eVTOL Leaders Continue Progress [2]

Lilium

Lilium announced on Oct. 27 that it partnered with Saudia airlines to develop an eVTOL network across Saudi Arabia. Saudia, the national flag carrier of the country, intends to purchase 100 Lilium Jets, which will form the basis of “new electric point-to-point connections.” Under the memorandum of understanding, Saudia pledged to help expedite the regulatory processes for the Lilium Jet in Saudi Arabia.

Chell Instruments, a UK-based firm specializing in pressure and gas flow instrumentation, said on Oct. 27 that it is providing its nanoDAQ-LTS for the Lilium Jet. The nanoDAQ-LTS is used by Lilium to measure air pressures on the aircraft during development. On Nov. 23, Lilium announced that it successfully closed a $119M funding round. The eVTOL developer raised the funds from “existing shareholders, new investors, and strategic partners,” including Honeywell Aerospace and Aciturri. “These proceeds are expected to strengthen our balance sheet and advance our commercialization efforts,” said Lilium CEO Klaus Roewe.

eVolare, a subsidiary of the UK-based charter operator Volare Aviation, will purchase up to 20 Lilium Jet eVTOL aircraft, Lilium announced on Dec. 5. The two companies signed a binding contract that includes a pre-delivery payment for 10 Lilium Pioneer Edition Jets, with an option for 10 additional aircraft. eVolare will be the launch customer for the Pioneer Edition, a “limited edition” of the Lilium Jet that includes customizable options for cabin configuration, according to a Lilium press release.

Overair

Overair announced in mid-October that it has completed ground tests of the propulsion system for its Butterfly quad tiltrotor eVTOL aircraft. Overair initiated the ground tests in January, mounting one of the 20-ft (6.1-m) diameter tilting rotors on a truck. “The results showed that the propulsor behaves in the way it was designed to. As expected, it was very quiet,” said Overair CEO Ben Tigner in an interview with Flight Global. On Oct. 24, Aviation Week reported that the California-based eVTOL developer has begun assembling the XP-1, an uncrewed full-scale demonstrator of the Butterfly. The work is expected to be complete by the end of 2023.

Supernal

On Oct. 17, Supernal and Honeywell Aerospace announced that the two companies will explore the integration of the Honeywell Anthem, its next-generation flight deck, on the Supernal eVTOL aircraft.

Also on Oct. 17, Supernal and BAE Systems announced that the two companies have partnered to develop the flight control computer for the Supernal eVTOL aircraft. BAE Systems will help “define the architecture of a lightweight, fly-by-wire system for its autonomous-capable aircraft,” according to a BAE press release. BAE Systems has previously announced partnerships with eVTOL developers Eve Air Mobility and Jaunt Air Mobility.

Vertical

Vertical Aerospace has completed 14 piloted test flights of its VX4 prototype, the UK-based eVTOL developer said in a summary of the company’s third-quarter financial results on Nov. 9. It had accumulated 5.5 hours of continuous propeller turning during test operations since the VX4 prototype successfully conducted its first tethered flight on Sept. 24. Vertical also reported in its letter to shareholders a net operating loss for the third quarter of £19M ($23.4M) and cash of £145M ($178.3M). Additionally, Vertical said that it has agreed with American Airlines to extend the timeline for “entering into a master purchase agreement that will contain the final terms for the purchase of our aircraft” for up to one year. Vertical had previously announced on July 15 that it had secured a predelivery payment of 50 VX4 eVTOL aircraft from American (see “eVTOL Leaders Continue Momentum,” Vertiflite, Sept/Oct 2022).

Volocopter

On Oct. 6, German eVTOL developer Volocopter conducted the first crewed eVTOL public test flight in Italian airspace, at Rome’s Fiumicino Airport. The Volocopter 2X flew for five minutes at a height of 131 ft (40 m) and at a speed of 24 mph (40 km/h). Together with partners Aeroporti di Roma, Atlantia and UrbanV, Volocopter is supporting efforts to develop the vertiport infrastructure that will enable the launch of AAM services between the airport and the city of Rome by 2024. Volocopter announced on Nov. 1 that it has raised an additional $182M. The announcement is the second signing of its Series E funding round; the first signing concluded in March and was for $170M. NOEM, an organization seeking to build a smart city in Saudi Arabia, provided the majority — $175M — of the funds. The investment comes one year after Volocopter and NOEM announced a joint venture to implement air taxi and vertical logistics services in the future city.