Charles Alcock

Charles Alcock is a senior editor with AIN Publications, having returned to the company in 2019 to launch FutureFlight.aero. He has been an aviation journalist since 1986, and previously worked for AIN from 1990 to 2017, most recently as editor-in-chief. In his new UK-based role, he focuses on covering new aerospace technologies and international news.

Having been raised in the London area, Alcock studied at Manchester University in the northwest of England and earned an honors degree in Politics and Modern History. He speaks English and French, and some German.

News

European Flight Simulation Tests eVTOL Aircraft Airspace Integration Scenarios

Flight trials conducted this week at Pontoise airfield near Paris saw Volocopter's 2X eVTOL vehicle flying alongside Pipistrel's Velis Electro aircraft and M3's Boreal UAS drone to show how crewed and uncrewed traffic can mix in lower airspace.

The third in an ongoing series of flight testing as part of Europe's CORUS-XUAM uncrewed traffic management concept of operations project evaluated what happens when flight plans have to be changed due to unforeseen circumstances. Volocopter's 2X eVTOL vehicle and the Boreal UAS drone used an uncrewed traffic management system, while Pipistrel's Velis Electro aircraft used the local air traffic management system at the Paris-area Pontoise airfield.

Volocopter's 2X eVTOL vehicle (foreground) and Pipistrel's Velis Electro electric light aircraft were involved in flight trials to evaluate air traffic management for crewed and uncrewed operations.

News

Kittyhawk Signals Its Imminent Exit from eVTOL Aircraft Innovation

The company founded by Google gurus Larry Page and Sebastian Thrun says it is still "working out what's next" but has decided to wind down its operation.

Kittyhawk was launched in 2010 and has worked on several eVTOL aircraft designs and technologies, including most recently the Heaviside autonomous vehicle. The company jointly owns Wisk Aero with Boeing and has been involved in its plans to bring a four-passenger eVTOL air taxi to market.

Kittyhawk has been developing the Heaviside autonomous eVTOL aircraft.

News

Ecocopter Teams with Airbus over eVTOL Service Plans in South America

The rotocraft operator, with a fleet of 21 Airbus helicopters, is looking at how eVTOL aircraft could be deployed for commercial services across Chile, Ecuador, and Peru.

Under a memorandum of understanding, Chile-based Ecocopter is conducting joint studies with Airbus regarding possible plans to launch eVTOL aircraft services in that country as well as in Peru and Ecuador. The European aerospace group aims to certify its four-passenger CityAirbus NextGen eVTOL aircraft in 2025.

The CityAirbus NextGen eVTOL aircraft is expected to fly up to around 50 miles on a single electric charge.

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Jetson Refines Design for Personal eVTOL Vehicle as Fundraising Continues

The Swedish company has delayed the start of manufacturing from 2022 to 2023 as it works on further refinements to the design of its Jetson One single-seater personal eVTOL vehicle.

Jetson says it has raised $8 million toward its $10 million seed funding target as it starts flight testing technology demonstration examples of its single-seat eVTOL vehicle at a private airfield in Italy. The start-up says it will now deliver the $92,000 vehicle fully assembled to customers, rather than as self-build kits, and claims to have collected around 500 down payments of $22,000.

Jetson is testing flying its single-seat personal eVTOL vehicle at a private airfield in Italy.

News

Mako Promises Viable Regional Airline Range with Electric Superconductor Propulsion System

The UK-based startup is seeking to optimise existing superconductor technology to develop its Forerunner family of electric-ducted-fan engines to power flights of up to around 600 km.

Mako Aerospace has launched a new seed funding campaign to finance work to build and fly a full-scale prototype of its Forerunner electric-ducted-fan engines. The young Scottish company is developing a family of propulsion systems with power ratings above 800 kW that it said could be used for new or existing airliners seating 10 or more passengers.

Mako Aerospace is developing a family of superconducting electric propulsion system for aircraft.

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Heart Unveils Plans for 30-seat Electric Regional Airliner with New Backers

The Swedish start-up has attracted new investments from Air Canada and Saab to bring the ES-30 into commercial service in 2028, which is two years later than the in-service date that had been announced for the smaller ES-19 aircraft.

Heart Aerospace is offering a 30-seat electric regional airliner in place of the 19-seat model it announced in 2020. The company, which is now backed by Air Canada and Saab, reports that it is adding a pair of turbogenerators to a quartet of electric motors to provide energy reserves it says airlines will need for viable operations, and also to give the option of extending the range to 800 km (500 miles).

Air Canada says it will buy 30 of Heart Aerospace's planned 30-seat ES-30 electric regional airliner.

News

New Beta App Gives Access to Growing Network of Electric Vehicle Charging Stations

The eVTOL aircraft developer is developing the recharging infrastructure needed to make electric vehicles viable and will make facilities available to operators of multiple vehicle types via a mobile app.

Beta Technologies is building a network of charging stations across the U.S. that it says can support existing electric cars and trucks as well as any new electric aircraft, including the five-passenger Alia 250 eVTOL that it plans to bring to market in 2025. The company has introduced a mobile app that will allow users to access potentially hundreds of multimodal recharging facilities at airports and other locations.

Beta Technologies is installing a network of charging stations for electric ground and air vehicles.

News

PAL-V International Opens UK Sales Operation for Its Liberty Flying Car

The convertible road/air vehicle will be on display at Oxford Airport from September 20 to 22, and PAL-V's new facility in the UK will offer a simulator for new users to try out the flying car.

Netherlands-based PAV-V International now expects to get EASA airworthiness approval for its two-seat gyroplane under the special conditions the European regulator agreed to last year for existing CS-27 rules. The Liberty vehicle, which is already cleared for road use, is expected to be able to transition to flight mode in six minutes, with operators deploying stowable rotors before takeoff.

PAL-V's Liberty flying car converts from road to air operations by deploying a stowable rotor.

News

Volant Aerotech Rolls Out VE25 eVTOL Technology Demonstrator

The Chinese company rolled out the first full-scale example of the lift-and-cruise design on September 2, at an airfield in Yixin, a city near Shanghai.

Volant Aerotech has unveiled a full-scale technology demonstrator of the four-passenger eVTOL aircraft VE25, for which it aims to achieve type certification in 2026. The Chinese company rolled out the first full-scale example of the lift-and-cruise design on September 2 at an airfield in Yixin, a city near Shanghai.

News

Kaman Prepares To Start Flight Testing of Kargo UAV Autonomous Logistics Platform

The specialist helicopter manufacturer believes it can save lives and costs by replacing crewed helicopters with its new 500-pound autonomous vehicle for military resupply missions.

Kaman Aerospace plans to demonstrate the Kargo UAV aircraft by the end of 2022 to prospective U.S. military customers. Powered by a Rolls-Royce R-300 turboshaft engine, the model is expected to be able to carry 800-pound loads up to 500 nm, building on the success of Kaman's uncrewed K-Max heavy lifter in Afghanistan with the U.S. Marine Corps.