Aircraft

With plans to introduce an air taxi service at the World Expo 2025 in Osaka, Japan, SkyDrive has announced that lessons learned from the development of its sporty SD-03 single-seat prototype have informed the design of a new two-seater SD-05 eVTOL.

The team behind the ADIFO omnidirectional, supersonic flying saucer has designed and prototyped an interesting and unique eVTOL design with an extraordinarily quick and simple method of transitioning between vertical and horizontal flight modes.

UK company Vertical Aerospace has celebrated the first flight of its spectacular full-scale VX4 eVTOL air taxi prototype, demonstrating its faith in the design by taking the unusual step of putting a pilot on board. It's due to enter service in 2025.

Regent has released video of its remarkable Seaglider prototype in flight testing. The first machine to combine the efficiency advantages of ground effect and hydrofoiling in a single design, it promises revolutionary speed and range in coastal areas.

Israeli startup Eviation introduced its all electric aircraft in 2019 and has been edging toward its first flight ever since. It has this week taken an important step toward this milestone, breezing through some high-speed testing on the runway.

Doroni says it's just months away from a full-scale, flying prototype of its H1 two-seat personal eVTOL design. Where most in this space build the simplest and cheapest multicopter-style airframes possible, the H1 offers dedicated horizontal thrust, too.

Zeva is moving to prototype a second-generation version of its radically different take on eVTOL flight. The Z2 remains a tail-sitting flying saucer that flies a single person head-first at high speeds, but the new model makes some practical changes.

London company SkyFly has opened pre-orders on a two-seat personal eVTOL aircraft called the Axe. Scheduled to begin customer deliveries in 2024, the Axe promises 160-km/h top speeds, up to 320 km of range, and a winged airframe.

Yamaha has introduced an upgraded version of its Fazer R G2 unmanned helicopter, or drone, equipping it with more thrust and greater payload capacity to make it more suitable for carrying out aerial deliveries.

The US Army's record-breaking Zephyr 8 uncrewed ultra-long endurance drone demonstration came to an abrupt end after an unprecedented 64 days in flight, when an unspecified event brought the aircraft down over the Yuma Proving Ground in Arizona.

American company Ryse Aerotech has released video of its first manned flight test, undertaken back in June. The Recon eVTOL is pitched as a buy 'n' fly ultralight aircraft that farmers and ranchers can put to immediate use without a pilot's license.

An aviation company at the cutting edge of electrified air travel has taken a significant step forward, completing a first-of-a-kind test flight using a retrofitted seaplane to demonstrate the viability of its cleaner approach to short-haul flights.

The future of civilian commercial supersonic travel looks a bit firmer today after American Airlines and Boom Supersonic signed an agreement for the airline to put down a non-returnable deposit towards the purchase of 20 Overture supersonic aircraft.

What began with an unsuccessful Kickstarter in 2017 is about to break out as a thrilling new aerial sport later this year, following the announcement by Alauda Aeronautics of the successful completion of its 250th Airspeeder racing eVTOL test flight.

When we last saw Franky Zapata back in May, he was spinning uncontrollably down into the water from a serious height in a terrifying jetboard crash. But the flying Frenchman is back to launch a new, high-speed personal aircraft called the JetRacer.