Along with the opening of a test centre in Donauwörth, Germany, the new CityAirbus NextGen prototype was presented to the public. Airbus’ test centre will be dedicated to testing the electrical systems of this and of the future electric Vetical Takeoff and Landing Vehicles -eVTOLs (if you are curious about Urban Air Mobility, check out this article!).
The original CityAirbus was presented in Paris Air Show in 2017 and performed its first flight in 2019. During its two years of intense testing, it accumulated over 242 flights and achieved the world’s highest take-off weight for a multicopter at 2312 kg. With its eight-pitch rotor configuration of 100 kW each and a 110-kWh battery, the vehicle demonstrated the performance of a full electric flight. Simultaneously it also helped the company get data on automated Air Traffic Management (ATM) as well as other autonomous technologies, as automatic take-off and landing, and stabilisation capabilities.
Airbus has recently presented its next generation eVTOL called “CityAirbus”. Awaiting its maiden flight, the vehicle should reach a cruise speed of 120 km/h with a range of 80 km and as its predecessor it has eight-pitch rotors. Also, the four-seater has fixed wings and a V-shaped tail that will start undergoing testing later during this year (2024).
We are always closer to see Urbain Air Mobility vehicles out in the market and move easier and in a sustainable way around big metropolis like Tokyo, Delhi, Shanghai, Sao Paulo or Mexico City.