Airbus revealed its latest ideas for its CityAirbus eVTOL at the first #AirbusSummit on ‘Pioneering Sustainable Aerospace’.
The fully electric CityAirbus is equipped with fixed wings, a V-shaped tail, and eight electrically powered propellers as part of its distributed propulsion system. It is designed to carry up to four passengers in a zero emissions flight.
Bruno Even, Airbus Helicopters CEO, said, “We are on a quest to co-create an entirely new market that sustainably integrates urban air mobility into the cities while addressing environmental and social concerns.
“Airbus is convinced that the real challenges are as much about urban integration, public acceptance, and automated air traffic management, as about vehicle technology and business models. We build on all of the capabilities to deliver a safe, sustainable, and fully integrated service to society.”
The CityAirbus is being developed to fly with a 80km range and to reach a cruise speed of 120km/h. It’s said to be quiet too, with sound levels below 65 dB(A) during fly-over and below 70 dB(A) during landing.
Airbus said its existing Vahana and CityAirbus demonstrators have jointly conducted 242 flight and ground tests and have flown around 1,000km in total.
“We have learned a lot from the test campaigns with our two demonstrators, CityAirbus and Vahana,” said Even.
“The CityAirbus NextGen combines the best from both worlds with the new architecture striking the right balance between hover and forward flight. The prototype is paving the way for certification expected around 2025.”
