Mark Huber

For many companies in the urban air mobility new wave, designing and building eVTOL aircraft is just the start. During a seminar this week, leaders from Joby, Archer, and United Airlines sought to demystify the buzzwords and business school theory behind their plans to transform the way people move around in a way that is more economically and environmentally sustainable.

Rolls-Royce has signed a memorandum of understanding with several German government agencies to advance the research and development of hybrid-electric propulsion systems for the next generation of aviation in Brandenburg.

The growth of the eVTOL industry has resulted in increased membership at the Vertical Flight Society, which sponsors extensive programming in support of the sector.

German chemicals group BASF says its latest high-temperature proton exchange membranes could reduce the weight of HyPoint's hydrogen fuel cells by around one-third, allowing aircraft developers to extend range with greater hydrogen capacity, or add passenger seats and cargo.

Bell first unveiled the Nexus eVTOL mockup at the Consumer Electronics Show in 2019, but since then the company has not provided any substantial updates on how the program is progressing. The helicopter manufacturer will be exhibiting the design in the Smithsonian Institution’s Arts and Industries Building's Futures show this fall, along with other examples of its technological achievements.

The California-based start-up is working to convert turboprop regional airliners to hydrogen propulsion using its proprietary technology, which includes delivering the fuel directly to the aircraft in capsules that are fitted in the rear of the fuselage. It is opening an engineering and design center at Toulouse-Blagnac Airport in France, close to the headquarters of European aerospace group Airbus.

Bye Aerospace's eFlyer family of all-electric light aircraft are proving popular with flight training schools as they promise to reduce the cost and environmental impact of preparing new pilots. KLM Flight Academy in the Netherlands this week ordered six of the eFlyer 2 aircraft and eight of the larger eFlyer 4s.

Following on from its recent commitment to buy 50 of Electra Aero's eSTOL aircraft, the Bristow Group announced wider plans to replace its rotorcraft fleet with up to 50 of Vertical Aerospace's VA-X4 eVTOL vehicles. The operator is looking to diversify its portfolio of transportation services into new activities such as logistics and onshore passenger flights.

The privately developed Vertiport Chicago is conveniently located near many of the most popular business districts in the Midwest U.S. city. It is open around the clock, can accommodate eight helicopters on the ramp simultaneously, and has space for new operations, including eVTOL air taxi services. What's more, local politicians support further expansion of activity on the downtown site.

At the recent EAA AirVenture show in Oshkosh, Opener demonstrated its BlackFly single-seat eVTOL aircraft in the event's flying display and also exhibited simulators that it will use to train owner-pilots. The secretive U.S. company for the first time disclosed some information about the model's performance and specifications and said that it will open its order book before the end of 2021.