Vahana Flies!  Another Competitor in the Sky Taxi Airspace

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

Zach Lovering, Project Executive for Airbus subsidiary A3 reports, “Today marks a historic day for Airbus, A³, and the Vahana team. We can now announce our successful first flight. At 8:52AM on January 31, 2018 in Pendleton, Oregon, our full-scale aircraft, dubbed Alpha One, reached a height of 5 meters (16 feet) before descending safely. Its first flight, with a duration of 53 seconds, was fully self-piloted and the vehicle completed a second flight the following day. In attendance was the full Vahana team, representatives from the FAA, and A³ leadership, all coming together to witness this historic accomplishment.” Hovering Autonomously With canards built in Portland, Oregon at Flighthouse Engineering LLC, the tandem-winged, eight-rotor, 745 kilogram (1,642 pound) machine has a wingspan, or width, of 6.2 meters (20.3 feet), a length of 5.7 meters (18.7 feet) and a height of 2.8 meters (9.2 feet). Vahana is one of two Airbus VTOL urban transport options, the Pop.Up design combining ground and …

Oregon Helps Build and Will Test Fly Vahana

Dean Sigler Electric Powerplants, Sustainable Aviation Leave a Comment

Oregon is a big player in drones and electric aviation, your editor just learned.  Attending the first ever Drone Summit in Bend, Oregon recently, we found that Oregon has three of the seven unpiloted aerial vehicle test ranges in the United State.  It has Boeing-backed Insitu, maker of the Scan Eagle long-range, long-endurance drone now being adapted to civilian uses.  Portland has FlightHouse LLC, manufacturing the canard for Airbus A3’s Vahana project, and the flight vehicle will be tested at the Pendleton Test Range. SOAR Oregon sponsored the event, which included speakers, ample networking time, and multiple revelations of the size and scope of drone activity in the state.  Their mission statement is short and sweet.  “SOAR Oregon is a statewide, not for profit Economic Development organization focused on the development of the Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) industry in Oregon. “SOAR Oregon’s mission is to foster growth in this rapidly evolving industry, connecting diverse industry sectors such as aviation, advanced …