VTOL On Demand Mobility


A good general overview of where the industry is today.

A few choice quotes;-

“Why aren’t we building cities in the sky?” asks Archer founder and CEO”

Nurse, Nurse….. Meds required for this one

And

“ Within our lifetime, many of you are going to own your own personal electrical helicopter. This is just unbelievable!”

Yep you said it, the last sentence, ….maybe his get out jail card for his Therous type trial.

And

“BEVIRT (Joby CEO) invites me to his home in the Santa Cruz Mountains, on the other side of the range from Silicon Valley. He wants me to understand how much Joby’s eVTOL ties into this one particular place. We sit together alongside a pond not far from his handsome but not showy house. Reportedly 440 acres, his property sits amid the towering redwoods, bluffs, and steep cuts overlooking the Pacific Ocean.”

Wow, hasn’t he done well out of a venture that’s yet to make a penny from selling anything. All you rich folk out there, give me your money for ……..nothing really.
 
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“We are determining whether EHang hid flight restrictions that came with its highly touted certification issued by the Civil Aviation Administration of China,” said Reed Kathrein, the Hagens Berman partner leading the investigation. “We are also investigating whether the company lied to investors about its technology and book orders.”
 

“We are determining whether EHang hid flight restrictions that came with its highly touted certification issued by the Civil Aviation Administration of China,” said Reed Kathrein, the Hagens Berman partner leading the investigation. “We are also investigating whether the company lied to investors about its technology and book orders.”
Maybe more like EHangup?
 


We finally get a look at the definitive version of the Hyndai evtol design. It looks similar to the Archer evtol design.
 


We finally get a look at the definitive version of the Hyndai evtol design. It looks similar to the Archer evtol design.
Look closer. It has more in common with Joby than Archer. It's the arrangement and types of rotors/props that really classify these silly things.
 


We finally get a look at the definitive version of the Hyndai evtol design. It looks similar to the Archer evtol design.
downward tilt at that height can be reasonable?

and I want to know what happen to the two overlapped prop-disks at cruise mode (+ rotor radius is relatively larger for its size?)
 
downward tilt at that height can be reasonable?

and I want to know what happen to the two overlapped prop-disks at cruise mode (+ rotor radius is relatively larger for its size?)
Although this tilt rotor configuration is reasonable, the ground clearance of the rear rotors may be a concern indeed.

Screenshot_20240110_163609.jpg
 

" Sirius says it's already started the certification process with the FAA, with a demonstration plane scheduled for first flights in 2025"

I'll give them some credit, at least they provided a schematic of this vehicle to show how the internal layout will look like. Whether or not this is practical I have no idea.
 

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Although this tilt rotor configuration is reasonable, the ground clearance of the rear rotors may be a concern indeed.

View attachment 716673

For something designed to loiter above city and residential area, they appear to have given a very low value in their design key points for the safety of the public...

Imagine that thing in a forced emergency landing in a school backyard or a college football field...

I can even foresee the marketing adds:
- It will make you head turn around!
- ...Your daily spin-off !
 
Whats the effect of the distance in z-axis (upwards) between the forward and rear rotor layers?
Several rotors arranged next to one another and/or one behind the other always have an impact on one another ...and the surrounding aircraft structure as well.
However, I don't see any particular problem with the vertical distance between the rotor disks.
 
Several rotors arranged next to one another and/or one behind the other always have an impact on one another ...and the surrounding aircraft structure as well.
However, I don't see any particular problem with the vertical distance between the rotor disks.
If they were on the same plane, the wake from the front would miss the rear props during transition flight. This is also when the props are working the hardest and will have the most skew flow and thus high hub moments and airframe vibrations. So there is definitely a downside, but they hope it will be manageable and none of these aircraft are supposed to fly in transition for very long. Supposed to.
 
This girl will be prepping the ground crew:

images
 

It's going to be interesting to see how operators make a profit from these aircraft once you factor in the high acquisition costs plus the price tag of setting up all the infrastructure you'll need to service and operate these eVtols autonomously.
 
Given the cost of aviation Manpower in many countries, the business plan is all done if, and I insist, if they can match the say.
 
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Cascading failure that could be avoided with a canted disc installation to indulge an out of plan separation trajectory.
 
Hello,

Does anyone have more information on the defunct Bosch Aerospace Cyclorotor concept? I'd be interested in finding out more about it, it seems to be a very peculiar project that peaked my interest. Are there any specifications, dimensions, performance? Is there anyone that was previously involved in the project?
 

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A realistic appraisal of the ambitious timeliness that many startups are projecting regarding FAA certification.

The article completely omits the Part21 approvals that are the fundamental foundation of certification. These are a massive undertaking for a start up. This article highlights the lack of understanding of the certification process within the eVTOL industry.
 
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Meanwhile at Paris 2024 Olympic games... https://www.lesechos.fr/industrie-s...pendant-les-jeux-de-paris-2024-a-vide-2078405

Long story short: yeah sure, you will see them fly. But with no passengers, because no EASA certification in time.


Wait,

“Instead, I expect Volocopter to fly under a nationally issued Permit to Fly from the French DGAC [Directorate General for Civil Aviation] on pre-defined and highly controlled routes, with pre-selected non-paying passengers” such as “celebrities, athletes, and probably journalists,” the person added.

Ah, the sacro-sanct VIPs will get their rides. Also journalists. Yeepeeee !

With the chances of getting regulatory approval ahead of the Olympics fading , the German company is already looking to the next big event to showcase the potential of air taxis: the Jubilee Year in Rome in 2025.

That's when people from around the world will trek to the Eternal City to get their sins forgiven, and Hoke hopes that some of that charity will apply to his company as well.

Hilarious. Then again, they are right betting on christianism / catholicism. That religion certainly has a knack at making its VIP fly. Don't forgot Jesus and his mother did ascent to the heavens, rocket style, at a time when EASA and FAA did not exactly existed.

Plus miracles, obviously.
 
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I have the gut feeling Lilium slowly arrives in reality. Hence the "Jet" slowly transforms from "VTOL Air Taxi for Average Joe" to "CTOL High Price Toy for VIPs". To be fair, they didn't announce CTOL yet, but I can see at least STOL coming. And it would make much more sense with those tiny fans.
View: https://youtu.be/5yC1YIaiN7U?feature=shared
 
Omg, I think this is the most inefficient airframe one can come up with to carry 3 passengers. Design by committee?
https://verticalmag.com/news/airbus-unveils-cityairbus-nextgen-prototype-ahead-of-test-campaign/ DOPH-1156-187-1000x750.jpg
"...CityAirbus NextGen has a wing span of about 40 feet (12 meters) and is powered by eight propellers and 16 electrical power units, with dual systems for redundancy. When in operation, it will carry one pilot with three passengers in a banked seat at the rear of the cabin. Airbus is developing the aircraft to fly with a range of 50 miles (80 kilometers) and reach a cruise speed of 75 mph (120 km/h)..."
 

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