Eve Air Mobility’s eVTOL Prototype Nears its Inaugural Flight
Eve Air Mobility’s prototype for an electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft is steadily advancing towards its maiden flight, set to occur before the end of the year. Embraer’s chief executive has confirmed that the program is on schedule for this significant aviation milestone.
The Brazilian company, a subsidiary of aircraft manufacturer Embraer, revealed its first full-scale eVTOL prototype at the Farnborough Airshow. The prototype was constructed at Embraer’s test facility in Gavião Peixoto, Brazil. The aircraft boasts eight dedicated propellers for vertical flight and fixed wings for cruising. It is designed to carry four passengers plus a pilot and has a range of 60 miles.
Eve’s eVTOL prototype employs a ‘lift and cruise’ configuration with no moving parts during flight transitions. This incorporates an electric pusher system with dual motors for redundancy. The design aims to achieve operation that is 65% quieter than conventional helicopters on urban air mobility routes.
The company has already secured letters of intent for 2,900 aircraft from 30 customers across 13 countries. It also recently raised over $94 million in equity financing. Testing campaigns are underway to assess every aspect of the aircraft’s operation and performance. The insights gained from these tests will feed into design refinements ahead of commercial certification.
Source: Flight Global News