On Monday at the Farnborough International Airshow in the U.K., Wisk, in an expansion of its partnership with vertiport developer Skyports, announced an electric air taxi network that it hinted could be ready in time for the marquee event.

Wisk and Skyports in 2022 gave an early look at their vision for an eVTOL air taxi network, complete with infrastructure for vertical takeoff and landing, or vertiports. They will function much like heliports with electric aircraft chargers to juice up Wisk’s air taxi.

The partners now are working with the Council of Mayors of Australia’s South East Queensland (SEQ) region, with which Wisk has collaborated since 2022, to devise a network for the company’s Generation 6 model.

A prototype of the flagship design has a range of 90 sm (78 nm) with reserves and charge time of 15 minutes. Like designs from competitors Archer Aviation and Joby Aviation, the Gen 6 features tilting propellers that aid in both vertical and forward flight. Wisk, though, is one of a handful of firms in the industry looking to fly autonomously at launch. It projects a commercial rollout will happen by the end of the decade.

Wisk and Skyports will pick out hubs for the air taxi across the SEQ region, home to an estimated 4 million and growing. The partners said they will study regional travel patterns, conduct feasibility studies, and speak with local communities about what to expect from the service.

They also noted that the region is already preparing for the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic games, saying they expect to plan out air taxi infrastructure in time for the big event.

“We’re excited to see this evolving industry bring high-value local jobs to SEQ and support improved services like medical and tourism,” said Scott Smith, CEO of the SEQ Council of Mayors. “To secure our place as a global destination, we must be at the forefront of adopting emerging technologies.”

Wisk is developing a similar network in Japan in partnership with flag carrier Japan Airlines.

It likewise has plans for the U.S. in the Greater Houston region of Texas and is working toward bringing the Gen 6 to Long Beach, California. Officials in Los Angeles are preparing for the introduction of air taxis ahead of the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, though it is unclear if Wisk will meet that deadline.

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The manufacturer on Tuesday announced the acquisition of Verocel, a software verification and validation (V&V) company focused on the certification of aerospace software—with a particular focus on autonomous designs. Unlike competitors such as Archer Aviation or Joby Aviation, which plan to fly autonomous in the future, Wisk intends for its Gen 6 to fly itself at launch.

Verocel’s flagship offering, VeroTrace, assists manufacturers with software certification definitions, tracking, and submissions to the FAA. Wisk intends to use it to support Gen 6 certification, but it said the software may also be used in “future software development projects for Boeing.” In addition, more than 50 Verocel engineers based in Massachusetts and Poland will join Wisk.

“High-integrity software development is critical for our mission to certify an autonomous, electric aircraft, with V&V being a significant portion of the total software certification effort,” said Brian Yutko, CEO of Wisk. “Verocel’s specialized and talented team will bring with them deep experience and rigor, helping to accelerate our autonomous certification project that is already well underway.”

According to Verocel, team members have extensive knowledge of Software Considerations in Airborne Systems and Equipment Certification, or DO-178C—a document used by regulators including the FAA, European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), and Transport Canada to approve commercial aerospace software.

The company is part of several aerospace industry standards committees including a special committee within the Radio Technical Commission for Aeronautics (RTCA), the EUROCAE Working Group, and the FAA’s Overarching Properties Working Group. Over the course of 25 years and more than 160 projects, it has performed work for Boeing and GE Aerospace, among others.

“Not only is this a chance to directly apply our expertise to the certification of a groundbreaking technology, but this is also an incredible opportunity for Verocel talent to excel within Wisk and the broader Boeing ecosystem long term,” said Jim Chelini, president of Verocel.

Beyond V&V, Verocel also develops the safety computers used in the FAA’s Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS), which is intended to improve the accuracy and availability of global positioning systems (GPS). WAAS allows an aircraft to rely on GPS for all phases of flight, including vertical landings.

Wisk is staring down a more rigorous certification process than its competitors, and the acquisition of Verocel is intended to get the ball rolling faster. The manufacturer aims to introduce the Gen 6 before the end of the decade in markets such as Los Angeles and the Greater Houston Area, where it is developing a vertiport hub at Sugar Land Regional Airport (KSGR).

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According to the space agency, “several” eVTOL companies are deploying a NASA computer program to model their future operations and the noise they will produce. The program, called Overflow, was developed in the 1990s. But NASA tells FLYING it has made “significant improvements” to its code to improve its usefulness for the industry. The code is publicly available for download.

Manufacturers developing technology related to NASA’s Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) Mission—which explores passenger transport, cargo delivery, public service, and other applications for eVTOL designs—are being granted an early look at how their propellers, wings, and other components may perform in action.

Per the agency, the technology can save these manufacturers time and money when making decisions related to aircraft design.

Overflow is a NASA-developed computer software tool that predicts aircraft noise and aerodynamic performance. Using a series of calculations, the program models the flow of air around an aircraft, anticipating the pressures, forces, moments, and power requirements it might produce.

Users can integrate the Overflow code into their own aircraft modeling programs to measure performance and efficiency. They receive a visual depiction of how air behaves on or around the aircraft, represented by different colors. A high pressure coefficient, for example, might be shown in red, while a lower coefficient is represented by blue.

As NASA points out, fluid flows are one of the culprits of aircraft noise. Understanding how those flows interact with the airframe can help engineers make design decisions that keep volume in check.

Supporters and detractors of eVTOL air taxis consider noise pollution a chief concern, particularly when operations take place over an urban area such as a city. Manufacturers such as Archer and Joby—whose designs combine movable propellers with fixed wings—contend their designs will be quieter than helicopters.

According to images shared by NASA, Archer and Joby each have given Overflow a try. Notably, both companies have a prior relationship with the agency.

Joby in December collaborated with NASA and a recruited cohort of air traffic controllers to model air taxi operations around a busy airport, Dallas/Fort Worth International (KDFW). Air taxi pilots “flew” on predetermined routes in various simulated weather conditions, evaluating traffic schedules developed by Joby based on the manufacturer’s demand projections.

The partners successfully simulated 120 eVTOL arrivals and departures alongside existing airport traffic. According to NASA, certain air traffic control procedures evaluated could be applied and scaled at airports nationwide to accommodate eVTOL aircraft.

Archer, meanwhile, continues to collaborate with NASA on a battery testing partnership. The partners are evaluating the manufacturer’s proprietary batteries to gauge how they could safely be applied to eVTOL aircraft, eCTOL aircraft such as Beta Technologies’ CX300, and potentially even spacecraft. Archer last month completed a critical battery pack drop test, intended to assess the batteries’ resistance to leaks or fires in the event of a crash.

In addition to Archer and Joby, Wisk Aero, the eVTOL air taxi subsidiary of Boeing, appears to be using Overflow as NASA shared an image of what looks to be the company’s Generation 6 aircraft. Archer, Joby, and Wisk are among the top U.S. firms in the AAM industry.

NASA—which is also working with the U.S. Air Force to build a nationwide AAM operations center—the Department of Defense, and FAA have each emphasized growing the country’s emerging aircraft technology in a bid to foster the domestic AAM industry. U.S. agencies and representatives have sounded the alarm on manufacturers in China in particular, fearing that a wave of cheap, mass-produced Chinese aircraft could shut out American competitors.

Those fears may not be entirely unfounded, given that Chinese air taxi manufacturer EHang just received approval from the country’s civil aviation authority (CAAC) to begin mass production. Recently, the company revealed its self-flying eVTOL will have a price tag of just $330,000. Few eVTOL manufacturers are public about the cost of their aircraft, but internal projections typically have been in the millions—not the hundreds of thousands.

Having obtained production, type, and standard airworthiness certification for its flagship EH216-S, EHang is the only eVTOL manufacturer with all three approvals. In the U.S., Archer and Joby are the furthest along, targeting type certification before their expected commercial launches in 2025.

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The manufacturer on Wednesday announced a partnership with the city of Sugar Land, Texas, to bring advanced air mobility (AAM) to the Greater Houston area, including plans to build a vertiport at Sugar Land Regional Airport (KSGR).

Wisk and the city will assess locations for a vertiport and potential training and maintenance facilities at the airport, which has been designated as a reliever airport for George Bush Intercontinental Airport (KIAH) and Hobby Airport (KHOU) in Houston. Sugar Land Regional manages 75,000 operations annually, with capacity for up to 268,000.

The initial partnership is intended to establish a larger Wisk network connecting the entire  region, such as routes between downtown Houston and the Houston Airport System.

“The Greater Houston area is experiencing some of the highest population growth in the country, which calls for new and efficient ways to move across the region,” said Brian Yutko, CEO of Wisk. “Sugar Land’s strategic location within the Greater Houston region, and its forward-thinking city leadership, make it an ideal partner for us and one that is uniquely positioned as an early leader in the launch of air taxi services.”

Wisk’s four-seat Gen 6 prototype has a range of 90 sm (78 nm) with reserves. It has an estimated charge time of 15 minutes, and Wisk in 2022 said it was targeting a per-mile price of just $3 per passenger.

Twelve wing-mounted electric propellers—six fore and six aft—power the aircraft, with rear-mounted motors providing vertical lift. In forward flight, the aft propellers turn off and stow while the front propellers tilt forward to support cruising at 110-120 knots on fixed wings.

What makes the design unique, however, is its autonomy. Among major eVTOL air taxi competitors, only China’s EHang—which completed the first passenger-carrying eVTOL air taxi flight in December—is looking to fly without an onboard pilot from the jump.

Wisk said it has spent the past 18 months developing a Greater Houston stakeholder ecosystem to bring self-flying air taxis to the region. The company will work with Sugar Land, local stakeholders, and the FAA to develop ground and air infrastructure. It will also support the technical side of AAM operations, including pilot training, ground operations procedures, and plans for a potential site expansion.

The city, meanwhile, will focus on charting long-term AAM integration, engaging the local community, and creating regulations around considerations such as vertiport permitting and noise levels.

Together, Wisk and the city will explore adding maintenance and training facilities to Sugar Land Regional Airport. They will also collaborate with local and regional stakeholders to draw up routes connecting the city with the Greater Houston area.

“Sugar Land is a great place to start in the Houston region, because we want to be a city where innovation is second nature, where creativity is encouraged and where change is embraced,” said Michael Goodrum, Sugar Land city manager.

So far, Texas is not on the radar of many of Wisk’s competitors. Joby Aviation and Archer Aviation, for example, combined have announced plans to fly in cities such as New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles but not Houston, Dallas, or San Antonio.

However, the state is beginning to embrace technologies such as drone delivery, with Alphabet subsidiary Wing and Ireland’s Manna recently touching down in Dallas. Further, Overair, another Wisk competitor, partnered with Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (KDFW) and the city of Arlington to explore service in the DFW area.

Adding to the momentum is recently passed legislation, Texas Senate Bill 2144, that established a state AAM advisory committee. The bill took effect in September.

“These public-private partnerships are exactly what we hoped would result from the passage of our legislation during the 88th Legislative Session and solidifies Texas as a leader in this new technology space,” said David Cook, a member of the Texas House of Representatives.

Outside the Lone Star State, Wisk is also eyeing operations in Los Angeles, where in October it completed what it says was the city’s first public eVTOL air taxi demo using its fifth generation aircraft, Cora.

The manufacturer does not have firm launch plans for the City of Angels. However, it has an alliance with the Long Beach Economic Partnership to explore the impact of autonomous air taxis on the local economy and has been flight testing in the city since September.

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Electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft manufacturer Wisk Aero, a subsidiary of Boeing, on Monday said it became the first in the industry to conduct public demonstration flights of an electric air taxi in Los Angeles County.

Wisk landed in the City of Angels earlier this month, beginning private flight testing out of Long Beach Airport (KLGB) with its fifth-generation eVTOL, also known as Cora. The tests allowed the firm to evaluate autonomous flight operations in a real-world commercial environment, right beside other passenger aircraft.

The flight program was capped off with a public, multitransition demonstration during the airport’s Festival of Flight on Saturday. The one-day event was free and open to the public.

“I am proud to see the future of flight becoming a reality in Long Beach,” said Rex Richardson, the city’s mayor. “Long Beach has been a leader in aviation for decades, and those careers helped build and sustain the middle class here for generations. I am looking forward to working with Wisk and Boeing to create good jobs and integrating a safe, quiet, and environmentally responsible transportation option in Long Beach.”

Unlike its core rivals (with the exception of China’s EHang), Wisk is looking to fly without onboard pilots from the jump, instead relying upon a combination of autonomy and human oversight. It’s also the exclusive provider of autonomy technology for Archer Aviation following the settlement of a prolonged legal battle between the two manufacturers.

As part of that agreement, Boeing contributed to a $215 million investment in Archer, which also included partners Stellantis and United Airlines.

Per Monday’s announcement, Wisk has now completed more than 1,700 test flights. Those include another public demonstration of Cora at EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, which the company said was the world’s first for an autonomous, fixed-wing eVTOL. EHang in 2020 made a public flight in South Korea, but its EH216-S is not a fixed-wing design.

Wisk also displayed its four-seat Gen 6 design for VIPs on Capitol Hill during the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Global Aerospace Summit in Washington, D.C., last month. But it did not take flight.

Over the weekend, company representatives met with Mayor Richardson, Los Angeles area officials, and leadership from Boeing—which became Wisk’s sole owner in June—to discuss the future of advanced air mobility (AAM) services in the area.

“Autonomous flight is possible today, and it’s happening now in LA,” said Brian Yutko, CEO of Wisk. “Los Angeles is a target launch city for many in our industry and we are extremely proud to be the first air taxi company to fly in LA—and to have done so with an autonomous aircraft. We are fortunate to have the partnership and support of Boeing throughout the area to help build relationships and advance our mission.”

A Crowded Market?

Though it will not necessarily launch in Los Angeles, Wisk in 2022 formed an alliance with the Long Beach Economic Partnership (LBEP) to evaluate how autonomous electric air taxis, expected to be part of a broader regional network, might impact the local economy.

The partners are also assessing local residents’ willingness to use eVTOL aircraft for short-hop flights over the city’s congested streets. One of the most traffic-heavy metros in North America, Los Angeles is quickly becoming a hot spot for electric air taxis, with Archer, Germany’s Volocopter, and Hyundai subsidiary Supernal all having worked with Urban Movement Labs—an LA government-community transportation partnership—for several years. A fourth firm, Overair, signed a deal with UML in 2022.

By the time Los Angeles hosts the 2028 Olympic Games, the FAA hopes to have enabled U.S. AAM operations at scale, as laid out in its Innovate28 plan. The city itself also anticipates robust operations by then—Joby Aviation, in partnership with Delta Airlines, is expected to be one of the early entrants.

Supernal is also eyeing the LA market, and competition could heat up further with the potential entry of Archer and United. A partnership between the two calls for the airline’s acquisition of up to 200 Midnight eVTOLs to fly passengers to United hub airports—Los Angeles International Airport (KLAX) is one of them.

California in general is something of a hub for eVTOL firms, with Wisk (Mountain View), Joby (Santa Cruz), and Archer (San Jose) all setting up headquarters in the Bay Area. Overair is based in the Los Angeles suburb of Santa Ana with flight testing facilities in nearby Victorville. Supernal, based in D.C., has a research and development facility in nearby Fremont, as well as an engineering headquarters close to Los Angeles in Irvine. Both Joby and Archer have conducted flight testing in the state for years.

In addition, Joby, Overair and several of the aforementioned manufacturers played a pivotal role in the formation of a dedicated AAM advisory committee for the state with the passage of California SB 800, which was signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom earlier this month. Many of them expect to fly during the 2028 Olympic Games.

Why Los Angeles?

Wisk recently sponsored research, conducted by California State University at Long Beach, which found that the operation of a 20-vertiport network spanning the Greater Los Angeles-Orange County area could generate $2 million in economic output for every $1 million of initial expenditure. 

More specifically, researchers estimated such a network would create 943 jobs, deliver more than $90 million in labor income, and generate about $173 million in expenditures annually. Construction of the network alone could add more than 2,100 jobs and churn out more than $420 million in economic output, they approximated.

Supernal, meanwhile, is working with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory—within the U.S. Department of Energy—to explore the feasibility, challenges, and opportunities for AAM operations in the Los Angeles area, including the necessary infrastructure.

Besides the potential economic impact and the opportunity to eliminate traffic, LA is viewed by many manufacturers as a promising market for eVTOL aircraft for several reasons.

The city regularly scores an “F” in regard to managing air pollution, which zero-emissions vehicles such as eVTOL aircraft could mitigate. Weather conditions—often clear and sunny outside of the “June Gloom” period each summer—are also ideal for initial AAM operations. And historically, California has been a bastion for environmentally friendly tech, which could raise consumer confidence in the novel aircraft.

Los Angeles may also have a leg up on other U.S. cities when it comes to AAM infrastructure. A 2021 Georgia Tech University survey, published by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, suggested six local airports (including Long Beach Airport and LAX) as potential waypoints for eVTOL passengers.

Additionally, infrastructure in downtown Los Angeles, such as rooftops, “could potentially be converted to vertiports,” the survey noted. Archer and Joby in 2021 each announced Los Angeles as a launch city for their respective vertiport networks. Both are working with parking garage operator Reef to convert parking garage roofs into eVTOL landing pads.

Wisk, too, will need to construct its own vertiports, enlist a partner to build them, or form agreements with airports or FBOs to allow vertical takeoffs and landings. The Boeing subsidiary does not have a firm commercial launch date but has said its Gen 6 model will enter service before the end of the decade.

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Now for this week’s top story:

FAA Powered-Lift Pilot Plan Takes Flak From Industry

What happened? The FAA poked the bear. Since the agency reversed course to certify electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft in the powered-lift category, it’s been tasked with developing guidelines for training and certifying the pilots who will fly them. But its plan—proposed in June—did not go over well with the industry.

Too many hours: While the FAA proposed applicants should obtain a powered-lift category rating before pursuing a type rating, the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) and seven other groups said training should credit existing airplane and helicopter certificates. That would eliminate some hours-based requirements, which they argue are too extensive.

The industry also requested the FAA ax the requirement for eVTOL manufacturers to build and maintain a dual-control model for pilot training. Instead, they insisted on awarding more credit to training done in simulators and expanding the simulator models acceptable for instruction.

Let eVTOLs be eVTOLs: Another of the industry’s qualms centered on eVTOL operational rules, which the FAA prescribes to be similar to airplane rules. But stakeholders countered that the aircraft—many of which can take off, land, and maneuver like helicopters—don’t fit neatly into the regulations for any one aircraft type.

Instead, they suggested applying airplane and helicopter rules to eVTOL operations as appropriate. For example, they should be subject to helicopter minimum visibility requirements but be treated as airplanes when flying over water. In other words: let eVTOLs be eVTOLs.

Quick quote: “These barriers are a direct consequence of FAA reversals on this rulemaking and the content of the proposed SFAR,” GAMA said.

My take: There are many, many further criticisms in the industry’s letter that I simply didn’t have space to fit here. Suffice it to say, though, that stakeholders have a very different vision for powered-lift pilot training and certification than the FAA’s.

In essence, the groups feel the proposed requirements are too strict and will impede the pathway for an initial cohort of eVTOL pilots and instructors to emerge. They also worry about the impacts on manufacturers, whom they argue would take on too great a financial and material burden under the FAA’s plan.

This level of political coordination isn’t exactly uncommon in general aviation. But whenever it happens, you should expect results. Several of these groups (GAMA in particular) have immense political clout on Capitol Hill, and their recommendations may very well end up shaping the bulk of the final rule.

Deep dive: GAMA and Other Industry Groups Cast Shade on FAA Powered-Lift Pilot Proposal

In Other News…

DJI Now Delivers

What happened? China’s DJI, which dominates somewhere between 50 and 70 percent of the global consumer drone market, just launched its first delivery drone, FlyCart 30. Named for its 30 kilogram (66 pound) payload, the new design has some impressive features.

The specs: FlyCart 30 is a four-axis, eight-propeller multirotor design powered by a pair of batteries, capable of flying 10 miles at close to 45 mph with a full load. It won’t be hampered by inclement weather—the drone can fly in dust or moderate rain, as well as at high altitudes. It also uses an intelligent “anti-sway” system to maintain level flight in wind.

Another neat feature is the dual-control mechanism, which allows multiple pilots in different locations to control FlyCart 30 at various points along the mission. It also offers two delivery mechanisms: a standard cargo box or a winch and crane configuration that lowers items from the sky.

Deep dive: DJI Already Dominates Consumer Drones; Now It’s Getting into Delivery

Ex-CEO of Wisk Aero Joins Flying Car Racing Company

What happened? Gary Gysin, who helmed Boeing-owned Wisk from its founding in 2019 until his resignation in February, joined a company that’s already flying eVTOL aircraft. The firm, Airspeeder, currently hosts remotely piloted flying car races and is looking to begin piloted races in 2024.

A new form of competitive racing: Wisk’s self-flying Gen 6 isn’t expected to fly commercially for at least another five years, but Airspeeder’s Mk3 eVTOL is already doing laps on digitally generated tracks in the sky. The company is now developing the Mk4, a crewed variant expected to be ready for the first piloted Airspeeder races in 2024.

Last year, the firm hosted the EXA Series, a precursor to next year’s event that allowed pilots to safely familiarize themselves with the technology. Pilot commands are sent as inputs to a robot “aviator,” which mimics their movements as they navigate augmented reality obstacles. Airspeeder is backed by a pair of venture capital firms and global logistics titan DHL.

Deep Dive: Former Wisk CEO Joins Flying Car Racing Company Airspeeder

And a Few More Headlines:

• Autonomous eVTOL maker EHang said it’s on the cusp of type certification after wrapping up its latest round of flight testing.

• India became the fourth nation to put a lander on the moon and the first to land on the lunar south pole.

• Google parent Alphabet’s drone delivery arm Wing signed a deal to deliver from Walmart stores in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

• Reliable Robotics successfully demonstrated its continuous autopilot system for the FAA.

• Defense drone manufacturer Red Cat doubled its contract value with the U.S. Defense Logistics Agency.

Spotlight on…

Rotor X Aircraft

Who needs a pilot certificate? Not you, apparently, if you plan to fly Rotor X Aircraft’s Dragon eVTOL.

Dragon just completed its final unmanned flight tests and could be available as soon as next spring. It’s a one-seat, build-it-yourself eVTOL design that’s light enough to qualify as a Part 103 ultralight aircraft—meaning no pilot certificate is required to fly it. Rotor X claims it can be assembled over a weekend, but we’re a little skeptical.

Limiting Dragon are its speed and range: it maxes out at 63 mph (54 knots) and can stay airborne for just 20 minutes. It’s also expected to cost around $90,000 to $100,000 at purchase, more expensive than other ultralight aircraft.

It will be interesting to see if the FAA has anything to say about all this. So far, the agency has struggled to chart the path for eVTOL pilot training and certification given the novelty of the technology. Chances are the agency won’t want a bunch of inexperienced pilots flying these unfamiliar designs.

Deep Dive: One-Seat eVTOL Needs No Certificate to Fly—and It’s Ready for Piloted Tests

On the Horizon…

The biggest regulatory news this week was without a doubt GAMA and other groups’ resistance to the FAA’s powered-lift pilot proposal. But since I broke down that situation above, in last week’s newsletter, and in a story for FLYING Digital, I’ll give you all (and myself) a break here.

At the same time, other groups—such as the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) and Studio City for Quiet Skies, a Los Angeles-based coalition—have pushed back on the FAA’s broader advanced air mobility (AAM) initiatives, including the Innovate28 plan for AAM integration at scale by 2028.

Other than that, there wasn’t too much action this week. But if you haven’t already read my story on the topic, consider this your first reminder: The FAA’s Remote ID rule for drones takes full effect September 16, and all operators will need to ensure their drones are equipped with the proper technology in order to continue flying.

Mark Your Calendars

Each week, I’ll be running through a list of upcoming industry events. Here are a few conferences to keep an eye on:

• Defense and Security Equipment International 2023—September 12-15 in London
• DroneX 2023—September 26-27 in London
• World Aviation Festival—September 26-28 in Lisbon, Portugal
• Airtaxi World Congress—October 2-5 in San Francisco
• FAI World Drone Racing Championship—October 6-9 near Seoul, South Korea
• Intergeo 2023—October 10-12 in Berlin
• Dronitaly—October 11-13 in Bologna, Italy
• Commercial UAV Expo—October 23-26 in Las Vegas
• World’s Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Conference—November 12-14 in Jerusalem

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On Wednesday, the former Wisk CEO officially joined the board of Airspeeder, a flying car racing company that pits professional drone pilots and motorsport drivers against each other on digitally generated racetracks in the sky. Pilots remotely command eVTOL “speeders,” flying blade-to-blade at speeds approaching 55 knots. The firm hosted its inaugural competition last year and plans to launch crewed eVTOL races in 2024.

“Formula 1 racing and autosport racing of all forms has helped spur innovation and safety in consumer vehicles, and Airspeeder is leading the way in eVTOL with its electric flying car racing approach,” said Gysin. “Joining the board aligns perfectly with my passion for aviation and Formula 1.”

Gysin was the founding CEO of Wisk, which formed out of a joint venture between Boeing and Google co-founder Larry Page’s Kitty Hawk in 2019. Before stepping down in February, he oversaw Wisk’s development of its self-flying, four-seat eVTOL, set strategic targets like entry into service and city rollout, launched the company’s type certification program with the FAA, and closed more than $450 million in venture capital.

The company is now fully owned by Boeing, which bought out Kitty Hawk’s remaining shares in May after it wound down a few months prior.

“We are excited to collaborate with [Gysin] as we continue to push the boundaries of electric flight and redefine the future of transportation,” said Matthew Pearson, co-founder and CEO of Airspeeder. “His perspective on the future of the industry is key as we build a motorsport that has deep resonance with the wider market of OEMs crafting transformational electric aircraft.”

Around 2015, Pearson founded Alauda Aeronautics, the manufacturer that would go on to build flying race cars—or speeders—for Airspeeder. The startup unveiled its first vehicle concept in 2017, and Pearson founded Airspeeder a year later. In 2019, Airspeeder revealed Mk3, the remotely piloted eVTOL it currently uses in races. The design made its first flights in 2021.

In 2022, Airspeeder hosted the EXA Series, a trio of races in which pilots remotely flew the Mk3 through holographic courses in the sky. The inaugural group of pilots viewed the tracks through augmented reality displays—no physical infrastructure was needed besides the vehicles.

The eVTOLs themselves are lightweight (around 220 pounds) and can hit a top speed of 124 mph (108 knots). Robot “aviators” commandeer the vehicles, mimicking movements of the remote pilots through digitized inputs.

Airspeeder crowned the winner of the inaugural EXA Series in October, when Australian surfer-turned-professional drone pilot Zephatali Walsh bested German content creator and FPV drone pilot Fabio Tischler for the title. The final race was held above the pink salt flats of Lake Bumbunga near the town of Lochiel, South Australia.

The EXA races are meant to serve as a precursor and feeder event for the Airspeeder Grand Prix, a crewed version of the event scheduled to take place in 2024. Those races will be flown with a new eVTOL model, the Mk4, which is expected to be able to reach a top speed of 225 mph (195 knots) in just 30 seconds. Team entries are now open for the Grand Prix series, and the company hopes to have 20 crewed teams racing in the event by 2025.

Airspeeder is backed by an undisclosed seed funding round led by venture capital firms Saltwater Capital and Jelix Ventures, which also included participation from logistics giant DHL. The firm has a two-year broadcast deal with Fox Sports Australia and a one-year global content deal with sports streaming platform DAZN to produce original content and series in the lead-up to the first crewed flying car races.

With Gysin and the expertise he carries over from Wisk now in the mix, Airspeeder figures to get a lift as it works to usher in a new form of competitive racing.

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—Jack Daleo, Modern FLYING staff writer

Now for this week’s top story:

Archer and Wisk: Bitter Rivals Turn Allies in New Agreement

What happened? A bitter, prolonged legal battle between rival electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft manufacturers Archer Aviation and Boeing’s Wisk Aero ended in just about the most surprising way imaginable. Not only did the two settle—they entered a partnership that will make Wisk the exclusive provider of autonomy technology for Archer.

Keep your friends close…: Separately, Archer announced it received a $215 million raise led by longtime investors Stellantis and United Airlines, bringing its valuation to an eye-popping $1.1 billion. Like other eVTOL firms, Archer does not yet produce revenue, so the funding from its closest allies will help carry it to entry into service.

Speaking of entry into service, the company took a step closer to that milestone as well, announcing the FAA has green-lit a production prototype of its Midnight eVTOL for flight testing. That’s expected to begin later this year.

…but your enemies closer: Of course, though, the biggest news from Archer was its settlement with Wisk, ending a two-year dispute over (allegedly) stolen trade secrets. Had a settlement not been reached, the case would have gone to trial next month.

But not only did Archer turn its foe into a partner, it will also receive funding from Boeing, part of that $215 million raise, to integrate autonomous systems into a future variant of Midnight. In one fell swoop, the company got a monkey off its back and set itself up for future success.

Quick quote: “This collaboration puts Archer in a unique position—to be able to source autonomy technology from a leader in the industry. Over the long term, autonomy is seen as one of the keys to achieving scale across all AAM applications, from passenger to cargo and beyond,” Archer said in a press release.

My take: All of this sounds like great news for Archer. But, as one commentator noted, the Archer-Wisk collaboration may have lopsided benefits for Wisk and Boeing.

Boeing invested a (presumably and comparably) small amount of capital in its rival for the rights to sell Wisk’s autonomous tech to Archer in the future. So, essentially, the investment should pay for itself down the line. In the short term, Boeing will immediately receive $25 million in Archer shares, an amount which could rise to as high as $48 million in a few years.

Still, at the end of the day, settling now keeps Archer’s certification activities on track. And with the investment from Stellantis and United Airlines and the FAA approval to begin flying, the company is in as good a short-term position as it has ever been.

Deep dive: Archer Aviation Earns Fresh Funding from Bitter Rival-Turned-Ally

In Other News…

Skydio Shutters Consumer Drone Business

What happened? Skydio, one of the world’s largest consumer drone manufacturers, is no longer selling consumer drones. Why? It would instead prefer to focus on its enterprise and public sector customers, which are thought to drive more revenue because they purchase subscriptions rather than off-the-shelf drones.

Bigger opportunities: Skydio’s 2 Plus series was four years in the making, but customers will no longer be able to purchase 2 Plus Starter, Sports, Cinema, or Pro kits. However, Skydio will continue to provide most services, like customer support, and offer replacement parts such as batteries. 2 Plus Enterprise kits will still be available to businesses.

Now, Skydio will primarily serve infrastructure, defense and public safety customers, and federal and state agencies with its X2 series, released in 2020. It currently has over 1,500 enterprise customers. With Skydio’s exit, the consumer market will be left primarily to DJI, which boasts a global market share somewhere between 50 and 70 percent.

Deep Dive: Skydio Just Shuttered its Consumer Drone Business

Alphabet’s Wing to Begin Medical Drone Delivery in Ireland

What happened? Wing, the drone delivery arm of Google parent Alphabet, announced it will soon launch its first medical delivery network in Ireland’s South Dublin county. The service will fly pharmacy items, lab samples, and medical devices and supplies between healthcare providers in partnership with medical logistics firm Apian.

Drone delivery dominance: Wing is already one of the world’s preeminent drone delivery firms, having completed more than 300,000 deliveries. Adding healthcare cargo to its deliveries of hot meals, convenience and grocery items, and e-commerce could extend its dominance even further, though it’ll have to compete with Zipline and its 600,000 medical deliveries.

Wing’s healthcare delivery service won’t launch until later this year. But the company has built its entire business around delivering to urban regions, a market Zipline has hardly touched. That could be the differentiator that allows medical deliveries to be a viable addition to the business.

Deep Dive: Alphabet’s Wing to Begin Medical Drone Deliveries in Ireland

And a Few More Headlines:

• A prototype eVTOL from Vertical Aerospace crashed during an uncrewed test flight, damaging the aircraft and sparking an investigation.

• Embraer eVTOL subsidiary Eve Air Mobility partnered with DHL Supply Chain to develop a logistics system for eVTOL support.

• A2Z Drone Delivery released its next-generation RDST Longtail, which in premium configuration can fly in rain.

• World Drone Racing Championships announced the inaugural “e-Drone” Racing Cup, its first virtual event.

• A collective of eVTOL industry stakeholders united against the FAA’s powered-lift pilot proposal…more on that below.

Spotlight on…

Schubeler Technologies

Besides being fun to say, Schubeler is a name known to many in the turbomachinery industry. The company for decades has produced electric ducted fans for industrial customers. But this week, the German firm released an electric ducted fan built specifically for large eVTOL aircraft. 

The design, called eP05-21, is bulkier and heavier than the company’s other offerings, producing around 680 newtons of status thrust with a sub-60-volt architecture. It can operate at flight speeds between 0 and 148 feet per second. And crucially, the model is expected to produce just 60 dBA of noise at a distance of close to 400 feet during a flyby—-that’s about the volume of an average conversation.

Schubeler won’t be well -known to eVTOL enthusiasts yet, but the company has certainly gained the attention of manufacturers. Already, Lilium and Volocopter, also based in Germany, are listed as customers, as are Boeing, Airbus, General Atomics, Bellwether, and Tupan.

Deep Dive: AAM Industry Gets a New (Electric Ducted) Fan

On the Horizon…

Oh boy, did the FAA poke the bear. The agency last month proposed rules for training and certifying powered-lift (its term for eVTOL) pilots. But industry stakeholders aren’t happy.

A group of them, led by the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA), penned a strongly worded letter to the FAA recommending several major changes to the proposal. Among these are a greater emphasis on training-based instruction (rather than time-based), expanded use of flight simulators, the removal of a rule that would require training in dual-control aircraft, and a realignment of powered-lift operating rules.

Basically, the industry thinks the FAA is making it too difficult for pilots (and manufacturers) to obtain the necessary powered-lift certifications. And their comments will hold weight—GAMA has plenty of sway on Capitol Hill, and chances are many of its suggestions will make it into the final rule.

Mark Your Calendars

Each week, I’ll be running through a list of upcoming industry events. Here are a few conferences to keep an eye on:

• Defense and Security Equipment International 2023—September 12-15 in London
• DroneX 2023—September 26-27 in London
• World Aviation Festival—September 26-28 in Lisbon, Portugal
• Airtaxi World Congress—October 2-5 in San Francisco
• FAI World Drone Racing Championship—October 6-9 near Seoul, South Korea
• Intergeo 2023—October 10-12 in Berlin
• Dronitaly—October 11-13 in Bologna, Italy
• Commercial UAV Expo—October 23-26 in Las Vegas
• World’s Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Conference—November 12-14 in Jerusalem

Tweet of the Week

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Twitter: FLYING Magazine (@FlyingMagazine) / Twitter

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I want to hear your questions, comments, concerns, and criticisms about everything in the modern flying space, whether they’re about a new drone you just bought or the future of space exploration. Reach out to jack@flying.media or tweet me @jack_daleo with your thoughts.

The post Who Won, Archer Aviation or Wisk Aero? appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Archer Aviation and rival Wisk Aero, the eVTOL subsidiary of aviation giant Boeing, jointly announced an agreement to settle a bitter, yearslong trade secrets dispute on undisclosed terms. Archer will issue warrants to Wisk for up to 13.2 million shares as part of the settlement.

But the agreement is twofold. In a twist nobody saw coming, the longtime competitors will actually enter a collaboration to make Wisk the sole provider of autonomy technology for Archer. Not only that, but Boeing—which bought out Kitty Hawk’s remaining shares in Wisk to become its sole owner in June—will fund the integration of the tech on a future variant of Archer’s Midnight eVTOL.

“This collaboration puts Archer in a unique position—to be able to source autonomy technology from a leader in the industry,” the company said in a press release. “Over the long term, autonomy is seen as one of the keys to achieving scale across all AAM applications, from passenger to cargo and beyond.”

The settlement gets a monkey off Archer’s back, and Boeing’s investment could one day allow the company to shift to autonomous flight, which has been the goal since the beginning. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

Separately, Archer announced a $215 million investment from Stellantis, United Airlines, and ARK Investment Management, raising Archer’s valuation to a whopping $1.1 billion. The funding includes Boeing’s money as well as a $70 million acceleration from Stellantis, part of the exclusive manufacturing partnership the automaker signed with Archer in January.

And there’s even more. In its second-quarter shareholder letter, Archer revealed the FAA has greenlit Midnight for initial test flights. The approval keeps the company on track for type design flight testing in 2024 and a commercial launch the following year. Additionally, the first delivery of Midnight aircraft to an Air Force base—part of the firm’s recent $142 million AFWERX contract—is on schedule.

The trio of announcements comes just over a month before Archer and Wisk’s legal dispute was set to head to trial.

In May 2021, Wisk sued Archer for the “brazen theft” of over 50 trade secrets. It alleged that a former Wisk employee had downloaded sensitive information before departing for Archer and that Archer knowingly used Wisk intellectual property to develop Maker, the precursor to Midnight. Supporting its case were the similarities between the two designs.

Archer, predictably, disagreed. That August, it escalated the dispute with a countersuit for $1 billion in damages, claiming defamation. It referred to Wisk’s claims as an “extra-judicial smear campaign.”

Each side secured small victories in the disagreement. Wisk had a motion for injunction denied, allowing Archer to continue developing Maker. But when Archer responded by trying to have the case dismissed, Judge William Orrick III blocked it, arguing that Wisk’s allegations were plausible.

Still, Wisk’s allegations would have been difficult to prove. It needed to show not only that employees downloaded trade secrets, but also that Archer knew this when it began working on Midnight. In February 2022, federal prosecutors declined to charge Jing Xue, the former company engineer at the center of the case, dealing a blow to its efforts.

Archer and Wisk entered a second round of mediation this past March, but to no avail.

Now, however, both companies will be free to focus entirely on certifying their aircraft. That should happen for Archer before it does for Wisk, given the latter’s decision to fly autonomously from the jump.

Like rival Joby Aviation, Archer’s net loss widened significantly in Q2 as it prepares to ramp up manufacturing and flight testing. But while Joby reported about $1.2 billion in cash and short-term investments on hand, Archer has less than half that, about $407 million. That’s still a boatload of money. But its main rival—which has already begun flight testing its production prototype—appears to have a slight edge.

Archer, Joby, Wisk, and others will compete in the emerging advanced air mobility (AAM) market, flying passengers on short trips to and from airfields. Archer has agreements to fly in Chicago and New York City with United, while Joby plans to fly in New York and Los Angeles with Delta Airlines.

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The post Archer Aviation Earns Fresh Funding from Bitter Rival Turned Ally appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

At the air show Wednesday, Wisk Aero, the air taxi arm of Boeing, flew what it says is the world’s first public demonstration of a fully autonomous, fixed-wing, electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) air taxi. The demo featured Wisk’s Generation 5 technology demonstrator, wowing a crowd of hundreds as it hovered, spun, and zipped through the air in near silence.

Wisk flew their pilotless Gen 5 aircraft at Oshkosh today.

The noise is the 787 APU, not the @WiskAero pic.twitter.com/QzvBULaw0K

— David J. Swanson (@swansondavidj) July 26, 2023

The multitransition flight showed off the air taxi’s transition capabilities, as it switched between hover and wing-borne flight four times and made two low passes. The eVTOL also completed an array of maneuvers, including 360-degree turns in place.

“For the first time, we have publicly demonstrated fully autonomous flight, conducted by an all-electric, fly-by-wire, vertical takeoff and landing aircraft,” said Jim Tighe, chief technology officer of Wisk. “There was no pilot on board, no pilot controls in the aircraft, and no stick-and-rudder on the ground. The entire flight was operated with the push of a button.”

Wisk’s Gen 5, a demonstrator, will never enter service. But it has completed more than 1,300 test flights and is informing development of the company’s Generation 6, the model it hopes to certify for commercial flights with the FAA. 

Wednesday’s flight, however, was more about validating its technology with the public.

“This demonstration showcases the state of readiness for autonomous technology and electric propulsion,” said Brian Yutko, CEO of Wisk. “Combined with the progress we’re making on type certification for our sixth generation air taxi, we’re proving that autonomy is possible and it’s happening today.”

Wisk’s Rapid Ascent

The origins of Wisk’s aircraft design can be traced to a company called Zee Aero, founded in 2010 with the backing of Google co-founder Larry Page. But the Wisk brand itself didn’t get its start until 2019, formed out of a strategic partnership between Boeing and Page’s Kitty Hawk Corp., a year after rival Archer Aviation.

In May, Boeing took full ownership of Wisk when it acquired the shares of Kitty Hawk, which wound down a few months prior.

After just a few short years of operation, Wisk already has plans to fly in Japan, Australia, and Long Beach, California. It also has an agreement in place with Blade Air Mobility to operate air taxi routes across Blade’s U.S. network. A vertiport integration agreement with Skyports, which seeks to establish advanced air mobility (AAM) infrastructure, complements those partnerships.

According to Yutko, Wisk expects to enter service by the end of the decade. So far, it has submitted a type certification application to the FAA, the first step in validating its design. The company has also filed G-1 and G-2 issue papers, which respectively cover the Gen 6 aircraft’s certification basis and means of compliance.

The all-electric Gen 6 was first unveiled in October and is powered by 12 propellers, six each on the front and back of its fixed wings. When transitioning from vertical lift to cruise, the front propellers tilt forward to generate added thrust for wing-borne flight, while the back propellers stall and lock into place. Before descent, the propellers reenter their original configuration.

With four seats and no onboard pilot, the eVTOL can carry up to four passengers and their belongings. It has a range of 90 sm (78 nm) with reserves and cruises at 110-120 knots, with a charge time of only 15 minutes.

In hopes of competing with ground-based rideshare services like Uber and Lift, Wisk is targeting a per-mile price of just $3 per passenger. An Uber ride costs between $1 and $2 per mile per passenger before fees, and Lyft is considered the pricier option of the two.

How Wisk Flies Itself

If eVTOL aircraft are a novel technology, fully autonomous flight is a black box. Most commercial airliners use some autonomous technology. But the prospect of removing the pilot from the cockpit entirely is foreign.

Wisk plans to do so by leveraging much of the autonomous tech common to commercial flight, such as an autopilot, precision navigation, and flight management systems. But the company will mix in elements frequently seen in autonomous drones, such as sensors, detect-and-avoid capabilities, and proprietary, logic-driven decision-making software.

Wisk’s autonomous capabilities will even extend to the ground. Though vertiport crews are expected to visually inspect each aircraft before flight, the air taxi conducts preflight inspections all by itself, ensuring its own power supply, avionics, controls, motors, sensors, seat belts, and more are ready for launch.

When the autonomous inspection is complete, the aircraft alerts a crew of multivehicle supervisors at a ground-based fleet operations center. A supervisor then confirms the departure with air traffic control, initiating takeoff with the press of a button. A fleet manager monitors and tracks the fleet, conducting predeparture planning, scheduling, and dispatching.

Once in the air, the Gen 6 continues to inspect itself while a supervisor continuously monitors the flight. But the human pilot in command won’t have much to do—the air taxi navigates fully autonomously, able to identify hazards in the air or on the ground and adjust its flight path accordingly. 

Supervisors can view these maneuvers in real time and communicate them to air traffic control. They can also give commands to the aircraft themselves, modifying the flight path in response to ATC requests, guiding it to an alternate landing spot or even initiating an immediate emergency landing.

Passengers are able to keep track of flight path modifications on a seatback screen. While in transit, they maintain communication with a Wisk hospitality manager, who can provide live updates, safety information, and instructions.

As the air taxi prepares to land, precision navigation software and onboard and ground sensors guide it to its final destination, where it confirms the area is clear and begins its descent. The supervisor is notified when the eVTOL makes its final approach and coordinates with ATC and the vertiport. At the same time, the autonomous system relays information, such as the health of the aircraft, its charging status, and passenger arrival needs.

Wisk’s use of autonomous technology undoubtedly presents some unique opportunities: a way to avoid the pilot shortage, reduce operating costs, and increase space for passengers to name a few.

But it could also hamper the company’s entry into service, which is already expected to come several years after its competitors. Wisk will go through the same FAA certification process as Archer, Joby, and Lilium. But the novelty of its technology may make it more challenging to develop a type-conforming design that lives up to the agency’s safety standards.

The FAA has certified some automated systems, such as autopilots and autothrottles, as well as autonomous aircraft like drones, which Wisk believes laid the foundation for certifying a fully autonomous passenger aircraft. But those technologies are far more proven than the Gen 6. And as aviators know by now, the FAA takes a deliberate approach when it comes to novel aircraft.

The post Wisk Aero Completes Groundbreaking Air Taxi Demonstration at Oshkosh appeared first on FLYING Magazine.