Nick Klenske

Piasecki Aircraft aims to build and fly a full-scale prototype of its hydrogen-powered PA-890 helicopter in 2023. Before then, it will evaluate the high-temperature fuel cell technology provided by its partner HyPoint in an existing helicopter and will conduct extensive ground testing of the technology to be used.

Hydrogen is gaining ground as a medium- to long-term alternative aviation fuel that will deliver on carbon-neutral objectives, but it is only as green as the process used to make it. This conundrum has prompted Element 1 to develop a process using methanol as a feedstock.

To date, Jaunt Air Mobility has been pursuing its advanced air mobility ambitions in a more low-key manner than some of its eVTOL rivals. However, through a pending merger with the Airo Group and multiple partnerships with leading aviation companies, Jaunt says it is ready to fully exploit the potential of its slow rotor compound technology.

The first H2-Aero Symposium & Workshop will bring together multiple companies pioneering hydrogen propulsion technology for aviation with government and industry leaders seeking to promote the green fuel's adoption for new aircraft. The latest Vertical Flight Society event follows its recent Transformative Vertical Flight conference, which heard from another strong hydrogen advocate, Anita Sengupta Anita Sengupta whose HydroPlane start-up is working on plans for a 1-MW powertrain that will support various types of electric aircraft.

Recent legislation in the U.S., such as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, has established funding and regulatory paths to support the rollout and adoption of new forms of air transportation, such as those promised by eVTOL aircraft. According to Diana Cooper, global head of policy and regulations at Hyundai’s eVTOL division, Supernal, regulators are at last starting to deal with transportation needs at a multimodal level that could see advanced air mobility become a valued addition to national infrastructure.

According to Elroy Air co-founder David Merrill, his company's autonomous Chaparral C1 VTOL cargo transporter will bring the convenience and profitability of express freight deliveries to corners of the earth that cannot be reached by current aircraft and ground vehicles. He told the Vertical Flight Society's Transformative Vertical Flight conference that it will provide unprecedented door-to-door connections for cargo deliveries.

U.S. airports group Avports says it has joined Jaunt Air Mobility's Access Skyways initiative as part of its wider commitment to making air transport more environmentally sustainable. It will work with the eVTOL aircraft developer and other expert partners to prepare the complex array of infrastructure and service and support provisions needed to support commercial operations with electric aircraft.

Almost 12 years have passed since Sikorsky announced Project Firefly to explore the potential for electric-powered helicopters, and yet the U.S. group's ambitions in the advanced air mobility sector are no clearer. During a presentation at the Vertical Flight Society's Electric VTOL Symposium, strategy lead Jonathan Hartman spelled out what Sikorsky sees as the priorities for technological advances while avoiding any specific commitment regarding what the rotorcraft giant might deliver.

Companies preparing to launch eVTOL air taxi services say they will offer very affordable flights based on greatly reduced operating costs and economies of scale. Some aircraft developers have projected per-passenger-mile costs of between $1 and $3, but questions remain as to whether all aspects of their operating costs are sufficiently well known, with so many aspects such as ground infrastructure and regulation still not resolved.

Connectivity technology group Skyward is improving the support its platform provides for drone operators using the FAA's low-altitude authorization and notification capability while investing in longer-term advances in the use of 5G networks. Beyond existing drone services, the improved connectivity will support autonomous operations for eVTOLs and other new air vehicles.