Post by account_disabled on Feb 24, 2024 23:34:31 GMT -6
Autoflight has unveiled its fourth-generation full-size “Prosperity I” eVTOL air taxi prototype with a bang, celebrating the longest recorded flight of an electric VTOL aircraft. Prosperity flew km on a single charge, relegating Joby Aviation to second place.
It's our first look at the new plane, designed by automotive design guru Frank Stephenson, and it appears to run a noticeably different airframe than prototypes the company has previously shown off in transition testing.
Where the old prototypes used eight lifting propellers along a pair of drive rails, as well as two thrust struts at the rear end of those rails, the new aircraft uses significantly thicker wings and appears to have four drive rails, housing at least eight, and probably , lifting propellers. And the rail-mounted pusher struts are now joined by another pusher at the rear of the cab. The cabin also looks noticeably larger, potentially five-seater, although we wouldn't expect to see anyone flying there at this stage.
As a lift-and-cruise design, the German-designed, Chinese-made Prosperity aircraft sacrifices some efficiency in the name of simplicity. In cruise flight, its lift struts remain exposed, locked in a low-drag longit C Level Executive List udinal orientation, but theoretically still rob the aircraft of range compared to more complex tilt strut designs such as the Joby S, which continuously uses all of its struts. to push forward in cruising flight.
So it's a bit surprising to hear that this machine was able to beat Joby's eVTOL flight endurance record, albeit only by a single mile and change, verified by third-party avionics as well as the aircraft's own equipment. It's an excellent validation of Autoflight's + mile range claims, albeit flown without the dead weight of passengers in its belly. We wouldn't be surprised if Joby came out tomorrow and set a bigger goal just to keep these eVTOLs at bay: Joby Aviation was founded in , where Autoflight mainly dealt with drones until
Still, it's a notable achievement, and along with the hundreds of VTOL-to-cruise transition flights Autoflight has under its belt, it serves to cement this company as a legitimate competitor in the emerging eVTOL market. With around $ million in funding and expecting to be certified and in service by , Autoflight is currently ranked No. in SMG Consulting's latest Advanced Air Mobility Reality Index , with Joby in the top spot, and Volocopter and Lilium , both based fairly close to Autoflight's European office in Germany, ranked # and #, respectively.
“This flight is both a great celebratory milestone and a testament to the team's incredible effort and progress in testing and increasing the aircraft's performance capability,” Autoflight President Omer Bar-Yohay said in a statement. Press release. “It is a remarkable achievement that shows the capability of our aircraft, and we are excited to continue working towards our next goals until EASA certification in .
It's our first look at the new plane, designed by automotive design guru Frank Stephenson, and it appears to run a noticeably different airframe than prototypes the company has previously shown off in transition testing.
Where the old prototypes used eight lifting propellers along a pair of drive rails, as well as two thrust struts at the rear end of those rails, the new aircraft uses significantly thicker wings and appears to have four drive rails, housing at least eight, and probably , lifting propellers. And the rail-mounted pusher struts are now joined by another pusher at the rear of the cab. The cabin also looks noticeably larger, potentially five-seater, although we wouldn't expect to see anyone flying there at this stage.
As a lift-and-cruise design, the German-designed, Chinese-made Prosperity aircraft sacrifices some efficiency in the name of simplicity. In cruise flight, its lift struts remain exposed, locked in a low-drag longit C Level Executive List udinal orientation, but theoretically still rob the aircraft of range compared to more complex tilt strut designs such as the Joby S, which continuously uses all of its struts. to push forward in cruising flight.
So it's a bit surprising to hear that this machine was able to beat Joby's eVTOL flight endurance record, albeit only by a single mile and change, verified by third-party avionics as well as the aircraft's own equipment. It's an excellent validation of Autoflight's + mile range claims, albeit flown without the dead weight of passengers in its belly. We wouldn't be surprised if Joby came out tomorrow and set a bigger goal just to keep these eVTOLs at bay: Joby Aviation was founded in , where Autoflight mainly dealt with drones until
Still, it's a notable achievement, and along with the hundreds of VTOL-to-cruise transition flights Autoflight has under its belt, it serves to cement this company as a legitimate competitor in the emerging eVTOL market. With around $ million in funding and expecting to be certified and in service by , Autoflight is currently ranked No. in SMG Consulting's latest Advanced Air Mobility Reality Index , with Joby in the top spot, and Volocopter and Lilium , both based fairly close to Autoflight's European office in Germany, ranked # and #, respectively.
“This flight is both a great celebratory milestone and a testament to the team's incredible effort and progress in testing and increasing the aircraft's performance capability,” Autoflight President Omer Bar-Yohay said in a statement. Press release. “It is a remarkable achievement that shows the capability of our aircraft, and we are excited to continue working towards our next goals until EASA certification in .