Volocopter today confirmed that its four-seat VoloConnect eVTOL aircraft made its first test flight on May 20. During the Up.Partners annual gathering on June 7, the company said it now has full-scale prototypes of all three of its eVTOL designs engaged in test flights, including the two-seat VoloCity and the autonomous freight-carrying VoloDrone.
The VoloConnect is expected to be able to fly 60 miles, which is almost three times farther than the VoloCity's limit, and at speeds of 155 mph. The company aims to bring the model into commercial service in 2026, two years after it launches its smaller sibling.
The May 20 first flight at Volocopter’s headquarters in Bruschal, Germany, lasted two minutes and 14 seconds. The company started developing the full-scale prototype 17 months ago, in early 2021, and last year flew a one-third scaled model.
The aircraft is intended to serve relatively long routes rather than short intra-urban hops and could prove valuable in sprawling metropolitan areas like greater Los Angeles.
Since the first takeoff, it has expanded the flight envelope to achieve 40 mph in forward flight and 28 mph flying sideways. In the coming weeks, Volocopter’s flight test team will conduct low- and high-speed maneuvers, transitions between hover and cruise phases of flight, and engine failures for both automated and autonomous flight modes.
Want more? You can find a longer version of this article at FutureFlight.aero, a news and information resource developed by AIN to provide objective coverage and analysis of cutting-edge aviation technology.
Hypersonic technology developer Hermeus opted to move into the faster realm instead of supersonic, in part, because of support from military applications. Supersonic aircraft do not have the same support, according to a report from analyst Jefferies.
In addition, Jefferies noted, “Hermeus believes hypersonic aircraft may actually be easier than supersonic because the hypersonic engine uses an off-the-shelf gas turbine engine and pre-cooler up to Mach 3 and then a ramjet to Mach 5, compared to building out the supply chain for a clean sheet supersonic engine.”
The intermediate markets in defense applications are a key enabler, “of which the [U.S.] Air Force will pay for,” the analyst added. Further, Jefferies noted “hypersonic would be more efficient than supersonic jets with minimal cost advantage for supersonic versus hypersonic.”
The company is using its first application, the Quarterhorse, as a scaled vehicle to prove the engine technology. The Air Force has agreed to a $60 million 50/50 investment into Quarterhorse to collect the data that could be used for future applications. Quarterhorse is anticipated to fly in 2023.
Hermeus is next to transition to Darkhorse, which will be used to test long-duration high-speed flight, testing, and derisking. Jefferies said this will have defense applications, generating resources for Halcyon, a 20-passenger Mach 5 aircraft that is planned for commercial markets.
The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York has issued a seizure warrant for two private jets owned by Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich. According to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), the aircraft, a Boeing BBJ 787-8 and a Gulfstream G650ER, are subject to “seizure and forfeiture based on probable-cause violations of the Export Control Reform Act (ECRA) and the recent sanctions issued against Russia.”
Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) issued sanctions against it. They include expanded prohibitions on the export, re-export, or in-country transfer of U.S.-manufactured aircraft and aircraft parts to or within Russia without a BIS license. They also eliminate any license exception for aircraft owned, controlled, or under charter or lease by Russia or a Russian national.
The DOJ noted that the two aircraft—owned and controlled by Abramovich through a series of shell companies in Cyprus, Jersey, and the British Virgin Islands—were flown from a foreign country to Russia, violating the ECRA. The 787 (P4-BDL), worth approximately $350 million, was flown to Russia without a BIS license on March 4, and currently is in the UAE, while the G650ER (LX-RAY), which remains in Russia, was flown there on March 12 and 15.
Hong Kong-based business jet charter and management company Sino Jet has pledged to be fully carbon neutral by 2035, with an interim goal of having 20 percent of its managed aircraft flight operations carbon neutral by 2025. The company has already developed a carbon management system suitable for business jet operations to create a quantifiable, traceable green aircraft operation.
Using a scientific path to achieve its goal, the company plans to “focus on energy conservation and emission reduction, then supplement by carbon offsets.” For 2021, Sino’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the chain of business jet services were 31,612.14 tonnes, of which Scope 1 emissions (including aviation fuel burn) accounted for 28,282.48 tonnes. Scope 2 emissions (purchased electricity and heating) were 345.15 tonnes, while Scope 3 indirect emissions—including commuting, travel, consumables, and waste disposal—were 2,984.49 tonnes.
Sino Jet also plans to be at the forefront of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) in China, reaching an agreement with China National Aviation Fuel Group to be the pilot client for SAF at all domestic airports. The company has also pledged to use SAF wherever possible.
The Chinese company is also encouraging other business aviation stakeholders to jointly explore ways to reduce carbon emissions and conserve energy.
Prepared is the Ultimate Training Objective
To master the aircraft, one needs to go beyond the checklists. The objective of aviation training should be to put a pilot in the best possible position to succeed, no matter the circumstances. That only happens when training’s goal goes beyond proficiencies and regulatory standards. FlightSafety International’s goal is higher: to create preparedness and confidence.
The International Business Aviation Council (IBAC) has awarded Leo Knaapen with the first François Chavatte Award for Lifetime Service to Business Aviation. Knappen, the chief of industry affairs at Bombardier, has served as a representative to the IBAC governing board for industry partners. The award recognizes Knaapen's contributions and "persistent advocacy and promotion of the international business aviation industry,” according to IBAC.
IBAC established the award this year to “recognize business aviation leaders who have gone above and beyond to contribute to the industry’s advancement and growth” and to honor the memory of François Chavatte, a former representative on the IBAC governing board who passed away last year.
“It was fitting to have this award go first to Leo, an extraordinary advocate for business aviation, for his tireless work on behalf of the industry. He has been our friend and a strong IBAC supporter for many years. We are grateful to Bombardier, an IBAC industry partner, for supporting Leo’s work with our association as well as with many other associations, committees, and coalitions that work to improve our industry,” said IBAC director general Kurt Edwards.
The Academy College Learning Institute in Bloomington, Minnesota, has launched a charter flight coordinator course. The two-week, 40-hour online class is designed for Part 135 charter-flight followers and noncertified charter flight operation coordinators.
The course focuses on the day-to-day aspect of air taxi operations, covering a number of aircraft types, air charter regulatory compliance, and the charter sales process, as well as addressing how to accelerate growth in charter operations. Course tuition is $1,299.
“We are excited about the opportunity to provide this course to charter operators,” said Academy College president Nancy Grazzini-Olson. “Paired with our aircraft dispatcher experience, we are confident of the value this course will create.”
“Based on industry feedback, we see the need for quality and timely training for charter coordinators to gain an understanding of the full scope and daily demands of this crucial position,” stated National Air Transportation Association senior v-p Ryan Waguespack. “As workforce retention and recruitment are top of mind for the aviation business industry, we look forward to the advantages program like these will bring to individuals and businesses.”
Several important changes in air traffic control procedures are included in the FAA's notam for this year's Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) AirVenture, which will be held July 25 to 31 at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The notice is in effect from noon CDT July 21 until 6 a.m. CDT on August 1. It outlines procedures for aircraft that fly to Oshkosh for the event, as well as aircraft that land at nearby airports.
Some of the changes for 2022 include notices that the RFD and MBL VORs have been decommissioned; modification of several IFR routings; and aircraft camping is no longer allowed at Appleton International Airport.
“The most essential information for any pilot flying to Oshkosh involves reading and thoroughly understanding the 2022 AirVenture Notice to ensure safe operations on arrival and departure,” said EAA v-p of advocacy and safety Sean Elliott. “We also urge all pilots to log appropriate cross-country time prior to their trip to Oshkosh so they have the proficiency and confidence to fly safely.”
EAA is hosting a webinar on June 22 at 7 p.m. regarding flying to AirVenture 2022 and explaining changes in this year’s notice.
ICAO has launched its new Assistance, Capacity-building, and Training for Sustainable Aviation Fuels (ACT-SAF) program. Unveiled last week in conjunction with Stockholm+50—an international meeting convened by the United Nations General Assembly held five decades after the 1972 United Nations Conference on the Human Environment—ICAO ACT-SAF is aimed at helping member states reach their full potential for SAF development and use. The global organization is encouraging participation in the program by members to increase awareness and help develop potential SAF feedstocks over the next several decades.
The importance of renewable fuels for the future of aviation and its ability to reach its aspirational carbon reduction goals was illustrated in a 2019 ICAO committee report on aviation environmental protection. It described low carbon fuels such as SAF as having the potential of contributing up to 55 percent reductions in CO2 by 2050, followed by new aircraft technologies (21 percent), and operational improvements (11 percent).
“While no one solution will fit all states and stakeholders, the importance of ICAO’s role in bringing partners together, and supporting capacity building and implementation is very clear,” said ICAO secretary general Juan Carlos Salazar. “Many states and stakeholders have recognized the need for aviation to act now, and the contributions of ACT-SAF to the objectives of Stockholm+50 will encourage important near-term synergies for global action on sustainable fuels.”
Eviation’s Alice Could Fly to Small Towns and Cut Emissions
Eviation is preparing to start flight testing with its redesigned Alice electric aircraft that aims to bring into service from 2025. AIN/FutureFlight spoke to the company’s president and CEO Gregory Davis to find out why it’s made changes to the design and how it says airlines could make use of the new green technology.
People in Aviation
Jianwei Zhang has been appointed as chairman of Bombardier China. Zhang has more than 26 years of experience in the aerospace and transport industries, having served in various roles at Bombardier and on the company's management team.
Ken Karklin has assumed the role of CEO at Opener Aero and will also serve on the company's board of directors after Opener Aero founder Marcus Leng stepped down from the position. Karklin comes to the company after previously holding a variety of leadership roles with AeroVironment.
Guardian Jet appointed Chris Hancock as v-p of business development. Hancock has more than a decade of aircraft sales experience, including serving with Hawker Beechcraft and Dassault Falcon.
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