VTOL

Paragon VTOL Aerospace is working on a second-gen version of its nine-seat Soar air taxi design, and it's settled on hydrogen-burning engines that'll deliver monster range figures between 300-900 miles (480-1,450 km) depending on passenger numbers.

Northrop Grumman and Martin UAV have completed flight tests of an enhanced V-BAT unmanned aircraft system as part of the US Army's competition to replace the aging RQ-7B Shadow drone for Army Brigade Combat Teams, Special Forces, and Ranger battalions.

Forget your friendly little electric air taxis. The USAF wants to take things up a notch with a new generation of high-speed vertical takeoff and landing aircraft. Thirty five designs have been presented, here's a peek at a few that caught our eye.

UAV Factory has rolled out its Penguin C Mk2 VTOL pilot-less rotorcraft, which increases flight efficiency with automatic hoods that stow away the lift rotors. The new technology reduces drag in horizontal flight, increasing endurance by 20 percent.

Superyacht designer Steve Kozloff has turned his hand to next-gen aviation with a twin-prop VTOL aircraft that promises a monster 1,380-mile range, as well as the ability to take off and land conventionally where there's a runway.

After spending 18 months building an entirely new form of flight control software, California's Jetpack Aviation has finished flight testing the odd-looking first prototype of the Speeder, a high-speed, jet turbine-powered flying motorcycle.

Russia's Foundation for Advanced Research has already flown a 60-kg prototype of its Cyclocar VTOL aircraft, which uses a super-responsive cyclical propeller propulsion system. A full-size, long-range, six-seat Cyclocar is expected within a few years.

The Trifan 600 will fly up to eight passengers helipad to helipad at ranges up to 750 miles and speeds up to 345 mph – figures nothing in the eVTOL world can touch thanks to its hybrid powertrain. XTI and Xeriant have partnered to get it into production.

Seattle-based company Jetoptera says its air-accelerating Fluidic Propulsive System, which works a lot like a Dyson "bladeless" fan, produces thrust for half the fuel of a small turbojet while being the "most silent propulsion system in the skies."

After recently revealing plans to have a flying taxi station ready for action in Florida midway through the decade, Lilium has expanded on this vision, signing an agreement to build a network of at least 10 so-called vertiports across the state.

New York-based medical transport non-profit Hatzolah Air has placed a preorder for four of Urban Aeronautics' CityHawk VTOL aircraft for emergency medical service (EMS) applications within urban environments.

Drone-like VTOL capabilities with a long-range, high-speed turboshaft cruise mode: South Africa's Pegasus Vertical Business Jet hopes to deliver the best of both worlds in a futuristic, transitioning luxury aircraft for high flyers.