Uber further outlined its vision for a network of air taxis at its
second annual Elevate conference in Los Angeles on 8 May, including the
unveiling of several new eVTOL aircraft concepts as well as partnerships with
NASA and the US Army Research Lab.
Uber aims to run a network, called uberAir, of
electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft across the most densely
populated cities in the world. The company doesn’t plan to manufacturer eVTOL
aircraft, but instead is outlining specifications for aircraft manufacturers.
It aims to provide an on-demand aerial taxi app and supporting infrastructure
for participants in its network.
The company would like electric aircraft in its
network to have a cruising speed of 130kt to 174kt (241km/h to 322km/h);
cruising altitude of around 1,000ft to 2,000ft above ground; expected battery
range per charge of 52nm (97km); and a recharging time of about 5min – among
other specifications.
At the conference, new aircraft concepts were
unveiled by Uber, Embraer, Pipistrel and Karem Aircraft.
Uber presented its eCRM-003 aircraft design, a
conceptual rendering the company said was meant to stimulate new ideas and
discussion among aircraft manufacturers.
Embraer’s design is a lift-and-cruise aircraft
concept; Pipistrel’s design is blended wing body without any visible rotors for
vertical lift; and Karem Aircraft’s Butterfly concept is a quad tiltrotor
aircraft.
Uber and its partners are working towards a goal of
launching flight demonstrations in 2020 and commercial trips by 2023.
Uber and the US Army Research Laboratory also
announced that they signed a research and development agreement and a joint
work statement to create a stacked co-rotating rotor: two rotors placed on top
of each other which rotate in the same direction and could be significantly
quieter than conventional rotor designs.
Uber also announced that it signed an agreement with
NASA to share its plans for implementing its flying rideshare network. In
particular, at its research facility at the Dallas Fort Worth International
Airport, NASA will use data supplied by Uber to simulate the impact of a small
passenger-carrying aircraft as it flies through DFW airspace during peak
scheduled air traffic. Analysis of these simulations will help identify safety
issues.
(Evangle Luo of TTFLY shared with you)
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