e-flight-Journal_4-2022
The E-flight Magazin the world of electric and sustainable aviation. Evtols and Aircraft
The E-flight Magazin
the world of electric and sustainable aviation.
Evtols and Aircraft
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Cover News Story<br />
Prosperity I<br />
with center propeller<br />
China-based eVTOL developer AutoFlight, whose main development<br />
center is in Augsburg/Germany, has once again<br />
revised the design of its highly acclaimed Prosperity I to further<br />
improve lift and cruise capabilities. While the eight horizontally<br />
arranged propellers which provide lift during take-off<br />
and landing were retained, the two laterally arranged pusher<br />
propellers were replaced by a center propeller for cruising.<br />
Auto<strong>flight</strong> intends to present the final design with only<br />
minor refinements in early 2023. This will then be used to<br />
carry out further test <strong>flight</strong>s at the Napa site in the California<br />
desert. Nevertheless, a type certification by the EASA (European<br />
Aviation Safety Agency) is sought. The Prosperity I is<br />
designed for Urban Air Mobility (UAM) and regional <strong>flight</strong>s<br />
VoloConnect<br />
renamed VoloRegion<br />
with a cruising speed of 200 km/h with a range of 250 km and<br />
offers space for three passengers plus the pilot. AutoFlight is<br />
one of only two eVTOL companies worldwide to have publicly<br />
demonstrated the successful transition from vertical hover<br />
to horizontal forward <strong>flight</strong> in a full-size aircraft using a lift-andcruise<br />
design.<br />
www.auto<strong>flight</strong>.com<br />
At Volocopter, the German pioneer in the field of Urban Air<br />
Mobility (UAM), the decision was made to carry out the third<br />
eVTOL project, alongside the VoloCity and the VoloDrone,<br />
as the Volo-Connectis to be renamed. In the future, the fourseater<br />
VoloConnect will be called “VoloRegion” to indicate its<br />
main use in the name. However, what is probably even more<br />
important for the company is that, despite the currently difficult<br />
global economic situation, it has succeeded in raising a<br />
further 182 million euros in investor capital. The Saudi Arabian<br />
“Smart Region Project” on the Red Sea, NEOM, and the<br />
Hong Kong-based investor company GLy Capital, in which<br />
the Chinese company Geely Holding has a significant stake,<br />
have participated in the latest financing round. The funds are<br />
to flow into the certification of the VoloCity and the opening of<br />
the first commercial routes.<br />
www.volocopter.com<br />
Zuri’s<br />
new design with V-tail<br />
As a result of tests with technology demonstrators, subscale<br />
models, aerodynamic simulations and many complex calculations,<br />
the Czech developer of the hybrid-electric VTOL aircraft<br />
Zuri has made significant changes to the design of its<br />
five-seater tilt-rotor aircraft, in which a turbine has generatordrives<br />
supplying a backup battery and a total of eight electric<br />
motors. What is particularly striking about the current design<br />
is the replacement of the previous standard tailplane with<br />
elevator and rudder tailplanes for a V-tailplane. This design<br />
change allows for larger propellers and increased propellerto-ground<br />
clearance, according to Zuri. In addition, the use of<br />
a V-tail should lead to less drag and contribute to an improvement<br />
in the overall aerodynamic properties of the aircraft.<br />
www.zuri.com<br />
8 e Flight <strong>Journal</strong><br />
4 / <strong>2022</strong>
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