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Aircraft

AutoFlight achieves ‘world’s longest eVTOL flight’

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AutoFlight, the global eVTOL (electric Vertical Take Off and Landing) pioneer, says it has achieved “the world’s longest eVTOL flight in history” with distance of 250 km / 155 miles on a single charge of the aircraft’s lithium-ion batteries.

The flight, which took place at AutoFlight’s eVTOL testing facility on February 23th, consisted of 20 circuits on a predefined flight track, with the plane remotely piloted from the ground by AutoFlight’s Flight Test team.

Interestingly, while AutoFlight’s Gen4 aircraft is fitted with the latest in state-of-the-art avionics, the aircraft also ran third-party avionics to record and verify the distance flown on ForeFlight, an independent system widely used in the aviation sector. [Read more…] about AutoFlight achieves ‘world’s longest eVTOL flight’

Stratom and Imenco partner to develop robotic refueling systems for commercial aviation and offshore environments

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The strategic partnership combines industry-leading technologies and expertise to deliver best-in-class autonomous refueling solutions to increase efficiencies, optimize business objectives and improve safety for global customers across various industries

Stratom, a developer of robotic refueling and autonomous systems, and Imenco, a specialist in military and civil aviation refueling solutions for commercial aviation and offshore applications, have agreed a strategic partnership to bring robotic refueling systems to customers worldwide.

The collaboration offers proven advanced systems that deliver safe and sustainable autonomous refueling systems that boost business value for the industrial, aviation, defense and offshore industries.

The partnership brings new and advanced developments in the autonomous refueling space. The combined portfolio offering equips organizations with the right tools to streamline operating efficiency, improve resource optimization, maximize human capital and enhance decision-making when autonomously fueling aircraft, vehicles and equipment. [Read more…] about Stratom and Imenco partner to develop robotic refueling systems for commercial aviation and offshore environments

Raytheon invests in H55 to advance electric propulsion technologies for airplanes

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RTX Ventures, the venture capital arm of Raytheon Technologies, has made a minority investment in electric propulsion system company H55 to drive the development of electric aviation solutions.

The investment in H55 aligns with Raytheon Technologies’ longstanding leadership in the development of innovative and sustainable propulsion technologies.

H55, a Swiss company, is a leading enabler of electric propulsion solutions and battery systems. The team has proven ability in developing, integrating and flight-testing electric propulsion systems, including Solar Impulse, the first solar-powered electric airplane to fly around the world. [Read more…] about Raytheon invests in H55 to advance electric propulsion technologies for airplanes

Hyundai partners with Rolls-Royce to develop electric and hydrogen engine for new types of aircraft

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Rolls-Royce and Hyundai Motor Group are to collaborate on bringing all-electric propulsion and hydrogen fuel cell technology to the Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) market, which includes electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft.

The partnership will leverage Rolls-Royce’s aviation and certification capabilities and Hyundai Motor Group’s hydrogen fuel cell technologies and industrialisation capability.

Both companies share a vision of “leading the way” in the AAM market delivering battery-electric and fuel cell electric solutions to the Urban Air Mobility (UAM) and Regional Air Mobility (RAM) markets and advancing sustainable aviation. [Read more…] about Hyundai partners with Rolls-Royce to develop electric and hydrogen engine for new types of aircraft

Denso and Honeywell to develop electric engine for Lilium Jet

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Denso and Honeywell Aerospace are co-developing an electric motor for the Lilium Jet.

This is the first product developed by Honeywell and Denso since formalizing their alliance, and it marks Denso’s entry into the aerospace market. The two companies will work with Lilium, developer of the first all-electric vertical take-off and landing (“eVTOL”) jet, to integrate the e-motor into Lilium’s aircraft engines.

Electric aircraft are not only quiet and comfortable, but are also more sustainable as they do not emit CO2. As mobility becomes increasingly diversified, air mobility offers potential solutions to prominent transportation issues, such as traffic congestion in urban centers, CO2 emissions and transportation access in less populated areas. [Read more…] about Denso and Honeywell to develop electric engine for Lilium Jet

Autonomous aviation company Xwing expands its air cargo operations to 400 weekly flights

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Autonomous aviation company Xwing is marking what it describes as “significant milestones”, including the expansion of its commercial cargo operations under FAA CFR Part 135 Air Carrier certificate, the addition of FAA CFR Part 145 certificates and “rapid company growth”.

Over the last 12 months, Xwing has more than tripled its team to 180 employees.

Xwing has completed the acquisition of Martinaire Aviation, a Texas-based FAR Part 135 air cargo carrier with over 40 years of experience throughout the United States. [Read more…] about Autonomous aviation company Xwing expands its air cargo operations to 400 weekly flights

Skyports partners with Park24 to develop vertiport infrastructure

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Air taxi vertiport developer and operator, Skyports, and Japan’s largest parking lot and car sharing operator, Park24, have signed an agreement to explore the development and integration of vertiport infrastructure of “advanced air mobility” (AAM) into Park24’s parking and car sharing network.

The agreement also involves partners including Aioi Nissay Dowa Insurance, a Japanese general insurance company, and Kanematsu Corporation.

Aioi Nissay Dowa provides and arranges insurance for ground infrastructure and related air mobility services and aim to develop a mobility as a service that seamlessly integrates air and land. [Read more…] about Skyports partners with Park24 to develop vertiport infrastructure

Hydroplane highlights its hydrogen fuel cell powerplant development

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Los Angeles-based Hydroplane is participating in the 2022 European Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (EBACE2022) May 23-25, 2022, where it will showcase its work toward a modular hydrogen fuel cell powerplant for aviation and mobile energy storage.

Hydroplane’s large 9m x 9m booth is located in EBACE’s Innovation Zone in the company of the most pioneering future aviation technologies.

Hydroplane CEO Dr Anita Sengupta will also participate in EBACE’s Newsmakers Luncheon on May 23 from 12 to 1.30 pm. She is serving on the “Sustainability – A Flight Plan for the Future” panel, which highlights visionaries making inroads in tomorrow’s sustainable aviation fuels and offsetting solutions. [Read more…] about Hydroplane highlights its hydrogen fuel cell powerplant development

Wisk and Skyports partner to develop infrastructure for autonomous aircraft

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Wisk Aero and Skyports are partnering to integrate autonomous, electric, vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft operations at vertiports and other ground-based infrastructure.

The partnership marks the first collaboration between a vertiport developer-operator and an autonomous eVTOL developer in the US.

Wisk Aero is an advanced air mobility company and developer of an all-electric, self-flying air taxi in the US, while Skyports is a developer and operator of vertiports (landing sites for eVTOL aircraft). [Read more…] about Wisk and Skyports partner to develop infrastructure for autonomous aircraft

Airbus boss backs hydrogen airplanes as the ‘ultimate solution’

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The CEO of Airbus, currently the largest aircraft manufacturer in the world, says he believes hydrogen-powered airplanes are the “ultimate solution” to the unfair criticism of the aerospace industry as a planet-polluting monster.

The World Wildlife Fund says the aviation industry is “one of the fastest-growing sources of the greenhouse gas emissions driving global climate change”, adding that air travel is “currently the most carbon intensive activity an individual can make”.

These things have been true for many decades, but with completely crazy extreme weather systems attacking different parts of the world on an almost weekly basis over the past couple of years, the search for sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) has taken on a new urgency. [Read more…] about Airbus boss backs hydrogen airplanes as the ‘ultimate solution’