FutureFlight

The company's plans to develop an eVTOL vehicle with a 440-pound payload were boosted this week by a $2 million grant from the Brazilian government.

The second-generation Cento design features a new pusher propeller that will allow the derivative of the earlier MF-100 design to carry a 100-pound payload on trips of up to 600 miles.

Swiss eVTOL developer Dufour Aerospace says it has closed a Series B funding round with a new investment from the private charter flight operator Vista Global Holding. 

Dovetail Electric Aviation this week was awarded a A$3 million grant to support its efforts to equip aircraft such as the Cessna Caravan to use electric propulsion systems.

Skyroads will use the Augsburg facility to develop its air traffic automation technology to support the operation of eVTOL aircraft and large drones.

Vertical Aerospace says it has secured a pre-delivery payment from Japanese trading and investment conglomerate Marubeni Corporation for 25 VX4 eVTOL aircraft, making Marubeni Vertical’s first customer in Asia to back its VX4 orders with a down payment. 

A 19-seat Dornier 228 aircraft with one of its turboprop engines replaced by the company's fuel-cell-based powertrain made a 10-minute flight on January 19 from Kemble Airport in the UK.

The partners aim to build and evaluate a new concept for a single-aisle commercial aircraft that would feature a truss-braced, high-aspect-ratio wing as part of the Sustainable Flight Demonstrator project.

The U.S. and European companies are rebooting their C-suites with new appointments at the start of a critical year for the advanced air mobility sector.

Initially billed as a "flying SUV" for wealthy individuals, NFT's Aska drive-and-fly eVTOL vehicle could be used for air taxi operations as early as 2026.

Aerus, a new regional carrier, plans to use the nine-seat, fully electric commuter aircraft for “middle-mile” travel in northern Mexico.

The German company is working on fuel-cell-based propulsion systems for a pair of fixed-wing aircraft aimed at the general aviation and regional airline markets.

The company announced it will use Microsoft's Azure cloud computing platform for autonomous flight simulations and the HoloLens 2 mixed-reality headset for vehicle manufacturing and maintenance.

The U.S. start-up is preparing to conduct wind-tunnel tests with a subscale model of its patented Fluidic Propulsion System. It says the system will support unprecedentedly high speeds, while also delivering reduced noise and emissions.

The company aims to have a prototype of its eBuffer system ready to start ground testing in 2023, and another unit ready for flight testing in 2025 with the chosen ZeroE demonstrator aircraft.

The U.S. air safety agency says that for now the advanced air mobility sector should consult with its Office of Airports and Flight Standards.

The hybrid-electric aircraft, which could complete certification by the end of 2023, will have a payload of around 500 pounds and a range of 300 nm. It is intended for autonomous or remotely piloted operations.

An 8K filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission explains what the eVTOL aircraft developer must do to access up to $150 million in fresh capital from the automotive group.

The European start-up expects to begin flight testing the latest prototype of its hydrogen propulsion system in February, as it prioritizes work on a passenger airliner that could shrink the globe by flying at five times the speed of sound.

The flight trials will aim to demonstrate how uncrewed air vehicles could be used for missions such as making deliveries for the National Health Service and the Royal Mail.

Ryse Aero Technologies' Recon ultralight personal aircraft just became the first eVTOL to fly at the annual Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

Electro is urging eVTOL aircraft developers not plan carefully for recharging batteries, cautioning that the approach already in use for cars won't work in the aviation sector.

The Canadian start-up has successfully completed the first hover tests of its half-scale Cavorite X5 eVTOL prototype.

The company plans to convert existing aircraft, such as the Cessna Caravan, to be remotely operated with an autopilot engaged for all phases of flight.

The automotive manufacturer will mass produce Archer's Midnight eVTOL air taxi at a new facility in Georgia and will also provide $150 million in fresh capital.

2023 looks set to test the credibility of ambitious targets set by developers of new electric and autonomous aircraft as certification and financial challenges loom large.

The latest version of the European air safety agency's draft certification requirements covering new eVTOL aircraft includes changes made following a consultation process conducted in mid-2022, and further consultation is planned for 2023.

After aiming to begin flight testing converted twin turboprop regional airliners before the end of 2022, both ZeroAvia and Universal Hydrogen are now looking to make their first test flights in January.

New share issues and lines of credit were announced at the start of the last week of 2022 as both companies manage the cost of bringing new electric aircraft to market.

Ferrovial, which designs, builds and operates airports, railways and highways worldwide, is already doing preliminary vertiport development work with some 30 prospective partners in the advanced air mobility sector.