Innovative eVTOL aircraft to soon take to the skies

The demand for eVTOL aircraft has seen a surge like never before, thanks to the ever-evolving technology and rapid advancements in electrical propulsion.

Not surprisingly, the unprecedented surge has pushed key players like Airbus, Boeing, Toyota, Honda, Hyundai and NASA, with each bringing their best innovation (s) to the fore.

Not wanting to leave the game just to the big boys, numerous small-time aviation start-ups have now started grooving to the beat and here's a showdown of 7 unique eVTOLs presented by such players:

1. The Big Bessie

Kelekona is a NY based startup proposing a mass transport-sized eVTOL airbus service. The model, dubbed "The Big Bessie", is different from other models in that when most concepts revolve around two- to seven-seat cabins, Bessie would be capable of ferrying 40 people over long distances.

Freethink

Akin to a " Thunderbird" style lifting body, the gigantic 3.6-megawatt-hour battery pack has the potential to deliver enormous range figures up to 375 miles (600 km) at speeds around 200 mph (320 km/h).

2. The Tiny Tim

Ever fancied sifting through the skies like a Superman? "The Tiny Tim" by Zeva just might be the right option for you. The team at Zeva has modelled a concept wherein the model would stand upright on the ground, take-off vertically, and once airborne, tilt forward head-first and fly Superman-style!

Inceptive Mind

What's more?! It would just take about as much garage space for a motorcycle and can clock speeds up to 160 mph (257 km/h).

3. The Cyclogross

Cyclotech is proposing a four-seat air taxi, and Russia's Foundation for Advanced Research is looking at a six-seat hybrid Cyclocar for military purposes, capable of 155 mph (250 km/h) and ranging up to 310 miles (500 km). Both have flown decent-sized prototypes.

Hot cars

Featuring Voith-Schneider arrangements, fast-spinning barrels are formed by a series of variable-pitch wing blades. Additionally, the thrust can be varied through 360 degrees without the need for the motors to power up.

4. The Supercar "Leo"

eVTOL News

Leo, designed by Urban eVTOL, is a three-seat double-box-wing design, that is touted to clock speeds up to 250-mph (400 km/h)  with a maximum range of 300-mile (483-km) all whilst running only on 66 kWh of battery, and fitting in a card slot.

5. The Lego set

Inceptive Mind

The proposed autonomous design by Talyn has a detachable lift system, which will fly back to base and sit on the charger, ready to rendezvous with another cruise stage, hook onto it in mid-air and bring it down gently when required. This is done to mitigate the drag effects of the aircraft once it is in cruise mode while at the same time saving the battery power during its VTOL stage of the flight.

6. The PteroDynamics' Transwing

Forbes

With its clever, dihedral-folding Transwing system, the company claims, transwing would be the most efficient eVTOL design of them all.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3uNboCgDOKQ&t=10s

Demonstration of a Transwing prototype | Pterodynamics Inc | Youtube

Transwing aircraft have much greater range, endurance, and cargo carrying efficiency as compared to all other VTOL designs. given any aircraft footprint size and payload requirements, Transwing aircraft will fly several times as far as any VTOL competitorPteroDynamics claims

7. The eHang EH216

TransportUP

The Chinese eHang EH216 may not be technically different from other rotors of its class per se although it could be well on its way to being fully type-certified and ready for its first commercial air taxi services within a few months.Featuring a simple 16-prop coaxial multicopter, and with a maximum range of 35 km, the top speed it can attain is 130 km. If reports are anything to go by, the Chinese have started to to ramp up mass manufacture at a 6-acre (2.4-ha) factory in Yunfu.

SOURCE: New Atlas

COVER: Aviation International News

Singapore Airlines (SIA) announced on December 10 that Singapore has been taken off India’s list of ‘At-Risk’ countries. This means Singapore will now be classified together with other countries that are not 'at-risk' – a move that will facilitate smooth travel to India from the country.

“Singapore Airlines is pleased to share that Singapore has been removed from the list of ‘At Risk’ countries for international arrivals into India. With this new development, passengers arriving into India from Singapore will no longer be subjected to additional arrival protocols specified for countries categorised as ‘At Risk’ by the Indian authorities.These additional protocols include a mandatory on-arrival RT-PCR test and seven days of home quarantine, with a follow-up RT-PCR test on day eight."Singapore Airlines

Earlier on Tuesday, December 7, India removed Bangladesh from the list of “countries at-risk” about the new coronavirus variant Omicron, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare announced. The announcement found prompt support from Dhaka where Foreign Minister Dr A.K. Abdul Momen said the decision was taken because of a request from the Government of Bangladesh. Sources in the Ministry of Home Affairs said the Indian move was prompted by the upcoming visit of President Ram Nath Kovind to Bangladesh.

At present, countries like the UK, South Africa, Brazil, Botswana, China, Ghana, Mauritius, New Zealand, Zimbabwe, Hong Kong, Tanzania and Israel are placed in the countries of at-risk categories.

The updated list of 'At-Risk' counties

India had recently updated the list to add Ghana and Tanzania because of the spread of the Omicron coronavirus variant. 

Under the latest government guidelines for passengers arriving from at-risk countries, the commuter will have to undergo an RT-PCR test on arrival in India and will be required to wait for the results before leaving the airport or taking a connecting flight, according to revised guidelines issued by the Health Ministry.

Passengers arriving from ‘At No Risk’ countries can enjoy quarantine-free travel within India and will need to self-monitor their health for 14 days, the SIA said. However, a random sample of 2% of the passengers travelling from Singapore will need to undergo RT-PCR testing on arrival at Indian airports, the south-east Asian airline added in the statement.

The SIA has restarted passenger services from eight Indian cities, including daily Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) services from Chennai, Delhi, and Mumbai from November 29, providing eligible customers with quarantine-free entry into Singapore.

Scoot, which is SIA's low-cost subsidiary, operates non-VTL services from Amritsar, Hyderabad, and Tiruchirappalli.

Customers travelling to Singapore from India on non-VTL flights will need to adhere to the category (II) travel and health control measures laid down by the Singapore government.

SpiceJet on Thursday, December 9 said its 737 Max plane, which was heading from Mumbai to Kolkata, returned to Maharashtra's capital city due to a technical issue.

All Max planes were grounded in India by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on March 13, 2019, three days after the crash of an Ethiopian Airlines 737 MAX plane near Addis Ababa, which had left 157 people, including four Indians, dead.

The engine on the plane was manufactured by a venture between General Electric Co. and France’s Safran SA.

The incident doesn’t appear to be linked to automated software known as the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System, or MCAS, which was established as the main reason for the 2018 and 2019 crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia that killed 346 people.

After Boeing made necessary software rectifications, the DGCA had on August 26 this year lifted the ban on Max planes' commercial flight operations. SpiceJet resumed operating its Max planes for commercial flight operations last month.

SpiceJet flight SG- 467 operating Mumbai-Kolkata returned to Mumbai after take-off due to a technical issue. The aircraft landed safely in Mumbai, a SpiceJet spokesperson said on Thursday, December 9.

The three-year-old aircraft (VT MXE), which had departed Mumbai at 6.55 pm was eastward bound and had climbed to about 33,000 feet when a problem with hydraulics and 'oil filter bypass' forced the pilots to divert, said the source. The aircraft landed in Mumbai around 7.50 pm.

SpiceJet, the only operator of Max planes in the country, had signed a USD 22 billion deal with Boeing for 205 aircraft in 2017 and has 13 of these planes in its fleet at present.

According to Boeing, as of now, over 175 out of 195 global regulators have opened their airspace to the 737 Max.

India will keep its scheduled international passenger flights suspended till January 31, 2022, aviation regulator DGCA said on Thursday, December 9.

Amid rising concerns over the coronavirus variant Omicron, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had on December 1 decided not to resume scheduled international flights from December 15, less than a week after announcing that it would restart the services.

The current list of "at-risk" countries, updated on 9 December, includes the United Kingdom, other countries in Europe, South Africa, Brazil, Botswana, China, Ghana, Mauritius, New Zealand, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Hong Kong and Israel.

The regulator issued a circular on Thursday, saying "The competent authority has decided to extend the suspension of scheduled international commercial passenger services to and from India till 2359 hours of January 31, 2022."

Scheduled international passenger services have been suspended in India since March 23, 2020, due to the coronavirus pandemic. But special international flights have been operating under the Vande Bharat Mission since May 2020 and under bilateral "air bubble" arrangements with selected countries since July 2020.

https://twitter.com/DGCAIndia/status/1468924872239685632

India has formed air bubble pacts with around 32 countries including the US, the UK, the UAE, Kenya, Bhutan and France. Under an air bubble pact between two countries, special international flights can be operated by their airlines between their territories.

Aviation Minister Scindia in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha had said that the decision to resume the flights was taken after recognising the increased vaccination coverage across the globe, changing the nature of the pandemic. "However, because of the evolving global scenario with the emergence of new variants of concern, the situation is being closely monitored and reviewed in consultation with other Ministries, with regard to taking any further decision on the issue," Scindia added.

The emergence of the new Covid variant, Omicron, first found in southern Africa, has sparked a global alarm, with several countries shutting borders and imposing travel restrictions. The WHO has designated Omicron as a ‘variant of concern’, saying that it would take quite some time to accurately gauge its level of severity. India has also reported Omicron cases, with several states, including Maharashtra, Delhi, Rajasthan and Karnataka, reporting the new strain.

Lockheed Martin, the US-based aerospace company has given the go-ahead to manufacture the wings of F-16 fighter jets at the Tata-Lockheed Martin Aerostructures Limited (TLMAL) facility located in Hyderabad.

The company, on 8th December, formally acknowledged TLMAL ( Tata Lockheed Martin Aerostructures) as a potential co-producer of F-16 wings.

The Tech Outlook

Apparently, the TLMAL facility is spread over 21,000 sq m. and can make 50 pairs of wings a year.

Tata Group

The wing can carry fuel, it can perform and fly at ‘9G’ — ‘G’ defines gravitational pull and 9G is the maximum a human body can endure. The wing has 12,000-hour lifespan and is capable to be interchanged on all fighters F 16Aimee Burnett, vice-president (strategy and business development), Lockheed Martin Integrated Fighter Group

Representative | Defense View

He further termed wing-making as a “technologically complex aerostructure”.

We are doing transfer of technology and wing-making is an exampleWilliam Blair, vice-president and chief executive of Lockheed Martin India

According to Sukaran Singh, managing director and chief executive officer of Tata Advanced Systems Limited, the US aerospace company is in a race to tender for 114 Indian Airforce fighter aircraft.

If we win the tender, we can make 50 aircraft a yearSukaran Singh

With this strategic move, TASL is touted to become the provider of wings for all future customers and strengthens its role in the F-16 global supply chain.

Furthermore, with the landmark "Make in India" campaign gaining traction, this would only serve to strengthen Indo-US defence ties.

Did you know? TASL and Lockheed Martin, through a long-standing joint-venture, have been manufacturing airframe components of the C-130J aircraft and S-92 Sikorsky helicopter at the Hyderabad facility. 

KC-3802 Indian Air Force Lockheed Martin C-130J Hercules | Planespotters

The production of F-16 wings on Indian soil will undoubtedly place India at the centre of the world's largest fighter aircraft ecosystem, thereby making it a preferred destination for aerospace manufacturing.

COVER: Air Force Magazine

UAE's Sky One FZE is among the bidders in the race to buy the government's stake in helicopter services company Pawan Hans, according to people aware of the matter. Pawan Hans was put up for sale in December 2020.

The Sharjah-based company has submitted an expression of interest (EoI) for the helicopter services firm and is planning a bid, the people said. There could be other bidders competing to acquire the company. Industry experts expect the employees’ union of Pawan Hans, along with Global Vectra Helicorp and Heligo Charters to bid for the company.

"Multiple EoIs have been received for privatisation of Pawan Hans Ltd. The transaction will now move to the second stage," Tuhin Kanta Pandey, secretary, Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM) had tweeted earlier this year.

The sale process, which has faced delays on account of the Covid-19 pandemic that adversely impacted the aviation sector, has picked up momentum again over the past two weeks, according to sources. The government may receive financial bids for Pawan Hans before the end of the fiscal year, the sources added.

The government had attempted to privatize Pawan Hans in 2018 and 2019 but those were not successful.

Sky One FZE is a privately held company. It is in the business of operating helicopter charter services and has an aircraft leasing arm. It recently signed a deal with Boeing Capital Corporation to buy three Boeing 777-300 airplanes, according to Boeing's website.

Charles Szar, a former US Army pilot, is the company's chief executive officer. No details of the company's owners have been provided on its website, which states that it has over 40 aircraft.

ONGC to Sell Stake too Pawan Hans is 51% owned by the government, while ONGC owns the remaining. According to a preliminary information memorandum circulated by SBI Caps in December 2020, ONGC will also sell its stake to the successful bidder.

The government also plans to abolish landing charges and parking deposits, steps that may boost commercial operations of helicopters in India.

Pawan Hans owns a fleet of 42 helicopters. Its corporate headquarters is in Noida. The company provides services to ONGC, such as carrying personnel and supplies including cargo to drilling rigs in Bombay High and Rajahmundry.

It carried 1,48,508 passengers and 1,45,750 kg of cargo load in financial year 2019-20. It also provides helicopter services to VIPs and is involved in heli-tourism operations to places of pilgrimage such as Badrinath, Vaishno Devi, Kedarnath, Amarnath and Tirupati as well as inter-island transportation in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Daman and Diu and Lakshadweep Islands to transport locals and tourists from one island to another.

It posted revenues of INR 376 crore in the financial year 2019-20. It had a net loss of INR 28 crore. Pawan Hans is among a list of companies identified for privatization by the government in the ongoing fiscal year, along with Air India, Shipping Corporation of India, Bharat Petroleum Corporation, BEML, Container Corporation of India, IDBI Bank and Neelachal Ispat Nigam.

(With Inputs from The Economic Times)