Now for this week’s top story:

Clay Lacy Aviation to Bring Electric Air Taxis to FBOs

What happened? Clay Lacy, the famed aviator, is thought to have flown more hours on turbine aircraft than any pilot in history. But Clay Lacy Aviation, the company Lacy founded (and no longer has any association with the founder), is looking to fly electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft and other futuristic designs out of its FBO network in Southern California in partnership with Overair.

Old dog, new tricks: Clay Lacy Aviation is one of the oldest private jet charters and fleet operators in the Western U.S., with two full-service FBOs in Southern California and a third in the works on the East Coast. But the experienced provider is embracing the new generation of advanced air mobility (AAM) aircraft, such as Overair’s Butterfly eVTOL air taxi.

The partnership will center around the development of vertiports at Clay Lacy Aviation’s John Wayne Airport (KSNA) and Van Nuys Airport (KVNY) locations, as well as a concept of operations for Butterfly and other AAM aircraft that could fly in the region. Overair has similar agreements with Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (KDFW) and the city of Arlington, Texas.

Air taxis for all: This week’s collaboration follows Clay Lacy Aviation’s agreement with Joby Aviation to install the latter’s global electric aviation charging system (GEACS) at John Wayne. Overair, however, has backed the combined charging system (CCS) standard widely used by electric ground vehicles and endorsed by the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA).

Both GEACS and CCS are designed to be universally accessible to electric aircraft—each could charge Overair’s Butterfly, for example. But Joby has clashed with some of its air taxi rivals, with each side asserting their framework as the industry standard. Clay Lacy Aviation, though, plans to build electric infrastructure at its FBOs that will support both charging system proposals.

Quick quote: “Clay Lacy Aviation is committed to installing the electrical infrastructure to support all makes and models of electric aircraft, both fixed wing and eVTOL, to encourage the adoption of electric flight. In planning our new FBO development at John Wayne Airport, we are speaking with multiple OEMs and our local utility provider to ensure that the electric infrastructure we build out can support both CCS and GEACS charging protocols,” Scott Cutshall, senior vice president of strategy and sustainability at Clay Lacy Aviation, told FLYING.

My take: Joby and CCS-supporting competitors, such as Archer Aviation and Beta Technologies, each argue their proposed framework will be the sole industry standard. They may be right about there being one winner—major OEMs and operators will probably design and plan for one standard rather than both. It’s just easier that way.

But what if they’re wrong, and both standards can coexist? Clay Lacy Aviation and Overair appear to believe in a multipolar world, with both GEACS and CCS infrastructure fitting into the ecosystem. Atlantic Aviation, another FBO network, recently partnered with Joby, Archer, and Beta to install both kinds of chargers at its sites. These moves may be contingency plans should one system supplant the other. But either way, FBOs are building infrastructure to support both.

For what it’s worth, both CCS and the North American charging system (NACS) developed by Tesla have been viable options in the electric ground vehicle space. But CCS is slowly losing out as Ford, General Motors, and other large automakers switch over to NACS.

Deep dive: Clay Lacy Aviation, Overair Partner to Bring Air Taxis to Southern California

In Other News…

Historic Astronaut Crew Begins Research at Space Station

What happened? The multinational crew of Axiom Mission 3—or Ax-3, the third private astronaut mission to the International Space Station chartered by Houston-based Axiom Space—arrived at the orbital lab and began conducting more than 30 experiments. The crew will research microgravity, space botany, and even methods of preventing cancer.

Astronauts around the world: A SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule carrying the crew of Ax-3—the first all-European commercial astronaut mission to the space station—docked Saturday morning. The crew, comprising Spanish, Turkish, Swedish, and Italian nationals, joined space station occupants from the U.S., Europe, and East Asia.

The combined crews will work together for two weeks studying a wide array of low-Earth orbit (LEO) activities. Astronauts are exploring how microgravity, for example, affects neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and are even using it to try to prevent and predict cancer. Other studies focus on plant growth, remote planetary exploration, and the effects of zero gravity on astronaut stress.

Deep dive: First All-European Commercial Astronaut Crew Begins Research at Space Station

North American Manufacturers to Ship $1.3B Worth of Electric Aircraft to India

What happened? JetSetGo, an Indian fleet operator and marketplace for private jet and helicopter charters, ordered up to 280 electric aircraft in three separate deals with a combined value of $1.3 billion. Each aircraft—Overair’s Butterfly, Horizon Aircraft’s Cavorite X7, and Electra.aero’s hybrid electric short takeoff and landing (eSTOL)—offers different advantages.

Mix and match: JetSetGo said the combination of the three aircraft will create an “optimal mix” to serve five use cases: airport transfers, regional connectivity, intercity commute, intracity shuttles, and urban air taxis. The agreements lock it into 150 firm orders: 50 from each manufacturer for a combined $780 million. But each includes options for more aircraft.

Overair’s Butterfly introduces two technologies never before seen in eVTOL aircraft, designed to reduce energy demand and enable smoother flights. Horizon’s X7 employs a unique “fan-in-wing” configuration and blends features of a conventional aircraft with an eVTOL. And Electra’s design can take off and land with just 150 feet of runway.

Deep Dive: India’s JetSetGo Orders $1.3B Worth of Electric Aircraft from 3 Manufacturers

And a Few More Headlines:

• Vertical Aerospace founder Stephen Fitzpatrick committed $50 million to keep the air taxi manufacturer liquid through mid-2025.

• NASA and Archer partnered to test electric air taxi battery systems for potential use in spaceflight.

• Electra topped 2,000 preorders for its nine-seat hybrid eSTOL following its agreement with JetSetGo.

• Walmart partner DroneUp became the latest drone delivery firm to earn new flight permissions from the FAA.

• An attempted first lunar landing by a private company ended before reaching the moon as Astrobotic’s Peregrine lander returned to Earth.

On the Horizon…

Chinese-made drones could be transmitting sensitive U.S. information back to China, at least according to the FBI and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). The agencies released a report emphasizing the Chinese government’s outsized control over domestic company data—and urging American firms to avoid buying drones from DJI and other Chinese manufacturers.

DJI, though not specifically named in the guidance, has already pushed back on the allegations and characterizations made by the U.S. government. The company, responsible for an estimated 7 in 10 consumer drone sales worldwide, has been the target of seemingly endless bans from U.S. lawmakers, who have decried its drones as “TikTok with wings.”

As the U.S. attempts to restrict drones, the U.K. is embracing air taxis. The country’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) launched a consultation for vertiport design proposals, with the aim of installing the eVTOL hubs at existing airfields nationwide. As in the U.S., the strategy is to leverage existing infrastructure for early operations of air taxis and other AAM aircraft.

Finally, European Commission officials this week said they intend to release a draft of the first comprehensive European space law by March. The finer details of the legislation are largely a mystery, though the expectation is it will address safety and sustainability concerns and harmonize space regulations across European Union member states.

Mark Your Calendars

Each week, I’ll be running through a list of upcoming industry events. Here are a few conferences to keep an eye on:

• 11th Annual eVTOL Symposium—February 6-8 in Silicon Valley, California
• Drone Show Korea 2024—March 6-8 in Busan, South Korea
• World’s Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Conference—March 17-19 in Jerusalem
• AUVSI Xponential 2024—April 22-25 in San Diego 
• Vertical Flight Society’s Forum 80—May 7-9 in Montreal

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Lockheed Martin-backed Electra.aero on Tuesday announced that it topped 2,000 preorder sales for its flagship eSTOL design, an order book the manufacturer values at over $8 billion once fully realized. The nine-seat aircraft is unique, even among electric designs, because of its ability to take off or land with just 150 feet of runway.

Electra reached the milestone after wrapping up three sizable agreements. In December, Finnish on-demand flying platform Lygg agreed to buy up to 300 eSTOLs in a deal valued at over $1 billion. Lygg operators, which mainly serve airports outside Nordic and European metropolises, will be able to purchase the aircraft through a hybrid-as-a-service model, which offers financing.

“Electra’s eSTOL capability allows us to rewrite the definition of direct connections for environmentally conscious business travelers using existing airfields closer to city centers, reducing valuable time spent in the air,” said Roope Kekäläinen, CEO of Lygg.

The company’s order book expanded again last week, when Indian private charter marketplace JetSetGo placed firm orders for 50 aircraft apiece from Electra, Overair, and Horizon Aircraft. Electra will work with the firm, which operates India’s largest on-demand fleet, to identify new routes that can leverage the eSTOL’s unique capabilities.

“India’s geography and demographics make it an ideal launch market for advanced air mobility (AAM),” said Kanika Tekriwal, co-founder and CEO of JetSetGo. “We want to lead the transformation of urban and regional connectivity and believe Electra is the right partner with the technology to make this vision a reality.”

The third agreement, with New York City-based helicopter tour operator Charm Aviation, had not been previously announced. Electra did not disclose the number of aircraft included in Charm’s order, but it said the operator will introduce the eSTOL to heliports and vertiports in bustling Manhattan.

“Electra’s aircraft has the range to transform New York City’s heliports from urban flight terminals into regional transport hubs with direct flights to cities and smaller communities along the East Coast,” said Marc Ausman, chief product officer of Electra.

The Aircraft

Electra says its eSTOL represents the first use of blown lift technology using distributed electric propulsion. Blown lift—which redirects slipstream flows over the aircraft’s wings into large flaps and ailerons—is what allows the design to take off from sites smaller than a soccer field.

Flaps and ailerons redirect the airflows downward to provide lift that would normally be achieved through high-speed takeoff. This, Electra says, allows the eSTOL to get airborne at “neighborhood driving speeds,” shortening the runway requirement and opening up operations out of remote or underutilized airfields.

The aircraft has a range of about 434 nm and a cruise speed of 175 knots, capable of carrying nine passengers or up to 2,500 pounds of cargo. Compared to vertical takeoff designs, it offers more than twice the payload, 10 times the range, and 70 percent lower operating costs, Electra claims.

Those benefits stem in part from distributed electric propulsion, wherein a small turbogenerator drives eight electric motors spread across the wing. Electra says this reduces emissions (by 30 percent) and noise (75 dBA at 300 feet, equivalent to a vacuum cleaner) below those of traditional airplanes or rotorcraft.

Since the aircraft uses hybrid power to fuel up—and to recharge its batteries during flight—airports won’t need electric charging infrastructure to accommodate it. That could be a crucial advantage for Electra when it comes time for the company to scale.

The eSTOL’s fixed-wing, rigid-propeller configuration—which eliminates hover and transition flight—gives it a path to be certified as a multiengine, Level 3, low-speed airplane under FAA Part 23. That means it could be flown with a standard pilot’s certificate in the airplane category.

In addition to passenger transport, on-demand urban air mobility services, and defense applications, Electra expects the eSTOL to handle cargo logistics, executive transport, humanitarian aid, disaster response, and a variety of other use cases. Its commercial launch is planned for 2028.

Topping the 2,000 preorder mark reflects the steady momentum Electra has enjoyed in recent months. That began in August with the announcement of fresh financing from climate tech fund Statkraft Ventures and the U.S. Air Force, the latter taking the form of an $85 million contract to develop and test a full-scale prototype. The following month, Electra completed the maiden voyage of its EL-2 Goldfinch demonstrator, marking the first flight for a hybrid eSTOL design.

December brought with it a major agreement with JSX, one of the world’s premier regional air carriers, which ordered as many as 330 hybrid-electric models. Those include 32 firm orders and 50 options for Electra’s nine-seater. The same month, customer Bristow Group placed a deposit for five early delivery slots for its 2021 order of up to 50 aircraft, representing one of Electra’s firmest commitments to date.

Bristow is expected to be Electra’s principal launch operational customer. The company at launch also has agreements to fly in the Middle East, Asia, Latin America, and Australia, among other locations.

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JetSetGo, an Indian marketplace for private jet and helicopter charters that also operates its own fleet, on Friday announced strategic partnerships with Horizon Aircraft, Overair, and Electra.aero to order as many as 280 aircraft, which would value the deal at a whopping $1.3 billion. 

Each of the electric or hybrid-electric aircraft will bring unique capabilities to JetSetGo’s fleet, which comprises five midsize Hawkers and six other aircraft, ranging from large cabin jets to helicopters.

Horizon’s vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) Cavorite X7 and Electra’s ultra-short takeoff and landing (STOL) nine-seater—both hybrid-electric designs—will be the first to fly JetSetGo routes since they can utilize existing infrastructure, the company said. Overair’s Butterfly electric VTOL (eVTOL) air taxi will follow as Indian cities add the necessary infrastructure, such as charging stations.

The three designs will offer an “optimal mix” for five use cases identified by JetSetGo: airport transfers, regional connectivity, intercity commute, intracity shuttles, and urban air taxis. The company says India—which is plagued by road congestion issues, infrastructure challenges, and aviation emissions—will make an “ideal testbed” for AAM services.

“Our partnership with these three leading innovators will introduce unique technologies like ‘blown lift’ and ‘fan-in-wing’ lift systems, hybrid and electric propulsion, and super-quiet optimal speed tilt rotors to India,” said Kanika Tekriwal, co-founder and CEO of JetSetGo. “We want to lead the transformation of urban and regional connectivity and believe we have the right partners and technologies to make this vision a reality.”

The agreements lock JetSetGo into 150 firm orders—50 from each manufacturer—for a combined $780 million. But all three contracts include the option for it to acquire more aircraft.

Horizon, which announced its agreement earlier this week, will ship an initial batch of 50 Cavorite X7s to JetSetGo for $250 million. The firm has the option to acquire 50 more, which would double that deal’s value. Overair and Electra did not specify the initial order value or  number of options JetSetGo could acquire.

Horizon founder and CEO Brandon Robinson characterizes the company’s X7 as a “normal” aircraft with eVTOL capabilities, rather than an eVTOL with features of a traditional airplane. It uses a patented “fan-in-wing” configuration, similar to the Lilium Jet: 14 electric ducted fans are embedded in the wing to provide lift. During cruise, movable surfaces cover the fans.

The X7’s mix of features from traditional and electric aircraft make it something of an amalgamation. It can take off vertically or conventionally from the runway, for example, and a gas-powered range extender can charge its batteries during cruise. The air taxi won’t reduce emissions as much as all-electric designs, but Horizon says it will offer greater range, speed, and payload.

“This evolution will serve as a catalyst to accelerate our growth by providing the resources to continue the development and testing of our practical, real-world-use hybrid eVTOL, the Cavorite X7,” said Robinson.

Like the X7, Overair’s Butterfly offers some unique capabilities. The eVTOL deploys two technologies the firm says have never been integrated on an eVTOL design: optimum speed tilt rotor (OSTR) and individual blade control (IBC).

OSTR, which varies propeller revolutions per minute during vertical, forward, and transition flight, acts as a power saver, reducing energy demand in hover by as much as 60 percent. IBC, which is being researched by the U.S. Navy, limits the vibration of each blade to reduce propeller load and enable safer, smoother flights.

The combination of OSTR and IBC produces efficient, quiet propulsion through nearly any weather, temperature, or altitude, Overair says. Butterfly also features four oversized rotors, large cabin, and payload of about 1,100 pounds—enough for five passengers and their luggage. The company says it is ideal for passenger, medical, cargo, and military applications.

“Butterfly will provide a safe, quiet, and efficient mobility solution for urban and regional transport across the broadest range of weather conditions and geographic environments,”  said Valerie Manning, chief commercial officer at Overair. “In addition, the associated advanced air mobility ecosystem will create a multitude of jobs and fuel economic growth.”

As the lone all-electric VTOL manufacturer included in JetSetGo’s agreements, Overair will also support its new customer with infrastructure advisement, pilot training, infrastructure and software integration, operational guidance, and vertiport software integration.

Electra’s nine-seat design is also all-electric, but it won’t require VTOL infrastructure to get flying. The eSTOL design needs just 150 feet of runway for takeoff—that’s enabled through a unique technology called blown-lift, which allows the aircraft to take off at speeds as slow as a car driving through a residential neighborhood.

The eSTOL has a range of 500 nm and can carry up to 2,500 pounds of cargo. Compared to vertical takeoff alternatives, Electra claims the model offers more than twice the payload, 10 times the range, and 70 percent lower operating costs.

“Our aircraft’s unique ability to operate from soccer field-sized spaces, with the capacity to transport nine passengers up to 500 miles enables JetSetGo to identify new routes using eSTOL capability and deliver sustainable, affordable air connections to India’s communities previously underserved by flight,” said Marc Ausman, chief product officer of Electra.

Electra’s design was part of another massive hybrid-electric aircraft order from Dallas-based regional air carrier JSX. In December, the semiprivate operator signed letters of intent to acquire as many as 332 aircraft, including 32 firm orders and 50 options from Electra. JSX will also purchase Aura Aero’s Era and Heart Aerospace’s ES-30.

Several other American operators, including Surf Air Mobility and Bristow Group, have agreed to order or retrofit hybrid-electric designs as they seek to introduce new, sustainable, and potentially more cost-effective aircraft to their routes. In India, meanwhile, travel conglomerate InterGlobe in November agreed to purchase as many as 200 Midnight air taxis from Archer Aviation.

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Horizon, maker of the seven-seat, hybrid-electric vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) Cavorite X7, on Tuesday announced an agreement with Indian regional air operator JetSetGo for the purchase of up to 100 aircraft. The deal, worth up to $500 million, comes within a week of the manufacturer’s initial public offering (IPO) on the Nasdaq Stock Market.

A letter of intent between Horizon and JetSetGo calls for the latter to purchase 50 X7s at $5 million apiece, for a total of $250 million. The Indian operator has the option to acquire 50 more aircraft, which would double the value of the agreement.

Capable of taking off vertically like a helicopter or conventionally from the runway, the X7 blends features of a traditional airplane with those of eVTOL air taxis. However, Horizon claims the design offers a greater range, speed, and payload than air taxi designs from Joby Aviation, Archer Aviation, Lilium, and EHang, considered four of the leading firms in the industry.

The X7 will have a variety of use cases: medical evacuation, critical supply delivery, disaster relief, and military missions, to name a few. But JetSetGo, which offers services such as private jet charter and aircraft management, will fly it on passenger-carrying AAM routes. The deal gives Horizon access to the most populous market on the planet.

“We ultimately decided to partner with a company with a deep operational and aerospace technology background that will deliver a product that will help usher in a new era of sustainable air travel, while also providing significant value for our customers,” said Kanika Tekriwal, co-founder and CEO of JetSetGo. “This partnership will help JetSetGo profitably enter new markets by leveraging the versatility of the Cavorite platform to bring about the vision of AAM in India.”

This week’s agreement comes just a few days after Horizon went public via a merger with special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) Pono Capital Three. As of Tuesday, the firm’s common stock is trading on the Nasdaq under the symbol “HOVR.”

Brandon Robinson, founder, CEO, and board chairman of Horizon, will continue to lead the company. Management team members Jason O’Neill (chief operating officer), Brian Robinson (chief engineer), and Brian Merker (chief financial officer) will also stay on.

A SPAC IPO can be a good way for a young firm to raise money, and many eVTOL manufacturers—including Archer, Joby, and Lilium—have gone that route. But they can also be tricky, as in the case of Archer. Following its 2021 merger, Archer brought in $242 million less revenue than expected after shareholders exercised redemption rights. Joby and Lilium also saw significantly lower proceeds than anticipated.

However, Horizon is bullish on its ability to buck the trend. And a large aircraft order within a few days of going public is a positive sign.

“This evolution will serve as a catalyst to accelerate our growth by providing the resources to continue the development and testing of our practical, real-world-use hybrid eVTOL, the Cavorite X7,” said Brandon Robinson.

Not Your Normal Aircraft

Horizon announced the Cavorite X7 in September as a replacement for its Cavorite X5, which was originally expected to become its flagship aircraft. But testing revealed that the design could be expanded from five seats to seven, and customers had been clamoring for a larger aircraft with lower passenger seat mile costs.

Enter the X7. Robinson characterized the hybrid-electric design as a “normal” aircraft with eVTOL capabilities, rather than an eVTOL with features of a traditional airplane. 

The configuration is expected to reduce hydrocarbon emissions by up to 30 percent compared to conventional aircraft conducting the same missions—far from the zero-emission operations promised by all-electric air taxi manufacturers.

But the mixture of electric and conventional propulsion will deliver greater size, speed, range, and capacity, Horizon claims. At the same time, the company says it will reduce direct operating costs by up to 30 percent versus a helicopter conducting the same regional flight.

While the X7 is expected to fly missions spanning 43 to 434 nm, its maximum range of 500 sm (434 nm) exceeds the air taxi routes planned by Joby and Delta and Archer and United, for example. Its 250 mph (217 knots) top speed and 1,500-pound useful load—which rises to 1,800 pounds in conventional takeoff configuration—are also greater than Joby, Archer, Lilium, and EHang. Among those firms, only Lilium is building a seven-seater.

Lilium is also one of the few eVTOL firms that opted to produce lift using electric ducted fans embedded in the aircraft’s wings. Horizon too went with the fan-in-wing configuration, which the company says it has patented. Fourteen redundant electric ducted fans will be installed, but the X7 has successfully hovered with 30 percent of them disabled during testing. Movable surfaces cover the fans during cruise to boost lift across the wings and canards.

The X5 placed fans in both the wings and forward canards, with a pusher prop at the rear of the fuselage aiding in forward flight. It’s unclear whether the X7 will maintain that configuration.

Horizon’s design may eventually go full-electric, but it currently runs on a mixture of electric and gas. The hybrid power system can recharge the X7’s battery packs within 30 minutes between missions.

But using a range extender motor, it can also charge the batteries in the air when the aircraft flies like a conventional airplane: on fixed wings, in a low-drag configuration. The company claims the X7 can spend a whopping 98 percent of its mission flying this way—its patented HOVR wing system makes the transition after takeoff.

In addition, the X7 is designed for both VFR and IFR operations, capable of flying in inclement weather. Flight into known icing conditions, for example, is a certification goal, the company says. Certification will most likely happen in Canada: Horizon received development and type certification support for the X5 from Cert Center Canada (3C), an independent flight test and certification design approval organization approved by Transport Canada.

Horizon so far has yet to announce a manufacturing and entry into service projected timeline for the X7. Archer, Joby, and a few others are targeting commercial launches in 2025, while others, such as Boeing’s Wisk Aero or Overair, are looking further out. 

Archer in November also laid plans for operations in India with a tentative order for up to 200 air taxis. In addition, Archer, Joby, Lilium, EHang, and others have signed agreements with firms in the Middle East, a nearby market with similar demand potential.

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