Important Innovations Collection

USAF SUCCESSFULLY TEST FLIES HEXA                                                 Source:  LIFT's HEXA Entirely New Type of Aircraft Austin, Texas-based LIFT Aircraft's eVTOL HEXA is an entirely new type of aircraft that the company says anyone can fly.  The electric, vertical takeoff and landing aircraft has been successfully test flown by the US Air Force, with whom LIFT partners.  The Air Force is exploring military application for the personal flying machine. HEXA has been specifically designed as an ultra-lightweight vehicle so that it doesn't require a pilot's license.  It's targeted at sports and recreational use, military, public safety, disaster response and first responder missions.  The company says the eVTOL can cut responder time 50% and more. The vehicle is deep into a series of flight and s...

3 Weeks of Testing Are About to Begin                                   Source: Eve and Heliport Chicago Chicago's Vertiport and Embraer's Eve eVTOLS Are Center Stage Here's some very exciting news concerning the future of air taxi travel that is getting a lot closer.   Chicago is leading the way to the future of travel by air taxi eVTOLs, or electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicles.  Brazilian-based aviation leader Embraer and its Eve eVTOL division will perform their first, flying taxi simulations in North America starting on September 12th and lasting for three weeks in the Windy City.  For the simulation of routes, operations, etc., Eve will use traditional helicopters that will give a real-world sense of what it would be like in a big city like Chicago with flying taxi eVTOLs operating as a commuting choice.  Vertiport Chicago, which is a ten-acre facility f...

Ryse's Ultralight Recon eVTOL                                                                                             Source: Ryse AeroTech You're Flying with 45 Minutes Training Mason, Ohio based Ryse Aerotech's eVTOL (electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicle) has successfully completed its first manned flight.  The electric flying machine is a single seater, called Recon, that can fly for 25 minutes at speeds up to 58 mph and at comfortable cruising speeds of 40 mph.  The manned flight took place this summer in Ohio and included a perfect takeoff, landing, forward flight, controlled hover and pivot turn maneuvers.  Why is this such an exciting milestone in personal aviation?  This ...

VW Updates & Accelerates Flying Taxi eVTOL Plans                                                  Source:  VW VW's Flying Tiger Volkswagen Group has accelerated its plans for an autonomous, pilotless flying taxi that can carry four passengers for shuttle rides between big cities.  The name of the eVTOL (electric, vertical takeoff and landing) vehicle is the Flying Tiger.  VW just provided an update that it is significantly accelerating R&D and software development for the flying taxi.  At Volkswagen Group China headquarters in Beijing, where the eVTOL is being developed, VW officially unveiled a prototype of the Flying Tiger. Specifics That We Know The Flying Tiger is a totally electric-powered drone with 8 rotors for vertical lift and 2, rear propellers for horizontal flight.  Interestingly, it uses current aut...

Samson Sky's Switchblade                                    Source:  Samson Sky's Switchblade USA Flying, Driving Car Samson Sky's Switchblade is a real flying and driving car that will hit the market within weeks of getting FAA approval. The company calls it a flying sports car and it brings the lure of flying cars from science fiction territory to a concrete reality. The FAA has deemed the Oregon-built, Ferrari-red, very cool looking vehicle safe to fly and undergo flight testing.  That positions the flying sportscar to being possibly within weeks of going to market. The inventors and developers at Oregon-based Samson Sky have spent 14 years building what looks like a magnificent flying and driving machine. Fascinating Tech Specs The vehicle has been designed as a luxury car with a hybrid-electric drive system.  When it lands, the wings fold into the sides of the veh...

VW Is Very Serious About Urban Air Mobility                                                  Source: Volkswagen eVTOL Flight Tests To Start This Year Volkswagen just unveiled a flying taxi prototype that is being developed by the automaker's division in China.  VW calls it a "passenger drone".  It is fully electric, fully autonomous and takes off and lands vertically like a helicopter.  VW plans to start test flights later this year and build an upgraded prototype by the summer of 2023.  For VW, air taxis could be a significant commercial venture. The VW flying taxi prototype is called V.MO. Tech Specs  The eVTOL has ten rotors: eight for vertical lift and two for forward, horizontal flight.  VW hopes to achieve a 124-mile range on a charge.  It will be used to ferry passengers within cities such as from ...

Boom's Supersonic Aircraft Overture Unveiled                                                  Source:  Boom Something New & Incredibly Fast in the Sky Colorado-based Boom Supersonic may be the first aviation company to bring back super-fast, supersonic flying that ended twenty years ago with the demise of the Concorde.  At the very recent 2022 Farnborough International Air Show in the UK, Boom unveiled its latest design for its ultra-sleek SST, the Overture.  The vehicle will go into service in 2029 and fly at twice the speed of today's commercial aircraft.  It will reach speeds of Mach 1.7 or 1,100 mph over the water and have the capacity to cut passenger travel time in half. More than 600 routes around the world are planned by Boom.  The likely cost of a roundtrip seat will be 75% less than the Concorde's $12,000 ...

Sky Cruise: Gigantic Nuclear-Powered Aircraft                                        Source:  Hashem Al-Ghaili Room for 5,000 Guests and Endless Flights The Sky Cruise is a fantastical, pure science fiction airplane concept that in all likelihood defies the laws of aerodynamics and physics, but in this time of an aviation technological renaissance, who knows!!  It's a huge, nuclear-powered aircraft envisioned to be a 5-star resort in the skies.  It's the fascinating invention of Swedish Art Director Tony Holmsten that has been brought to life through animation by Yemini biotechnologist and video producer Hashem Al-Ghaile, who created the images of the airplane concept.  This 5-star flying hotel can hold 5,000 guests and thanks to nuclear power it would be capable of flying for years without landing.  The e-plane is a combination spaceship and c...

New Space Plane Wars                                                  Source:  Sierra Space Sierra's Space Plane Dream Chaser Dream Chaser is a supersonic SST space plane being developed and getting ready to go into service by Louisville, Colorado based Sierra Space.  The vehicle is the world's first and only winged commercial space plane, according to Sierra.  It is designed to compete against Elon Musk's SpaceX, Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic and Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin to carry astronauts, space tourists and supplies into space.  Dream Chaser is aggressively developing its global business footprint and is rolling out a brand-new chapter of space wars in the commercialization of space. Building a Global Business Network Dream Chaser is awesome aviation technology.  It is launched on top of a rocket and the...

UMiles' Integrity 3 eVTOL                                                       Source:  UMiles The Drone of Drones Spain's aerial mobility vehicle developer UMiles has unveiled two, new, fascinating aircraft.  One is a remotely piloted, electric air taxi concept and the other is a piloted, two passenger eVTOL vehicle called Integrity 3.  The single seat, remotely piloted air taxi is being called the "drone of drones" by UMiles. It has been built as a prototye and will be test flown in a number of European cities later this year.  UMiles is a new contender in the growing air mobility market and an experienced drone manufacturer to watch.  It is quite a technological feat for a relatively small to medium sized aviation company to be unveiling two new models of flying technology at once. The Drone of D...

 A World First in eVTOL Commutes                                             Source:  Jetson One The Democratization of Flight The co-founder of Sweden's Jetson flying car company just completed the world's first commute in his company's $83,600 Jetson One flying car.  Tomasz Patan flew the eVTOL (electric, vertical takeoff and landing vehicle) from his home in the hills of Tuscany to his company building that is located 3 miles away.  His commute time was reduced by 88%.  His world-first eVTOL commute showcased how user friendly and time saving flying cars are designed to be.  The company says that Jetson One is fun and incredibly easy to fly.  Their goal is to democratize flying with the widespread use of eVTOLs for mass transportation. Tech Specs Jetson One is powered by 8 electric engines that have a maximum range of 20 ...

Venus Aerospace's Mach 9 Space Plane Stargazer                                               Source:  Venus Aerospace Hypersonic Air Travel For Passengers Texas-based aerospace startup Venus Aerospace has unveiled the first conceptual design of its hypersonic space plane Stargazer that is capable of Mach 9 or 6,905 mph.  The hypersonic space plane is designed to take passengers anyplace in the world in an hour or less. The vehicle will take off from and land in any conventional airport and travel to the edges of space for fast, long-distance flights. The new concept is a look at the future of warp-speed global travel for passengers by hypersonic aircraft. The company is also working on a Mach 9 hypersonic drone. Well-Funded Startup, Technology and Business Plan Stargazer will initially be able to carry 12 passengers.  It will tak...