VTOL On Demand Mobility

[Zootycoon]

ESA’s funding of such a flawed concept is mysterious;- one wonders as to the ethics, because although relatively small, it provided the credibility for the high net worth individuals.

I understand the majority of the investment to date, has come from a chap who’s normally used to dealing the cards.

 

[fredymac]

I wonder if Bell Flight has talked to these people. Plus they are located in Texas.

 

[TomcatViP]

“[Urban air mobility] with pilots will happen way before you will get anything delivered in your backyard,” Moore told a panel discussion at Heli-Expo in Anaheim, California on 29 January. “Autonomous flight is really hard. Having a pilot in the vehicle makes a huge difference in terms of the regulatory environment.”

Uber sees piloted eVTOL flights before drone package deliveries

Mark Moore, Uber's engineering director for aircraft systems, says he expects piloted electric-vertical-take-off-and-landing (eVTOL) aircraft to advance faster than autonomous drone package deliveries due to the increased regulatory requirements surrounding autonomous flight.

www.flightglobal.com

It's probably where primes will soldier to dominate the market despite the plethora of competitors and the short flight time making efficiency a minor variable to make a difference.

 

[VTOLicious]

Apparently Toyota has big appetite on eVTOL...
https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/32186/help-us-identify-this-crazy-experimental-evtol-drone-spotted-at-mojave-air-and-space-port

 

[VTOLicious]

Apparently Toyota has big appetite on eVTOL...
https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/32186/help-us-identify-this-crazy-experimental-evtol-drone-spotted-at-mojave-air-and-space-port

...

 

[TomcatViP]

Just a pleasant read on the subject:

The Fairey Rotodyne, the vertical takeoff and landing airliner time forgot

"I thought it was this forgotten branch of aviation—and it never really had its chance."

arstechnica.com

 

[VTOLicious]

Interesting...
https://breakingdefense.com/2020/02/air-force-pushes-ahead-on-flying-car-challenge/

 

[Grey Havoc]

Trying to head off the U.S. Army?

 

[VTOLicious]

Trying to head off the U.S. Army?

DARPA's XV-24A was cancelled btw.
https://www.secretprojects.co.uk/threads/new-darpa-vtol-x-prize.18534/post-328448

 

[Grey Havoc]

Yes, which makes this move by the USAF even more interesting.

 

[Moose]

I think the end of the article is possibly the most telling. The small drone makers are dominated by Chinese money because US investors, private and government, were too focused on big drones and ignored the market for too long. Now USAF wants money in with VTOL mobility companies, even if they don't have a clearly defined requirement yet, to avoid a similar outcome.

 

[Grey Havoc]

That part is probably true, in so far as it goes.

 

[shedofdread]

It's almost like they're after a jeep that can jump.....