This start-up wants to revolutionize urban transport with its electric helicopter

© FlyNow Aviation

Although eVTOLs ( Electric vertical take-off and landing vehicles (VERTICAL TAKE-OFF AND LANDING) are generating a lot of interest and discussion in the urban mobility sector, their large-scale adoption and practical integration into current transport systems. still remain a challenge to overcome. With the eCopter, the start-up FlyNow Aviation intends to change the game.

FlyNow Aviation opts for predefined routes rather than autonomous piloting

Based in Salzburg, Austria, FlyNow Aviation was founded in 2019. It is currently testing the eCopter, its aircraft classified as an electric helicopter by the European Aviation Safety Agency. The aircraft, which uses a coaxial electric propulsion system with two counter-rotating rotors, should thus benefit from certification more quickly than for drone-type air taxis.

Its modular and simplified design, with few moving parts, reduces potential failure points and facilitates maintenance, the company explains. With a range of 50 kilometers, the eCopter reaches a cruising speed of 130 kilometers per hour. It also has a maximum load capacity of 200 kilos. The start-up intends to use it to transport cargo as well as one or two passengers.

And unlike the competition, the aircraft was designed to perform automatic flights on predefined routes rather than autonomous piloting. The company assures that this feature reinforces its safety, as do the independent motors that drive its rotors. They limit the probability of accidents due to breakdowns. Another advantage is that the eCopter emits only 55 decibels.

© FlyNow Aviation

Reducing production costs

FlyNow Aviation is not short of ambition. The start-up wants to revolutionize urban air mobility with its technology, ” as Henry Ford did for the private car with his Model T ». Considered the first car accessible to a wide audience, it had a lightweight chassis, a steel body and simplified mechanics compared to other vehicles.

The eCopter would not only reduce the environmental impact of transport, but also avoid traffic jams. Finally, it has the potential to reduce the health risks associated with public transport, argues the start-up on its website. According to its CEO Jürgen Greil, it is intended to “complement and expand existing transport infrastructure, giving people more options to reach their destination“.

Its cargo version should go into production as early as 2026. Moreover, the start-up claims production costs “ 10 times lower than those of the competition “. A factor that should allow it to apply transport costs similar to those of traditional taxis.

Let's hope that the eCopter is more successful than the VoloCity. Volocopter's eVTOL, which was supposed to transport passengers during the Olympic Games, did not get the green light from the authorities in time.

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