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The Japanese personal eVTOL maker SkyDrive has selected Toray Carbon Magic to develop advanced carbon fiber-reinforced plastics for the structure of its SD-05 flying car.&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/aircraft-program/skydrive">SkyDrive’s SD-05</a> is a fully electric, two-seat flying car for which the start-up&nbsp;is seeking type certification. The Japan Civil Aviation Bureau (JCAB) <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2022-05-03/japanese-regulator-approves-type-certification-basis-skydrives-personal">approved the type certification basis</a> for the SD-05 in May, and SkyDrive plans to have the SD-05 enter service in Japan’s Osaka Bay area by 2025.
According to SkyDrive, Toray’s advanced composite materials will help the eVTOL manufacturer make its flying car lighter, stronger, and more energy efficient. Toray has extensive experience providing carbon fiber-reinforced plastics for the automotive and aerospace industries. The companies have already begun conformity assessments to determine whether the new material will meet SkyDrive’s required specifications for the SD-05.
“Toray Carbon Magic’s advanced carbon fiber reinforced plastic is an essential element of our two-seater aircraft SD-05," SkyDrive CEO Tomohiro Fukuzawa said in the July 18 announcement. "Starting with this material compatibility testing, we will continue to work closely together to promote the development of a light and strong ‘flying car’ airframe structure, with the aim of realizing an air mobility society.”
Founded in 2018, SkyDrive achieved the <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2020-08-28/skydrive-takes-funding-past-50-million-and-flies-sd-03-car-public">first test flights</a> of its SD-03, single-seat flying car prototype in August 2020. That same month, the startup announced that it had raised ¥3.9 billion ($31 million) in a Series B funding round to support its development of flying cars and cargo drones. To date, the company has raised more than $50 million. In March 2022, the Japanese car maker <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2022-03-22/car-maker-suzuki-backs-skydrives-plans-bring-flying-car-market">Suzuki Motor Corporation</a> joined the company’s efforts to develop the two-seat SD-05.&nbsp;
While the SD-05 is SkyDrive's first vehicle that will be evaluated for type certification, the company has said that its production model will be a new version of the aircraft known as SD-XX. Like the SD-05, the SD-XX will be a fully electric, two-seat personal eVTOL with eight propellers. SkyDrive says the SD-XX will have a maximum cruise speed of 100 km/h (62 mph) and a flight time of 20 to 30 minutes and will fly at a maximum altitude of 500 meters (1,640 feet).&nbsp;

Science & Technology Editor

Hanneke Weitering

SkyDrive Picks Toray To Supply Composites for Personal eVTOL

California-based eVTOL start-up Overair has selected Toray Composite Materials America to supply advanced materials for its Butterfly eVTOL prototype.&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/aircraft-program/butterfly">Overair’s Butterfly</a> is a six-seat eVTOL aircraft designed to provide a sustainable aerial ride-sharing option for urban areas with dense populations and heavy traffic. Toray will provide a carbon fiber composite infused with an epoxy resin—also known as a “pre-impregnated” material, or prepreg—for the Butterfly prototype’s structural components and propulsion units. Specifically, the Butterfly will use <a href="https://www.toraycma.com/wp-content/uploads/3960-PREPREG-SYSTEM.pdf">Toray’s T1100/3960 prepreg material</a>, which is specially formulated for high-performance aerospace systems.&nbsp;
"We're excited to be working closely with Toray's advanced materials as we continue the development of our all-electric Butterfly experimental prototype aircraft," said Ben Tigner, co-founder and CEO at Overair. "Our unique propulsion system requires materials that provide a...combination of high stiffness and high strength, while also maintaining the optimal weight targets for the vehicle."
The <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2021-08-12/overair-lifts-veil-reveal-its-butterfly-evtol-aircraft-design">Butterfly’s design</a>, which is based on the patented optimum speed propulsion system developed by company founder Abe Karem, features four large tilting propellers that spin slowly in hover mode and even slower during cruise flight. Overair says this all-electric propulsion system will reduce power consumption, boost the payload-carrying capacity, and allow the Butterfly to produce significantly less noise than helicopters and other eVTOLS.&nbsp;
“By using the ‘optimum speed’ for each phase of flight, Butterfly uses less battery power, leaving extra margins for safety and performance in tough weather, as well as range and payload,” Overair says on its website.
Overair <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2022-01-21/overair-starts-ground-tests-butterfly-evtols-propulsion-system">began ground testing</a> the Butterfly’s propulsion system in January 2022, and the company expects its new aircraft to take flight in 2023. It said that it is on track to complete FAA Part 23 type certification by the end of 2025, and it aims to start commercial operations in 2026.
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Toray Will Provide Advanced Composites for Overair's Butterfly eVTOL Prototype

Joby Aviation will&nbsp;employ composite materials supplied by Toray Advanced Composites to build its family of eVTOL aircraft. The two companies announced a long-term supply agreement on December 8 covering unspecified quantities of carbon fiber to be used&nbsp;in the fuselages of Joby’s initial four-seat model.
Japan-based Toray has already started supplying prepreg carbon fiber for an unspecified number of aircraft. These are being delivered to Joby Aviation’s headquarters in California from Toray's U.S. production facilities, with the supplier having committed to delivery rate increases as required by the program.&nbsp;
Joby’s all-electric S-4 model is expected to deliver a range of 150 mph and a top speed of 200 mph. The company aims&nbsp;to have an aircraft certified and ready to begin small-scale commercial operations as part of Uber Elevate’s planned ride-hailing service by 2023.
In July, Toray announced a similar deal with German eVTOL aircraft developer Lilium. The company has already started receiving carbon fiber to use for the construction of further technology demonstrators of its five-seat, all-electric Lilium Jet. It is also sending materials to some of Lilium’s manufacturing suppliers.
The partnership also involves the engineering teams at Lilium and Toray working together on research and development focused on other high-performance, lightweight materials. Toray has extensive experience in developing carbon-fiber for aerospace applications, such as Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner.
Toray said that it is also supplying carbon fiber to multiple other eVTOL aircraft developers.

Managing Editor

Charles Alcock

Joby Selects Toray to Supply Carbon Fiber for eVTOL Aircraft

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Toray

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SkyDrive Picks Toray To Supply Composites for Personal eVTOL

Toray Will Provide Advanced Composites for Overair's Butterfly eVTOL Prototype

Joby Selects Toray to Supply Carbon Fiber for eVTOL Aircraft

Toray To Provide Composites for Lilium eVTOL

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