share on BufferThe concept was presented at the Farnborough Airshow 2018 (July 16-22) and showcases the company interest in this new promising market segment, which could grow exponentially thanks to a combination of new electrical and autonomous technologies.
The concept, which could reach production within a couple of years, has been presented in three variants, for personal, delivery and military applications.
The main projected figures are a capacity of up to five passengers, with a range of 500 miles and a cruise speed of 250 mph.
The vehicle is powered by a 500kW electrical power hybrid gas-electric propulsion system equipped with a gas turbine positioned in the rear.
The engine generates electricity that feeds six propellers, and the electricity can also be stored in a battery.
The vehicle can take off and land vertically thanks to the wings which can rotate 90 degrees.
As the company states “Over the next decade the skies above us could see the arrival of a new generation of increasingly cleaner and quieter aircraft capable of transporting anything from people and goods to military equipment. This new class of vehicles holds the promise to transform personal travel, speed up supply chains and usher in an era of more sustainable cities – not to mention opening up the potential of spectacular new airframe designs.”
About the EVTOL segment
Airbus believes the EVTOL market could one day outpace its existing $70bn business. Uber is predicting a fleet of up to 500,000 air taxis, Google founder Larry Page has reportedly invested $100m into a VTOL startup, Kitty Hawk, while three year old start-up Lilium Aviation has so far raised $100m.
(Source: Rolls-Royce)
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