The success of unmanned electric drones over the past few decades has made some people wonder if similar construction techniques as those in drones can be used to create small electric planes to transport people.
Not only are electric cars more reliable than conventional engines, but they are also light enough to place several of them on a single aircraft, providing extra safety. The ability to use multiple cars – along with sophisticated software – means greater flexibility in design, which opens the door to new types of vertical take-off and landing craft (VTOL) that lie across the border between conventional aircraft and helicopters.
This technology overheated in the late 2010s. Uber, for example, announced in 2017 that it intends to launch a VTOL taxi service in Dallas and Dubai by 2020. Instead, Uber sold its air taxi efforts to launch Joby in December 2020.
But while the VTOL revolution did not happen as quickly as some early boosters had hoped, the industry is making progress. The latest sign is an announcement that United Airlines is investing in VTOL startup Archer and has placed a $ 1 billion order for 200 VTOL aircraft.
Archer is also raising money from Stellantis, the company founded by the recent merger of carmakers Fiat Chrysler and PSA Peugeot. Stellantis will help Archer make the carbon fiber fuselage for his aircraft. The investments are part of Archer’s plan to become a public company through a merger with a special purpose acquisition company.
Although electric aircraft batteries have a number of advantages, the low energy density of batteries (compared to fossil fuels) means that electric vehicles have a limited range. Archer’s first aircraft, which will appear in 2024, is designed for a distance of 100 km with a maximum speed of 240 km per hour. Of course, replacing conventional commercial flights is not a long series.
Short hops and big hurdles
Archer and others working on this technology envision a new class of intra-urban airlines. A United customer may be driving a car to a nearby “vertiport” – perhaps in a suburban parking lot or on top of an urban skyscraper. Then the customer can fly 20 to 30 miles to an airport within 15 or 20 minutes – a journey that could otherwise take an hour by car. VTOL aircraft can also quickly transport passengers between nearby cities – for example, San Francisco to Palo Alto, Dallas to Fort Worth or Baltimore to Washington, DC.
Of course, it is theoretically possible to do this by helicopter, and some wealthy people already do. But advocates claim that electric VTOL aircraft can be safer, quieter and cheaper than a helicopter. Archer says its aircraft will deliver ‘minimal noise’, and that the cost will be comparable to an Uber ride.
Archer’s first aircraft needed a pilot. But VTOL proponents hope that we will eventually have software that is so sophisticated that it can control the aircraft on its own – at the same time eliminating the cost of paying the pilot, and opening an extra seat for a passenger.
In addition to the technical challenges of designing the new aircraft, the VTOL vision also presents major regulatory challenges. It takes a few years before the FAA announces a new aircraft design. In addition, the air traffic control system will probably need to be reviewed to make urban air transport work on a scale. A large number of small aircraft flying short distances can overwhelm the existing system.