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The first pictures of the ANN2 released by Manta Aircraft. This two-seater has eight ducted fans, four of which can be tilted. Energy will be provided by a gas turbine. It has a number of possible uses, from emergency response to rapid VIP transpor
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THE WAGER OF THE CENTURY A new product type in the aeronautics industry, eVtol craft are a hybrid between flying cars and dronetype control systems. Big consultancy companies are convinced that a new market for flying transport will have developed by the year 2040, rethinking the entire aviation concept from zero by Sergio Barlocchetti
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here are many good reasons behind the enthusiasm for eVtol that is driving industries and investors to risk their money in this new business, but before describing their motives we should first take a look at these
new aircraft. The term eVtol is short for electric vertical take-off and landing, a new generation of vehicles for the ecological revolution in urban transportation. The eVtol craft are the result of combining flying cars, with around twenty types constructed over the past 50 years, with control systems based on drone technology. At the moment 30 or so companies, a mix of startups and established businesses founded a decade ago, are working in the field, and some are helping the authorities develop a regulatory framework. From the point of view of business opportunities there are at least four good reasons to take the plunge in this sector. The first is that converting personal transport into a more ecologicallysound solution has attracted significant research funding, with the EU posting a figure of 5.3 billion euro for the period 2021-2027. Secondly, whoever is first to certify their personal transport technology will dictate future standards and own the patents for a control system or an ergonomic solution. Third, eVtol aircraft means manufacturers can abandon the classic aeronautical configurations, the traditional shapes made familiar in conventional planes, helicopters and dirigibles, introducing transparent cabins, sofas instead of seats and flying rooms where passengers can change while in flight. Finally, research leads to lower fares. After Hyundai and Uber, now Stellantis has got together with California’s Archer
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The prototype of the eVTOL by Joby is based on a multicopter configuration with swing rotors. It is one of the projects at the most advanced stage of development
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company to enter the eVtol industry. Archer would like to see large-scale production of its aircraft commence in 2023, although this may be rather optimistic. As well as the big car manufacturers, established aerospace companies have also been making moves, like Boeing with its Aurora project, Airbus with Vahana, Pipistrel with Vertical Solution, Lilium, Manta Aircraft. Many others are joining in but at a slower pace. The most effective way to identify the best flying taxi to invest in is to examine the background of the people leading the new projects. If they have tried and tested aerospace experience and are ready to abandon conventional aeronautical ideas they will probably succeed in finding the right conceptual mix and achieve outstanding results. Archer, for example, has taken on Geoff Bower as chief engineer. Bower was previously number one in the Airbus department that designed the Vahana, an eVtol aircraft that has already been authorised to undergo test flights. Financing has also come from Marc Lore, president and CEO of Walmart’s electrical operations. The UN also supports the idea we will be hopping aboard airborne taxis and crossing cities in pilotless craft, predicting that by 2050 almost three quarters of the Earth’s population will be living in cities. Large consultancy companies like Morgan Stanley are convinced that a new market with an overall value of 1,500 billion dollars will have developed by 2040. Rethinking aviation from zero is, of course, a positive factor, and the idea of travelling in a roomy cabin directly from the yacht’s deck to land half an hour later in the city centre appeals to us all.
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From Germany, the Lilium Jet is designed as a personal mobility vehicle. It has a totally electric propulsion system and a cabin that can accommodate five people. The first demonstration flight took place in May 2019
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