VTOL On Demand Mobility

https://aviationweek.com/business-a...aypoint-making-case-emergency-response-evtols

The promise of a quick-to-launch, easy-to-fly aircraft carrying a first responder to an accident site in minutes for a fraction of the cost of a helicopter is a powerful one. However, it has yet to be demonstrated that such an asset can be integrated effectively into emergency services.

As it prepares to begin customer deliveries of its Helix ultralight personal eVTOL, U.S. startup Pivotal has launched a proof-of-concept project with Hyde County, North Carolina, to demonstrate that lives can be saved if first responders fly themselves to an emergency rather than travel by ambulance.

Edit: Hat-tip to Halcyon66.
 
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Boyington said:
Moshier Technologies AURORA 400 VTOL Aircraft Project 1986
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I was intrigued by the Moshier Aurora and visited Moshier in the late 80’s where he showed me a 1/10 scale model of the Aurora shell which looked a lot like the picture you included but your picture looks to be a larger scale. Moshier played with the idea that there could be a RC scale model available in the future but that never came to fruition.

The thrust augmentors which he named “ fluidic amplifiers“ are an intriguing design meant to use high velocity and hot jet exhaust channelled through the rectangular openings on the side of the aircraft, using the Venturi effect drawing in ambient air to produce more thrust by trading heat and momentum for more air volume output.

I created a video covering the Moshier Aurora aircraft, technology and technical challenges.
View: https://youtu.be/PTMB2naKJZs
 
The recent light airplane crash into a sensitive building in bejing have china watchers cry the end of evtols in china since tight lockdowns on aviation is seen coming. Wonder how that changes in playing field....

Halcyon66 said:
Volunteer Medics Will Fly This One-of-a-Kind Electric Aircraft

https://www.flyingmag.com/electric-aircraft-emergency-medical-services/
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They need to drone-ify the vehicle so that a entire fleet can operate for the same mission. This solves the low payload mass issue for the vehicle, also allows evac of the patient via remote control.

alberchico said:
We're finally getting more demonstration flights over NYC as Joby close in on certification.
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I wonder if urban EVTOL should just start at Brazil and compete with helicopters directly instead of sorting out complex socio-political issues elsewhere.
 
 
@VTOLicious : Correct. A bit of strengthening and refined modal analysis would be needed with the pivoting engine mount. Interesting that they brought their airframe at an airshow w/o the problem fixed.*

*It says a lot about the reality of their call for a special FAA/AESA relationship
 
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Reaper said:
A podcast about the Lilium Story, sorry only in German: https://www.businessinsider.de/gruenderszene/podcast-cashburners-2/
It's very interesting to see the complete picture, how the problems of technical product, startup hype and growing vs. negative German public led to the final insolvency of the program.
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I heard the part of the collapse. There tenor is biased pro Lilium and at least in this part, they are almost ignoring the technical arguments against a functional product. Here it looks like just the communication of Lilium was the problem, not the missing wonder battery.

The more interesting part is the information about the existing money that couldn't be transferred.

Marian Bocek, had (as it was written here before) a strong personal interest in rescuing Lilium. His battery factory needed Lilium as a future customer to survive and (as an ex Goldman & Sachs banker) he also set up a fond in Canada which invested money into this Lilium. As I understand it, the money of this fond came from several sources and also involved money from the Canadian government which was ment to support technology transformation projects in Canada. Lot of the money was bound to specific purposes and he couldn't just deviate it to support Lilium. The bank acount was also not connected to the SEPA system, presumably this was done intentionally to protect government money to spread out in the world without heaving control mechanism. Luckily for the Canadian tax payers, the money couldn't be used for a temporary rescue of Lilium.

I also find it a bit weird, how they present it's founders as modest engineers who just couldn't do a great show as Steve Jobs or Elon Musk as one reason why they failed. I would say, the opposite is true, they collected 1.5 billion Euros for a mediocre concept which was even completely non functional in the initial concept. Daniel Wiegand is a good looking guy with a visionary attitude which was likely the main reason why they could collect so much money.
 
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VTOLicious said:
Huh, vibration and buffeting on the outer nacelles during inbound transition looks concerning (@5:00)...
View: https://youtu.be/5xlm1KoI5LI?si=yoBOlKZyVn40na3i
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And yet we flew every single day at Farnborough. Odd that isn't mentioned anywhere. The aircraft was and is safe to fly in front of the public. The aircraft is monitored by telemetry during every flight - we look at the data and have strict limits to operate by.

As for suggesting our aircraft flew without proper analysis and requiring structural reinforcement...I expect no different from that user.
 
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Can anyone point me to a quantitative engineering benefits/drawbacks analysis of EVTOL vs. primary carbon powered units, stat, please?
 
I gotta admit, having seen the delays you get in CA traffic for emergency units (Especially when someone decides that no, the howling sirent doesn't mean them). I'd love a fast Vtol that could at least deliver a medic with kit on site quickly. Doesn't even have to be a full "ambulance" style that can get the patient to the hospital--just one paramedic who knows what they're doing an a kit to stablize until the ambulance can make it.
 
Bgray said:
I gotta admit, having seen the delays you get in CA traffic for emergency units (Especially when someone decides that no, the howling sirent doesn't mean them). I'd love a fast Vtol that could at least deliver a medic with kit on site quickly. Doesn't even have to be a full "ambulance" style that can get the patient to the hospital--just one paramedic who knows what they're doing an a kit to stablize until the ambulance can make it.
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The UK uses motorbikes and fast cars on blue lights for this kind of thing, usually for paramedics with advanced training. Similarly all the air ambulance charities have fast cars for when their helicopters can't operate, so they can deliver a doctor and paramedic to the scene with advanced care capabilities.
 

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