The Pipistrel 801 eVTOL is a Slovenian autonomous vertical take-off electric aircraft for the air taxi role under development by Pipistrel Vertical Solutions of Ajdovščina. It was publicly announced at the Uber Elevate Summit in Washington, D.C., United States, in June 2019. The aircraft is intended to be supplied complete and ready-to-fly.[1][2][3][4]
| 801 eVTOL | |
|---|---|
| |
| Artist's concept | |
| Role | Electric aircraft |
| National origin | Slovenia |
| Manufacturer | Pipistrel |
| Status | Under development (2019) |
The aircraft's designation refers to eight lift fans, no tilt rotors and one tractor propeller. It is being designed as one electric VTOL proposal for Uber Elevate.[1]
Design and development
editThe design uses wings as it provides greater speed and range over wingless designs, plus the ability to take off and land on a runway, if required.[1]
The aircraft features a cantilever high-wing, a five-seat, enclosed cabin under a bubble canopy, retractable tricycle landing gear, eight vertical electric lift motors powering shrouded fans mounted in two underwing pods and a single electric motor engine in a tail-mounted tractor configuration. It will be capable of flying on six of the eight lift fans.[1]
The design incorporates fly-by-wire controls and will be capable of autonomous flight (flight without a pilot) from delivery. The design incorporates the ability to see-and-avoid other aircraft and emphasizes a low noise signature for acceptance in urban areas.[1]
The design used in-house designed batteries, with four of varying designs to avoid design flaws. It also used energy-absorbing seats and seat belts. Also each of the eight lift fans operates at a different rpm and therefore frequency to reduce noise pitch peaking.[3]
The aircraft will have a range of 60 mi (97 km) at a cruising speed of 175 mph (282 km/h) or more.[1]
Specifications (801)
editData from AvWeb[1]
General characteristics
- Crew: none
- Capacity: five passengers
- Powerplant: 1 × tail-mounted electric motor
- Powerplant: 8 × vertical lift electric motor ducted fans
- Propellers: 5-bladed tractor configuration propeller
Performance
- Maximum speed: 282 km/h (175 mph, 152 kn)
- Range: 97 km (60 mi, 52 nmi)
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c d e f g Bertorelli, Paul (11 June 2019). "Pipistrel Unveils 801 eVTOL". AVweb. Retrieved 13 June 2019.
- ^ Uber Elevate (9 May 2018). "Pipistrel reveals new eVTOL concept". eVTOL News. Archived from the original on 4 April 2019. Retrieved 15 June 2019.
- ^ a b Kumar, Tuvan (13 June 2019). "Pipistrel Vertical Solutions launches first eVTOL concept". Helicopter Investor. Archived from the original on 15 June 2019. Retrieved 15 June 2019.
- ^ Mark, Rob (10 May 2018). "Pipistrel Unveils eVTOL Concept". Flying magazine. Archived from the original on 13 May 2018. Retrieved 15 June 2019.
External links
edit- AVweb Podcast: Pipistrel’s 810 eVTOL Revealed
- Graham Warwick (17 June 2019). "The Week In Technology, June 17-21, 2019". Aviation Week & Space Technology.
Pipistrel Unveils eVTOL for Uber