AIR Advances its AIR ONE Cargo eVTOL with Nighttime Demonstrations
AIR announced the completion of a series of nighttime flight demonstrations with the uncrewed cargo variant of its AIR ONE electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. This development positions the AIR ONE as the first midsize autonomous eVTOL to conduct such operations. These tests are fundamental for developing standard operating procedures (SOPs) for nighttime operations, as well as for training ground personnel in aircraft loading and unloading tasks.
This progress propels the uncrewed cargo and piloted variants of the AIR ONE towards consumer and commercial logistics markets. The demonstrations took place at a non-airport site with minimal infrastructure, aiming to assess the aircraft's ability to operate with limited resources. Additionally, the ability of ground crews, previously unfamiliar with the AIR ONE, to manage the aircraft following SOPs was tested.
The ground personnel successfully loaded the aircraft to its maximum weight of 250 kilograms (550 pounds) before overseeing its departure via remote operation. To simulate real-world operational conditions, the teams came from a different airport and received only a one-page SOP on how to approach, load, and secure the aircraft, tasks they completed successfully.
Rani Plaut, CEO and Co-founder of AIR, stated that "operations don't stop when the sun goes down. We recognized early on that ensuring safety and efficiency at night is just as essential as in the daytime." He further added that they are "proud to have completed this rigorous round of nighttime flight operations, showcasing that AIR's eVTOL for cargo use is ready for 24/7 use. The aircraft adapts to almost any environment due to its simple ground handling requirements and the ease with which any ground crew can quickly get up to speed. The new SOPs we established lay the foundation for a future of uninterrupted, on-demand cargo mobility."
In previous statements during the 2023 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS), Plaut indicated that the company invested a considerable amount of time and effort in user experience, safety, and visibility. The company uses sensors and LIDAR cameras to analyze the aircraft's internal and external environment during testing phases.
The AIR ONE incorporates multiple safety features, including 8 motors, 4 battery packs, a ballistic parachute, and Fly-by-Intent technology, designed for the system to monitor any hazards throughout the flight continuously. The aircraft requires one hour for a full battery charge and offers a flight endurance of one hour. Its reduced size and foldable wings were designed so that owners can transport the AIR ONE in a trailer with ease; the company states that a single person can complete the folding mechanism in 5 minutes.
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Regarding system redundancy and the regulatory approach, Plaut commented in 2023 that "the FAA is very receptive. They like the fact that we address all the problems, not for the standard, but for the safety concept. So, we have a safety concept, which I said before is about not letting the operator take care of the deficiencies of the system; the system is inherently very self-preserving."
The eVTOL industry is experiencing rapid growth, with multiple players developing solutions for urban air mobility and logistics. The ability to operate at night and with minimal ground infrastructure considerably broadens the spectrum of potential missions for aircraft like the AIR ONE, especially in the cargo sector, which is emerging as one of the first to adopt this new technology on a commercial scale. The validation of procedures for non-specialized personnel is also a key factor for the scalability of these operations.
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Desde 2017, haciendo periodismo aeronáutico. Award-Winning Journalist: Ganador de la edición 2023 de "Periodismo de Altura", otorgado por ALTA. Facts don't care about your feelings.
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