybrid-electric eVTOL aircraft to market in 2026. The California-based start-up, which has raised $13.7 million in total after graduating from the Y Combinator S 21 seed funding program, received support from Giant Ventures, Soma Capital, 11.2 Capital, Countdown Capital, Uber Elevate co-founder Nikhil Goel, and Cruise Automation founder Kyle Vogt.
The Odys engineering team expects to demonstrate a single-seat scaled technology demonstrator of the planned nine-passenger aircraft later this year. The aircraft will use what the company says is patented “flap-based lifting technology” that extends flaps up to an 85-degree angle from the wing to generate vectored thrust from 16 wing-mounted propellers for both vertical and cruise flight. The company says it has trialed this system with a three-foot wing and is building a larger demonstrator unit for the blown-wing concept.
The production aircraft, for which the design is not yet frozen, is expected to have a range of&nbsp;1,000 miles at speeds of 345 mph and to&nbsp;cruise&nbsp;at an altitude of&nbsp;30,000 feet. Odys co-founder and CEO James Dorris told FutureFlight that, given the size of the cabin, most flights are likely to be in the range of 100 to 500 miles, for which he said it will have significantly lower operating costs than turboprop business aircraft like the Pilatus PC-12 and Textron’s King Airs. He said the fixed-wing model’s relatively high cruise speed will set it apart from other eVTOL models. The additional range could be useful for possible military applications.
“The flexibility that [hybrid-electric] VTOL aircraft offer in terms of network operation&nbsp;means being able to access remote or unserviced areas, and that is very interesting, especially with longer-range and not having to refuel,” Dorris said. “Sub-regional services like this unlock the ability to reduce operational costs and give people access to far closer to where they are starting and ending their journeys with better door-to-door economics.”
Odys has not disclosed details of its planned powertrain and how the load will be split between a turbine engine and the electric motors. Dorris said this will likely depend on where the aircraft is operating, with the option to take off using battery power where strict noise restrictions need to be met. The company has been in talks with an undisclosed large aircraft engine manufacturer over the gas turbine and indicated that this decision may be announced in 2022. The turbine will be able to run on sustainable aviation fuel.
The company says it has also been talking&nbsp;with multiple Part 135 commercial operators for the past 12 months as it seeks to define performance requirements and specifications. In April 2021, JSX signed a letter of intent covering provisional orders for 200 of the Odys aircraft, plus options for up to 400 more. 
Dallas-based public charter provider JSX, which is part of the JetSuite group, operates flights out of private jet terminals using aircraft such as the Embraer 135 and 145 regional airliners. It plans to expand services to the northeastern U.S. with its so-called "hop on"&nbsp;point-to-point flights.
Odys, which was established in 2019 as Craft Aerospace, said the new funding will support plans to expand operations in a new headquarters in Long Beach and also grow its engineering and leadership teams. Co-founder Axel Radermacher is taking on a new role as head of product.
“I’m excited about Odys Aviation because their concept uniquely complements eVTOL [aircraft] by focusing on regional transportation between cities, not just within them,” said Nikhil Goel, who is also on the advisory boards of Archer Aviation and Whisper Aero. He co-founded Uber’s Elevate flight booking platform for eVTOL air taxi services, leaving the company after it was sold to Joby in December 2020.
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Odys Aviation

News

Honeywell and Odys Develop Laila VTOL Anti-drone Platform

Oman Will Assess Use Cases For Odys' Laila Hybrid-Electric VTOL

Odys Taps Honeywell for UAS Ground Control Stations in Oman

Aramex Considers Odys' Hybrid-Electric Aircraft for Gulf Cargo Services

Odys Unveils Laila UAV as Prelude to Hybrid-Electric VTOL Regional Airliner

Odys Aviation Makes Long Beach the Hub For Its eVTOL Ambitions

Odys Secures Funding To Develop Hybrid Blown Wing eVTOL Aircraft

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