Pyka secures FAA authorisation for commercial operation of largest electric drone

Pyka, manufacturer of large-scale highly automated electric aircraft for crop protection and cargo transport, announced that it has received approval from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to operate its zero-emission Pelican Spray aircraft for crop protection commercially nationwide.

WISK AERO SHOWS OFF SIXTH-GENERATION PROTOTYPE AUTONOMOUS EVTOL

Hot on the heels of the news that Boeing has taken on full ownership of the startup, Wisk Aero unveiled its latest iteration of eVTOL, a sixth-generation prototype that it would use to pursue FAA type certification, already underway of its autonomous, all-electric aircraft.

HELI-EASTERN TO PURCHASE LILIUM JETS

Munich-based Lilium the German aerospace concern announced that it had entered into an agreement with Heli-Eastern (formally, Shenzhen Eastern General Aviation Co., Ltd), a major low-altitude General-Aviation carrier and helicopter service provider operating in China's Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay region.

EVE AND BLADE EXPAND PARTNERSHIP TO ACCELERATE ELECTRIC AIR MOBILITY

Eve Air Mobility and Blade Air Mobility announced a significant extension of their longstanding partnership through a memorandum of understanding (MoU). This collaboration aims to transform air transportation in Europe, starting with France, by laying the foundation to integrate Eve's state-of-theart electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft (eVTOL) or electric vertical aircraft (EVA) into Blade's European route network.

AIRBUS REPORTS 'GREAT PROGRESS' ON H2-POWERED AIRCRAFT

Airbus has launched a demonstrator programme to explore a new architecture for the generation of non-propulsive energy (NPE) by replacing the APU in an A330 widebody with a hydrogen fuel cell system that will generate electricity. Known as HyPower, the hydrogen fuel cell demonstrator also aims to reduce CO2 emissions, nitrogen oxides (NOx), and noise levels associated with a traditional APU.

AIRBUS TEAMS-UP WITH LANZAJET TO BOOST SUSTAINABLE AVIATION FUEL PRODUCTION

The MOU establishes a relationship between Airbus and LanzaJet to advance building SAF facilities which will use LanzaJet's leading, proven and proprietary Alcohol-to-Jet (ATJ) technology.

NEW SLS ROCKET ENGINE CERTIFIED

California-based manufacturer of rocket, hypersonic and electric propulsive systems for the space, defence, civil and commercial sectors Aerojet Rocketdyne and NASA have completed a series of certification tests of the new RS-25E rocket engines by which future iterations of United Launch Alliance's (ULA) Space Launch System (SLS) will be powered.

PULSAR FUSION TO BUILD NUCLEAR FUSION ROCKET ENGINE

UK aerospace concern Pulsar Fusion has undertaken construction of the largest practical nuclear-fusion rocket engine yet built. When fired in 2027, presuming the company's development timetable proves accurate the engine's eight-meter fusion chamber will generate exhaust speeds in excess of 500,000-miles-per-hour and temporarily supersede the sun as the hottest place in the solar system.

DESTINUS UNVEILS H2-POWERED SUPERSONIC DEMONSTRATOR

Founded in 2021 by Russian physicist and serial entrepreneur Mikhail Kokorich, Destinus is a European startup about the highly aspirational endeavour of developing a hypersonic hydrogen-powered passenger aircraft.

BOOM SUPERSONIC CEO REMAINS OPTIMISTIC

After losing engine partner Rolls-Royce in September 2022, Boom Technology (trade name Boom Supersonic), the Denverbased American company speaks about the perilously speculative business of bringing to market a supersonic civilian airliner, announced in December 2022 that it will partner with three aviation companies to develop and build engines for its proposed Overture Super Sonic Transport.

ALEF 'FLYING CAR' GRANTED FAA SPECIAL AIRWORTHINESS CERTIFICATION

California-based Alef Aeronautics is a composite automotive / aviation concern about the business of developing a novel flying car dubbed the Model 'A' an appellation likely to incur unwanted attention of Ford's lawyers.

LILIUM BECOMES THE FIRST EVTOL MANUFACTURER AND EASA CERTIFICATION BASES

For a few years now, American electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) manufacturers Joby and Archer Aviation have stood alone at the top of the FAA's air taxi certification totem pole. Now, a German rival is joining them.

AUTOFLIGHT TO DEMONSTRATE RECORD-BREAKING EVTOL AT 2024 PARIS OLYMPICS

The record for the longest electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft flight does not belong to Joby Aviation, Archer Aviation, or Volocopter, the three companies topping SMG Consulting's latest Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) Reality Index.

ARCHER STELLANTIS: PARTNERSHIP ENTERS 'EXECUTION PHASE'

California-based designer of electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing (eVTOL) aircraft, Archer Aviation Stellantis, the multinational automotive manufacturing concern born of the merger of Italian American Fiat-Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) and the French PSA Group jointly announced at the Paris Air Show that significant progress had been made on the two-companies' strategic manufacturing partnership.

NEW ROLLS-ROYCE: SMALL ENGINE SET TO BEGIN TESTS TO ADVANCE HYBRID-ELECTRIC FLIGHT

Last month Rolls-Royce announced its new small gas turbine that has been specifically developed to power hybrid-electric flight is set to begin testing. The engine is part of a turbogenerator system that is being developed for the Advanced Air Mobility market. This includes electrical vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) Aircraft for Urban Air Mobility and Commuter Aircraft applications up to 19 seats.

SAFRAN SIGNS AGREEMENT WITH ELECTRA TO DEVELOP TURBOGENERATOR FOR ITS HYBRID-ELECTRIC AIRCRAFT

Safran Helicopter Engines has signed an agreement with Electra to develop the 600 kW electric turbogenerator propulsion system for the prototype of Electra's nine-passenger hybrid-electric short take-off and landing (eSTOL) aircraft.

ARE ELECTRIC AIRCRAFT MANUFACTURERS PULLING OUT?

Last month NASA announced that it was abandoning its multipropellor electric X-57 Maxwell project as unflyable while Daher, Safran and Airbus whisked the cover off a multi-prop electric aircraft at the Paris airshow. They said it has flown 27 test hours. In addition Tecnam said the company was suspending work on its P-volt twin, an electric airliner based on the piston-powered P2012.

WHY HYBRID ELECTRIC? FEATURE BY AMPAIRE

This is a question Ampaire often fields from those interested in why we are not going full battery electric like the Tesla, or why we do not just switch to burning a new type of fuel such as hydrogen. The answer lies in the unique way that aircraft operate and the need to scale to a wide variety of aircraft sizes and missions.

INNOVATIVE STARTUP REVOLUTIONISING AERIAL MONITORING AND LOGISTICS WITH AUTONOMOUS AIRSHIPS

South African startup, Cloudline, is making a remarkable global impression with its groundbreaking autonomous airship technology. The innovative platform, developed in Stellenbosch South Africa, is set to transform the realm of aerial monitoring, data gathering and remote logistics.

PRIMOCO UAV AND AIRBUS DEFENCE AND SPACE SIGN A MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING

Czech UAV manufacturer Primoco UAV SE executed a Memorandum of understanding with Airbus Defence and Space and its affiliate, Airbus DS Airborne Solutions, on cooperation in the area of unmanned aerial systems.

ARE DRONE LIGHT SHOWS SLOWLY REPLACING FIREWORKS DISPLAYS?

As the world moves towards a greener outlook from the highly dangerous fireworks displays on Guy Fawkes 5 November and New Year's Eve that terrorise the neighbourhood may be replaced by much safer drone light shows as a colourful alternative.

US STANDS READY FOR POTENTIAL SPACE CONFLICT, AMID TENSIONS WITH RUSSIA AND CHINA

The United States stands prepared for potential orbital conflicts amid escalating tensions with Russia and China, a top US military official told The Guardian, adding that the US \"is ready to fight tonight in space if we have to.\"

HYDROGEN HELICOPTER TO BE DEVELOPED BY PIASECKI AT SIKORSKY FACTORY

Piasecki Aircraft Corporation (PIAC) will develop its PA-890 hydrogen-powered helicopter at the former Sikorsky factory in Coatesville, Pennsylvania.

VERTICAL AEROSPACE RELEASE DATE SLIPS

Vertical Aerospace has pushed its certification timetable back towards the end of 2026 after a confluence of factors began to induce drag on operations

BLADE AIR MOBILITY SEES GROWTH IN MEDICAL BUT STAGNATION IN PASSENGER SERVICES

Soaring over Westchester County Airport (KHPN) in White Plains, New York, was Beta Technologies' ALIA-250 eVTOL aircraft, part of a flight test between Beta and partner Blade Air Mobility as the latter looks to transition to an air taxi service.

RESEARCHERS FIND THAT PROPELLERS ARE LOUDER OVER GROUND

For the very first time the effects of the ground on propeller noise have been measured experimentally by researchers in the Aeroacoustics research team at the University of Bristol

VOLTAERO CASSIO ELECTRIC-HYBRID AIRCRAFT

Bids are being sought for the construction of an industrial site at Rochefort - Charente-Maritime Airport in France's NouvelleAquitaine region where VoltAero is to perform the assembly and deliveries of its Cassio electrichybrid aircraft family.

PIPISTREL VELIS ELECTRO: NOW CERTIFIED IN THE USA

There is so much buzz around the emergence of electric airplanes that it is easy to forget what animates most of the enterprise is press releases. Cutting through this background noise is the innovative Slovenian company, Pipistrel. In 2020, as it promised it would, it announced the first certified electric airplane in the United States, the Velis Electro.

LESSOR ROCKTON TO PURCHASE UP TO 40 ES-30 AIRPLANES FROM HEART AEROSPACE

SeoulSwedish investment and aircraft leasing company Rockton will acquire up to 40 of Heart Aerospace's EA-30 regional electric airplanes, converting an earlier letter of intent with the Swedish airplane maker into firm purchase orders for 20 airplanes with purchase rights for 20 more.

AURA AERO REVEALS FINAL DESIGN FOR HYBRID-ELECTRIC AIRCRAFT

During a public presentation on 12 May 2023, French startup AURA Aero has revealed the final design of its hybrid-electric aircraft currently under development. The ERA, a 19-seater, 900nm-range aircraft designed for the regional market, was unveiled