Airmobile Air One is being prepared for production

This month, the Israeli company Air (formerly the startup was called Polarity Mobility) officially announced the successful completion of the first phase of testing of its octocopter, an electric-powered flying machine that looks like a mixture of an airplane and a helicopter. It is not yet possible to say that the machine is ready for serial production, but it is obvious: the engineering plan was a success and there is not much time left before mass production.

Aircar market

Judging by the forecasts of experts, its saturation by 2030 will reach 12 billion dollars, and in another ten years it will reach 1,5 trillion. "greens". It is on the 2040th that the time of the "heyday" of such devices is supposed. Many companies are engaged in their development and testing, they have achieved particular success in China, Israel, the USA, and some other countries. For example, Archer Aviation (Palo Alto) has already received a flight certificate for its VTOL. Another company - Joby Avation (Santa Cruz) is finishing the development of a five-seater aircraft.


The AIR startup was conceived in 2017 in Pardes Hann. The author of the idea is Ch. Rosen, who was later joined by businessmen Netanel Goldberg and Rani Plaut. The latter serves as the executive chairman of auto startup Moodify, and also sits on the board of the Tactile Mobility project, which aims to teach the car to "feel the road."



Despite the fact that in essence aircars are ordinary quadrocopters that have “survived” scaling, the use of the most “advanced” software, self-diagnostic systems and other components that facilitate piloting are moving this industry in the right direction. Ease of control of the aircraft is achieved through the use of "proprietary" software, which the head of Air calls "Fly by Intent". Flight safety is ensured by constant monitoring carried out by artificial intelligence.

Air One design and features

The device is similar to an airplane - it has a tail and wings. But in technical terms, this is an octocopter with four coaxial propellers. There are no special power units for horizontal movement - the car moves forward, like all classic multicopters - with a slight slope.


The wings (they fold down to facilitate “parking”) are slightly beveled and take part of the load, forming lift. To ensure stability in flight, there is a tail unit.

Technical data

A couple of prototypes have been built so far. An electric jet on a single charge is capable of covering a distance of up to 175 km. At the same time, two people and luggage with a total weight of up to 250 kg can be inside. Other Features:

✅ empty weight - 868 kg (like a small car)
✅ maximum (cruising) speed - 160 km/h (250 km/h)
✅ flight duration - one hour (approximately)

Representatives of the company claim that one hundred percent battery capacity is replenished through a fast charging system in 60 minutes.

Perspectives Air One

The Israelis expect to complete the test program by the end of this year. And at the beginning of the next one, get certified by the FAA (US Federal Aviation Administration) according to G1 standards. Pre-orders are already being accepted (according to Plaut, their number is “calculated in three figures”). The Air One retail price has not been announced, but it is expected to be in the range of $150 to $200. Deliveries of machines to customers should begin in 2024. The company plans to produce at least 10 thousand pieces of equipment per year.


The head of AIR Plaut says that his offspring is designed primarily for commercial purposes in the form of, for example, an air taxi. However, it does not exclude the use of an electric aircraft by those who value “the freedom to fly on their own terms.” Plaut added that there are approximately 80 million cars in the world running on hydrocarbons. And if you lift at least 10 in a year into the air, there will already be a “great success”.

CityHawk

The brainchild of the Israeli company Urban Aeronautics was originally designed without wings. The device is driven by a system of rotors, patented under the name Fancraft. This is a technology (developed by UA's subsidiary, Tactical Robotics), thanks to which air ducts "turn" into aircraft.


CityHawk is a VTOL, the dimensions of which do not exceed a conventional car. The device is intended for flights around the quarters of large cities as a commercial vehicle, as well as for emergency medical care. VTOL can also be used for military purposes and agriculture.

Technical features CityHawk

Hydrogen plays the role of an energy source. For its use, a pair of fuel cells is provided. Their manufacture and supply will be handled by the HyPoint company, with which a corresponding agreement has already been signed. Hydrogen blocks will provide energy for a pair of electric motors, each of which develops 952 “horses”. One of them is located in the front of the device, the second - in the back.


Representatives of the company assure that the time of continuous and maintenance-free operation of the power plant will be 20 thousand hours, 833 days, or approximately 2 years of continuous flight. Given that a city dweller uses an ordinary car for 2-3 hours a day, then the CityHawk resource will last at least 18 years. Basic (known) machine parameters:

✅ maximum speed - 201 km / h
✅ flight range - 161 km
✅ weight (maximum takeoff) - 700 kg (977 kg)
✅ flight height - 5 meters
✅ duration - 70 min.

The use of compressed hydrogen as an energy source guarantees no emissions of exhaust gases into the atmosphere. In addition to the pilot, in the cockpit of the device there are places for three passengers or cargo, corresponding in weight. The CityHawk automatic control system is being developed.


In its design, a special place is given to safety. In the event of an emergency, the parachute system will work. It will shoot up, instantly turn around and smoothly lower the car to the ground.

Prospects

Boeing became interested in the development of Tactical Robotics, which is now also involved in the project and testing. The aircraft giant wants to take a closer look at Fancraft's haptic robotic technology for use in manned and autonomous business jets. The CityHawk test UAV has already completed over 300 flights. Urban Aeronautics has signed an agreement to supply four ambulance versions of the CityHawk to the United States and the Israeli army.

Cormorant (formerly AirMule)

This is also a VTOL, developed by the same company, but with larger dimensions. It is assumed that the unmanned vehicle will be used to quickly respond to emergencies related to saving people, delivering medicines and food.


There is also a version of the device for farmers. Technical details:

✅ payload - up to half a ton
✅ speed - up to 180 km / h
✅ flight range - 50 km
✅ ceiling - 3700 m

Obviously, the development and practical testing of both manned and autonomous compact aircraft are being carried out in many countries to the fullest. Most likely, by the mid-2020s, we will witness the struggle of different technical schemes for air taxis. Which of them will be the best - we'll see.