The company believes these were the first such deployments for an electric aircraft with major commands of the Air Force.

The on-base and cross-country missions with the Air Combat Command (ACC) and Air Mobility Command (AMC) included daylong and even multiday exercises. Beta characterized them as “real-world” missions that were conducted at the behest of the ACC and AMC, with a little help from AFWERX, the Air Force’s innovation arm with which the manufacturer has worked since 2019.

The goal of these flights was to see how Beta’s Alia, a conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) design, could support defense use cases such as resupply, cargo delivery, and personnel transport, including during combat. The aircraft seats up to five passengers and has a range of 250 nm.

Alia took off from Beta’s headquarters at Burlington International Airport (KBTV) in Vermont and embarked on a series of cross-country flights before arriving at the Air National Guard’s Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center (CRTC) in Alpena, Michigan. There, with the ACC, the aircraft completed a four-day exercise.

Over the course of 24 flight hours, Alia moved more than 2,200 pounds of cargo—including 500 pounds at a time—delivered meals and equipment, simulated a medical evacuation between two bases, and filled in for a Lockheed C-130 Hercules that had a scheduled airlift canceled.

“We can be ready to take off in a matter of minutes, and the battery has a low center of gravity, which is not affected by the way you load the cargo,” said Ross Elkort, flight test engineer for Beta.

The next stop for Alia was Springfield, Ohio, where a pilot for UPS Flight Forward completed a ground school program, simulator training, and evaluation flight. Flight Forward in 2021 placed an order for the electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) variant of Alia.

After that came a simulation of planned Alia routes in Virginia and a joint demonstration at Atlantic City International Airport (KACY) in New Jersey alongside the FAA, AMC, and others.

The AMC helped finish out the campaign with a series of flights between Dover Air Force Base in Delaware (KDOV) and McGuire Air Force Base (KWRI) in New Jersey, which are considered key hubs for military logistics. During a daylong exercise, AMC pilots flew Alia five times, delivering multi-hundred-pound payloads and slashing delivery times by more than half.

“It brings key innovation to the mission. It’s going to make things faster and simpler,” said Alyxandra Scalone of the Air Force’s 305th Maintenance Squadron at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst. “Dover (AFB) is about two and a half hours away from us. Today’s flight only took 45 minutes.”

Over the course of the monthlong campaign, Beta said it deployed Alia with a 100 percent success rate.

Beta has worked with AFWERX through its Agility Prime division, which focuses on vertical lift technologies, since 2020.

Beta last year installed the first electric aircraft charger at a Department of Defense site at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida. The Alia eVTOL in 2021 became the first electric aircraft to receive military airworthiness approval for human flight.

The CTOL, meanwhile, was responsible for the first airman flight of electric aircraft and was the first of its kind to complete an Air Force deployment: a three-month campaign at Eglin’s Duke Field (KEGI) and Robins Air Force Base (KWRB) in Georgia.

From October to January, it completed what Beta claims to be the first simulated casualty evacuation and first live military exercise with an electric aircraft. The latter saw Alia fly alongside 350 airmen, demonstrating how the aircraft could integrate with existing military operations.

Meanwhile, in April, the Alia eVOL completed its first crewed transition from hover to forward flight, a key stage in that model’s development. The vertical lift version of Alia has received less attention than its counterpart, but AFWERX has shown interest in the configuration, working with eVTOL manufacturers such as Archer Aviation and Joby Aviation.

If all goes according to plan, the CTOL version of Alia will hit the market in 2025, followed by the eVTOL in 2026. The aim, however, is for the military to get its hands on the aircraft first.

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Since 2020, the U.S. Air Force has had a program called Agility Prime to look at electric aviation’s potential uses, but now legislators want the effort to be ramped up. As part of the 2025 National Defense Authorization Act, the bill would “set up a working group made up of top-ranking defense officials” to kick-start Agility Prime, and it’s throwing some major brass at it.

The new committee, if approved, would be run by the Secretary of the Air Force and would include the Army and Navy secretaries and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The Air Force Secretary would have to submit a first report by September 2025 and annually until 2027.

The Air Force already has contracts with several companies developing eVTOLs, including Beta Technologies, which delivered a test article of its Alia aircraft to Florida’s Eglin Air Force Base, where it did its first test flight in November.

Editor’s Note: This article first appeared on AVweb.

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Joby Aviation, a manufacturer of eVTOL air taxis that it expects to begin operating in 2025, on Tuesday committed to deliver two aircraft to MacDill Air Force Base (KMCF) in Tampa, Florida, to be used for Air Force training and testing. The agreement is an expansion of the company’s $131 million contract with AFWERX, the innovation arm of the Air Force, which calls for the delivery of nine aircraft.

In total, Joby’s completed and current work with the U.S. Department of Defense represents a contract value of $163 million: a figure the firm claims is the largest in the eVTOL industry. Competitors Archer Aviation and Beta Technologies, among others, also own contracts with AFWERX.

MacDill Air Force Base is home to the U.S. Special Operations Command, U.S. Central Command, and several Air Mobility Command and logistics-focused units within the military. Air Force personnel will test and train with Joby’s aircraft on the base and in the surrounding area.

“The early investment and vision by the U.S. government in this critical technology is proving foundational as we continue our path toward commercial passenger service,” said JoeBen Bevirt, founder and CEO of Joby. “This work will provide Joby with valuable early operational experience, while providing the U.S. Air Force with firsthand understanding of the performance of our aircraft and its potential applications.”

Joby’s electric air taxi is designed to carry a pilot and up to four passengers, with a range of about 100 sm (87 nm) and cruise speed of 200 mph (174 knots). It produces zero operating emissions and a fraction of the noise of helicopters, according to the manufacturer.

Through AFWERX, the Air Force is able to experiment with aircraft such as Joby’s without spending billions on development and production. The manufacturers of those vehicles, meanwhile, receive a funding boost and take to the skies before obtaining FAA type certification. These early flights may provide critical data points to inform Joby as it refines its design, particularly when it comes to the experience of pilots.

“The Agility Prime team is very excited to progress through a novel acquisition approach,” said Lieutenant Colonel John Tekell, branch chief of Agility Prime, a division within AFWERX focused on vertical lift technologies. “These two aircraft at MacDill AFB allow the program to take the next steps in learning to maximize the operational opportunity of eVTOLs.”

For the first time, Joby at MacDill will work directly with DOD operational units. Personnel will use the aircraft to conduct logistics missions and test use cases in personnel transport, casualty evacuation, and support of security forces.

Joby in September delivered the first of nine eVTOL air taxis to the Air Force ahead of schedule, shipping it to Edwards Air Force Base in California. With one additional aircraft expected to be delivered to Edwards this year and two scheduled to be shipped to MacDill, the company has now committed a total of four aircraft to the department.

Air Force experimentation at Edwards is expected to inform the future test campaign at MacDill. In addition, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Army aviators, ground crews, and program managers have visited Joby’s flight test facility in Marina, California, for ongoing flight training. 

Personnel are further exploring potential logistics, medical, and personnel transport applications for the aircraft. According to Joby, initial evaluations have proven the model’s high speed, low noise, and minimal maintenance and operating costs make it suitable for a wide variety of use cases.

Continued evaluations and pilot training will allow Joby’s air taxi to log critical flight hours before it enters commercial service, accelerating its development and, in theory, improving safety.

Recently, the manufacturer completed a key step toward that commercial rollout. The FAA in February approved Joby’s certification plans for various aircraft components such as structural, mechanical, and electrical systems, part of the company’s type certification process. The next phase involves submitting a curriculum to be used in for-credit FAA evaluations of the aircraft, which will most likely happen at the end of this year or the start of next.

If Joby can pass that test, it will move to the final steps. Type certification could follow soon after.

Joby is not the only eVTOL manufacturer relying on AFWERX to give it a lift throughout the process.

Competitor Archer, for example, has its own $142 million contract with AFWERX, under which it expects to deliver up to six aircraft to an Air Force base yet to be determined. Both Archer and Joby received $1 million in early payments from the department last year, representing each company’s first revenue.

Another competitor, Beta, in January wrapped up its first electric aircraft deployment for the Air Force at Eglin Air Force Base’s Duke Field (KEGI) in Florida.

In addition to working with private firms, AFWERX is collaborating with the FAA to share eVTOL testing capabilities and data. Another partnership with NASA aims to develop a nationwide digital operations center for air taxi services, which would help manage eVTOL traffic.

The interplay between manufacturers and these government partners will be interesting to watch as the FAA steers the U.S. toward the goals outlined in its Innovate28 blueprint. The document, while holding no legal standing, outlines the agency’s approach to air taxi services in the short term, culminating in scaled operations in time for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

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The company this week said it was selected by Modern Technology Solutions Inc. (MTSI) and AFWERX, the innovation arm of the U.S. Air Force, to participate in Agility Prime, a division of AFWERX dedicated to vertical lift technologies.

Under the new agreement, Pivotal delivered the first four of eight BlackFly preproduction eVTOLs and two flight simulators for lease to MTSI, which will be used in AFWERX and Air Force evaluations. MTSI supports AFWERX with flight testing and program management.

“AFWERX’s and MTSI’s decision to partner with Pivotal is a strong endorsement of our platform’s maturity and a milestone on our journey to mission relevance,” said Ken Karklin, CEO of Pivotal.

In addition to aircraft and simulators, Pivotal will provide pilot training and support services to its partners. The Air Force will leverage the partnership to perform a range of remotely piloted missions. It also plans to assess the benefits of the company’s unique “tilt-eVTOL” architecture for a variety of use cases.

Unlike many eVTOL designs that feature tilting motors or propellers, Pivotal decided to slant the entire airframe during the transition from hover to vertical or forward flight. This reduces aircraft weight, complexity, and points of failure, the company said.

“AFWERX continues to look for ways to accelerate our understanding of eVTOL operations, maintenance, logistics, and potential use cases.” said Lieutenant Colonel John Tekell, branch chief of Agility Prime. “One-two person eVTOLs have potential for several missions including special operations, surveillance, and disaster and emergency response with local command and control at a much lower price point than traditional helicopters.”

Pivotal, MTSI, and AFWERX will conduct the program out of New Braunfels National Airport (KBAZ), just 30 miles north of San Antonio in Texas, and the Air Force Research Laboratory’s National Advanced Air Mobility Center of Excellence at Springfield-Beckley Municipal Airport (KSGH) in Ohio. The goal will be to see if the outlandish design is a good fit for Air Force missions.

“Over the next eight months, we will fly eight BlackFly eVTOL aircraft in different environments to test their mission effectiveness and suitability in military uses,” said Vance Drenkhahn, executive vice president of MTSI’s defense services division.

BlackFly’s ability to fit inside a 16-foot trailer and go from storage to the sky in less than 30 minutes may be piquing the Air Force’s interest since these features make the aircraft easy to transport and deploy.

They are also present on Helix, Pivotal’s flagship model unveiled in October. Helix makes several upgrades to BlackFly, including a redesigned canopy and flight deck, more comfortable seating, and improved power, propulsion, and performance.

Helix hit the U.S. market in January, and customers can now purchase the aircraft for $190,000. For comparison, Helix costs slightly more than a Texas Aircraft Colt but less than a Beechcraft G36 Bonanza, Diamond DA40 NG, or Cessna 172 Skyhawk. Pivotal expects initial shipments to begin in June.

In addition to the strange tilt-aircraft design, Helix is notable for its low barrier to entry. With an empty weight below 350 pounds, the eVTOL qualifies as a Part 103 ultralight, meaning the FAA does not require pilot certification to fly it.

Instead, Pivotal will train customers how to fly the aircraft—which is commanded using fly-by-wire controls and a pair of simple joysticks—at its Palo Alto, California headquarters. In lieu of hundreds of hours of flight training, the company claims customers will be ready to fly in just two weeks, with recurrent training required after they receive their wings.

For those fearing an influx of inexperienced pilots, it may be reassuring that Helix comes with some restrictions. Customers will be required to fly during daytime and in Class G airspace, far from congested airspace and airports. They will also be restricted to about a 20 sm (17 nm) range and 63 mph (55 knot) cruise speed. In addition, pilots must be at least 18 years old, weigh less than 220 pounds, and stand no taller than 6-foot-5.

Customers can place a nonrefundable $250 deposit fee on Pivotal’s website to begin their order. To solidify a production slot and shipping date, they will need to deposit another $50,000 within five business days of the initial order.

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Archer on Wednesday received the Air Force’s initial installment of nearly $1 million, the first of what is expected to be many payments under the agreement valued at up to $142 million. In return, Archer sent the Air Force a mobile flight simulator, specified as a deliverable under the contracts.

The transaction marks the beginning of Archer’s relationship with AFWERX, the Air Force’s innovation arm, and its vertical lift division, Agility Prime, which also works with advanced air mobility (AAM) rivals Joby Aviation and Beta Technologies. 

The arrangement will eventually culminate in flight testing of Archer’s five-seater Midnight eVTOL with Air Force pilots on board. First, the company will deliver up to six of the aircraft to an unnamed Air Force Base. A time frame has not yet been specified, but the first contracted payment sets things in motion.

Archer hopes to begin ferrying up to four passengers at a time (plus a pilot) to and from airports in partnership with United Airlines in 2025. It will start with air taxi routes near O’Hare International Airport (KORD) in Chicago and between Downtown Manhattan and Newark Liberty International Airport (KEWR) in New Jersey.

“Archer’s eVTOL technology can help maintain the United States’ position as a global leader in aviation,” said Adam Goldstein, the company’s founder and CEO. “To see our historic contract with the U.S. Air Force move from signature to execution at a rapid pace is a reflection of the strong commitment that the U.S. Department of Defense has made to securing our country’s future by investing in transformational technology.”

Getting the Ball Rolling

Initially, Archer and the Air Force will use the mobile simulator to begin training pilots on Midnight’s flight capabilities. The partners will use it to assess the air taxi’s flight controls and familiarize Air Force personnel with the operational capabilities of Archer’s commercial platform. And down the line, there is potential for the military to develop a Midnight variant for its own use.

Archer will also deploy its mobile simulator to public and industry events to raise awareness of eVTOL designs and encourage more engagement with the novel tech. Other deliverables on the way to the Air Force include wind tunnel testing reports, as well as project specific certification plans (PSCPs) and subject specific certification plans (SSCPs) submitted to the FAA.

Once training in the simulator is complete, Archer will move to piloted flight testing, a milestone rival Joby announced it had reached Wednesday. But first, it will need to deliver the first Midnight aircraft to the Air Force. Joby hit that mark last month with the ahead-of-schedule delivery of its own air taxi to Edwards Air Force Base in California.

Billed as “a safer and quieter alternative to helicopters,” Midnight runs on a proprietary electric powertrain with six independent battery packs, creating a low-noise profile. It combines six rigid propellers for vertical lift with a half dozen tilt props that rotate toward the nose as it transitions to forward flight.

Archer believes the aircraft’s 1,000-pound target payload and 150 mph (130 knots) top speed—combined with its ability to take off vertically like a rotorcraft—could make it ideal for military rapid response, personnel transport, logistics support, or rescue operations. The firm also said Midnight will be more agile and cost-effective to transport, operate, and maintain in the field than the present aircraft deployed for these missions.

While the air taxi will have a maximum range of 100 sm (87 nm), Archer has optimized it for short hops with its planned commercial service in mind. Competing with on-demand rideshare firms, Midnight will primarily make back-to-back 20 sm (17 nm) flights, charging for about 12 minutes between trips. Archer asserts the model will make its air taxi business competitive with ground-based counterparts such as Uber and Lyft.

Where Archer Stands

Midnight’s lightweight carbon fiber composite airframe is developed by automaker Stellantis, which in January announced an exclusive mass production deal with the eVTOL manufacturer. Stellantis also boosted Archer with a $70 million acceleration investment, part of an August funding round.

In June, the partnership advanced from “concept phase” to “execution phase” as the companies ramped up construction on Archer’s high-volume manufacturing plant in Covington, Georgia. The facility at Covington Municipal Airport (KCVC) will initially span 350,000 square feet and produce up to 650 units per year, beginning in 2024. Eventually, though, the plant could more than triple in size and churn out as many as 2,000 aircraft annually.

Joby, however, may have it beat. Last month, it selected Dayton, Ohio—once home to the Wright brothers—as the site for its 200,000-square-foot scaled manufacturing plant. But the company said the 140-acre plot at Dayton International Airport (KDAY) could one day allow the facility to span 2 million square feet.

Short term, Joby’s manufacturing plant is expected to begin full-scale operations in 2025 and produce 500 air taxis per year. The company put down $500 million of its own money and could leverage up to $325 million in state and local incentives to support construction.

Archer and Joby, along with Boeing-owned Wisk Aero, are considered the leaders in the U.S. eVTOL air taxi space. Germany’s Lilium and Volocopter are also key players. All of them are awaiting type certification of their aircraft before they can launch commercial operations, but some are further along than others.

Joby appears to have a slight edge on Archer in terms of flight testing, but both are eyeing entry into service in 2025. Wisk, which plans to fly its air taxi autonomously from the jump, is looking a bit further out to 2028.

Lilium, also targeting a 2025 entry, has made the most progress of the firms when it comes to certification on both sides of the Atlantic. It’s the only eVTOL manufacturer with individual certification bases from both the FAA and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). However, Joby and Archer appear to be fully focused on the U.S. market before thinking about an international expansion.

While entry into service is not the be-all and end-all, Volocopter looks like the leader on that front. It flew its first crewed tests at EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, in 2021, long before its rivals. It’s also done piloted tests in Germany, South Korea, and France, where it expects to launch commercially in Paris following AAM demos at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

Notably, Volocopter just signed a deal with Houston-based helicopter operator Bristow Group to deliver two VoloCity eVTOLs to the U.S., with an option for 78 more. The partners are aiming to launch in the U.S. after Volocopter receives EASA type certification in 2024. Unlike Lilium, the company has a concurrent certification path with the FAA, which should allow it to receive approval to fly in the U.S. shortly after EASA gives its greenlight.

Volocopter could hamper Archer and other U.S. eVTOL manufacturers by gobbling up early market share, if it can stick to its timeline. Or, it could assist them by introducing the U.S. market to the novel technology, potentially increasing the base demand for AAM services when they do enter the market. Either way, expect Archer to leverage its relationship with the Air Force to gain the upper hand.

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The milestone comes from electric aircraft developer Beta Technologies, which on Thursday said it will be the first to install an electric aircraft charging station on an air force base. The site in question is Eglin Air Force Base in Florida, where Beta will deliver two charging stations—and a prototype of its newly revealed electric conventional takeoff and landing (eCTOL) design.

The purchase and installation marks an extension of Beta’s three-year partnership with AFWERX Agility Prime, the innovation arm of the U.S. Air Force dedicated to vertical lift technologies. Per the agreement, the Air Force will experiment with Beta’s charging systems and aircraft as soon as this fall.

Beta rivals Joby Aviation and Archer Aviation are also delivering electric aircraft to air force bases, though neither is providing a charging system. Joby expects to deliver the first two of nine air taxis to Edwards Air Force Base in California early next year, while Archer will deliver up to six Midnight eVTOLs to an unnamed base on an unspecified time frame.

“Charging station installation is a critical step to unleash test and experimentation with the [Department of Defense] to leverage emerging electric aviation technology as a capability for the warfighter,” said Major Anthony Zartman, Agility Prime program manager team lead. “Two charging test sites will be set up by the end of the calendar year, marking the first multimodal charging capabilities for the Air Force. Further, the charging stations will provide an opportunity to explore the utility of electric vehicle fleet modernization, as well as base and flight line support equipment to improve energy use and reduce emissions.”

The Level 3 DC fast-charger Beta will send to Eglin was designed and developed in-house. It’s capable of charging an electric aircraft in under an hour and can support the company’s own models, other company’s designs, and even ground-based electric vehicles. 

The system was designed to the standard laid out by the General Aviation Manufacturers Association’s recent “Interoperability of Electric Charging Infrastructure” white paper, which was agreed upon by a large swath of the AAM industry. In January, the company’s aircraft battery completed 50-foot drop tests with the FAA.

The extension of the Agility Prime contract marks the expansion of Beta’s charging network into Florida, adding to its 13 activated sites across Vermont, Arkansas, and most recently Georgia. The company has another 55 under construction or development on the East and Gulf coasts.

“We are honored that the first-ever fixed electric aircraft charger on a Department of Defense installation is a BETA charger,” said Kyle Clark, CEO and founder of Beta. “The DOD, and specifically AFWERX’s Agility Prime team, have been invaluable partners to us for the past several years, offering deep insights that have helped us continue to progress our technology. The installation of this charger is an enabling step as the DOD looks to transition to a more sustainable fleet.”

The installation of the first charger at Eglin is expected to be completed in the fall in time for the Air Force’s contracted deployment of Beta’s Alia eCTOL. Those experiments will add to the company’s list of Air Force milestones, including earning the military’s first manned flight airworthiness approval for an electric aircraft and flying the industry’s only piloted qualitative evaluation flights with Air Force and Army test pilots.

Those tests were done with Beta’s Alia-250 electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) design, which also completed an eight-leg, six-state, cross-country flight spanning 1,219 nm from New York to Arkansas in 2022. The company primarily manufactured eVTOLs before the reveal of the eCTOL Alia variant.

That design, also known as the CX300, resembles the Alia-250 minus rotors for vertical flight. Its airframe, batteries, propulsion, and other systems will be the same as its eVTOL counterpart. So far, the eCTOL version has completed evaluation flights with FAA, Air Force, and Army test pilots, including a 386-mile jaunt from Jamestown to Plattsburgh, New York. The aircraft has covered a total distance of 22,000 miles during developmental flights.

The Alia eCTOL and eVTOL variants are expected to enter service in 2025 and 2026, respectively, and Beta is working with the FAA on certification for both. It applied for type certification for the CX300 last year.

In pursuit of those deadlines, Beta will open a full-scale production facility this fall in South Burlington, Vermont—also home to the company headquarters—where it will begin manufacturing aircraft on the production line soon after. It said new and existing customers have placed orders for the newer design, including Air New Zealand and helicopter operator Bristow Group.

Bristow is one of those existing customers, having placed a firm order for five Alia eVTOLs with an option for 50 more. Beta also has a deal with LCI for up to 125 aircraft and another 20 orders from Blade Air Mobility. But the cream of the crop is probably its agreement with UPS Flight Forward for up to 150 eVTOLs.

Per SMG Consulting’s AAM Reality Index, Beta has just under 500 total Alia orders, placing it somewhere in the middle of the pack. Its figures are comparable to Volocopter and Jaunt Air Mobility, below those of Lilium, and stronger than those of Joby or Archer.

Beta is also a unicorn with a valuation north of $1.5 billion, positioning it well for the future. The company is backed by a pair of major funding rounds: a $368M Series A led by Fidelity and Amazon Climate Fund, and a $375M Series B led by Fidelity and TPG Rise Climate. SMG estimates its total funding at $796 million.

The Vermont-based company ranks second on SMG’s overall AAM Reality Index ranking—which measures a company’s ability to mass produce thousands of units of a commercial product per year—trailing only Joby.

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On Tuesday, on-demand air taxi provider EZ Aerospace announced it was selected by AFWERX, the innovation arm of the Air Force, for a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Direct-to-Phase II contract worth $1.25 million. Typically, a company would need to complete SBIR Phase I research before moving to Phase II, which generally offers more lucrative grants. But the contract will allow EZ Aerospace to skip a step.

The agreement piggybacks off the firm’s previous AFWERX SBIR contract, which explored the feasibility of using on-demand air taxis to carry airmen and cargo to, from, and between Air Force bases.

The new contract, meanwhile, will focus on developing tools that enable on-demand air taxis to address “the most pressing challenges” facing the Air Force.

“This contract marks a big milestone for the concept of advanced on-demand airlift,” said Matt Zacharias, founder of EZ Aerospace. “We’ve dedicated two years to understanding the unique needs of the Air Force and tailoring our solution accordingly. Now, we are poised to make significant strides towards the future of air mobility for everyone.”

EZ Aerospace was founded just three years ago, with the goal of enhancing advanced air mobility (AAM) for government and commercial customers by offering access to dual-use air taxis via a marketplace. The company operates conventional aircraft as well as the next generation of flying cars, electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) systems, and more.

Zacharias and Co. hope to reinvent the current on-demand AAM market by reducing costs and fostering competition. They also aim to spread aircraft across the country to decentralize passenger travel and connect air bases. In fact, a core business objective is to help introduce the military to emerging aircraft. Already, it has identified 1,000 aircraft the Air Force could better utilize for more efficient domestic movements.

EZ Aerospace relies on a network of existing on-demand charter air carriers, organic and auxiliary airlift services, and scheduled airlines to provide service. With the added competition that comes from squeezing these providers into a single marketplace, the company expects to reduce costs for the Air Force and other customers.

“Airmen belong in the air,” Zacharias said. “We can better utilize what’s available to airmen today, and that’s our focus. The Air Force has a great legacy of nurturing new ideas to get the job done. That’s how we got the best air travel system in the world, and it’s how we’ll get to what’s next.”

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In what appears to be one of the largest-ever contracts for an eVTOL manufacturer, San Jose, California-based Archer Aviation agreed to deliver as many as six Midnight aircraft to the U.S. Air Force in an agreement worth up to $142 million. Other military branches will be able to leverage the contracts for additional projects, which could see that number rise.

“This historic agreement reflects the steadfast commitment by our armed forces to embrace the cutting-edge technology our eVTOL aircraft offer,” said Adam Goldstein, founder and CEO of Archer. “It’s clear that the development and commercialization of eVTOL technology continues to remain a national priority.”

AFWERX is the innovation arm of the Air Force, focused on uncovering defense applications for emerging aircraft while speeding their path to commercial launch. Since 2021, Archer has partnered with AFWERX’s Agility Prime—a subdivision dedicated wholly to vertical lift technologies—to explore defense cases for its eVTOL and accelerate entry into service.

Agility Prime plans to deploy Midnight for personnel transport, logistics support, rescue operations, and more. The agreement also calls for Archer to share flight test data and certification-related test reports, provide pilot training, and develop maintenance and repair operations.

 “eVTOL aircraft represent the cusp of the third revolution in aerospace, and these aircraft and their descendants will drive advances in capabilities and efficiency,” said Colonel Tom Meagher, the lead for AFWERX Agility Prime programs. “Our contracts with Archer Aviation provide the U.S. Department of Defense and U.S. Air Force the opportunity to play a role in ensuring from the onset, and as the technology evolves, that we unlock the many benefits these aircraft have to offer the U.S. military.”

The Aircraft that Could Replace Helicopters

Archer recently completed the build of its first Midnight production aircraft, which it expects to certify with the FAA. It believes the aircraft’s VTOL capabilities, 1,000-pound payload, and low noise profile make it attractive to military operations as a safer, quieter alternative to helicopters.

First revealed in November, Midnight received airworthiness criteria from the FAA the following month. Capable of flying up to 100 sm (87 nm) at 130 knots, the aircraft is optimized for carrying a pilot and four passengers on 20 sm (17 nm) urban trips, with 12 minutes of charge time in between.

Midnight flies on six battery packs, each powering a pair of electric motors coupled to a small propeller. Six propellers are mounted on either side of the aircraft’s fixed wings, with the front propellers tilting forward to provide added thrust during cruise flight. The eVTOL uses avionics from Garmin and Safran and is up to 45dB quieter than a helicopter.

Archer believes Midnight’s short charging time, high speed (compared to a car), and focus on short, regional trips will make the company cost-competitive with rideshare services like Uber and Lyft. So far, it has committed to ferry passengers to and from Chicago O’Hare Airport (KORD) and Newark Liberty International Airport (KEWR) with United, which placed a $1 billion order for Midnight aircraft in 2021.

Currently, the firm is working toward a G-2 means of compliance for its FAA-issued airworthiness criteria. It expects to begin type certification testing with the agency in 2024 ahead of planned launches in 2025.

Among eVTOL manufacturers, Archer has a fairly tight relationship with the government. It’s one of a handful of air taxi companies in the FAA’s type certification process and just nabbed former Acting Administrator Billy Nolen for the Chief Safety Officer job. Nolen’s experience with the FAA side of certification should be a boon to the young company.

Archer is also backed by a manufacturing partnership with Stellantis, which just ramped up in June. Construction of the company’s Covington, Georgia, mass production plant is now well underway, and it expects the facility to open in mid-2024. Initially, the plant will produce 650 aircraft per year, but Archer expects that to one day rise to 2,300.

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The post Air Force Awards Archer $142 Million Contract for Midnight eVTOL appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The money will support further development and eventual type certification of Beta’s Alia eVTOL, which is currently undergoing flight testing. With a wingspan of 50 feet, four fixed rotors, and a single rear-mounted propeller, the battery-powered aircraft has achieved a top speed of about 150 kts with a targeted range of 250 nm on a single charge. Designed for a payload of 1,400 pounds—or a pilot and five passengers—the eVTOL is designed to fully recharge in under an hour. Beta has said it expects FAA type certification in 2024. 

The project is part of aviation’s emerging global eVTOL advanced air mobility (AAM) sector, aiming to develop an entirely new form of zero-emission, low-noise air travel for relatively short flights. 

Last month, Alia was the first electric aircraft piloted by U.S. Air Force airmen as part of its Agility Prime technology acceleration program. 

• READ MORE: USAF and Beta Perform First Airman Flights

Unlike several other leading eVTOL developers now flight testing full-size prototypes, Beta has not chosen to go public. Wednesday’s funding announcement offers evidence that the strategy of remaining private may be bearing fruit. 

“Zero-emissions aviation is a critical part of turning the corner on climate change, and we are thrilled that our investors see our electric aviation system as a meaningful step towards this ambitious goal,” said a statement Wednesday by Beta founder and CEO Kyle Clark. “This support allows us to complete the construction of our production facilities and accelerate our certification work to create a greener and more efficient future for all applications of aviation, starting with cargo and logistics and moving to passenger missions immediately thereafter.” 

The financing round was led by TPG Rise Climate and Fidelity Management & Research Company.

Beta—which intends to focus first on a cargo variant—has already received orders from UPS Flight Forward (NYSE:UPS), Blade Urban Air Mobility (NASDAQ:BLDE). Alia’s launch customer will be United Therapeutics, which plans to use the aircraft to transport organs for human transplantation.

The startup is also establishing a network of charging stations designed to serve all electric vehicles, including cars and trucks as well as electric aircraft.

The post eVTOL Startup Beta Technologies Raises $375 Million in Series B Funding appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Hexa has been performing crewed test flights of full-sized prototypes since 2018 and the aircraft has been under Air Force contract since 2020. After Hexa receives FAA approval, Lift Aircraft says its 18-proprotor, amphibious eVTOL won’t require a pilot’s certificate to fly, under the FAA’s powered ultralight classification in FAR Part 103.

Lift Aircraft says it intends to develop Hexa for both civil and military applications, including “emergency first response, personnel transport, base logistics, and search-and-rescue missions.”

Hexa has already received initial military airworthiness approval under Agility Prime. 

Initial testing under the new contract will take place at Eglin Air Force Base near Destin, Florida, alongside the 96th Test Wing and with the support of Air Force eVTOL initiative, Agility Prime.

Several other U.S. eVTOL developers have Agility Prime military contracts, including Joby Aviation, Beta Technologies and Archer Aviation. 

• READ MORE: Airmen Pilot First Agility Prime Flight

“We want it to be able to serve as a contract vehicle that accelerates Hexa towards fielding not just for the USAF, but the DOD (Department of Defense) and USG (U.S. government) in general,” said an April 7 statement from Sterling Alley, technology transition lead and Lift program manager at Agility Prime. “We have a large number of interested stakeholders that are looking at use-cases for the aircraft and welcome growing the community even further in the future.” 

About the Aircraft

Weighing just 432 pounds, Hexa includes an airframe made of lightweight, super-strong carbon fiber. The aircraft is designed with multiple safety considerations, including the ability to fly and land safely with up to six of its 18 battery-powered motors and proprotors disabled. It also comes with an “autonomous ballistic parachute” for a worse-case scenario. 

Designed to land on ground or water, Hexa has four “perimeter floats” that provide “buoyancy and stability” plus a center float constructed of “energy absorbing foam for hard-landing protection.” 

Lift Aircraft intends to provide pilot training for Hexa, according to the company’s website. The aircraft will include an autopilot computer, a seven-inch touchscreen for automated flight and a single, three-axis joystick for hands-on piloting. 

Hexa “democratizes the experience of piloting an aircraft, making the joy and utility of personal, vertical flight accessible to all,” Lift Aircraft’s website says. 

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