China's PANTALA Concept H Air Taxi Breaks into the eVTOL Market

At the end of last year, the Chinese company Pantuo Aviation from Shanghai presented to the public its eVTOL (electric vertical takeoff aircraft), which, according to the developers, should become a flying taxi in a densely populated city. The concept was called PANTALA Concept H. Decoding can be done in two ways. In the first case, this is a combination of a pair of ancient Greek words: Pan (everything) and Talaria - sandals with wings that can be seen on one of the mythological heroes - Hermes, the god of trade. The second meaning refers to the Chinese language, where Pan is a large stone, hinting at perseverance, and Tuo means "research". The company said that the name represents a person's desire to expand their capabilities.

Technical features

Many compare the Chinese device with the American flying taxi Lilium Jet, developed in Germany, or even with equipment from Aston Martin. There is an external resemblance. But there are a lot of differences: for example, a German vehicle “can” change the slope of only power units, while an eVTOL from China is able to change the angle of all its wings. During the creation of Lilium Jet, the concept of "many small fans" (there are 36 of them) is applied, 22 large-blade devices are installed on a Chinese taxi. Their main advantage is to provide a more stable hover in one place. There are also disadvantages - increased noise, slightly increased drag in level flight at cruising speed.



PANTALA Concept H is equipped with a cabin designed for five passengers. The role of propellers is played by 22 channel fans integrated into the wings: the motors rotate with them, changing the angle of thrust and allowing you to move in any direction. The power source is a set of lithium-ion batteries, providing a "power reserve" of 250 km. The developers claim that their offspring will be able to reach speeds of over 300 km / h.

Security and autonomy

In the PANTALA Concept H, all on-board, power systems and power plants are redundant multiple times. According to the developers, the security level of the "Shanghai taxi" is commensurate with large passenger airliners. Also, one of the representatives of the startup assures that their aircraft, in terms of its intellectual abilities, the computing power of the computer, is “completely ready” for use offline without human intervention.



This year, tests of a reduced copy of an air taxi are in full swing. In the same, 2022, it is planned to begin work with a full-scale version of the concept (test flights should take place in November-December). Obtaining the necessary certificates, the start of mass production is scheduled for 2027. Initially, the aircraft is intended for China, but the company's management says that they intend to enter the foreign market in the future. But do not forget that the PANTALA Concept H has many rivals whose tests are already being completed and serial production is planned to begin much earlier than 2027 - already in 2024. Who are the main competitors?

Autoflight V1500M

The PANTALA Concept H project was first presented in Zhonghai, at the annual air show. In addition to the described flying taxi, there was another one - from the (also Chinese) company Autoflight. They want to certify and launch the eVTOL developed by her in 2024. This Shanghai-based company has been designing and building drones and taxi-type aircraft since 2017.



The V1500M shown at the airshow is a cockpit designed for 3-4 people, to which a tail and wings with propellers are attached. The design is somewhat reminiscent of a helicopter and a quadrocopter at the same time. Rods with pusher screws are fixed on the wings, which ensures the movement of the apparatus in a horizontal direction. Vertical lift and hover are provided by eight other paddle devices. At the back there is an additional carrier plane that supports planning.

Technical specifications

"Taxi" V1500M is capable of speeds up to 200 km / h, has a flight range of 250 km. Worth noting: the design of the device used elements of another product of this company - a cargo electric UAV V1000CG. It is capable of transporting up to 300 kg of "luggage" over a distance of 200 km. As for the V1500M, test flights have already been carried out, by 2024 the company plans to certify the aircraft and put it on the conveyor.

Jet lily

By design, this "taxi" resembles a tiltrotor - an aircraft in which the wings turn, sometimes along with the engines, when moving from vertical rise to horizontal flight. However, Lilium Jet differs from this type of aircraft by the presence of as many as 36 electric motors that rotate the fan blades, the total power of which is 435 hp. With. Moreover, the "motors" are installed in an unexpected place - on the flaps.



A large number of engines makes flying safer. The same purpose is served by complete sealing of the cabin - in case of landing on water. And another system that makes the “trip” by “taxi” less risky is a computer program integrated into the control of the apparatus. When the pilot issues commands that threaten the integrity of the aircraft, and, consequently, the lives of passengers, the Flight System Protection Envelope software will simply refuse to execute them. Computers control everything: altitude, speed, maneuvering. Technical parameters of Lilium Jet:

• ? length, wingspan - 8,50, 13,9 m
  
• ? speed - 280 (cruising) and 300 km / h (maximum)
  
• ? flight range - 250 km
  
• ? ceiling - 3 thousand m
  
• ? number of passengers - 5 people (now there is already a 7-seater version)
  

To take off and land, the device will need a platform measuring only 15x15 m. The Lilia prototype was first demonstrated in 2016. For now, the primary goal is to pass the certification next year. The main tests were passed, but the designers announced the need for a number of improvements.



In particular, it was decided to reduce the number of engines to 30. In March of this year, NetJets announced that it plans to add 150 Lilium Jets to its fleet. In April, the developers announced that certification was being pushed back until 2025, explaining this by the need to make taxis lighter and safer.

eVTOL Market Prospects

In 2021, it was estimated at $8,5 billion. According to experts, by 2030 this figure will grow to 30,8 billion greenbacks if the current growth rate of 15,3% per year is maintained. The demand for such aircraft is primarily due to the need to comply with environmental safety, which is especially important for megacities. It is not for nothing that the PANTALA Concept H is designed and built in Shanghai, where over 24 million people live. Another reason is the growing demand for transport that uses alternative forms of energy. Therefore, already today, hundreds of companies around the world are competing for a new promising market. And the Chinese have every reason to take one of the leading positions in this regard.