The future is here, some say - Airbus is cautious - AIN

There’s No Turning Back from an eVTOL Future

The electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) revolution is upon us, and there likely no turning back. That is the message from a growing number of opinion leaders at this year’s Heli-Expo. That list includes AHS International executive director Mike Hirschberg, who points out that more than $1 billion has been invested in vehicles and related research before regulations are finalized for the category. And the roster of companies involves includes major players such as Airbus, Boeing, Bell, Embraer, Intel, Amazon, Honda, Toyota, and Uber. “Electric aviation is really changing in what it will be in the future,” Hirschberg said. According to Hirschberg, electrically powered vertical vehicles provide the opportunity to eliminate all the things typically viewed as drawbacks on helicopters: transmissions, gearboxes, shafting, and hydraulics. He said reforms to Part 23 certification requirements could go a long way to making eVTOL design approval of both electric powerplants and occupant protection achievable. Bell CEO Mitch Snyder agrees. Bell executive vice president for technology and innovation Michael Thacker “is meeting with the FAA all the time, and we are having these discussions,” Snyder said this week at Heli-Expo. Chris Emerson, president of Airbus Helicopters Inc., strikes a more cautionary note and urges careful study. “People are starting to build up and gather data so that we understand what the future project is going to look like. And by the way, it will have to follow all of the certification requirements that we have in place, plus more." Read Expanded Version