Joby Bay Area Demo Starts a Tour

Dean Sigler Announcements, Autonomous Aircraft, Electric Powerplants, Fuel Cells, hydrogen, Sky Taxis, Sustainable Aviation Leave a Comment

A Bay Area Feat Joby Aviation flew its “FAA conforming” JAS4-1 N547JX in the Bay Area and beyond this week, the first of many demonstration flights it will perform nationwide as part of its Electric Skies Tour. “Conforming,” according to Flying magazine, “Means that the model aligns with Joby’s agency-approved airworthiness criteria and test plans. In other words, it is representative of the aircraft the company intends to certify and operate.” Flying around San Francisco brought out the local news crews, but Joby had a sentimental journey to reward its workers with a view of their long-term achievement. Landing at a quarry near the original Woodpeacker Ridge compound that was JoeBen Bevirt’s home and workshop, N545JX was welcomed by a crowd of workers and their families, alsways prominent in company events.  The Woodpecker Ridge site held probably less than three dozen workers in 2012, many of them grounds keepers and gardeners.  The blog has reported on personnel growth since then …

Lilium and Whisper: Quiet Flyers

Dean Sigler Batteries, Electric Powerplants, Hybrid Aircraft, Sky Taxis, Sustainable Aviation 1 Comment

Two radical-looking electric aircraft, both quiet flyers, contrast in flight modes – eVTOL (electric Vertical Take Off and Landing), and eCTOL (electric Conventional Take Off and Landing).  Germany’s Lilium and America’s Whisper Jet show their unique ways. Lilium Founded in 2015, Lilium, like most of its competitors, is less than a decade old, but already boasts 950 employees in four offices.  The workers come from six continents and comprise 58 nationalities, a winner in any Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion ranking.  They make an impressive product. Lilium is an expensive machine, costing around $7 million plus.  Its marketing approach seems to be toward the VIP set and its first locations are in cash-rich areas such as the French Riviera and along Florida’s eastern shoreline.  Despite the glossy façade, there’s a solid array of engineering inside. Batteries One of the first questions your editor had on early versions of Lilium’s aircraft was where they hid the batteries.  Recent news from the company …

Vaeridion: Multi Motors with One Propeller

Dean Sigler Announcements, Batteries, Electric Powerplants, Sky Taxis, Sustainable Aviation Leave a Comment

Emulating Otto Lilienthal Vaeridion, a German startup, plans on building a long-winged regional airliner for nine passengers that purportedly transports them on very low levels of energy. Their design philosophy, summed up on the first page of their web site, echoes the idea propounded by Otto Lilienthal, “The key to flying lies in wing design, not in more powerful engines.  Vaeridion embraces this ideal in their approach.  “As clean energy is scarce and a transition to zero emission mobility is essential, we need a paradigm shift. “Therefore, we have focused on energy-efficient aircraft design that makes a difference. Our electric Microliner can fly with the lowest energy consumption for up to 9 passengers plus crew, for distances up to 500 [kilometers].” Vaeridion’s Microliner, a slender craft carried on long, high-aspect-ratio wings, will be powered by a remarkable two-motor, single-propeller powerplant. According to ERA, the European Regional Airline Association, “VÆRIDION is accelerating the green transformation of aviation with a small electric …