Number 50 – 27 June 2024

“It is hard enough for anyone to map out a course of action and stick to it, particularly in the face of the desires of one’s friends; but it is doubly hard for an aviator to stay on the ground waiting for just the right moment to go into the air.” Glenn Curtiss

Convair XB 46

(Information from Wikipedia)

The Convair XB-46 was a single example of an experimental medium jet bomber which was developed in the mid-1940s but which never saw production or active duty. It competed with similar designs, the North American XB-45 and Martin XB-48, all of which saw little use after the successful development of the Boeing XB-47.

In 1944, the US War Department was aware of aviation advances in Germany and issued a requirement for a range of designs for medium bombers weighing from 80,000 pounds (36,000 kg) to more than 200,000 pounds (91,000 kg). Other designs resulting from this competition, sometimes named the class of ‘45, included the North American XB-45 and the Martin XB-48. Procurement began with a letter contract (cost-plus-fixed-fee) on 17 January 1945 with mock-up inspection and approval in early February. Orders for three prototypes followed on 27 February 1945 with certain changes recommended by the board. Serials 45-59582 to 59584 were assigned. Budgetary concerns also led to the contract being changed to a fixed-price type.

In the fall of 1945, Convair found it was competing with itself when the USAAF became interested in an unorthodox forward-swept wing jet attack design, the XA-44-CO that the company had also been designing. With the end of World War II severely curtailing budgets, the company considered cancelling the XB-46 in favour of the other project as there was insufficient funding for both. Company officials argued that it made more sense to allow them to complete the XB-46 prototype as a stripped-down testbed omitting armament and other equipment and for the AAF to allow them to proceed with two XA-44 airframes in lieu of the other two XB-46s on contract. In June 1946, the AAF agreed to the substitution but that project was ultimately cancelled in December 1946 before the prototypes were completed. The B-46 would be completed with only the equipment necessary to prove its airworthiness and handling characteristics.

The XB-46 had a long streamlined oval torpedo-shaped fuselage, long narrow straight shoulder-mounted wings with four Chevrolet-built J35-C3 axial-flow eleven stage turbojets of 3,820 pounds-force (17.0 kN) static thrust paired in an integral nacelle under each wing. The fuselage turned out to be a problem, as it distorted under flight loads. The pilots sat in tandem in a pressurised fighter-style cockpit under a single Plexiglas teardrop canopy with the bombardier-navigator-radio operator in a transparent Plexiglas nose section.

The straight wing had an aspect ratio of 11.6 and was equipped with Fowler flaps which extended over 90 percent of the span, in four sections. The flaps extended via electrical actuators and had very small ailerons. Each wing had five spoilers made of perforated magnesium alloy. The engine air intakes were flat oval inlets, with a duct curving downward in a flat ‘S’ to the engines, which were mounted behind the leading edge of the wing. The unusual flight control system utilised a system of pneumatic piping to transmit the pilot’s control inputs and actuate various systems, rather than the more typical hydraulic, manual or electrical control lines and systems of most aircraft of the era.

Production versions were to be equipped with a pair of .50 calibre Browning M2 machine guns in a tail turret designed by Emerson Electric Company and provision was made for an APG-27 remote control optics and sighting system, but no weaponry was fitted into the prototype. Likewise, production aircraft were intended to be built with the General Electric J47 engines with 5,200 lbf (23 kN) static thrust rather than the J35s used on the prototype.

The XB-46’s first flight occurred 2 April 1947 after a month of taxi testing and lasted ninety minutes as the bomber departed the Convair plant in San Diego, California for Muroc Army Airfield in the high desert. The pilot praised its handling qualities. Basic flight testing took place for five months and by September 1947 it was concluded after 127 hours aloft on 64 flights by both the Convair company and AAF test pilots. Stability and control were excellent but there were engineering problems with engine de-icing, the cabin air system and vertical oscillations caused by harmonic resonance between the wing and spoilers. There was also concern regarding the ability of the three-man crew to exit the aircraft in case of an emergency, since the exit plan relied on the pneumatic system to hold the main door open against the airstream. The aircraft was accepted on 7 November and delivered on 12 November 1947.

The B-46 programme was cancelled in August 1947, even before flight testing had been completed, because it was already obsolete. The North American B-45 Tornado already had production orders, and even it would be eclipsed by the Boeing B-47 Stratojet’s superior performance. Furthermore, the bulky radar fire-control system which was not installed in the XB-46 prototype would have undoubtedly forced an expensive redesign of the slender fuselage. Subsequent testing investigated excessive noise, tail vibration and stability and control issues and was conducted at Palm Beach Air Force Base, Florida between August 1948 and August 1949. After 44 additional flight hours, the XB-46 was taken out of service, since the cost of support and maintenance, coupled with a lack of spare parts, had become prohibitive. After sitting idle for a year, it was flown to Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, in July 1950, where its pneumatic system was tested under the coldest conditions in the large climatic facility there. Most jet aircraft of this period used hydraulic or electrical systems, so the pneumatic control system of this aircraft offered a unique opportunity for investigation. When this testing programme was concluded in November 1950, the Air Force no longer had need for the XB-46, a fact acknowledged in the press as early as August and on 13 January 1951 the nose section was sent to the US Air Force Museum at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, although it appears that the airframe section has not survived in the collection. The remainder of the airframe was scrapped on 28 February 1952.

Those persons who correctly identified this week’s mystery aircraft:
Danie Viljoen, Andre Breytenbach, Righardt du Plessis, Ari Levien, Wouter van der Waal, Steve Dewsbery, Charlie Hugo, Pierre Brittz, Andre Visser, Jan Sime, Ahmed Bassa, Nic Manthopoulos, Wouter Botes, Willie Oosthuizen, Dawid Hanekom, Johan Venter, Clint Futter, Rennie van Zyl, Piet Steyn, Bruce Prescott, Magiel Esterhuysen, John Moen, Sergio Antao, Barry Eatwell, Dave Lloyd, Selwyn Kimber, (26 correct answers).

AERO South Africa in less than one week

African Pilot is proud to have been appointed the main media partner and publisher of the official show guide for AERO South Africa at Wonderboom National Airport again this year. Whilst our team is in the midst of preparing the official show guide, we have recorded more exhibitors at this year’s exhibition than in previous years, meaning that AERO South Africa is growing in popularity. The official opening will be on Wednesday 3 July and the show will be featured over three days until Friday 5 July. Opening times are from 09h00 until 16h00 on all three days and we look forward to meeting you at the show that will feature many new and exciting aviation innovations. This is an ideal time for all aviation enthusiasts to come to a single venue to find out more about the many aviation disciplines and the best of all is that secure parking and entrance is FREE.

28 to 30 June
EAA Taildraggers fly-in to Warmbaths airfield
Richard Nicholson E-mail: Richard.nicholson1963@gmail.com Cell: 082 490 6227

29 June
SAPFA Speed Rally at Warmbaths airfield
Contact David le Roux E-mail: david@pilotinsure.co.za  Cell: 073 338 5200 

29 June
Polokwane airshow at Gaal airport
Contact Robin Tapinos E-mail: airshow.polokwane@gmail.com Cell: 074 117 6384

29 June
FAPE Open Day at Chief Dawid Stuurman International Airport
General Aviation Area, Boeing Street, Walmer

Kenya to receive 16 helicopters and other military support from US

In terms of defence cooperation agreement, the White House said Kenya is scheduled to receive eight Hueys and eight MD500s between late 2024 and mid-2025 to bolster its ability to provide regional peace and security and participate in peacekeeping missions. In addition, the US announced plans to upgrade Manda Bay airfield in northern Kenya, with US and Kenyan officials set to sign a memorandum of understanding for the construction of a 10 000-foot runway. Kenya is also in the process of joining Operation ‘Gallant Phoenix’, a US-led multinational initiative based in Jordan aimed at sharing information on terrorist threats, further strengthening counter-terrorism cooperation between the two countries.

Biden also informed Congress he intends to designate Kenya as a Major Non-NATO Ally. The White House said, “This designation is granted by the United States to countries with close and strategic working relationships with the US military and defence civilians. The United States has a deep respect for Kenya’s contributions to global peace and security. This is the first designation of a sub-Saharan Africa nation as a Major Non-NATO Ally,”

The USA has provided to Kenya more than US$230 million in civilian security and defence sector funding since 2020, including assistance from the Massachusetts National Guard under the State Partnership Programme, alongside ongoing advisory and training efforts for Kenyan pilots, logistics personnel and the Kenya Defence Forces’ Disaster Response Battalion.

In addition to the MD500s and UH-1s from the United States, Kenya is due to receive 16 ex Republic of Korea Army MD500MD Defender helicopters, which were pledged by South Korea in 2021, during the UN peacekeeping forum in Seoul. The aircraft will be used to equip a new unit being formed to support United Nations peacekeeping missions. In December 2023, the first six of the 16 donated MD500s were shipped from the Korean Army Logistics Command’s general maintenance depot in Jinhae to the US for repairs and maintenance before delivery to Kenya under US State Department auspices.

Kenya’s military already operates the MD500, with 40 delivered by the United States between 1980 and 1985, along with 2 100 TOW anti-tank missiles. These were recently augmented by six new MD530Fs delivered from the US in December 2019. They were acquired to assist with operations in support of the AMISOM mission in Somalia. Kenya is also a UH-1 operator, having acquired eight Huey IIs from the United States in 2016/17. In September 2017 the US Department of Defence announced that it had awarded Bell Helicopter a foreign military sales contract worth $52.1 million for the supply of an initial five Huey II helicopters and spares for Kenya.

Bell 206L-3 LongRanger, ZS-RUM accident

This helicopter suffered an extremely hard landing at Eva’s Field at Hilton, KZN on Sunday 21 June. The aircraft owner and his wife flew from Porth Elizabeth on Saturday afternoon to attend a funeral in Howick. At 11h30 on Sunday whilst taking off, the main rotor hit the top branches of a thorn tree, spinning it around, causing the tail rotor to hit the tree and the rest is history. The pilot did very well to keep the machine upright. He suffered a laceration to the top of his head and extensive spinal injuries and his wife has also sustained substantial spinal injuries from the impact. They have been admitted to the nearby One Life hospital in Hilton. Our collective (and cyclic) thoughts and prayers for their full and prompt recovery. In 2007 this aircraft had a similar misfortune at Grand Central and was rebuilt.

13 hospitalised after Korean Air flight’s rapid 26,900-foot descent

Due to a fault with the aircraft’s pressurisation system 13 passengers were taken to a hospital after a Korean Air flight rapidly descended 26,900 feet mid-flight. On 22 June 2024 at around 16h45 local time flight KE189 departed Seoul’s Incheon International Airport (ICN) headed for Taichung International Airport (RMQ) in Taiwan. 50 minutes into the flight, the B737 MAX experienced a sudden uncontrolled decompression. According to FL360aero, the message ‘pressure system (pressure control function of the aircraft) abnormality’ was displayed while flying over Jeju Island.

Crop dusters collide in Idaho, killing 1

On Thursday 20 June an Air Tractor AT-802 and AT-502B collided in midair near Arco, Idaho while conducting agricultural operations, killing one pilot and seriously injuring the other. The two crop duster planes were operating for the same company when they collided at about 12h30 and landed in a sage and grass-covered area. East Idaho News reported that the two planes were from Visser Air Ag and were spraying the fields together. The company sent the local news outlet a statement, confirming the loss of one of the pilots. Local News 8 reported that the deceased pilot was Sage Teichert (43).

Agricultural flying can be dangerous due to the close proximity to the terrain while spraying crops. Crop dusters will spray fields as needed, flying just above the ground and manoeuvring around the field carefully and relying on low altitude flying skills and the manual use of instruments. This is the second midair involving crop duster planes in June. On 14 June an AT-502 collided with an AT-502B in Morton, Texas while spraying a cotton field, killing one pilot and seriously injuring the other.

Skytrax taps Qatar Airways as top airline

Aviation Festival AFA 728 x 90Qatar Airways has been voted the World’s Best Airline at the 2024 World Airline Awards, the eighth time that the airline has scooped the Airline of the Year title in the 25-year history of the awards. Commenting on Qatar Airways achievements, Engr. Badr Mohammed Al-Meer, Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive Officer, stated, “This is a proud Qatar Airways moment and it is my honour to share this award with my hardworking colleagues. This award is testimony to our relentless dedication to providing unparalleled service and innovation. We look forward to more wins in the future.” In addition to being named the World’s Best Airline 2024, Qatar Airways also scooped the top awards for the World’s Best Business Class, the World’s Best Business Class Lounge and the Best Airline in the Middle East.

The 2023 Airline of the Year winner, Singapore Airlines, was ranked No 2 in the world for 2024, with Emirates in third place, ANA All Nippon Airways fourth, and Cathay Pacific in fifth position, out of more than 350 airlines included in the survey results. Singapore Airlines took top honours with the award for the World’s Best Cabin Staff and their First Class Suites continuing to dominate by winning the award as the World’s Best First Class. In one of the most competitive global regions for airline service standards, Singapore Airlines also scooped the accolade for the Best Airline in Asia.

ANA All Nippon Airways achieves the No 4 global ranking, repeating earlier success by winning the award for the World’s Best Airport Services. ANA also won the award for the Best Airline Staff Service in Asia. Saudi Arabian Airlines wins the 2024 award as the World’s Most Improved Airline, ahead of STARLUX Airlines in 2nd place and PLAY in 3rd position. This award reflects an airline’s Quality improvement across the entire Awards programme, evaluating each airline’s change in the global rating, and their performance in different award categories.

AirAsia was the repeat winner of the World’s Best Low-Cost Airline award, a title it has won each year since 2010. Scoot received a top award as the World’s Best Long Haul Low-Cost Airline. Spanish airline, Volotea, received the award as the Best Low-Cost Airline in Europe, a great achievement for such a competitive cost airline market. Transavia France was ranked No 2 in Europe and Vueling in third place.

The award for the World’s Most Family Friendly Airline was won by British Airways. This award covers many aspects of the experience, including family seating policies, family check-in facilities, priority boarding, children’s meals, children’s amenities / toys / activity packs, child specific onboard entertainment, child luggage and policies for carrycot / pushchairs and the standards of service assistance from ground staff and cabin crew during the family travel experience.

Plaza Premium received the award as the World’s Best Independent Airport Lounge operator, with its Plaza Premium Lounge at Rome’s Fiumicino Airport ranking top in 2024. Cathay Pacific received the award for the World’s Best Economy Class, with Japan Airlines winning the award for the World’s Best Premium Economy Class. The Best Regional Airline Awards are for full-service airlines that primarily operate domestic and / or international flights up to approx. six hours. Topping the global ratings as the World’s Best Regional Airline is the repeat winner Bangkok Airways and for the eighth consecutive year has proven to be a true customer favourite.

In the India / South Asia region, Vistara reigns supreme and was again named winner of the Best Airline in India / South Asia award, in addition to Best Airline Staff Service for the region. Fiji Airways secured the Best Airline in Australia / Pacific for the second time, and also won the award as the Best Airline Staff Service in Australia / Pacific. In North America, Delta Air Lines received the awards as the Best Airline in North America, also collecting the top award for the Best Airline Staff Service for the region. Allegiant Air received the award as the Best Low-Cost Airline in North America for the first time, in what is a very competitive LCC market. Air Transat were named the World’s Best Leisure Airline, an award the Canadian airline has won on five previous occasions.

Ethiopian Airlines has won the Best Airline in Africa award for the sixth consecutive year, Turkish Airlines was the Best Airline in Europe, Hainan Airlines was named the Best Airline in China and airBaltic won the award as the Best Airline in Eastern Europe. Turkish Airlines was also recognised for its very high catering standards with the Best Business Class Catering award.

Air France was a multiple winner in 2024, with three awards for the World’s Best First-Class Catering, the Best First-Class Lounge Dining (CDG) and the Best Airline in Western Europe. Star Alliance collected the award as the World’s Best Airline Alliance and also won the Best Airline Alliance Lounge award for its new Paris CDG Airport lounge.

The World’s Top 20 Airlines in 2024

Qatar Airways

Singapore Airlines

Emirates

ANA All Nippon Airways

Cathay Pacific Airways

Japan Airlines

Turkish Airlines

EVA Air

Air France

Swiss International Air Lines

Korean Air

Hainan Airlines

British Airways

Fiji Airways

Iberia

Vistara

Virgin Atlantic

Lufthansa

Etihad Airways

Saudi Arabian Airlines

GE Aerospace advances hybrid electric engine development

GE Aerospace is developing a hybrid electric demonstrator engine with NASA that will embed electric motor / generators in a high-bypass commercial turbofan to supplement power during different phases of operation. This includes modifying a Passport engine with hybrid electric components for testing through NASA’s Hybrid Thermally Efficient Core (HyTEC) project. It is one of several efforts GE Aerospace has underway to mature technologies for more electric aircraft engines and is being advanced as part of the CFM International Revolutionary Innovation for Sustainable Engines (RISE) programme. Embedded electric motor / generators will optimise engine performance by creating a system that can work with or without energy storage like batteries. This could help accelerate the introduction of hybrid electric technologies for commercial aviation prior to energy storage solutions being fully matured.

Initial component-level testing of electric motor / generators and power electronics has been completed for the HyTEC Turbofan Engine Power Extraction Demonstration. Systems testing took place at GE Aerospace’s EPISCenter in Dayton, Ohio. In addition, a baseline test of the Passport engine to characterise performance before hybrid electric components are added was completed at the company’s Peebles Test Operation, also in Ohio. Results of the hybrid electric component and baseline engine tests are being used to evaluate and update models in preparation for a ground test.

NASA recently awarded GE Aerospace a contract for Phase 2 of the HyTEC project to continue developing technologies for an aircraft engine core demonstrator test later this decade. Phase 2 builds on work completed in Phase 1 of HyTEC for high-pressure compressor and high-pressure turbine advanced aerodynamics, as well as the combustor.

Unveiled in 2021, the RISE programme encompasses a suite of pioneering technologies, including advanced engine architectures like Open Fan, compact core, new combustor designs and hybrid electric systems to be compatible with 100% Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). The CFM RISE programme targets more than 20% better fuel efficiency with 20% lower CO2 emissions compared to the most efficient engines in service today.

In another NASA collaboration, GE Aerospace is maturing an integrated, megawatt (MW)-class hybrid electric propulsion system as part of the Electrified Powertrain Flight Demonstration (EPFD) programme. Plans for EPFD call for ground and flight tests of the hybrid electric system this decade, in collaboration with Boeing, using a modified Saab 340B aircraft and GE Aerospace’s CT7 engines.

GE Aerospace has achieved multiple milestones over the last decade for development of a hybrid electric propulsion system, including a 2016 ground test of an electric motor-driven propeller. In 2022, GE Aerospace completed the world’s first test of a MW-class and multi-kilovolt (kV) hybrid electric propulsion system in altitude conditions up to 45,000 feet that simulate single-aisle commercial flight at NASA’s Electric Aircraft Testbed.

EASA starts flight tests on AW09 Helicopter

EASA test pilots have started certification flights with the AW09 helicopter being developed by Leonardo’s Swiss subsidiary Kopter. The company is aiming to complete type certification under CS-27 rules in 2025. Kopter is using a pair of preproduction models, PS4 and PS5, for flight testing and expects to start flying the first production version, PS6, at the end of this year. In September 2022, it retired the earlier PS3 prototype after logging 387 flights on that version of the single-engine helicopter, which is powered by Safran’s 1,000-shp Arriel 2K turboshaft.

In late May, Kopter’s chief test pilot, Richard Grant, reported that the two-test aircraft had already logged around 130 flights, exploring a limited altitude envelope up to around 16,000 feet. He said the team was preparing to go higher and test performance such as maximum speed in dive. “We look forward to this close collaboration with EASA for the future flight assessments, which will take place at key points throughout the program to validate our testing results and ensure that the AW09 meets all necessary certification requirements,” said Leonardo today in a social media post. Leonardo / Kopter now holds more than 100 orders for the AW109 after announcing a new distributorship agreement with India’s Universal Vulkaan Aviation in May. It has also established sales partnerships with Léman Aviation and Sloane.

Leonardo’s AW609 tiltrotor completes ship trials with Italian Navy

The Leonardo AW609 tiltrotor has successfully completed ship trials conducted with the support of the Italian Navy. During the trials, the fourth AW609 tiltrotor prototype, AC4, showcased approach, deck landing and touchdown capabilities from the flagship of the Italian Navy, the aircraft carrier ITS Cavour. 

According to Leonardo, the trials involved comprehensive testing, including deck landing and take-off procedures in over 15 different conditions, using a fully synthetic environment and the AW609 development/engineering simulator in Cascina Costa. 

With its tilting rotors, the AW609 is capable of vertical take-off and landing and can reach a top speed of 500 kilometres per hour (270 knots), far superior to a standard helicopter’s performance. Equipped with two Pratt & Whitney PT6 engines, it can cover distances of more than 1,800 kilometres (1,100 miles) while accommodating between nine and 12 passengers. “Fast rotorcraft technologies continue to be core to our forward-looking capability development and value-proposition in the vertical lift domain, which has been extensively demonstrated by the progress on the AW609 tiltrotor programme,” said Lorenzo Mariani, Co-General Manager of Leonardo. 

This initiative is part of ongoing activities by a joint working group established in 2022, comprising Leonardo, the Italian Navy, the Italian Army and Guardia di Finanza, to evaluate the potential of tiltrotor technologies to complement existing government assets. Currently, the ITS Cavour uses AgustaWestland AW101 medium-lift helicopters. Following the successful ship trials, Leonardo will analyse the collected data to enhance the platform for naval operations. The AW609 tiltrotor has already accumulated over 1,900 flight hours in Italy and the United States.

Electric Aircraft Symposium returns to Oshkosh

More than 40 of the world’s electric aircraft developers and technology experts will be speaking at the 18th Annual Electric Aircraft Symposium (EAS), hosted by the Vertical Flight Society (VFS). The event will be held online and in person in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, on 20 and 21 July, the weekend before the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) AirVenture Oshkosh 2024. More than 450 aviation innovators and entrepreneurs have spoken at EAS since the first symposium was held in Santa Rosa, California, in 2007, officials noted.

This year’s symposium includes experts from industry and government, participating in 12 panel discussions over two days, covering a spectrum of topics, including international developments, flight training, test technology, eVTOL development, US government developments (e.g. FAA, NASA and the US Air Force), personal / private aircraft, propulsion (including batteries, electric motors, hybrid-electric and hydrogen-electric), vertiports and airport infrastructure. With a focus on inspiring the next generation, for the first time the non-profit is offering a discount for students.

Lycoming clarifies the warranty impact of G100UL

The world’s largest piston aircraft engine manufacturer has confirmed it may not honour warranty claims on engines that have been run on GAMI G100UL unleaded fuel. In a statement Lycoming said that G100UL is not on its list of approved fuels and while warranty claims are assessed individually, the warranty ‘does not cover damage caused by operation outside of Lycoming’s published specifications or the use of non-approved fuels or lubricants.’ The company did not say what is required to make that list but it includes leaded and unleaded aviation fuels and some unleaded automotive fuels. Its highest performance engines are generally restricted to 100LL in North America.  Lycoming evaluates warranty claims on a case-by-case bases in accordance with the terms of its Limited Warranty. However, customers should be aware that use of fuels not approved in Service Instruction 1070 would constitute operation outside of Lycoming’s published specifications.

Uncrewed Air One Cargo eVTOL aircraft attracts interest

On 18 June personal eVTOL aircraft developer Air unveiled plans for a new uncrewed version of its vehicle to be used for cargo deliveries and other logistics roles. The company said it has already taken orders for the Air One Cargo and has delivered the first example to a customer based in an undisclosed country where it can be operated on a self-regulated basis under an experimental license prior to type certification. The all-electric Air One Cargo can carry a payload of 550 pounds, which is more than the 440-pound payload previously published for the piloted, passenger-carrying aircraft. According to Air, the single-charge range of around 95 nm will be similar to that of the original model, as will the speed at between 87 and 135 knots.

Air said it is set to deliver more examples of the new Cargo vehicle this year and into the first half of 2025. Much of the early interest in this version has been from the Europe, Middle East and Africa region. Having previously indicated that the passenger aircraft would complete FAA type certification by the end of 2024, the company is not currently projecting a date for that two-seat version to enter service with private owners. In February, Air announced a partnership with Japan’s Nidec Motor Corporation to develop a new electric motor for the Air One aircraft. This will replace an earlier powertrain that Air has used for an earlier technology demonstrator it started testing in late 2022.

Air was founded in Israel and has had a US operating base in Fort Worth, Texas, for some time. The company said it generated revenues of over $1 million in 2023, mainly from early orders for the Air One Cargo vehicle. Further purchase orders have boosted Air’s revenue projections to unspecified totals for 2024 and 2025. To date, Air holds 1,170 reservations for the Air One personal eVTOL aircraft. According to the company, it is building flight test hours with the Air One prototype. In December, the US Air Force’s Afwerx unit selected the vehicle for assessment as part of the Agility Prime research and development programme to evaluate possible military applications for eVTOL aircraft.

Archer and Kilroy are to build an electric air taxi network in Bay area

Electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) air taxi manufacturer Archer Aviation is bringing its on-demand aerial rideshare service to the San Francisco Bay Area. The company intends to build a network connecting the California cities of South San Francisco, Napa, San Jose, Oakland and Livermore, replacing one-to-two-hour trips by car with zero-emission with 10-to-20-minute air taxi flights. Archer’s flagship design, Midnight, is built for a pilot to fly as many as four passengers on 20-to-50-mile routes, cruising at 130 knots and charging for just a few minutes between trips. The manufacturer’s goal is to compete against ground-based ride hailing services such as Uber or Lyft with a comparably priced offering.

In the Bay Area, the company will work with real estate giant Kilroy Realty Corp. The partners signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to make the 50-acre Kilroy Oyster Point waterfront campus in South San Francisco the anchor of Archer’s planned network. Archer and Kilroy will look to build a vertiport at Oyster Point, connecting it with routes to Napa, San Jose, Oakland and Livermore.

The manufacturer says it already has relationships with infrastructure and operations providers in those cities. One of its two main FBO partners, Atlantic Aviation, has hubs in Napa and San Jose. The other, Signature Aviation, which earlier this week agreed to install Archer electric aircraft chargers at 200 of its locations, also has a site in San Jose and another in Oakland. Interestingly, Livermore Municipal Airport (KLVK), that city’s sole airfield, has no scheduled airline service and is designated as a regional reliever airport. Five Rivers Aviation, which operates a full-service FBO at the airport, appears to be Archer’s partner there.

In February Archer began building the first Midnight production prototypes, which it will use to complete type certification evaluations with the FAA. The aircraft received its final airworthiness criteria from the FAA in May and completed its first transition from hover to forward flight the following month during a remotely piloted test. In June, Archer became one of just two eVTOL manufacturers to earn FAA Part 135 air carrier permissions, the other being competitor Joby Aviation. It expects to install electric charging stations at Atlantic FBO locations in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Miami by next year, followed by similar infrastructure at as many as 200 Signature FBOs. Newark Liberty International Airport (KEWR) in New Jersey, Chicago O’Hare (KORD) International Airport and KSFO, the bases of operations for Archer’s New York, Chicago and Bay Area services are all part of Signature’s network.

Red Cat unveils low-cost ‘family’ of small ISR, strike drones

Drone technology firm Red Cat Holdings has launched a new family of small, low-cost drones aimed at meeting the needs for the Pentagon’s Replicator initiative. Unveiled on the first day of the Eurosatory conference in Paris, San Juan-based Red Cat said the drone family has ‘complementary capabilities and a common ground control system.’ The three uncrewed systems are intended to fulfill intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance requirements, as well as strike missions, according to the company. 

“Technology integrations and partnerships that connect and optimize this new family of systems will play a significant role in its success,” Red Cat Chief Technology Officer George Matus said in a company press release. “Open architecture and established relationships with some of the leading hardware and software companies in autonomy, AI, machine learning and computer vision will enable us to expand our capabilities over time.”

As part of the new offering, Red Cat lifted the lid on a new drone dubbed FANG. The drone is currently under development and undergoing Blue UAS certification, but once fielded with military users, the company says the first-person view system can carry lethal payloads or work in concert with ISR drones based on mission requirements. The FANG is limited to 10 minutes of flight time, according to the Red Cat release.

Earlier this month, Red Cat announced it intended to acquire FlightWave Aerospace Systems, in part to buy the rights to the latter company’s Edge 130 Blue drone. According to Red Cat, the Edge 130 Blue is a ‘hybrid vertical take-off and landing’ drone that weighs under three pounds and can be assembled and launched within a minute to collect ‘high accuracy aerial imagery with long-range autonomy.’ It has roughly a two-hour flight time in forward flight mode, the company says.

Rounding out Red Cat’s drone family is the firm’s existing Teal 2 system with features such as ‘night vision, multi-vehicle control and a fully modular design,’ according to the company’s release. With a flight time of 30 minutes, the drone can be combined with FPV drones like the FANG to assess battle damage once a target has been attacked. According to Red Cat, the company is interested in further improving its drone offerings with new features like better batteries, improved command and control links and payloads with electro-optical or thermal imaging. The company plans to pursue those improvements through both internal R&D and partnerships with industry.

New FAA reauthorisation breaks down barriers for faster and safer emergency response

Exciting news for US firefighters, law enforcement and public safety teams: new US law expands access to a unique type of drone to help them save lives and serve their communities. Updates on the FAA Reauthorisation Act, passed in May 2024, builds upon years of public safety industry use of Fotokite’s, categorised as Actively Tethered UAS. These types of drones are persistently connected to a base station with a tether, providing several key advantages in safety, simplicity and situational awareness.

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