Important Innovations

  Rome's Vertiport at Fiumicino International Airport                                                  Source:  Volocopter 1st Piloted eVTOL Flight in Italy German electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) vehicle startup Volocopter has just successfully completed its first crewed public test flight in Rome.  The flying taxi launched from a new vertiport at Rome's Fiumicino International Airport.  The test was designed to showcase both the Volocopter flying taxi and Rome's 1st vertiport. It also provided the public with a new perspective on how urban air mobility vehicles might effectively work to ferry passengers between the city of Rome and Fiumicino Airport.  The Airport is planning to go fully commercial and operational with the vertiport, which will be a first for Italy.  Volocopter expects to be fully operational in Rome, Singapore and elsewhere with flying taxi services in 2024.  What The Flight Achieved The Volocopter 2X did a figure 8 in the skies over Rome at

   4-Seat Air Taxi Going After FAA Certification                                             Source:  Wisk Aero New Form of Urban Commuting Mountain View, California-based Wisk Aero, which is financially backed by Boeing, just unveiled its 6th generation, 4-seat, autonomous air taxi.  The eVTOL is all-electric and a very sleek and smart new way to travel.  This is the design that the aerospace startup company intends to put into production and bring to market.  Wisk Aero is now seeking its FAA certification to fly passengers, along with certifications in New Zealand and elsewhere.  The company has performed more than 1600 test flights with its new air taxi.  It is clearly getting ready for take-off. Unique Autonomous Flying with Remote Human Backup The technology underpinning Wisk is highly advanced.  While the eVTOL flies autonomously without a pilot, remote human operators monitor it and are ready to take over and fly it remotely if need be.  The autonomous flying is controlled by &q

  Wisk Aero's   4-Seat Air Taxi Going After FAA Certification                                             Source:  Wisk Aero New Form of Urban Commuting Mountain View, California-based Wisk Aero, which is financially backed by Boeing, just unveiled its 6th generation, 4-seat, autonomous air taxi.  The eVTOL is all-electric and a very sleek and smart new way to travel.  This is the design that the aerospace startup company intends to put into production and bring to market.  Wisk Aero is now seeking its FAA certification to fly passengers, along with certifications in New Zealand and elsewhere.  The company has performed more than 1600 test flights with its new air taxi.  It is clearly getting ready for take-off. Unique Autonomous Flying with Remote Human Backup The technology underpinning Wisk is highly advanced.  While the eVTOL flies autonomously without a pilot, remote human operators monitor it and are ready to take over and fly it remotely if need be.  The autonomous flying is

  2-Seat eVTOLs Made in Japan                                                  Source:  SkyDrive Hot Japanese Startup SkyDrive Japanese eVTOL startup SkyDrive intends to introduce flying taxi service at the World Expo 2025 in Osaka, Japan.  The company just unveiled its new, two seat SD-05 eVTOL which will be the flying taxi vehicle taking passengers on short flights around the big event.  SD-05 is the next technological iteration on the original one-seat, sporty prototype SD-03 which has been successfully flown in demonstrations in Japan since it was introduced in 2020.  SkyDrive is a hot eVTOL startup with a partnership with Suzuki and millions of dollars in investment money bankrolling the development of its flying taxis. It just raised $66 million in a Series C funding round to build the SD-5's as well as its cargo drones. New Technologies & A Bird-Like Design The SD-05 will be piloted by a human who will get lots of assistance from a computer-controlled flight system.  The

  2-Seat eVTOLs Made in Japan                                                  Source:  SkyDrive Hot Japanese Startup SkyDrive Japanese eVTOL startup SkyDrive intends to introduce flying taxi service at the World Expo 2025 in Osaka, Japan.  The company just unveiled its new, two seat SD-05 eVTOL which will be the flying taxi vehicle taking passengers on short flights around the big event.  SD-05 is the next technological iteration on the original one-seat, sporty prototype SD-03 which has been successfully flown in demonstrations in Japan since it was introduced in 2020.  SkyDrive is a hot eVTOL startup with a partnership with Suzuki and millions of dollars in investment money bankrolling the development of its flying taxis. It just raised $66 million in a Series C funding round to build the SD-5's as well as its cargo drones. New Technologies & A Bird-Like Design The SD-05 will be piloted by a human who will get lots of assistance from a computer-controlled flight system.  The

  Windy City Air Taxi Testing Underway                                                       Source: Eve Chicago Accelerates the Dawn of Cities With Flying Taxis In what appears to be a world first, Embraer's Eve eVTOLs have been participating in real-world simulated test flights in Chicago, using helicopters as substitutes for the eVTOL flying taxis.  The test program is called the Chicago XP program and it has been taking place throughout September 2022.  So far, it is quite a success.  The helicopters, which take off and land vertically like an eVTOL which are not authorized yet to fly, have been operating out of three Chicago area heliports.  Passengers are able to use tablets with special software to see how the eVTOLs and vertiports in real, operational mode would look and work. Why the Simulations? Eve air taxis will be ready to go into fully operational service by 2026, pending regulatory clearance by the FAA and other aviation authorities.  The Chicago simulations are prov

  Windy City Air Taxi Testing Underway                                                       Source: Eve Chicago Accelerates the Dawn of Cities With Flying Taxis In what appears to be a world first, Embraer's Eve eVTOLs have been participating in real-world simulated test flights in Chicago, using helicopters as substitutes for the eVTOL flying taxis.  The test program is called the Chicago XP program and it has been taking place throughout September 2022.  So far, it is quite a success.  The helicopters, which take off and land vertically like an eVTOL which are not authorized yet to fly, have been operating out of three Chicago area heliports.  Passengers are able to use tablets with special software to see how the eVTOLs and vertiports in real, operational mode would look and work. Why the Simulations? Eve air taxis will be ready to go into fully operational service by 2026, pending regulatory clearance by the FAA and other aviation authorities.  The Chicago simulations are prov

  United Buys Hundreds of Flying Taxis from Eve Air Mobility                                                         Source:  Eve  United Also Invests $15M in Eve United Airlines is making it clear that it believes flying taxis are a big part of the near-term future of air travel.  United has announced the purchase of 200 eVTOLs (electric, vertical takeoff & landing vehicles) from Eve Air Mobility of Melborne, Florida.  Additionally United has the option of purchasing 200 more eVTOLs from Eve.  And, United is also investing $15 million in the company.  Delivery of the 4-seat electric aircraft will be in 2026.  Eve was recently spun off by Brazilian aviation giant Embraer and went public.  Embraer and Eve maintain working relationships.  As a result, Embraer service centers, warehouses and field technicians will service the air taxis for United, along with Eve technicians. Big Aviation Partnership United and Eve intend to partner on the development and utilization of the Eve eVTOLs

  New Personal eVTOL Z2 by Zeva Aero                                                  Source:  Zeva Aero Your Next Ride to Work Tacoma, Washington based Zeva Aero's new electric vertical take-off and landing vehicle Z2 is a personal aircraft designed for personal commuting, cargo deliveries, military operations and search and rescue missions.  The vehicle has some unique capabilities including the capacity to park itself on the side of buildings so that the passengers can go in and out of the building onto the eVTOL through a window.   This is Zeva Aero's second prototype flying taxi after Zeva Aero's Zeva Zero.  Z2 is larger, faster, more efficient with bigger propellers.  This prototype should be ready for further development by the end of 2022.  Tech Specs Z2 has four rotors.  The range is 50 mph and top speed is 160 mph. The blended wing configuration of the aircraft makes it look like a flying saucer when it hovers or is flying on its side.  It tilts forward for forwar

  3 Weeks of Testing Are About to Begin                                   Source: Eve and Heliport Chicago Chicago's Vertiport and Embraer's Eve eVTOLS Are Center Stage Here's some very exciting news concerning the future of air taxi travel that is getting a lot closer.   Chicago is leading the way to the future of travel by air taxi eVTOLs, or electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicles.  Brazilian-based aviation leader Embraer and its Eve eVTOL division will perform their first, flying taxi simulations in North America starting on September 12th and lasting for three weeks in the Windy City.  For the simulation of routes, operations, etc., Eve will use traditional helicopters that will give a real-world sense of what it would be like in a big city like Chicago with flying taxi eVTOLs operating as a commuting choice.  Vertiport Chicago, which is a ten-acre facility for helicopters, will be a takeoff and landing point for the simulations and wants to have a major eVTOL r

  Fascinating New Flying Car from LEO Flight                                                  Source:  LEO Flight New, Very Fast, Long-Range Flying Car Being Developed in US A stunning, very futuristically styled, all-electric flying car called the LX-1 LEO Coupe has just been unveiled by US based, eVTOL startup LEO Flight.  It's a piloted, electric vertical takeoff and landing "personal automobile for the skies".  A hyper eVTOL, it has extraordinary speed and range.  The electric flying car can take off and land on a driveway for ultra-commuting convenience.  LX-1 has good looks, uniquely powerful technology and great inventor pedigrees - all of which have the potential to shakeup the global flying car industry. Tech Specs LX-1 is an experimental prototype with an aluminum frame. The prototype was built to test its innovative powertrain that contains four banks of at least 72 small vertical-lift fans.  Two larger fans in the back of the vehicle give it forward, horizonta

  Germany's Prolific Flying Taxi Company                                   Source:  Volocopter eVTOLs Aerial Technology Platforms Being Tested You might call it a technological trifecta.  Germany-based flying taxi startup Volocopter has developed three, distinctively different eVTOLs (electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicles) that are engaged in flight testing.  This is a unique, technological achievement in the global eVTOL market. Volocopter's latest eVTOL, the 4-passenger VoloConnect, just successfully completed its first flight. VoloConnect Tech Specs VoloConnect is a fixed wing, electric, vertical takeoff and landing aircraft.  It is powered by two propulsion fans and 6, lift electric motors and rotors.  It can carry four passengers and a pilot.  VoloConnect is designed for speeds up to 155 mph. Its mission is to air taxi passengers between cities and suburbs. It has a range on a charge of 60 miles. Three Very Distinctive Aircraft Volocopter's two other eVTOLS ar