Pipistrel’s LinkedIn page features a happy headline and the culmination of a long development process.
AeroTime reports that the newly flown heavy lifter can haul up to 300 kilograms (660 pounds or three Euro pallets) up to 300 kiilometers (186 miles). Reporter Miquel Ros adds some interesting details on the first flight. The craft’s electric vertical lift motors, for instance, are powered by batteries developed “in house” by Pipistrel.
Using Textron Systems technology, the craft can be monitored during flight. According to Pipistrel, “This first aircraft was controlled using a Honeywell fly-by-wire flight control system with triple-redundancy built-in.”
Able to make relatively large cargo deliveries, the NUUVA V300 can perform search and rescue and defense missions.
eVTOL News provides some interesting background. The V300 has an endurance of “up ro 12 hours,” but has a typical mission range of 300 kilometers (186 miles) with a 30-minute reserve. The V300 can hit 220 kilometers per hour 137 mph) at its “fast” cruise speed, or 165 kilometers per hour (103 mph) at an economy cruise setting. At the economy setting and with added batteries replacing payload cargo, the craft could reach a maximum range of up to 2,500 kilometer (1,553 miles). This mixing and matching of energy storage and payload helps the Pipistreal machine offer a versatile mission profile.
Composites World Discusses Maintainability
According to CW’s 2020 article on urban air mobility (UAM), Pipistrel is focusing on “parts exchangeability, field repairability and quick-curing processes for [fabrication of] the Nuuva V300” and is using epoxy-based composite prepregs only for aircraft development. The VTOL is designed to carry a 600-pound payload over a range of up to 300 nautical miles and is capable of operating from paved or unimproved surfaces. It is engineered to load cargo through the nose of the fuselage, simplifying the process for operators and enabling multiple payload configurations. Built to support a capacity of more than 100 cubic feet, it can hold up to three cargo pallets or be loaded with loose cargo, enhancing its utility for a variety of logistics needs.
CW’s editors are tracking the latest trends and developments in tooling, from the basics to new developments. This collection, presented by Composites One, features recent CW stories that detail a range of tooling technologies, processes and materials.
The carbon-fiber airframe is powered by in-house developed battery systems, to ensure it can operate in a wide range of environments.
Kriya Shortt, president and CEO of Textron eAviation, sees the craft as having many virtues. “The Nuuva V300’s capabilities and robust design will not only transform logistics but also play a crucial role in commercial and defense missions such as search and rescue, humanitarian aid, disaster relief and ship-to-shore deliveries.”
CW reports, “To support the continued expansion of the aircraft’s flight envelope, a second Nuuva V300 air vehicle will join the flight program in 2025. This addition will further enhance the aircraft’s performance and ensure it meets the highest standards of safety and reliability.”
TineTomažič Gets the Final Word
Dr. TineTomažič is the gifted head of vertical flight at Pipistrel. He came to your editor’s attention in 2011 with his winning design for NASA’s Green Flight Challenge, sponsored by Google. In his address at Aero Friedrichshafen this year he discussed his many years and designs at Pipistrel and hints at some fascinating new ideas he is exploring. The video, from the Vertical Flight Society, gives an insider’s history of Pipistrel and provides glimpses of Tomažič’s agile mind and clever sense of humor. It’s worth its 45 minutes.
The page continues, “With a 600-pound payload and a range of up to 300 nautical miles, the aircraft’s unique capabilities and robust design will not only transform logistics, but also play a crucial role in commercial and defense missions such as search and rescue, humanitarian aid, disaster relief and ship-to-shore deliveries.”