Airbus has unveiled the design of its new CityAirbus NextGen electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft for the emerging urban air mobility (UAM) market. The company expects a prototype of the aircraft to have its first flight in 2023.
The CityAirbus NextGen is equipped with fixed wings, a V-shaped tail and eight electrically powered propellers. Designed to carry up to four passengers in zero-emissions flight, it is expected to have a range of 80 km and a cruise speed of 120 km/h. Airbus is predicting noise levels of below 65 dB(A) during fly-over and less than 70 dB(A) during landing.
Bruno Even, CEO of Airbus Helicopters, 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.”
In the development of the new aircraft, Airbus is leveraging its many years of research, innovation and certification experience across its product portfolio, including its work on two eVTOL demonstrators, the Vahana and the original CityAirbus, which have conducted 242 flight and ground tests and flown around 1,000 km between them.
Even noted: “We have learned a lot from the test campaigns with our two demonstrators, CityAirbus and Vahana. 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.”
