Lockheed Martin Skunk Works®  Top Gun – The Need for Speed
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Lockheed Martin Skunk Works®  Top Gun – The Need for Speed

Top Gun – The Need for Speed

Lockheed Martin Skunk Works® thrives on tackling seemingly impossible work, developing technologies for tomorrow’s challenges before the need is even identified.

From creating radar evading stealth capabilities to X-planes that redefine the sonic boom to many revolutionary technologies in between, Skunk Works has a long tradition of quickly developing enduring innovation for when it’s needed most.

When the Top Gun: Maverick team was looking to push the envelope and stand true to Maverick’s Need for Speed, Skunk Works was their first call. With the Skunk Works expertise in developing the fastest known aircraft combined with a passion and energy for defining the future of aerospace, Darkstar’s capabilities could be more than mere fiction. They could be reality…

www.lockheedmartin.com

 

 

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MANTA AIRCRAFT y AVIONORD se asocian en el desarrollo de la plataforma ANN para transporte médico.

MANTA AIRCRAFT y AVIONORD se asocian en el desarrollo de la plataforma ANN para transporte médico.

MANTA AIRCRAFT y AVIONORD firman un acuerdo destinado a desarrollar una versión de la plataforma Manta ANN para servicios rápidos de Transporte Aéreo Sanitario.

Sesto Calende, Italia, mayo de 2022 – Manta Aircraft Italia Srl (“Manta Aircraft”) y Avionord Srl (“Avionord”), una empresa privada de transporte aéreo altamente especializada en Transporte Aéreo Sanitario, han llegado a un acuerdo para operar en el futuro hasta 15 aviones híbridos eléctricos de despegue y aterrizaje vertical de largo alcance (eVTOL) derivados de la plataforma Manta Aircraft “ANN” en configuración de servicios médicos. Avionord también invierte en Manta Aircraft y adquiere una participación en la empresa. Se espera que las entregas comiencen en 2026.

El acuerdo permite una asociación prometedora que fomentará el desarrollo de un ecosistema y

un establecimiento oportuno de la Movilidad Aérea Avanzada. El uso de la innovadora plataforma aérea está previsto sobre todo en el área de transportes especiales de órganos para trasplantes, transporte de equipos para reperfusión de órganos destinados a trasplantes así como para posibles operaciones de intervención rápida. La opción de despegue y aterrizaje vertical, por ejemplo para conectar helipuertos de dos hospitales en diferentes ciudades, junto con los requisitos de largo alcance y baja infraestructura, dan como resultado nuevas capacidades punto a punto y eficiencias económicas en el rango regional, ya que esto solución representa un importante ahorro de costes y reducción de ruido en comparación con los helicópteros convencionales.

“Nos sentimos honrados de trabajar con Manta Aircraft. Después de analizar el mercado y considerar nuestras misiones de tiempo crítico, vemos que la plataforma Manta ANN es hoy la única eVTOL que ofrece un alcance de varios cientos de km, lo que es útil para las misiones de transporte rápido de órganos para trasplante de un hospital a otro, evitando depender de los aeropuertos y del transporte por carretera. Los eVTOL de ANN nos permitirán reducir el tiempo de transporte de los órganos, que tienen una vida limitada cuando no están conectados a las máquinas dedicadas, utilizando aeronaves con un costo operativo reducido”, dice Avionord, CEO Eugenio Cremascoli.

Lucas Marchesini, CEO de Manta Aircraft, agrega: “Estamos muy complacidos con esta asociación con Avionord, quienes han reconocido la singularidad de la plataforma ANN en términos de alcance, empujando en la dirección de crear un caso de uso real que contribuirá a la rápido establecimiento de la Movilidad Aérea Avanzada. Desde el principio, el diseño de la aeronave se planeó para un rango y velocidad relevantes en combinación con los bajos requisitos de infraestructura y los costos generales a una fracción del costo de un helicóptero, para que sea adecuado para este tipo de operaciones”.

La inversión de Avionord en Manta Aircraft sigue la inversión de otras empresas tecnológicas italianas y del CDP VC dirigido por el Estado, en un esfuerzo por acelerar la creación de un ecosistema AAM italiano. Manta Aircraft está desarrollando una gama de vehículos aéreos de despegue y aterrizaje vertical y corto de largo alcance híbridos eléctricos orientados al rendimiento (heV/STOL) para la movilidad aérea regional y planea comenzar la certificación del primer biplaza, multipropósito modelo ANN2 en 2023.

Foto:

De izquierda a derecha: Michael Mesaric y Lucas Marchesini, Co-Fundadores de Manta Aircraft, Eugenio

Cremascoli, CEO of Avionord.

Renderizado: Moonlight Studios

Para más consultas:

Michael Mesaric, cofundador, director de marketing y operaciones,  m.mesaric@mantaaircraft.com

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MANTA AIRCRAFT and AVIONORD partner in the development of the ANN platform for medical transportation

MANTA AIRCRAFT and AVIONORD partner in the development of the ANN platform for medical transportation.

MANTA AIRCRAFT and AVIONORD sign an agreement aimed at developing a version of the Manta ANN platform for rapid Medical Air Transport services.

Sesto Calende, Italy, May 2022 – Manta Aircraft Italia S.r.l. (“Manta Aircraft”), and Avionord S.r.l. (“Avionord”), a private air transport company highly specialized in Medical Air Transport, have entered into an agreement to field in the future as many as 15 hybrid-electric long-range vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft derived from the Manta Aircraft “ANN” platform in medical services configuration. Avionord also invests in Manta Aircraft and takes a stake in the company. Deliveries are expected to start in 2026.

The agreement enables a promising partnership that will foster the development of an ecosystem and

a timely establishment of Advanced Air Mobility. The use of the innovative aircraft platform is planned above all in the area of special transports of organs for transplants, transport of equipment for re-perfusion of organs destined for transplantation as well as for possible rapid-intervention operations. The vertical take-off and landing option, for example to connect helipads from two hospitals in different cities, coupled with the long range and low infrastructure requirements, result in new point-to-point capabilities and economic efficiencies in the regional range, as this solution represents a significant cost saving and noise reduction compared to conventional helicopters.

“We are honored to be working with Manta Aircraft. After analyzing the market and considering our time-critical missions, we see that the Manta ANN platform is today the only eVTOL offering a range of several hundred kms, which is useful for the missions to transport quickly organs for transplantation from one hospital to another, avoiding being dependent on airports and road transport. The ANN eVTOLs will enable us to reduce the transportation time of the organs, that have a limited life when not connected to the dedicated machines, using aircraft with a reduced operating cost,” says Avionord, CEO Eugenio Cremascoli.

Lucas Marchesini, CEO of Manta Aircraft, adds: “We are very pleased of this partnership with Avionord, who have recognized the uniqueness of the ANN platform in terms of range, pushing into the direction of creating a real use case that will contribute to the rapid establishment of Advanced Air Mobility. From the outset, the design of the aircraft was planned for a relevant range and speed in combination with the low infrastructure requirements and overall costs at a fraction of the cost of a helicopter, in order to be suitable for this kind of operations.”

The investment of Avionord in Manta Aircraft follows the investment of other Italian tech companies and of the State-led CDP VC, in the effort to expedite creating an Italian AAM ecosystem. Manta Aircraft is developing a range of performance-oriented hybrid-electric long-range vertical and short take-off and landing air vehicles (heV/STOL) for regional air mobility and plans to begin certification of the first two-seat, multi-purpose model ANN2 in 2023.

Foto:

From left to right: Michael Mesaric and Lucas Marchesini, Co-Founders of Manta Aircraft, Eugenio

Cremascoli, CEO of Avionord.

Rendering: Mondlicht Studios

For further inquiries:

Michael Mesaric, Co-Founder, Head of Marketing & Operations, m.mesaric@mantaaircraft.com

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MANTA AIRCRAFT and AVIONORD partner in the development of the ANN platform for medical transportation

MANTA AIRCRAFT and AVIONORD partner in the development of the ANN platform for medical transportation.

MANTA AIRCRAFT and AVIONORD sign an agreement aimed at developing a version of the Manta ANN platform for rapid Medical Air Transport services.

Sesto Calende, Italy, May 2022 – Manta Aircraft Italia S.r.l. (“Manta Aircraft”), and Avionord S.r.l. (“Avionord”), a private air transport company highly specialized in Medical Air Transport, have entered into an agreement to field in the future as many as 15 hybrid-electric long-range vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft derived from the Manta Aircraft “ANN” platform in medical services configuration. Avionord also invests in Manta Aircraft and takes a stake in the company. Deliveries are expected to start in 2026.

The agreement enables a promising partnership that will foster the development of an ecosystem and

a timely establishment of Advanced Air Mobility. The use of the innovative aircraft platform is planned above all in the area of special transports of organs for transplants, transport of equipment for re-perfusion of organs destined for transplantation as well as for possible rapid-intervention operations. The vertical take-off and landing option, for example to connect helipads from two hospitals in different cities, coupled with the long range and low infrastructure requirements, result in new point-to-point capabilities and economic efficiencies in the regional range, as this solution represents a significant cost saving and noise reduction compared to conventional helicopters.

“We are honored to be working with Manta Aircraft. After analyzing the market and considering our time-critical missions, we see that the Manta ANN platform is today the only eVTOL offering a range of several hundred kms, which is useful for the missions to transport quickly organs for transplantation from one hospital to another, avoiding being dependent on airports and road transport. The ANN eVTOLs will enable us to reduce the transportation time of the organs, that have a limited life when not connected to the dedicated machines, using aircraft with a reduced operating cost,” says Avionord, CEO Eugenio Cremascoli.

Lucas Marchesini, CEO of Manta Aircraft, adds: “We are very pleased of this partnership with Avionord, who have recognized the uniqueness of the ANN platform in terms of range, pushing into the direction of creating a real use case that will contribute to the rapid establishment of Advanced Air Mobility. From the outset, the design of the aircraft was planned for a relevant range and speed in combination with the low infrastructure requirements and overall costs at a fraction of the cost of a helicopter, in order to be suitable for this kind of operations.”

The investment of Avionord in Manta Aircraft follows the investment of other Italian tech companies and of the State-led CDP VC, in the effort to expedite creating an Italian AAM ecosystem. Manta Aircraft is developing a range of performance-oriented hybrid-electric long-range vertical and short take-off and landing air vehicles (heV/STOL) for regional air mobility and plans to begin certification of the first two-seat, multi-purpose model ANN2 in 2023.

Foto:

From left to right: Michael Mesaric and Lucas Marchesini, Co-Founders of Manta Aircraft, Eugenio

Cremascoli, CEO of Avionord.

Rendering: Mondlicht Studios

For further inquiries:

Michael Mesaric, Co-Founder, Head of Marketing & Operations, m.mesaric@mantaaircraft.com

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Leonardo y Vertical Aerospace anuncian colaboración en el Programa de Desarrollo de Fuselaje

Leonardo y Vertical Aerospace anuncian colaboración en el Programa de Desarrollo de Fuselaje

  • Vertical y Leonardo colaborarán en el desarrollo del fuselaje del avión eléctrico VX4 de Vertical
  • Leonardo está prestando su experiencia, perfeccionada en numerosos programas aeroespaciales civiles y de defensa, a los aviones de Vertical.
  • La colaboración es para una certificación inicial de seis aeronaves, pero puede escalar hasta la producción en masa de 2000 VX4 por año, para cumplir con el libro de pedidos anticipados líder en el mercado de Vertical.
  • La asociación entre Vertical y Leonardo se basa en el ecosistema incomparable de socios de Vertical que ya incluye a Honeywell, Rolls-Royce, Microsoft, GKN y Solvay.

Roma, Italia, Londres, Reino Unido y Nueva York, EE. UU. | Febrero de 2022: Vertical Aerospace (“Vertical”) (NYSE:EVTL), una empresa aeroespacial y de tecnología líder que es pionera en la aviación de cero emisiones, anunció hoy que acordó un programa de desarrollo conjunto con Leonardo para el diseño, prueba, fabricación y suministro del fuselaje compuesto de carbono para el avión eléctrico VX4 de Vertical.

Vertical y Leonardo trabajarán juntos en la optimización de estructuras compuestas ligeras, diseño modular, instalación de sistemas y pruebas estructurales para el desarrollo conjunto del fuselaje de la aeronave. Esto está actualmente en vigor para al menos seis aviones de certificación, hasta la certificación exitosa del VX4. El acuerdo también establece el potencial de escalar la producción de fuselajes a 2000 aviones al año para satisfacer la demanda de cartera de pedidos líder en el mercado existente de Vertical. Vertical tiene lo que cree que es el libro de pedidos anticipados condicionales más grande (por valor) en la industria eVTOL, de hasta 1350 aviones con un valor de $ 5400 millones de American Airlines, Avolon, Bristow e Iberojet, incluidas las opciones de pedidos anticipados de Virgin Atlantic y Marubeni. , ya través de las colocaciones de Avolon, las aerolíneas JAL y Gol.

Leonardo tiene experiencia de larga data en el desarrollo y fabricación de aeroestructuras compuestas en programas civiles y de defensa. La firma aeroespacial también tiene una estrecha relación con el proveedor estratégico de materiales compuestos de Vertical, Solvay. Vertical y Solvay están desarrollando conjuntamente materiales avanzados y tecnologías de fabricación que permitirán la fabricación de gran volumen del VX4.

La asociación de Vertical con Leonardo se basa en su ecosistema incomparable de socios, incluidos Rolls-Royce, Honeywell, Solvay, GKN y Microsoft. Vertical continúa aumentando su equipo de ingenieros experimentados y ejecutivos de aviación y espera comenzar el programa de vuelo de prueba del VX4 más adelante en 2022.

El VX4 de Vertical está allanando el camino para la movilidad aérea avanzada y se espera que revolucione la forma en que viajamos. Se espera que el avión pilotado, completamente eléctrico y casi silencioso tenga un alcance de más de 100 millas y alcance velocidades máximas de hasta 200 mph. Con una capacidad para cuatro pasajeros, el VX4 de cero emisiones operativas también tendrá un bajo costo por pasajero y milla, similar al de un taxi.

Michael Cervenka, presidente de Vertical, dijo: “Vertical es pionera en la aviación eléctrica y tiene la misión de transformar la forma en que viaja la gente. Me han impresionado enormemente las capacidades técnicas y de fabricación altamente innovadoras y líderes en la industria de Leonardo, y nuestra asociación ha tenido un comienzo espectacular. Estoy encantado de que Leonardo se una a nosotros en este viaje. Tenemos un libro de pedidos anticipados líder en el mercado para nuestro VX4, y esta asociación garantizará que podamos escalar el programa para satisfacer la demanda”.

Lucio Valerio Cioffi, Gerente General de Leonardo, dijo: “La movilidad aérea avanzada es parte del mandato de Leonardo de innovar utilizando nuestra tecnología de punta, centrada en el ser humano y nuestra experiencia en industrialización. Estamos orgullosos de colaborar con Vertical como parte de nuestra visión estratégica en este nuevo sector”.

Giancarlo Schisano, Director General de la División de Aeroestructuras de Leonardo, dijo: “Leonardo, como socio de los principales fabricantes de aviones comerciales del mundo, está especializado en la producción y el montaje de los principales componentes metálicos y compuestos estructurales para aviones comerciales. Leonardo se esfuerza por incorporar nuevas tecnologías, materiales y procesos a nuestras prácticas establecidas en nuestros sitios de producción. Este será el caso de nuestra planta de Grottaglie en el sur de Italia, donde centraremos nuestras actividades VX4; la planta es una de las instalaciones más avanzadas de Europa para producir aeroestructuras compuestas”.

El desarrollo continuo y la integración de soluciones de vanguardia en todos los dominios, como Advanced Air Mobility, es un elemento clave del Plan Estratégico BeTomorrow2030 de Leonardo.

Acerca de Vertical Aerospace

Vertical Aerospace es pionera en la aviación eléctrica. La compañía fue fundada en 2016 por Stephen Fitzpatrick, un empresario establecido mejor conocido como el fundador del Grupo Ovo, un grupo líder en energía y tecnología y el minorista de energía independiente más grande de Europa. En los últimos cinco años, Vertical se ha centrado en crear el equipo más experimentado y senior en la industria de eVTOL, que tiene más de 1700 años combinados de experiencia en ingeniería, y ha certificado y respaldado más de 30 sistemas de propulsión y aeronaves civiles y militares diferentes.

Se espera que el ecosistema de socios de primer nivel de Vertical elimine el riesgo de la ejecución operativa y su camino hacia la certificación permite una estructura de costos ajustada y permite la producción a escala. Vertical tiene una cartera de pedidos anticipados líder en el mercado (por valor) para un total de hasta 1350 aviones de American Airlines, Avolon, Bristow e Iberojet, que incluye opciones de pedidos anticipados condicionales de Virgin Atlantic y Marubeni, y al hacerlo, está creando múltiples rutas posibles al mercado a corto plazo y accionables.

Las acciones ordinarias de Vertical cotizan en la Bolsa de Nueva York en diciembre de 2021 con el símbolo “EVTL”. Saber más: vertical-aerospace.com

Sobre leonardo

Leonardo, una empresa global de alta tecnología, se encuentra entre los principales actores mundiales en Aeroespacial, Defensa y Seguridad y la principal empresa industrial de Italia. Organizado en cinco divisiones comerciales, Leonardo tiene una importante presencia industrial en Italia, Reino Unido, Polonia y EE. UU., donde también opera a través de subsidiarias que incluyen Leonardo DRS (electrónica de defensa), y empresas conjuntas y asociaciones: ATR, MBDA, Telespazio , Thales Alenia Space y Avio. Leonardo compite en los mercados internacionales más importantes apalancando sus áreas de tecnología y

liderazgo de producto (Helicópteros, Aeronaves, Aeroestructuras, Electrónica, Ciberseguridad y Espacio). Cotizado en la Bolsa de Valores de Milán (LDO), en 2020 Leonardo registró ingresos consolidados de

13.400 millones de euros e invirtió 1.600 millones de euros en Investigación y Desarrollo. La compañía forma parte de Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI) desde 2010 y ha sido confirmada entre los líderes mundiales en sostenibilidad en 2021. Leonardo también está incluido en el índice MIB ESG.

SobreVX4 eVTOL Aircraft

The four passenger, one pilot VX4 is projected to have speeds up to 200mph, a range over 100 miles, near silent when in flight, zero operating emissions and low cost per passenger mile. The VX4 is expected to open up advanced air mobility to a whole new range of passengers and trans- form how we travel. Find out more: vertical-aerospace.com

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Bellwether Industries – The Private Urban Aircraft for Intracity Travel

Bellwether Industries – The Private Urban Aircraft for Intracity Travel

Everyone has the right to fly

What is a volar?

   “Volar” is what we define as a new category of transportation, a UAM aircraft for private use. Our volar will explore all options of intracity travel and the future life style.

To live in harmony with human and the city, we believe that a volar must fullfill the following requirements. 

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Vertical take-off & landing

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Compact Profile

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City Compatibility

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Hidden Propulsion System

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Environmentally Friendly

The revolution is inevitable

    The revolution of transportation is inevitable.

Only by breaking through the existing transportation system can we maximise the efficiency of
our living environment and enter into a new 3-dimensional lifestyle.

Born for the city with

– City compatibility to realise intracity travel

– User-centric design to provide an invaluable user experience

– Private use to address the public’s true needs

A volar will redefine the way you think about time

    Our volar solution is designed for
Anyone to fly from Anywhere to Any point at Any time, breaking the limit to provide one-call-away transportation and to realise the true meaning of urban air mobility

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ACJ and contemporary artist, Cyril Kongo, partner to offer a special ACJ TwoTwenty Airbus cabin edition

ACJ and contemporary artist, Cyril Kongo, partner to offer a special ACJ TwoTwenty Airbus cabin edition

#ACJ #CyrilKongo

Monaco, 23 September 2021 – Airbus Corporate Jets (ACJ) and world renowned contemporary artist Cyril Kongo, a.k.a. Mr Colorful, have jointly designed an ACJ cabin – the ACJ TwoTwenty special cabin edition by Cyril Kongo.

Cyril Kongo has a strong pioneering spirit which perfectly complements the ACJ’s team’s innovative mindset, turning the extra-large biz-jet into a flying contemporary art gallery, thus, offering a never-done-before novel ambiance.

www.acj.airbus.com

The entire signature cabin has been envisioned by the ACJ design team to deliver comfort, connectivity and functionality in one space while Cyril Kongo’s touch brings the cabin design to a next level of emotion.

Notably, the main lounge, which will be partly hand painted by Cyril Kongo, combines carefully chosen branded textures and fabrics, crafted to kindle the sumptuous comfort, space and luxury of your own private art gallery.

The special cabin edition has been proudly curated to allow passengers to properly rest or enjoy fine dining with valued friends and family, while admiring all the colours that life has to offer. Cyril Kongo and the ACJ design team took full advantage of the ACJ TwoTwenty’s large fuselage which is at least two times wider than other business jets, allowing for a spaciously crafted table greeting, potentially serving up to eight guests. Comllux will be the exclusive completion partner for the first 15 aircraft.

The ACJ TwoTwenty will offer unrivalled personal space with 73m2/785 ft2 of floor space, and will be the only business jet to offer six large VIP living areas for up to 19 passengers. The ACJ TwoTwenty will have an intercontinental range, capable of flying up to 5,650nm / 10,500km (over 12 hours flight time) and is priced just below the Ultra Long Range (ULR) business jet aircraft.

The ACJ TwoTwenty benefits from the ACJ DNA: ultimate comfort, intercontinental range, unbeatable economics and pioneering technology.

The ACJ TwoTwenty was launched in late 2020 and has already won orders for six aircraft. Comlux will be the first to take delivery of the ACJ TwoTwenty this winter and the first aircraft will enter into service early 2023.

About Cyril Kongo

Urban artist above all, Kongo is part of the first generation of French graffiti artists. Committed and revolutionary he was instrumental in defending graffiti as a school of fully-fledged art. Indeed when the painter talks about his discipline he evokes its technical and visual complexity and he describes it as a “savoir-faire”. Calligraphic abstraction, fluid lines and spontaneity allied with a committed and clear purpose made him an unprecedented artist. Cyril Kongo is mastering his urban vocabulary in order to achieve his vision. He is trying to highlight the cultural richness from the ancient techniques throughout his own knowledge.

Visit website

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Candela C-8 Simply a better experience

Candela C-8

Simply a better experience

In order to make a truly compelling electric craft, we had to rethink boats.


Instead of punching its way through the waves, C-8 flies silently above the surface. Instead of fitting a bigger engine, we went for dramatically improved efficiency by developing a pod motor optimized for hydrofoils. Instead of creating huge swells, we made a craft that leaves no wake behind.

To this, we added the best user interface ever seen in a boat, over-the-air upgrades, and all the amenities and comfort you would expect from the world’s best leisure boat

Racing car meets flying carpet

Pull the wheel hard, and you’ll feel the driving sensation of a racing car, thanks to instant feedback, fly-by-wire steering. Combined with the hydrofoil’s silent, magic-carpet ride in rough conditions, the C-8 offers a superior experience at sea.

Tech

Candela C–POD

The Candela C-POD is the most efficient and longest-lasting boat motor ever built.

Submerged, direct-drive electric motors provide an absolutely silent ride while eliminating transmission losses.

The Candela C-POD is built to last a human lifetime, without maintenance.

Avionics

The Flight Controller uses different types of sensors to measure the boat’s position, speed, and acceleration in six degrees of freedom to create a precise and stable hydrofoiling experience.

After 10,000+ hours of simulations, design iterations, and sea trials, our software provides the safest and most thrilling boating experience.

Foil system

Hydrofoils are the key to a long all-electric range at sea.

Candela’s electric hydrofoil system reduces water friction by 80% compared to a planing boat and makes for a completely different – and better – ride.

The hydrofoils are constantly and automatically adjusted by the onboard Flight controller, to maintain a superbly stable ride in all weather conditions.

Comfort

Superior interior

The cabin in C-8 sleeps two adults and two children. The optional Premium Sound System with subwoofer and six speakers allows for a unique concert experience onboard the most silent electric craft ever made.

Candela C-8

https://candela.com/candela-c-8/

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Hermeus receives $60 million in U.S. Air Force partnership

Hermeus receives $60 million in U.S. Air Force partnership

August , 2021

Hermeus, the aerospace company developing Mach 5 aircraft, announced today the signing of a $60 million U.S. Air Force partnership for flight testing its first aircraft, Quarterhorse.

Quarterhorse will validate the company’s proprietary turbine-based combined cycle (TBCC) engine, based around the GE J85 turbojet engine, and is the first in a line of autonomous high-speed aircraft. By the end of the flight test campaign, Quarterhorse will be the fastest reusable aircraft in the world and the first of its kind to fly a TBCC engine.

Hermeus’ Quarterhorse aircraft

The award was made under the AFWERX Strategic Funding Increase (STRATFI) program led by the Presidential and Executive Airlift Directorate (PE) as a follow-on to a Phase II SBIR contract. The collaboration also includes support from the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL).

“Small business partnership is recognized by the U.S. Air Force as an important component to driving innovation. Reducing risk in high speed transport technologies, as we are doing with this contract, provides near-term and long-term benefits to both the U.S. Air Force and the defense industrial base.” said Lt. Col. Joshua Burger, the Vector Initiative program manager who is spearheading the effort. “We are very excited to see Hermeus translate their demonstrated successes in engine prototyping into flight systems.”

Some may argue that it is impossible to flight test a TBCC engine across the full flight envelope for less than $100 million.  However, Hermeus is taking a different approach than traditional high-speed flight test programs. Hermeus will be leveraging autonomous and reusable systems, ruthlessly focused requirements, and a hardware-rich program.  These three strategies allow the team to push the envelope, sometimes strategically to the point of failure in flight test, which accelerates learning while simultaneously improving the safety of flight test crew and the public.  Pushing more risk to flight allows Hermeus to move through the engineering lifecycle quickly, reducing programmatic costs.  When exploring beyond the speeds that airbreathing aircraft have flown before, learning must come through testing in the real world.

TBCC Engine Overview in Quarterhorse

The technology set Hermeus has chosen positions the company firmly in the dual-use space for hypersonic technology, i.e. technologies normally used for civilian purposes but which may have military applications. “While this partnership with the U.S. Air Force underscores U.S. Department of Defense interest in hypersonic aircraft, when paired with Hermeus’ partnership with NASA announced in February 2021, it is clear that there are both commercial and defense applications for what we’re building,” said Hermeus CEO and co-founder, AJ Piplica.

ABOUT HERMEUS

Hermeus is a venture-backed startup with the long-term vision of transforming the global human transportation network with Mach 5 aircraft. At Mach 5, travel is not just supersonic, it’s hypersonic. At these speeds – over 3,000 miles per hour – flight times from New York to London will be 90 minutes rather than seven hours. Mach 5 aircraft have the potential to create an additional four trillion dollars of global economic growth per year, unlocking significant resources that can be utilized to solve the world’s great problems.

Contact: info@hermeus.com

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IWC AND AIRSPEEDER ANNOUNCE ENGINEERING AND TIMEKEEPING PARTNERSHIP

IWC AND AIRSPEEDER ANNOUNCE ENGINEERING AND TIMEKEEPING PARTNERSHIP

Schaffhausen, – IWC Schaffhausen joins forces with Airspeeder, the world’s first electric flying car racing series, in a new engineering and timekeeping partnership. Combining the passion both companies share for technological progress, human endeavour and sustainability, they will work together in pioneering this new form of motorsport to fast track a new era of clean-air mobility.

The Airspeeder racing series is the brainchild of founder Matt Pearson, who also runs Alauda, the world’s first performance electric flying car manufacturer. Taking inspiration from the role sport has traditionally played in advancing the cause of technology, Pearson’s visionary idea is to create a new kind of motorsport to accelerate the advanced air mobility revolution and transform passenger, logistical and even medical transportation.

The planned global race series will eventually see a full grid of eVTOL (electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing) craft, manufactured by Alauda, managed by individual teams and operated by elite pilots, compete at heights of up to 40m off the ground and at top speeds of 200km/h. The air races will take place on electronically-created tracks and be streamed globally, minimising the environmental impact of more complex logistics and infrastructure.

“It’s fantastic to play a part in bringing Matt’s bold vision to life. The Airspeeder team are true pioneers of aviation and they are bringing together two things that are really close to IWC’s heart. From making some of the planet’s best pilots’ watches for the last eighty years to the cut and thrust of modern automotive design and racing, we have always equipped and inspired those who dare to dream. We are proud to collaborate on an endeavour that will make such a progressive impact on society,”

Christoph Grainger-Herr, CEO of IWC Schaffhausen

From its technical base in South Australia, the Airspeeder project has brought together some of the brightest minds in aviation, motor racing and performance automotive engineering from across the world. Charged with envisioning a better future, the diverse team of engineers, specialists and pilots are encouraged to think innovatively to push the boundaries of technical excellence, a philosophy which IWC also shares. The new partnership reflects this common purpose and will establish a knowledge exchange to prompt technological progress within the engineering departments of both organisations. Learn more about the partnership

“Time and again, IWC has enabled dreams and nurtured innovation. Like us, they see beyond the known horizon towards something different, bolder and more inventive. This commitment to progress is something we also value, and we are delighted that the entire team at Schaffhausen believes in our vision. Whether the result is a beautifully designed watch or a revolutionary flying car, we all rely on human and technical endeavour to make truly impactful change through giant technical leaps. I can’t wait to see what we can achieve together,” added Airspeeder founder Matt Pearson.

Airspeeder developed its first small-scale prototype performance eVTOL in 2017 and has continued to finesse the design ever since through computer modelling and simulation, as well as extensive testing. The newest vehicle, the Mk3, is the world’s first fully functional electric flying racing car. With an overall aesthetic reminiscent of classic 1950s sportscars combined with racing drones, the speeders feature an octocopter layout, airfoil-profiled rotor arms, cuttingedge carbon-fibre composites and the latest EV battery technology. New advances in safety are delivered through a suite of technologies and engineering elements never before seen on an eVTOL craft. These innovations include LiDAR and Radar collision avoidance systems that create a ‘virtual force field’ around the craft to ensure close but ultimately safe racing. Designed for maximum performance and aerial agility, they move through the air with precision and pace. An entire grid of these remotely piloted Mk3s is currently being built by Airspeeder, ahead of this year’s competitive pilotless events. The Mk4 is expected to launch in 2022, before the inaugural crewed season gets underway.

AIRSPEEDER

Airspeeder is the world’s first racing series for electric flying cars. Our mission will accelerate eVTOL (electric vertical take-off and landing) advanced aviation technology through intense sporting competition. This mobility revolution, underpinned by future tech, will transform urban air mobility (UAM), global logistics and even medical applications with a clean-air electric vehicle (EV) solution. Our racing multicopters are developed at our advanced aerospace engineering hub in Adelaide, South Australia by engineers drawn from elite motorsports, automotive, aviation and even FPV drone, electric plane, electric vehicle and passenger drone backgrounds. Airspeeder’s vision will deliver the most exciting and future-focused motorsport on the planet. Following an inaugural unmanned season, elite pilots will take to the skies to race prop-to-prop while navigating electronically governed racetracks in the skies above some of the most visually arresting scenery in the world.

IWC SCHAFFHAUSEN

In 1868, the American watchmaker and entrepreneur Florentine Ariosto Jones travelled from Boston to Switzerland and founded the ‘International Watch Company’ in Schaffhausen. His visionary dream was to combine advanced American manufacturing methods with the craftsmanship of Swiss watchmakers to make the best pocket watches of his time. In doing so, he not only laid the foundation for IWC’s unique engineering approach but also established the centralised production of mechanical watches in Switzerland.

Over its 150 year history, IWC Schaffhausen has developed a reputation for creating functional complications, especially chronographs and calendars, which are ingenious, robust, and easy for customers to use. A pioneer in the use of titanium and ceramics, IWC today specialises in highly engineered technical watch cases manufactured from advanced materials, such as titanium aluminide and Ceratanium®. Preferring the principle of “form follows function” over decoration, the Swiss watch manufacturer’s timeless creations embody their owners’ dreams and ambitions as they journey through life.

IWC sources materials responsibly and takes action to minimise its impact on the environment, creating intrinsically sustainable timepieces that are built to last for generations. The company prides itself in training its own future watchmakers and engineers, as well as offering an excellent working environment for all employees. IWC also partners with organisations that work globally to support children and young people.

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