Uber sees piloted eVTOL flights before drone package deliveries
Mark Moore, Uber’s engineering director for aircraft systems, says he expects piloted electric-vertical-take-off-and-landing (eVTOL) aircraft to advance faster than autonomous drone package deliveries due to the increased regulatory requirements surrounding autonomous flight.
Kopter announces orders, options from INAEC and Rainier
Swiss light helicopter manufacturer Kopter says it received several orders and options from the Philippines’ INAEC Aviation Corporation and Rainier Heli-International.
Metro Aviation orders 12 more Airbus EC145e
Airbus says that Metro Aviation, an operator of medical aircraft for healthcare providers, has ordered 12 more twin-engined EC145e helicopters, bringing the Louisiana-based company’s order book total for the aircraft type to 43.
The eVTOL revolution needs to be a quiet one
Newfangled electric-vertical-take-off-and-landing (eVTOL) aircraft, also referred to as air taxis, are still at an early stage of development but are becoming a leading topic of discussion in the aviation industry - especially at the 2020 Heli-Expo conference in Anaheim, Califonia.
Erickson to demo S-64 Air Crane flying autonomously using Sikorsky Matrix
Erickson signed a development agreement to integrate its S-64 Air Crane helicopter with Sikorsky’s Matrix autonomous flight control software.
Tennessee Valley Authority adds four Bell helicopters to its fleet
Bell says that the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) has added four of its rotorcraft to its fleet, bringing the electricity agency’s total to six.
Robinson Helicopter deliveries fall by about 33% in 2019
Robinson Helicopter’s deliveries fell by about 33% to 196 units in 2019.
MD Helicopters’ 6XX delays continue
MD Helicopters chief executive Lynn Tilton acknowledges her MD6XX project continues to suffer delays as the small manufacturer juggles work with its other helicopter models.
Leonardo to take delivery of full flight simulator for AW609 tiltrotor
Leonardo Helicopters plans to take delivery of the first AW609 simulator at its Philadelphia, Pennsylvania facility in the summer of 2020.
Safran to introduce four turboshafts to market in 2020 to grab market share
Safran plans to introduce four new turboshafts to the helicopter industry in 2020 as part of an effort to grab new market share.
NASA orders three Airbus H135 helicopters
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has ordered three Airbus H135 helicopters for various missions including security, emergency medical services, passenger transport and rocket launches, the European manufacturer says.
Leonardo Helicopters secures launch customer for AW189K
Gulf Helicopters of Qatar is to be the launch customer of the super-medium twin.
Leonardo acquires Kopter in a deal worth at least $185m
The deal comes as Kopter says it expects to concurrently receive airworthiness certificates from the FAA and EASA in 2020, regulatory approval that will clear the way for the upstart aerospace manufacturer to deliver its first helicopter before the end of the year.
Kaman wins ‘multiple orders’ for autonomous K-Max kits
Kaman has received multiple firm orders for autonomous K-Max Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) kits from Helicopter Express and Swanson Group Aviation.
Kobe Bryant crash puts Heli-Expo conference in tricky spot
One day after basketball star Kobe Bryant died in a helicopter accident, the world’s largest helicopter association attempted to calm public fears about rotorcraft at an industry conference not far from the crash site.
Collins prepares for pilotless helicopter rescue with digitally-controlled hoist
Foreseeing a day in the not-too-distant future when pilotless helicopters may fly to people in need of rescue, Collins Aerospace’s next generation hoist, the Pegasus, will have the ability to be controlled digitally – even eventually wirelessly.
Why Universal Avionics sees pilot shortage driving boom in wearable displays
Universal Avionics believes that a lack of helicopter pilots in the future will mean operators will increasingly need to rely on solo pilots aided by automated technologies, such as helmets with augmented reality glasses, to handle workloads while flying missions.
Why Bell plans to vertically integrate its eVTOL business and compete with Uber
In a partial break with its partner Uber – as well as its own historical business model – Bell plans to vertically integrate aircraft production, flight operations and nearly everything in between, in order to grab a large piece of the nascent electric-vertical-take-off-and-landing (eVTOL) air taxi industry.
Airbus Helicopters enters home straight with H160
For Airbus Helicopters, the end of the long road to certification for the H160 now appears to be in sight. Launched in 2015, the medium-twin is in the final stages of its development campaign; test flights ended in late 2019 and, at the time of writing in mid-January, Airbus Helicopters was preparing to submit the final pieces of documentation to the European Union Aviation Safety Agency.
Bell’s eVTOL vision changes as it eliminates two rotors and goes all electric
Bell changed the design of its proposed electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, removing two rotor ducts and adding a purely electric propulsion option, after hearing from potential customers that shorter inner city travel would likely come before longer-range trips between metropolitan areas.
