News

AAM in Korea

• 20 Dec 2020 05:43 PM
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The Seoul Metropolitan Government co-hosted an event with the Korean Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT) on Nov. 11 to highlight AAM in Korea. Guangzhou, China-based EHang brought six examples of its two-seat EH216 autonomous aerial vehicle (AAV) and conducted unmanned flights of the 1,435-lb (650-kg) eVTOL, according to Yonhap News Agency. In addition, Korean industrial giants Hyundai and Hanwha displayed one-third-scale models of their vectored-thrust eVTOL designs.

Supporting the Electric VTOL Revolution

• 31 Aug 2020 09:59 AM
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The Vertical Flight Society has been working to advance electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft since 2013, providing technical, professional and business resources to this burgeoning sector. As a leading advocate of the “Electric VTOL Revolution,” VFS has been holding its Electric VTOL Symposiums since 2014, started its Electric VTOL Newsletter in 2016, and launched its Electric VTOL website in 2017.

EHang Keeps Making Firsts

• 28 Aug 2020 03:31 PM
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EHang has been developing a human-passenger electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft along with drones for many years (see “How EHang Build an eVTOL for the World,” Vertiflite, July/Aug 2020). Few aviation startups are poised to take advantage of manned and unmanned urban air mobility (UAM) as EHang.

How EHang Built an eVTOL for the World

• 19 Jun 2020 01:36 PM
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EHang is a unique story of how a Chinese aviation startup developed electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft on its own. Away from the western urban air mobility (UAM) buzz, EHang today has six models of its manned and unmanned Autonomous Aerial Vehicle (AAV) designs, as well as an ecosystem for managing its aircraft. (Above: In May, EHang received the world’s first approval to conduct a pilot program for unmanned air logistics delivery. All photos via EHang.)

EHang Flies in North Carolina

• 03 Mar 2020 10:43 AM
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EHang flew its two-passenger 216 Autonomous Aerial Vehicle (unmanned) for a crowd of around 100 in Raleigh, North Carolina, on Jan. 7, in conjunction with the 2020 North Carolina Transportation Summit. This was the first free-flight public eVTOL air taxi demonstration in the US. 

Urban Air Taxis Underway — UAM at Heli-Expo

• 02 Mar 2020 02:44 PM
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VFS members are well aware of the “Electric VTOL Revolution” that has been underway for several years, with more than 250 electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft concepts on the VFS website, www.eVTOL.news. Most of the helicopter OEMs, most visibly Airbus Helicopters and Bell, have been considering eVTOL and urban air mobility (UAM) options for the future.

FAA: "Helicopter Safety – Time to Think Outside the Box"

• 18 Feb 2020 09:03 PM
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Good morning, everyone.

By now, everyone is aware of the tragedy that happened Sunday morning, only 50 miles northwest of this convention center.

I speak for all of us at the FAA when I say that we are saddened by this accident and the loss of so many lives, and our hearts go out to the family and friends of those onboard.

EHang Goes Public

• 02 Jan 2020 07:01 PM
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On Oct. 30, drone manufacturer and eVTOL developer EHang filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for its $100M initial public offering (IPO) on the US Nasdaq stock exchange. The paperwork for the Guangzhou-based company noted that it had delivered 38 “passenger-grade” autonomous aerial vehicle (AAVs) to customers “for testing, training, and demonstration purposes and developed two command-and-control centers for smart city management.”

The eVTOL View from Europe

• 01 Jan 2020 09:10 AM
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European views on how soon and how best electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft might create new transportation markets differ — in some cases strongly — with the vision being pushed by urban air mobility (UAM) promoters, such as Uber. At its Uber Elevate Summit in Washington in June, the ride-hailing company promised it was on track to launch air taxi demonstration flights with its partners in the Dallas/Fort Worth area in 2020 and to begin actual commercial service in 2023.

EHang Delivers

• 04 Nov 2019 01:49 PM
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Chinese drone maker EHang delivered the first batch of “passenger grade” EHang 216 autonomous aerial vehicles (AAVs) in June, followed by a second batch in October. The company says these aircraft have now reached customers in Asia, Europe and North America.