On Monday, the Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust (GSTFT) announced a partnership with Wing, the drone delivery arm of Google parent Alphabet, and Apian, the developer of an application programming interface (API) for medical logistics founded by former NHS doctors, to move blood between two hospitals in less than two minutes. The U.K.’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has approved an airspace corridor between the hospitals and will regulate the trial.

The six-month program, expected to begin in the fall, will serve Guy’s Hospital and St Thomas’ Hospital in central London. According to GSTFT, moving samples between the sites can take more than half an hour by van or bike courier. But per a study in the British Journal of Haematology, transporting blood by drone is just as safe as doing so by ground vehicle.

“The drone pilot combines two of our key priorities—providing the best possible patient care and improving sustainability,” said professor Ian Abbs, CEO of GSTFT.

Howard Dawber, the deputy mayor of London for business and growth, also praised the service.

Wing and Apian have been delivering surgical tools and other medical supplies in Dublin since July. In addition to those Ireland services, Apian has delivered chemotherapy treatment to cancer patients for the Isle of Wight NHS Trust and is working with Zipline to expand a prior trial for the Northumbria Trust.

In London, Wing drones will transport blood samples taken from patients awaiting surgery who are at risk of complications due to bleeding disorders. The aircraft are expected to slash delivery times, allowing NHS technicians to more quickly analyze the sample and determine if the procedure is safe.

The fully electric aircraft—which have completed more than 400,000 deliveries worldwide to date—also figure to reduce emissions while alleviating some ground traffic.

“Drones can increase the responsiveness and resilience of healthcare logistics, allowing clinicians to be more productive and patients to get the care they need sooner,” said Dr. Hammad Jeilani, co-founder of Apian.

Wing drones will transfer samples on demand, flying between the two hospital rooftops at over 60 mph and 200 feet in the air—high enough, Wing says, that their buzzing will blend into the city’s soundscape. The aircraft can tolerate moderate rain and wind. Per Apian, they will carry about 2.2 pounds, so it appears the service will not use Wing’s newer model, which can carry up to 5 pounds.

The drones are largely automated and will follow predetermined routes overseen by a remote pilot, similar to Wing’s U.S. service. Flights will take place during daytime hours from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. local time, Monday through Friday, with no more than 10 trips per day.

The drones are equipped with low-resolution cameras, but according to Wing, no live feed is available, even for its own pilots.

According to Apian, the trial could expand to fly a wider range of “pathology items, medicines and supplies.” In addition to Guy’s and St Thomas’, GSTFT operates three other main hospitals, which could be candidates for an expansion.

“This is one of the many reasons that we are working with companies through our sandbox trials programme, to enable the test and development of pioneering new aviation technology in the U.K.,” said Sophie O’Sullivan, director of the CAA’s Future of Flight program.

Drone delivery is being bolstered by U.K. leaders at the highest levels. The country’s Department for Transport, for example, in March released its Future of Flight Action Plan, a blueprint to make drone deliveries routine by 2027.

Part of that plan is the CAA’s Future Flight Challenge, a nearly $400 million initiative that funds a variety of drone delivery projects. The CAA has already authorized several trials under the program to study drones for inspections, emergency services, and policing. In August, the regulator selected six participants, including Amazon’s Prime Air, for an upcoming round of trials.

The U.K. government has also poured over $9 million into Project CAELUS, which uses drones to deliver medical supplies in Scotland, while the Royal Mail is exploring parcel delivery by drone.

Like this story? We think you’ll also like the Future of FLYING newsletter sent every Thursday afternoon. Sign up now.

The post Google’s Wing to Use Drones to Fly Blood Between London Hospitals appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The manufacturer has begun ground testing a new, more advanced full-scale prototype of its flagship VX4 air taxi after an initial prototype was damaged during an uncrewed flight test last year.

A failed pylon affected the way the aircraft’s flight control system communicated with its motors, causing it to tumble from about 30 feet in the air onto the runway at Cotswold Airport (EGBP) in the U.K.

Vertical’s latest prototype air taxi is more powerful, capable of reaching 150 mph—the intended cruise speed for its flagship model—courtesy of an improved power-to-weight ratio. It features new propellers, which were developed prior to last year’s crash, and proprietary battery technology manufactured at a dedicated facility in Bristol.

Sixty percent of the aircraft’s technology and components come from suppliers including Honeywell, Leonardo, GKN Aerospace, Hanwha, and Molicel, compared to 10 percent on the first prototype. The company is also developing an identical prototype.

The new aircraft and its systems have been tested and commissioned, and Vertical has already completed initial ground testing, including propeller balancing and spinning tests that measure the weight distribution of each blade. The next step will be powered propulsion system testing of the air taxi’s powertrain and battery packs, during which the engines will be run while the vehicle is anchored. 

After that, Vertical will need to secure a permit to fly from the U.K.’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), which will allow it to move to the “wheels up” phase: crewed testing of tethered aircraft and low-speed untethered flights. It will also need to perform thrustborne, wingborne, and transition flights, demonstrating that the aircraft can maneuver and gain lift as expected.

The manufacturer’s type certification safety target is the same as that for commercial airliners. Its flagship model will enable a pilot to fly as many as four passengers up to 100 sm (87 nm) while producing zero operating emissions and just 50 dBA of noise during cruise, which the company says allows it to fit seamlessly within an urban soundscape. The firm claims it will be capable of flying from Miami to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, in only 11 minutes.

Despite suffering a crash, Vertical continues to receive support from the U.K. government, which in February awarded it $10 million to develop its next-generation propellers. The allocation brings the manufacturer’s total U.K. government grant funding received to $47 million

Vertical founder Stephen Fitzpatrick also committed $50 million to the company, which he predicted would keep it liquid through mid-2025. The money will be used to support the aircraft testing and certification process, which the manufacturer hopes to complete by the end of 2026.

Like this story? We think you’ll also like the Future of FLYING newsletter sent every Thursday afternoon. Sign up now.

The post Vertical Aerospace Begins Testing New Air Taxi Prototype appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The aviators graduated from elementary flight training Friday and were recognized in a ceremony marking the milestone. 

• READ MORE: First Ukrainian Pilots Expected to Finish U.S. F-16 Training By Summer

“RAF flying instructors have taught the pilots general handling, instrument flying, low-level navigation, and advanced formation flying to prepare the pilots for advanced fast jet flying training prior to F-16 conversion with coalition partners,” the RAF said. “On the ground they completed an aviation medicine course and high G-force centrifuge training. Babcock provided the Grob Tutor aircraft along with technical and operational support. Together with the RAF team they completed the training ahead of time with 100 percent aircraft availability.”

The pilots will now progress to advanced fast jet training and conversion to the F-16 with partner nations from the Air Force Capability Coalition, the RAF said.

At least a dozen Ukrainian pilots continue to train with the 162nd Wing of the Arizona Air National Guard (ANG) at Morris Air National Guard Base in Tucson, with the first four expected to finish by May.

“I would like to congratulate these brave pilots on completing their initial training here in the U.K.,” British Defense Secretary Grant Shapps said during Friday’s event. “Thanks to the world-renowned skills of the RAF, they have received some of the best training available and are now a step closer to joining the fight against [Russia President Vladimir] Putin’s illegal invasion.”

• READ MORE: First Ukrainian F-16 Pilots Finish Training in UK

On Wednesday, Dutch Defense Minister Kajsa Ollongren said the Netherlands will be supplying Ukraine with advanced reconnaissance drones, as well as 350 million euros for F-16 ammunition, Reuters reported. The country, along with Denmark and the U.S., are planning to deliver the first of dozens of the fighters to Ukraine this summer.

Ukrainian defense officials have long sought access to the aircraft following Russia’s invasion in 2022.

“The conflict in Ukraine highlights the importance of air and space power, and the need to gain and maintain control of the air to defeat an enemy,” Air Chief Marshal Richard Knighton, RAF’s chief of the air staff, said during the ceremony. “I salute the courage and determination of these Ukrainian pilots.”

The post Ukrainian Pilots Advance in F-16 Training in U.K. appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The DfT on Monday released the Future of Flight action plan: a joint blueprint created by industry and government stakeholders that aims to get eVTOL air taxis, crime-fighting drones, and emergency service UAS flying routinely by 2028.

The document seeks to ensure the proper regulations and infrastructure are in place to open the country’s skies to quiet, sustainable aircraft, providing guidance for the next five years.

“Aviation stands on the cusp of its next, potentially biggest, revolution since the invention of the jet engine,” said Sophie O’Sullivan, head of future safety and innovation for the U.K. Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). “Drones, eVTOL, and other different vehicles have the potential to change transportation options forever.”

Drones are already being deployed by U.K. groups such as the West Midlands Police and Medical Logistics U.K. In just a few short years, they’ve demonstrated the ability to identify suspicious subjects and reduce travel time between hospitals by up to 70 percent. Meanwhile, air taxi models under development are expected to begin flying passengers in the coming years.

A study conducted by the DfT estimates that drone technology alone could boost the U.K. economy by 45 billion pounds—or about $57 billion—by the end of the decade.

“Drones help professional teams capture data from the sky in a safer, cheaper, smarter, and greener way, and, in the future, they will help transport cargo and people,” said Anne-Lise Scaillierez, CEO of the Association of Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems UK (ARPAS-UK), a drone trade association.

The DfT plan predicts the first piloted flying taxi will take to the skies in 2026, with regular service following by 2028 and the first autonomous eVTOL demos by 2030. Regular drone deliveries are anticipated by 2027.

Anthony Browne—the U.K.’s aviation and technology minister, who on Monday is due to visit Bristol-based eVTOL air taxi manufacturer Vertical Aerospace—said the plan will make the country a leader of an approaching “dramatic shift in transportation.”

“Cutting-edge battery technology will revolutionize transport as we know it—this plan will make sure we have the infrastructure and regulation in place to make it a reality,” said Browne.

The CAA, which has already begun the authorization process for Vertical’s VX4 air taxi, will provide regulatory support for the Future of Flight plan and ensure new aircraft comply with the safety standards for traditional models. The agency figures to be a crucial stakeholder in the industry’s near-term development.

“The UK has a long heritage in aerospace, and the publication of this plan sets out how we will lead the next revolution of flight,” said  Stephen Fitzpatrick, founder and CEO of Vertical. “With government and business working together, we can unleash the huge economic, environmental, and social benefits of zero emissions flight globally.”

Among other things, the action plan calls for rules that would permit beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) drone flights, allowing the sector to grow without interfering with other aircraft. It also encourages engagement with communities and local authorities and the creation of standards to improve drone security. Drone operators would have access to new digital platforms, which could minimize the red tape associated with getting them in the air quickly.

The plan further sets out how smaller aerodromes could serve as vertiports for eVTOL aircraft, including the development vertiport certification standards. Crucially, it calls for stakeholders to study how existing infrastructure could be used to establish vertiports quickly but safely.

In the coming months, the DfT and its partners will conduct a series of trials to explore BVLOS drone flights and demonstrate electric aircraft, with the aim of minimizing accidents. The trials may include finding and repairing faults on railways, assisting emergency services, or using air taxis to create new connections across the U.K.

The action plan was released before the fifth meeting of the Future of Flight Industry Group: a joint force created in February 2023 to help government and industry leaders address key challenges. Members include air taxi manufacturers Vertical and Joby Aviation, operator Bristow Group, vertiport developer Skyports, and the U.K. National Air Traffic Service (NATS).

“The U.K. is home to one of the world’s most important aerospace industries and is in an ideal position to be a pioneer in the next era of aviation,” said Duncan Walker, CEO of Skyports and chairman of the Future of Flight Industry Group. “The government and industry have a joint commitment to support the development, industrialization and introduction of new aviation technologies. Continued collaboration will ensure that we capitalize on the significant domestic and international market opportunities presented.”

Parallels can be drawn between the Future of Flight plan and the FAA’s Innovate28: a blueprint also targeting widespread drone and air taxi operations by 2028.

Like the U.K. plan, Innovate28 proposes a “crawl-walk-run” approach to air taxi operations in the U.S., focusing on a near-term rollout in stages over the next five years. It also proposes heavy reliance on existing infrastructure to decrease complexity.

As in the U.K., U.S. air taxi services are likely to be niche early on, with flights limited mostly to narrow corridors. Drones, which are already used widely, are expected to expand with the implementation of rules for BVLOS flights, among other provisions.

Ultimately, Innovate28’s goal is for eVTOL air taxis to fly at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, by which time operations are expected to have scaled in major cities.

Like this story? We think you’ll also like the Future of FLYING newsletter sent every Thursday afternoon. Sign up now.

The post U.K. Releases Blueprint for Electric Drone, Air Taxi Operations by 2028 appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The manufacturer last week said it received a $10 million grant from the U.K. government through the Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI) program, its fourth grant award through that initiative. The award brings Vertical’s total U.K. government grant funding to $47 million and follows founder and CEO Stephen Fitzpatrick’s personal commitment to provide another $50 million.

The company will use the money to develop next-generation propellers for the VX4, its flagship, four-passenger eVTOL air taxi. The propellers will be featured on Aircraft Two, a full-scale prototype in production that will build on its Aircraft One model.

Aircraft One is the company’s inaugural prototype that suffered a crash during uncrewed testing at Cotswold Airport (EGBP) in August. The accident damaged the model’s right wing and landing gear, and rendered it unusable for further flight testing.

“This exciting sustainable propeller project is a fantastic example of our commitment to our world-leading aviation sector, supporting high-skilled, high-paid jobs across the U.K. while developing technologies of the future,” said Nusrat Ghani, U.K. minister of state for industry and economic security. “When government and industry collaborate like this, we help our aerospace sector soar to new heights, leading the charge towards net-zero air travel by 2050.”

Vertical will head a consortium of U.K. technology organizations and research institutions, including the University of Glasgow, University of Bristol, Cranfield University, and Helitune, a helicopter monitoring specialist.

Of the more than $25 million being poured into the propeller project, Vertical said it received more than $10 million, or about half of the company’s eligible development costs. Another $4.5 million will be awarded to other consortium members.

According to Vertical, the new propellers will be lower in weight, inertia, and noise than its existing propellers and will be “delivered to a higher safety standard than any model currently on the market.”

“The project will see advancements in rotor technologies vital to the success of eVTOL aircraft developed here in the U.K., growing knowledge, skills and capability in the process,” said Mark Scully, head of propulsion and advanced systems technology for ATI. “Through this investment the ATI Programme is enabling the development of ultra-efficient and cross-cutting technologies.”

The award follows Fitzpatrick’s commitment to support Vertical with $50 million out of his own pocket. The company last week confirmed it has entered into an investment agreement with its founder and CEO, putting the promise to paper.

By its own estimate, Vertical risked running out of cash by September amid the fallout from its August crash and delays to its certification timeline, which over the years has been pushed from 2024 to 2026. The company reportedly missed a target to raise funding by December. Its previous raise of $205 million closed more than two years ago.

However, Vertical said Fitzpatrick’s contribution will extend its cash runway into mid-2025, with more funding potentially lined up pending the completed flight test campaign of Aircraft Two. Last month, it said the full-scale prototype was nearing completion at partner GKN Aerospace’s Global Technology Center in the U.K.

Aircraft Two is expected to be Vertical’s certification aircraft that it will use in for-credit type certification testing with the U.K. Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). In addition to the next-generation propellers, the updated design adds a revamped powertrain, refined flight control system, and battery packs designed to meet thermal runaway safety requirements. It will feature components made by certification partners Honeywell, GKN, Hanwha, Solvay, and Leonardo.

Vertical intends for Aircraft Two to complete a flight campaign and several public demonstrations this year. These are expected to include an appearance at the Farnborough International Airshow at Farnborough Airport (EGLF) in July, as well as flights to and from London Heathrow Airport (EGLL).

In March, Vertical received CAA design organization approval (DOA), a required step in the regulator’s type certification process. Only a handful of air taxi firms, including Germany’s Volocopter and Lilium, have obtained DOA from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).

Like this story? We think you’ll also like the Future of FLYING newsletter sent every Thursday afternoon. Sign up now.

The post U.K. Government Allots $10M for Vertical Aerospace Electric Air Taxi Propeller Project appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The new defense drone strategy is focused on enabling rapid experimentation, testing, and evaluation of new platforms, while integrating the approaches of how to utilize the systems by the Royal Air Force, Royal Navy, and British Army under the U.K. Strategic Command, the ministry said.

According to ministry officials, it’s an approach that stems from lessons learned in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.

• READ MORE: Canada to Donate 800 SkyRanger R70 Drones to Ukraine

“The conflict in Ukraine has been an incubator for new ways of war, and we need to learn and implement those hard-fought lessons,” James Cartlidge, U.K. minister for defense procurement, said Thursday. “Rapidly being able to develop and upgrade uncrewed systems will be key to gaining battlefield advantage, and we must seize this opportunity to grow and sustain such skills and capabilities in the U.K.”

Under the strategy, uncrewed systems will be delivered to the British Armed Forces at pace, cutting out long development timelines, the ministry said.

• READ MORE: RAF Protector RG Mk1 Takes First Flight

This year, the U.K. has pledged more than 200 million pounds ($254 million) to supply Ukraine with uncrewed systems as part of its larger 2.5 billion pound ($3.2 billion) aid package for the country. Last week, the U.K. and Latvia announced a new international coalition that will send thousands of drones into Ukraine. 

• READ MORE: International Coalition to Supply Ukraine with Thousands of Drones

As part of the international collaboration benefitting Ukraine, the U.K. will scale up and streamline provision of first-person view (FPV) drones that have been credited as highly effective in providing situational awareness to operators in targeting enemy positions.

“The frontlines of Ukraine have taught us that drones are transforming warfare,” U.K. Defense Secretary Grant Shapps said Thursday in a message on X, formerly known as Twitter. “We will make sure the U.K. gains a strategic advantage against our enemies, with a new plan launched today to rapidly get our Armed Forces the drones they need to fight & win on the modern battlefield.”

For over 100 years, drones have had a long and storied history in the UK’s Armed forces . From the UK built Queen Bee to the agile platforms in service with our troops today.

Read more about the UK’s cross-service drone strategy: https://t.co/yD92q3mXir pic.twitter.com/7c3Ivi8JGH

— Ministry of Defence (@DefenceHQ) February 22, 2024

The post U.K. Plans to Invest Billions in Military Drone Strategy appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Yamasaki took on the role upon the planned retirement of Michimasa Fujino, the mastermind of the HA420 and its evolution up to this year. Yamasaki has spent nearly all of his career in Honda’s automotive sectors, in increasing leadership roles in Japan, the U.S., Turkey, and Ukraine.

“I never thought of coming into aviation,” said Yamasaki, and he brings a different perspective to the role than the engineering focus exemplified by his predecessor. 

“I’m a sales guy. All of my life, [I have been] working for Honda—37 years,” he said, and except for a couple of years in an executive role, all of his experience has been in sales and marketing. Yamasaki intends to draw on his background developing customer relationships to lead Honda Aircraft into the future. 

Yamasaki acknowledges freely that there is a learning curve.

• READ MORE: FLYING’s Complete Coverage of EAA AirVenture 2022 

“What I found coming over to the aviation side, is the cycle of everything is so long—development or even to turn a profit. In automotive, we talk about maybe four to five years, but here I think it’s at least 20 to 30 years,” he said.

“The customers, attention-wise, it’s almost the same. We deliver 30 million engines to the world throughout our cars, motorcycles, whatever, but if you do the math, 30 million means every second—ticking the clock—we are delivering. We are meeting customers. That’s the kind of scale that Honda itself [has].” And the HondaJet lives within this scale.

Yamasaki credits Fujino with existing somewhat outside of that ecosystem. 

“Mr. Fujino himself really started this business maybe in a little different way originally from the ways that [Honda does things], but he has really made this product a superb product, and I think many customers are enjoying it right now. And I think the time will tell if they will be satisfied for the long term.”

Customer Service Expansion

Honda Aircraft announced its recent additions to the HondaJet customer service network, with four new locations—in Selangor, Malaysia; Bournemouth, U.K.; Portland, Oregon; and Sacramento, California—to bring its total global network to 21 locations overall and 12 in North America. The center in Malaysia is the company’s first in Southeast Asia. Type certification on the HA420 expands around the world, with approval in Thailand last year.

The goal is keeping the customer happy, and retaining their business. “Customers were telling us that they didn’t have bases [near] their town, so we try to be near the customer,” Yamasaki said. 

Four deliveries were made into Southeast Asia in the last year—not all new aircraft, but a couple of pre-owned models, reflecting the strength of the resale market for the model. Now with 219 aircraft in the field, and 120,000 flight hours logged, the maturity of the original HondaJet and its evolutions—the Elite and Elite S—continues to grow.

“The pre-owned market seems to be good,” said Yamasaki, and he brought up the example of the ten aircraft operating in Japan at present—five of which had been purchased by existing customers and brought over to Japan. “Those customers we have to take care of, with the dealership over there.”

Production Cycles

With the pandemic, Honda Aircraft has seen similar ebb and flow in its production lines as other GA manufacturers. “How do you say it? 360 degrees?” Yamasaki said. “It has really turned around. Just a year ago, we had many unsold planes, but now we have [such a] backlog—we have almost two years now.”

Yamasaki pointed out that the slow resolution of the pandemic as well as the supply chain has pushed and pulled on the production cycle. “Like all of the industry…just talking to some of the other manufacturers, other dealers, they tell the same story.”

Working through component substitutions driven by slow-downs or lapses in the supply chain is quite different with a certificated airplane, as opposed to doing so within the automotive industry, as Yamasaki has found. “I’m learning… to try to change the production sequence, where, of course, in automotive, whatever parts you can find, you switch the production sequence, according to whatever you can produce. But here…the line—you cannot change it.”

HondaJet 2600 Concept Update

Development on the HondaJet 2600 concept—unveiled at the National Business Aviation Association’s Business Aviation Convention and Expo in Las Vegas last fall—continues. “Our engineering [team] on a daily basis is working on specific areas of the challenges that we have. Of course, once we are introducing [the 2600] we want to be the best of the best,” Yamasaki said.

“We will make some kind of an announcement, maybe by the end of the year” to update on the program’s progress. “There are many customers who are expecting an upgrade from the current jet. Everyone in the company is looking at how we can promote that, leverage that…so that we can sustain our business over multiple aircraft,” he added.

“This one [the HA420] that Fujino-san was trying to make was a penetration, an introduction into the aircraft [market], which has been superbly done—all the fame, all the records, the purpose has [been] achieved.”

Based on this, Yamasaki said the extended version needs a little more tweaking—and should move Honda Aircraft firmly into the business jet market. A new product will also need to carry the brand mission forward—of the security, safety, and efficiency Honda is known for—as well as offer sustainability. “We’re talking about SAF [sustainable aviation fuel] or whatever, but [the HA420] itself is already 15 percent [more efficient],” than others in the class, he said.

A new direction under new leadership—but working from great DNA—is likely what Honda Aircraft needs to meet that future.

The post Honda Aircraft Company Soars Under New Leadership appeared first on FLYING Magazine.