The New, Improved Hexa 2

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

Started in 2017, Matt Chasen’s Lift Aircraft has been promoting an 18-rotor, single-seat Hexa – now replaced by the new, improved Hexa 2.  Featuring more power, better batteries, improved structure and more refined electronics, the 2 seems like a reflection of the improvements generally available to electric aircraft. According to the company, “HEXA was the first eVTOL(electric Vertical Take Off and Landing) aircraft to enter production and pay-per-flight operations in the United States. We’ve produced a fleet of 16 aircraft and have showcased them in North America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East. In 2023, we launched the world’s first pay-per-flight eVTOL operations in Austin, Texas, and in 2024 we launched our 25 city U.S. tour.” Because it’s an ultralight, Hexa 2 avoids many of the complexities of certification and that enables more frequent updates and application of improved technologies. Hexa has been demonstrated at multiple air and trade shows, and even provided a ride for news personality Anderson Cooper.  …

Fixed Wings Find Their Way

Dean Sigler Electric Powerplants, Sustainable Aviation Leave a Comment

Dynamic presentations by Sebastian Thrun and Nicholas Roy have alerted and informed CAFE Foundation’s Electric Aircraft Symposia attendees of highly sophisticated efforts to allow autonomous full-size automobiles and miniature helicopters to navigate through or over unfamiliar terrain. Using clues from lasers, infrared sensors, inertial guidance systems and sometimes GPS coordinates, the vehicles use control algorithms to guide themselves around obstacle-strewn courses. As noted in Science Daily and the The Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s press office this week, “Dozens of research teams have competed in a series of autonomous-helicopter challenges posed by the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI); progress has been so rapid that the last two challenges have involved indoor navigation without the use of GPS.” Mini-copters have shown an amazing ability to not only navigate, but to perform complex tasks in swarms, such as building large architectural assemblies – all without human intervention (other than, one assumes, someone pushing a “go” button). MIT’s Robust Robotics Group has …