Electric Aircraft

The Volocopter's recent demonstration flight in Helsinki was part of the Single European Sky ATM Research program (SESAR), public-private venture to overhaul European airspace for an era of unmanned aircraft

Aircraft

Volocopter flies with other airport traffic in Helsinki

The Volocopter has flown amid other traffic at an international airport for the first time.

Bell Textron's APT 70 cargo drone has completed its first autonomous test flight

Drones

Bell's eVTOL cargo drone makes first autonomous flight

Bell has joined the cargo drone space with its APT 70, which has just nailed its first autonomous test flight.

Aircraft

Volocopter introduces its most powerful flying taxi yet

The Volocopter has been given another makeover, resulting in a rounder, cleaner design the company says is the most powerful Volocopter yet.

Gearing up for FAA certification, Bye Aerospace says that the two-seat eFlyer 2 will change the way pilots train

Aircraft

Bye Aerospace's two-seater electric flyer gets more powerful motor

Last year, Bye Aerospace's Sun Flyer 2 took to the skies for the first time, and now the renamed eFlyer 2 has flown past another milestone towards FAA certification. A high power motor has now been installed, and a new phase of testing commenced.

Aircraft

Short hops, clear air and the sweet spot for electric aircraft

An electric plane capable of traveling 1,000 km on each charge would be capable of hopping between some pretty exotic destinations. This might sound like a pipe dream, but these distances are firmly in the sights of electric aircraft builders gearing up for test flights within the next few years.

Aircraft

Boeing throws its weight behind Larry Page's flying taxi startup

With the backing of Google co-founder Larry Page, Kitty Hawk already has some noteworthy names attached to its flying taxi endeavors. And it's now found another in heavyweight Boeing, with the industry veteran teaming up with its fresh-faced counterpart to accelerate the age of electric aviation.

Aircraft

Eviation sets sights on regional travel with nine-seat electric Alice aircraft

Early days it may be, but there are plenty of exciting things happening in electric aviation. Making its mark at the Paris Air Show this week is Eviation's Alice, which is a light nine-seater all-electric plane designed to service regional areas.

Aircraft

Lilium's full-sized electric jet flies for the first time

Lilium first emerged in 2016 as an aviation startup with some very lofty ambitions, revealing plans to develop a five-seat electric aircraft. It has now taken a significant step toward achieving this aim, completing a flight of a full-scale prototype.

Aircraft

Amphibious electric aircraft prototype achieves flight out of ground effect

Equator Aircraft's P2 Xcursion prototype electric amphibious aircraft has taken fully to the air for the first time in the skies over Eggemoen Technology Park in Norway.

An 'artistic rendering' of a future VTOL air commuter

Aircraft

Ford funds study on eVTOL commuting emissions, and it doesn't go well for Ford

A Ford-funded study by the University of Michigan has examined the environmental credentials of electric VTOL aircraft for commuting, compared to both regular and electric cars over a range of commuting distances. The results paint an interesting picture of future mobility.

The electric conversion of the entire fleet should commence within a couple of years

Aircraft

North America's largest seaplane airline plans to go all-electric

Although we just heard about a planned hybrid airliner, that's not the only "green" airplane news to come our way today. Harbour Air, North America’s largest seaplane airline, has now announced that its entire 34-aircraft fleet will be going electric.

Plans call for the BEHA_M1H to have a cruising speed of over 200 knots (230 mph, or 370 km/h), and a range of over 1,000 nautical miles (1,852 km) depending on configuration

Aircraft

Hybrid triplane could be carrying passengers within six years

Back in 2014, we heard about UK firm Faradair's proposed Bio-Electric-Hybrid-Aircraft (BEHA, for short) – it was touted it as being one of the world’s most environmentally-friendly airplanes. The company has now announced plans for a small BEHA airliner, which is hoped to enter service by 2025.