VTOL On Demand Mobility

Archibald said:
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.

www.politico.eu

Why you won’t fly in an air taxi at the Paris Olympics

With five months to go before the Olympic flame is lit, the regulatory path is still far from the finishing line
www.politico.eu www.politico.eu
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“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.
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On the bright side, it'll save them the embarrassment of Paralympians looking for a ride and realising the thing's not wheelchair accessible.
 
VTOLicious said:
Omg, I think this is the most inefficient airframe one can come up with to carry 3 passengers. Design by committee?
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DOPH-1156-168-1024x682.jpg


Looks like someone had a secret love affair with Clement Ader.
Just call it Eole II and roll it directly into an Aviation museum, skipping the test flight.
 
VTOLicious said:
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/View attachment 721870
"...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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There are certain designs that make me think, 'Now someone thinks this is a good idea... why?' That's actually a serious thought and I'm genuinely bemused. Someone actually ran numbers on this and got results that satisfied them.

A little less seriously, this is perhaps a convincing argument why committees should meet in person instead of just sending emails. (Didn't open the attachment? No excuse.)

Maybe I'll go back to figuring out how sandworms could live. That'll be easier.
 
verticalmag.com

Eve’s Johann Bordais on developing a lift-plus-cruise eVTOL aircraft

With the backing of established aerospace manufacturer Embraer, Eve Air Mobility has all the cards in place to be one of the main players in the AAM space.
verticalmag.com verticalmag.com

"The lift-plus-cruise configuration favors efficiency, simplicity, and passenger comfort"

"This avoids changing the position of components during flight, resulting in fewer moving parts, optimized structures and systems, the potential for less maintenance and a lower cost of operation for the aircraft."

This is an interesting point. The complex tiltrotor mechanism Joby designed could become a maintenance headache down the line, contributing to higher operating costs. But I guess until both aircraft enter service we won't really know which design is superior.

This is a close up shot of the Joby tiltrotor:

 
www.ainonline.com

'Harsh' eVTOL Operating Demands Shorten Battery Life | AIN

Lithium-ion batteries available today cannot endure the harsh operating conditions of eVTOL air taxi operations, according to an ORNL study.
www.ainonline.com www.ainonline.com

"Because eVTOL batteries will be subject to “very harsh conditions,” he explained, they may be prone to premature and unforeseen damage and corrosion."
 
www.flyingmag.com

A First Look at Joby’s eVTOL Future

The Joby Aviation production model is ready for flight test, but are we ready to fly?
www.flyingmag.com www.flyingmag.com

www.flyingmag.com

Joby Aviation Signs Exclusive 6-Year Deal for Electric Air Taxi Service in Dubai - FLYING Magazine

The manufacturer will work with the city’s Road and Transport Authority (RTA) to fly air taxis in the United Arab Emirates by early 2026.
www.flyingmag.com www.flyingmag.com

It also appears that they will start commercial services in Dubai before the U.S. I'm guessing they anticipate some potential delays regarding FAA certification as well as the need to start generating some badly needed revenue.
 
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LowObservable said:
As it happens I just concluded a deep dive into the wonderful world of eVTOL.

I once attended an all-male coven, and I emerged quite convinced that never in my life would I see a bigger load of warlocks.

I was wrong.
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And they're all going to be multibillion dollar companies. Or so they say.
 
Considering the Cambrian explosion going on, this this pertinent. It's about the similar proliferation of AI startups but the author describes principles he thinks are universal.

In short, the AI craze is a bubble and it has 5 stages: Displacement (gosh, wow!), boom (what have we got? Get it to market, I don't care if it works!), euphoria (it's the biggest thing since fried Elvis! Dive down the back of the sofa, we're going to invest every penny!), profit taking (burning money and not much real profit... time to get out, methinks), and then panic (Oh shit, why did't I sell the stock last week?).

I'm not sure I agree. Everyone likes to think there's a formula for business or that history is in some way deterministic (google 'cliodynamics'). There was the dotcom bubble that burst but now there's Amazon.

www.theguardian.com

From boom to burst, the AI bubble is only heading in one direction | John Naughton

No one should be surprised that artificial intelligence is following a well-worn and entirely predictable financial arc
www.theguardian.com www.theguardian.com
 
1024px-Hype-Cycle-General.png
Gartner Hype Cycle - with eVTOLs we are right now at the Trough of Disillusionsment. We got the negative press of Joby crashing, we got the addtional money necessary, apparently already to given to Volocopter directly by the state and there hasnt been any adoption yet at all.
Early peak of inflated expectations was rougly in 2018 with Uber making it known to everyone.
 
www.ainonline.com

TCab Tech gets $20 million from Middle East investor for E20 eVTOL aircraft | AIN

Chinese eVTOL aircraft developer TCab Tech has closed a Series A funding round with a $20 million contribution from an investor in the Middle East.
www.ainonline.com www.ainonline.com

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_C8lkMRaYQA&ab_channel=FUTURENEVADA


This project is interesting because they are using Safran electric engines rather than obtaining a cheaper domestic alternative, like so many other Chinese eVTOL developers have done.

Safran Aims To Be First To Certify Electric Engine | Aviation Week Network

The French aerospace company anticipates European certification in the first quarter of 2024.
aviationweek.com aviationweek.com
 
It just lacks an efficient augmented stabilization system. Nothing fancy.
 
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electrek.co

Joby completes pre-production eVTOL testing, segues into production prototype flight certification

Urban Air Mobility specialist Joby Aviation is touting its latest milestone in eVTOL development today, relaying that it has completed...
electrek.co electrek.co

Finally they are going to start flight testing with production conforming prototypes.

"With pre-production prototype eVTOL testing now complete, Joby says it will focus on flights using its production prototypes as it prepares to begin for-credit flight testing en route to full-fledged commercial airworthiness certification"
 
www.ainonline.com

Eve Reports Progress in Building Full-scale eVTOL Aircraft Prototype | AIN

At Taubaté in Brazil’s São Paulo state, Eve Air Mobility is now assembling the first full-scale example of its four-passenger eVTOL aircraft.
www.ainonline.com www.ainonline.com

We finally get a glimpse of Eve's first prototype under construction. Considering that this project has a lot of engineering assistance from Embraer, this design has a better chance of succeeding than other upstarts.
 
Sighs.... More claims and a computer rendering.... If you've nothing better to do, read all about it....
"

AIR presents cargo-focused eVTOL aircraft​

AIR’s eVTOL offerings now include an unmanned variation of AIR One for cargo and logistics use, featuring its agile design across different use cases."


Too cynical? Sorry but I've met a few characters in the eVTOL world recently ;)
 
https://aviationweek.com/aerospace/...r-gain-time-financing-remains-crucial-concern "Getting to certification is a “$2 billion affair,” Roewe said on an ILA panel. The company has raised around $1.5 billion so far and spent nearly that amount. (Klaus Roewe, Lilium)

Interesting, because Mark Moore estimated a few years back that you would need ~$1 billion. I guess we will only know when the first eVTOL is certified what it actually costs.
 
Grey Havoc said:
From back in January:
tipbandit.com

eQO Limo Futuristic Multipurpose eVTOL Concept

The “eQO Limo” is an eVTOL vehicle that has been designed to be part of the next generation of green urban transportation, based on electric engines and sustainable energy. Capable to transport up to…
tipbandit.com tipbandit.com
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What an aerodynamic salad. Loads of flying surfaces (6?) plus pitch control from rotors controlled. Very draggy as the tip of each flying surface will be shedding a vortex (induced drag), it really strikes me as designed by someone who doesn’t know how stability and control works combined with a low drag architecture… certainly no understanding of induced drag.

Another qualified graphic artist promoted to head of aerodynamics and marketing?
 
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Zoo Tycoon said:
What an aerodynamic salad. Loads of flying surfaces (6?) plus pitch control from rotors controlled. Very draggy as the tip of each flying surface will be shedding a vortex (induced drag), it really strikes me as designed by someone who doesn’t know how stability and control works combined with a low drag architecture… certainly no understanding of induced drag.

Another qualified graphic artist promoted to head of aerodynamics and marketing?
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What on earth's going on with the four side-mounted ducted fans pointing into the fuselage? (Need to watch the video to see them, they're mostly hidden in the top view).

ISTR the main wing design with the separated tips is one of those supposed to get good function from tip vortex entrainment, but with so many other vortexes at work, who knows what the result will be.

At least one pair of engines is mounted on outriggers projecting forward from the mini strut-braced wing, so why they don't eliminate that entire structure and put them all on outriggers from the main wing I'm really not sure.

*Boggle*
 

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