Charles Alcock

News

VoltAero Recruits Aerostructures Group Sonaca to for Cassio Production

The airframe for the Cassio hybrid-electric aircraft will be more aerodynamic than the current Cassio 1 testbed.

Belgium-based aerostructures specialist Sonaca will oversee the design and engineering transition from the current Cassio testbed to the production versions of the four- to 10-seat hybrid-electric aircraft family.

October 30, 2020

News

China's Aviation Regulator Establishes Unmanned Aviation Zones

Chinese eVTOL aircraft developer EHang will be one of the main beneficiaries of a decision by the Civil Aviation Administration of China.

The new Unmanned Civil Aviation Experimental Zones will give China's autonomous aviation industry more opportunity to develop technology and early operations across 13 Chinese cities.

October 28, 2020

News

Falck Plans to Use eVTOL Aircraft for Emergency Response by 2025

The Danish emergency response and healthcare group is already employing drones to support operations worldwide.

Denmark-based Falck says it is setting up initial test operations with an unnamed "technical partner" to use manned eVTOL aircraft for emergency response work. The company has 25,000 employees in 30 countries.

October 26, 2020

On The Radar

ASTM International Workshop Will Cover Means of Compliance for eVTOL Aircraft Certification

The November 2 event will provide a forum for developers of these aircraft to address how gaps in consensus safety standards are now being filled.

October 25, 2020

News

Pipistrel Chooses Honeywell Fly-by-Wire for Nuuva V300 Cargo UAS

Honeywell's role in the Slovenian company's UAS and eVTOL programs represents one of the first projects for its new UAS/UAM business unit.

Honeywell has condensed its fly-by-wire flight control technology for use on much smaller unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) and eVTOL models. The new Compact Fly-By-Wire system can support both autonomous and piloted operations.

October 22, 2020

News

Uber Watchers Look For Clues About Its Next UAM Moves

In a conference this month, Uber Elevate's head of engineering seemed to temper expectations regarding the pace and scale of its plans to launch urban air mobility services.

The Covid-19 pandemic has hit transportation companies like Uber hard, raising questions across the urban air mobility sector as to whether timelines for service entry may have to be modified.

October 20, 2020

News

VoltAero's Cassio Set for Tour-de-France Demonstration Tour

The Cassio technology demonstrator will visit 10 cities all around France to show local business and political leaders its potential.

VoltAero has partnered with airport and infrastructure group Edeis to make the case for its hybrid-electric Cassio eSTOL aircraft. The partners say the aircraft will deliver cost-effective regional air services to underserved communities, along with reduced carbon emissions.

October 20, 2020

On The Radar

Hyundai Executive Sheds Light on the Carmaker's Urban Air Mobility Plans

Pamela Cohn, COO of Hyundai's new Urban Air Mobility Division, addressed questions posed by the Roland Berger consultancy.

October 20, 2020

News

Western U.S. Group Forms Alliance to Advance Hydrogen Propulsion

The new Western States Hydrogen Alliance is pushing for increased use of hydrogen fuel cells for multiple modes of transporation, including aviation.

Founder members of The new Western States Hydrogen Alliance include Korean automotive group Hyundai, which has already announced plans to develop an eVTOL aircraft.

October 16, 2020

News

Supersonic Bizjet Pioneer Aerion Teams With eSTOL Developer Electra

Aerion envisages eSTOL and eVTOL aircraft transporting passengers to and from its long-range AS2 supersonic jet, which is set to enter service in 2027.

Electra is a U.S.-based launched by John Langford, who founded Aurora Flight Sciences. The company has published almost no details on its plans to develop an eSTOL aircraft but has been boosted by a new partnership with supersonic business jet developer Aerion.

October 16, 2020