Hybrid eVTOL Jet Services
Traditional business jets are popular as they help save maximum amount of time in air travel. Yet, even while flying on private jets, owners and business executives often end up wasting time in just getting in and out of airports. Helicopters are one solution, but they are limited by range essentially making for complex trips that include a helicopter to aircraft to car transfer. That is until now because electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) technology which was a distant dream earlier, has arrived. And the advent of eVTOL is likely to redefine business aviation.
Challenges for eVTOL aircraft
Battery energy-density limitations will restrict useability to very short segments, especially if regulations require flight time reserves to be greater.
Operations in bad weather will pose challenges. It is likely that battery-only eVTOL flights will be restricted to VFR (good weather only), at least initially.
Solution: Hybrid eVTOL
A Hybrid-Electric VTOL aircraft uses a smaller fuel burning engine to power generators, thereby supplying electricity to motors that turn the propellers or fans, depending on the design.
Once in wing-borne flight, the batteries’ charge is topped off by the generators during flight, so they are fully charged and available for the high-power landing phase. This eliminates the need for any ground battery charging infrastructure, as hybrids will be able to operate from any existing helipads, airports, paved or grassy areas.
Hybrid VTOLs can be designed with greater seat capacity, even matching medium to large helicopters. This results in Cost per Available Seat Mile (CASM, a useful metric for comparing efficiencies of operators), similar to that of a passenger car.
Hybrids can be certified for all-weather IFR (Instrument Flight Rules) operations and dispatch into known icing conditions. This will result in greater deployment and useability worldwide, and far greater dispatch reliability year-round as they will be able to operate under foggy, rainy or snowy conditions.
Our eVTOL Partners
PLANA
ODYS Aviation
LYTE Aviation
Traverse Aero
Regional Air Mobility
