Important Innovations

  United Airlines Buys 100 Midnight Flying Taxis Pre-Debut                                      Source:  Archer Aviation Air Taxis Official Midnight Unveiling in Mid-November 2022 California-based Archer Aviation will unveil the first production ready version of its eVTOL Midnight on November 16, 2022, in San Jose. This flying taxi is very successful "sight unseen", as the eVTOL technologies and the engineering underpinning it are so impressive.  United Airlines has placed a down payment of $10 million to buy 100 Midnights to fly passengers to and from its major hubs.  And Archer has partnered with global automaker Stellantis (Chrysler, Fiat) to develop the eVTOL and to achieve manufacturing scale for full manufacturing production of the aircraft for global sales.  Midnight is a fully electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft that can carry 4 passengers and a pilot.  It is designed to play a significant role in the emerging urban air mobility market to particularly fly c

  X2 Flying Taxi Successfully Flies for 90 Minutes in Dubai                                        Source:  Dubai & XPeng Dubai as an Innovation Capital In Dubai, Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer XPeng just made history by successfully completing the 1st public test flight of its eVTOL flying taxi X2.  X2 is a 2-seat air taxi that is fully electric and vertically takes-off and lands like a helicopter.  The intelligent, flying mobility system was cleared by Dubai authorities for flying and flew for 90 minutes at a public event called Skydive Dubai.  XPeng executives call the X2 "3D transportation" in which everyone can fly. Unique Flying Capabilities The X2 is specifically designed for low altitude, city flying capabilities.  It is meant for short-haul flights and has a maximum flight speed of 81mph.  The X2 will go into mass production in 2024.  XPeng executives say the next generation of the flying taxi will be electric, highly intelligent, have vertical takeoff and

   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

  New Personal eVTOL Z2 by Zeva Aero of Tacoma, WA                                                  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 forw

  3 Weeks of  eVTOL 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

  Flying Taxi Has 30 Tilting Jet Fans To Fly                                             Source:  Lilium Radical New Aviation Technology At the recent Farmborough Air Show in the UK, Munich-based eVTOL startup Lilium unveiled its 6 passenger and 1 pilot new eVTOL (electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicle).  The electric flying machine has 30 tilting jet fans to lift off, fly and land. It is revolutionary aviation technology that Lilium hopes to have European certification to fly commercially by 2025.  Lilium is collaborating with a global leader in aircraft systems and cabin design, Diehl Aviation to finalize the vehicle. Timeframe and Tech Specs Lilium is significantly accelerating the testing and development of the eVTOL.  The company has faced some criticism for slippage in its time frames.  5th generation eVTOL demonstrators are currently undergoing testing at Lilium facilities in Spain. The company is also working on next-generation battery technology systems to expand range

  Working Prototype of the Flying Tiger                                                  Source:  VW China VW's First Aircraft Design The world's largest auto maker, Volkswagen, has just unveiled its first aircraft design, in the form of a working prototype. Formally called the VMO and nicknamed the Flying Tiger, it's a state-of-the-art passenger drone prototype, designed to serve as a flying taxi to shuttle a maximum of four passengers at a time between big cities, first in China. The Flying Tiger is all electric and totally autonomous.  It's being developed by engineers, scientists and roboticists at VW China in Beijing.  VW believes that we are headed towards a world where everyone is a pilot, with or without a pilot's license.  That's the perfect fit for the self-flying drone, Flying Tiger. Tech Specs The vehicle is a state-of-the-art drone, powered by 8 rotors for vertical lift and mobility and 2 rear propellers for forward movement. It is an eVTOL (electri

  VW Updates & Accelerates Flying Taxi eVTOL Plans                                                  Source:  VW VW's Flying Tiger Volkswagen Group has accelerated its plans for an autonomous, pilotless flying taxi that can carry four passengers for shuttle rides between big cities.  The name of the eVTOL (electric, vertical takeoff and landing) vehicle is the Flying Tiger.  VW just provided an update that it is significantly accelerating R&D and software development for the flying taxi.  At Volkswagen Group China headquarters in Beijing, where the eVTOL is being developed, VW officially unveiled a prototype of the Flying Tiger. Specifics That We Know The Flying Tiger is a totally electric-powered drone with 8 rotors for vertical lift and 2, rear propellers for horizontal flight.  Interestingly, it uses current autonomous driving technologies and battery systems for piloting, power and zero emissions.  It has an unusual X-shaped wing that spans 34.7 feet.  The actual aircraf

  VW Is Very Serious About Urban Air Mobility                                                                                                Source: Volkswagen eVTOL Flight Tests To Start This Year Volkswagen just unveiled a flying taxi prototype that is being developed by the automaker's division in China.  VW calls it a "passenger drone".  It is fully electric, fully autonomous and takes off and lands vertically like a helicopter.  VW plans to start test flights later this year and build an upgraded prototype by the summer of 2023.  For VW, air taxis could be a significant commercial venture. The VW flying taxi prototype is called V.MO. Tech Specs  The eVTOL has ten rotors: eight for vertical lift and two for forward, horizontal flight.  VW hopes to achieve a 124-mile range on a charge.  It will be used to ferry passengers within cities such as from an office park to the airport and also to fly from city to city such as Baltimore to Washington, DC.  VW is working with s