Author: Xin Gou

On 3 Oct. 2022 Wisk, the joint-venture between Boeing and Kitty Hawk founded by Google founder Larry Page, unveiled their latest eVTOL design which, according to the company, is their 6th generation eVTOL design.

The model, which is for now simpled called “generation 6”, is four-seat, fully electric powered, has tilt-rotor configuration with total of 12 propellors 6 of which on the leading edge can tilt for both vertical takeoff and landing as well as cruise while the other 6 propellors on the trailing edge are in fixed position for lift purpose only. The configuration is obviously a divert from their current Cora two-seat demonstrator which has lift+cruise configuration.

An important feature of the design is that it continues the autonomous flight control principle of all Kitty Hakw/Wisk designs. That means that all four seats are for passengers and there will be no pilot nor operator on board.

Wisk plans to apply for type certificate for Generation 6.

The specification of the Wisk’s Generation 6:

• Cruising Altitude: 2500 – 4000 feet above ground level
• Dimensions: <50 foot wingspan
• Range: 90 miles (with reserves) / 144 kilometers
• Cruising Speed: 110-120 knots
• Charge Time: 15 minutes

For an illustration of the operation concept of Generation 6, Wisk presents this video:

Shanghai-headquartered eVTOL startup Autoflight annouced today that the Chinese regulator CAAC accepted the type certificate application of its V2000CG “Carryall” eVTOL cargo drone.

The model has 2 metric ton maximum takeoff weight (MTOW) with 500kg cargo payload, is fully electrically powered, making its the largest cargo eVTOL applying for type certificate in China.

The model has the lift+cruise configuration with 8 lifting propellor and 1 cruising propellor. The model is a cargo conversion of Autoflight’s “Prosperity” 4-seat passenger-carrying eVTOL design which has 1.5 metric ton MTOW.

According to the trial regulation of special-class UAV operation in the form of Advisory Circular (AC) published by CAAC in 2021, UAV with MTOW over 25kg requires airworthness certification with the exemption of spraying drones for argriculatural use (flying altitude limited to 30 meters).

On 27 September 2022 “Alice” electric commuter prototype designed and produced by Eviation, the electric commuter airplane startup, tooke off for the first time from Grant County International Airport in Moses Lake, Washington, USA. The first flight happened in early morning and lasted about 8 minutes at 3700 feet.

Alice is designed to carry 9 passengers and two pilots in short-haul commuter configuration, 6 passengers in VIP executive cabine configuration and can carry up to 1.1 ton in cargo configuration with 7.5 ton gross weight. Eviation says that Alice will reach 500 miles (800 kilometers) at 400km per hour.

Eviation first unveiled Alice full-size mockup at Paris Airshow in 2019, but the company changed the design and revealed the new design in Jule 2021. Eviation expects to receive Part 23 certificate from FAA in 2025 and begins delivery to customers which have piled up over 130 orders with different configurations.

Kittyhawk, the eVTOL startup company that Google founder Larry Page founded in 2011, announced on its social media that it will “wind down.” Though it is a vague message, this post was soon interpreted that Kittyhawk is shutting down.

On one hand, the message does indicate that Kittyhawk will cease operation. Over the years, Kittyhawk has certainly established its status as the pioneer and leading player in the eVTOL and electric aviation community by designing and test flying six generations of eVTOL demonstrators which, by conventional wisdom of aviation, is a very impressive outcome.

On another hand,it may make good sense from business perspective for Kittyhawk to concentrate resources on Cora, the eVTOL project which was spun off in 2019 from Kittyhawk to form a joint venture called Wisk with Boeing which invested in $450 millions this year.After all Wisk has publicly announced that it will unveil the four-seat Cora new design in October which will apply for certification and finally be intended for commercial operation. Compared with Cora, Kittyhawk has canceled the Part 103 ultralight category Flyer single-seat eVTOL in 2020 and currently only has Heaviside single-seat eVTOL demonstrator in hand which the company does not specify a clear goal of development.  

Regardless of the final fate of Kittyhawk, there is no doubt that it has left a deep dent in eVTOL history with its efforts and aircraft and will see its legency carried on in Wisk.

The Chinese eVTOL startup Volant Aerotech today revealed the full-scale prototype of their five-seat (one pilot and four passengers) eVTOL VE25 X1 which has “lift+cruise” configuration with four lift propellors and two pusher propellors for cruise.

Volant Aerotech was founded in Shanghai in mid-2021 by a group of aviation veterans from COMAC (the Chinese equivalent of Boeing and Airbus) and another Chinese eVTOL startup Autoflight as well as the Chinese subsidiaries of Airbus, GE, Honeywell and Collins. The company test flew a 1/3 sub-scale demonstrator in September 2021. The company raised seed fund in “millions” USD and closed pre-A series fundraising in June this year over 100 millions RMB (15 millions USD).

Aerofugia, the aviation subsidiary of Geely Auto unveiled their TF-2 eVTOL full size prototype which has 5-seat and tilt rotor configuration.

it appears that the four rear rotor/props are in fixed position for lift and two of the four front rotor/props are tilt for lift and cruise and there’s another pusher prop in the rear dedicated for cruise. Aerofugia plans to make the first flight by the year end.

Geely is the owner of Terrafugia and an equity investor of Volocopter and formed a joint-venture in China with Volocopter in Sep. 2021.

Today at Sunward Aircraft’s factory in Hunan province, China, Volkswagen China’s CEO Dr.Stephan Wöllenstein unveiled the full-size mockup of their eVTOL design named “V.Mo”.

According to VW China, the design will build on existing autonomous driving solutions and battery technology to create zero-emission mobility. The prototype is a lift+cruise configuration with a length of 11.2 meters and a wingspan of 10.6 meters, eight propellors dedicated to vertical take-off and landing and two propellers for horizontal propulsion.

VW China developed the design together with Sunward Aircraft which is the largest producer of light sport airplane (LSA) in China with over 100 sales per year and is also producing small helicopter and multicopter unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV)

VW China intends to further optimize the design, and plans to test fly a demonstrator in the second half of this year, and to test fly the improved prototype at the end of summer 2023. This pure electric, fully autonomous flying eVTOL aircraft will eventually be able to carry four passengers and luggage for up to 200 kilometers range.

On 27 July 2022 Volkswagen’s Chinese subsidiary will unveil their eVTOL design. VW China released a short teaser video today for the event.

VW China has been studying eVTOL project for a while. According to the teaser video, it seems that the design is a lift+cruise configuration with a canard. It is said in the Chinese eVTOL community that VW China partners with a Chinese light airplane manufactuer for this eVTOL development. What’s VW China’s plan for this eVTOL? We will keep you updated when more details are available.

The 16th Electric Aircraft Symposium (EAS) , hosted by the Vertical Flight Society again for this year, returns to an in-person format at Oshkosh, Wisconsin on July 23-24, 2022, the weekend before EAA AirVenture. EAS 2022 will be a hybrid event at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh (at the Culver Family Welcome Center) and online. So if you can’t come in person, you can have the option to join online, but coming to Oshkosh maybe just for Airventure, the largest general aviation airshow and fly-in, is certianly recommended!

As the world’s longest-running electric aviation meeting, EAS 2022 presenters will discuss the latest in electric aircraft, propulsion systems, energy sources, certification, regional and urban use cases, and the current market opportunities — for electric vertical / short / conventional takeoff and landing (eVTOL / eSTOL / eCTOL) aircraft. Each moderated panel session will include a Q&A discussion with presenters and attendees. The program will run from 8:00 am to 5:30 pm CDT on Saturday and Sunday with seven sessions a day. So prepare for a packed schedule.

The cost of the two-day symposium is $175 for on-site or virtual attendees. There is also a special virtual-only option for VFS student members of only $25. Details on the agenda, registration and sponsorships are posted at: www.vtol.org/eas.

The digital version of the latest “e-Flight-Journal” is available for download now at: https://pdf.e-flight-journal.com The printed version will be distributed at EAA Airventure next week. So pick up a hard copy while they last if you come to Oshkosh yourself or read the PDF version here. Choice are all yours!

If you have missed the trade show recently, no problem! In this issue, you’ll find many show reports including the 11th e-Flight-Expo at AERO Friedrichshafen, ILA Berlin Airshow as well as the Greentech Festival in Berlin. There is a full spectrum of electric aviation development in these shows from hydrogen, electric motor, to eVTOL and fixed wing.

You’ll see the report of several maiden flights of different types of electric aircraft including the first transition flight of the Prosperity eVTOL of Autoflight, as well as the Elektra Trainer two-seat 600kg electric ultralight from Elektra Solar.

If you are a tech nerd, you will find a very interesting exclusive interview with the Chinese eVTOL startup Pantuo Aviation who has designed a futuristic looking ducted-fan eVTOL,test flew a sub-scale demonstrator in short time, and won a design award in Germany. Their engineering team explained many technological details of their eVTOL design.

While waiting for the next issue, please enjoy reading this current issue!