2024/08 #Airspace
eVTOL operations in existing airspace structures
How will CityAirbus fly in our existing airspace structures and approach and depart from busy airports with minimal impact on conventional air traffic? This was one of the guiding questions to be addressed in the AMI-AirShuttle project. Airbus, Munich Airport International and the Technical University of Munich teamed up to work out a two-fold approach to this problem and jointly demonstrated an airspace integration concept for Munich Airport both based on currently valid regulation as well as exploratory research.
Ensuring minimal impact on conventional air traffic.
The concept assumes operations under instrument flight rules and considers various constraints such as wake turbulence and radar separation, while ensuring minimal impact on conventional air traffic, especially during approaches and departures at busy airports.
You can read up on all the details in our scientific paper that we published with the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. Read more here.
2024/07 #Vertiport
project outcomes
The development of demand-oriented ground infrastructure is key to enable Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) in urban and regional environments. One of the most significant components of this infrastructure are vertiports. These specialised facilities are essential to ensure the safe landing and take-off of electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing (eVTOL) aircraft and to connect AAM services to other transportation modes.
In the Air Mobility Initiative project “AMI-FlyingIN2Air”, supported by the German Ministry for Digital and Transport, Airbus, Munich Airport International, amd.sigma, Goldbeck and Technische Hochschule Ingolstadt have designed and tested a virtual vertiport.
A multi-storey car park vertiport, ready to be built.
This has generated an understanding how ground infrastructure can be integrated smoothly into passenger travel, considering an urban integration context and certification needs. The established concept of an elevated vertiport on top of systemised multi-storey car park is a modular solution, ready to be built.
It can easily be adapted to other locations and serves as a building block for the integration of Advanced Air Mobility in very different environments across the globe.
2024/07 #Events focusing on ground infrastructure at Munich Airport
As part of the AMI journey, all partner organisations regularly meet in person to exchange about achieved successes, ongoing challenges and future opportunities. New potential collaborators also join AMI events to discuss future projects around Advanced Air Mobility.
In July the event was hosted by Munich Airport and focused on vertiport design and the passenger journey of Advanced Air Mobility. The key outcomes of a the research project "AMI-FlyingIN2Air" have been presented, including a vertiport concept on a parking infrastructure by Airbus, amd.sigma, Goldbeck and Munich Airport International.
2024/03 #eVTOL
Airbus presents the
CityAirbus NextGen
Airbus has presented its full electric CityAirbus NextGen prototype to the public, ahead of its maiden flight later this year. All-electric, the CityAirbus NextGen, is a four-seat vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) prototype.
Lift and Cruise Concept
Based on a lift and cruise concept,, the two-tonne class CityAirbus, with a wing span of approximately 12 metres, is being developed to fly with a 80 km range and to reach a cruise speed of 120 km/h, making it perfectly suited to a variety of flight operations in our cities and communities.
The unveiling coincided with the opening of the new CityAirbus test centre in Donauwörth, which will be dedicated to testing systems for electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicles (eVTOLs).
2023/11 #Events collaboration with start-ups at Brigk Gründerzentrum
In November 2023 the AMI Partner Event took place at the brigk Digitales Gründerzentrum in Ingolstadt. The participants focued on collaboration and the key role of start-ups to realise research transfer in innovation environments. Brigk is specialised in start-up development and has facilitated the exchange with selected start-up in the context of future Air Mobility solutions.
It was a pleasure to welcome Dr. Rainhard Brandl, Member of the German Bundestag, for sharing the political perspective on the journey towards Advanced Air Mobility.
2023/01 #SystemOfSystems project AMI-PGS launched
As part of the project AMI-PGS Airbus, Droniq, Kymati, Kasaero, the Technical University of Munich and the University of Stuttgart explore the advantages of a GNSS-independent, local, radar-based sensor technology for applications beyond precise positioning such as ground based surveillance, as a basis for higher autonomy for flight, navigation, landing and ground operation of eVTOLs. Such radar-based technology shall be integrated into all elements of the AAM landscape (vehicle, airspace, ground) to enhance safety and efficiency of operations.
2023/01 #eVTOL project AMI-DEMONSTRATOR launched
In the frame of the AMI-DEMONSTRATOR project launched in 2023 the research findings around eVTOL development are combined to develop a full-scale eVTOL demonstrator with a lift and cruise configuration: the CityAirbus NextGen. Key challenge of this research project is the system integration of the different technical component while meeting safety and performance requirements. The project involves many testing activities, both on ground and during flight tests to validate the entire eVTOL design and to prepare for a permit-to-fly.
2022/08 #Vertiport project AMI-FlyingIN2Air launched
The creation of Advanced Air Mobility in urban and regional areas requires detailed investigations of the ground-based infrastructure. This includes sites for vertical take-off and landing (vertiports) and their integration into the local environment.
The core objective of AMI-FlyingIN2Air is the conceptualisation and virtual test of an AAM Vertiport to prepare the physical implementation of Vertiport operations integrated into the intermodal passenger/travel journey.
Project contributors are Airbus, amd.sigma, City of Ingolstadt, DB Regio Bus, Goldbeck, INcampus Ingolstadt, Munich Airport, Technische Hochschule Ingolstadt.
2022 #eVTOL project
AMI-EPS launched
In general an electric propulsion system consists of high voltage batteries, power distribution boxes and electric propulsion units with integrated e-motors driving the propellers. Within AMI-EPS the challenge is to develop a weight optimized and failsafe Electric Propulsion Systems (EPS), Electric Power Distribution boxes (EPD) and Electric Propulsion Units (EPUs). The highly demanding safety and power requirements of eVTOLs make this research project especially challenging.
2022 #eVTOL project
AMI-STRUCTURE launched
AMI-STRUCTURE focuses on the development of the CityAirbus NextGen architecture and lightweight structure. The mechanical structure of an aircraft (airframe) comprises the wings with the beams, the cabin and the tail. As for any aircraft design the weight is the main challenge of this research project. Especially for eVTOLs with completely new configuration and surfaces, heavy batteries and demanding EASA safety requirements a lightweight aircraft structure is key.
2022 #eVTOL project
AMI-HORATIO launched
Within AMI-HORATIO the research focuses on the design and and risk reduction of a reliable flight control system for the CityAirbus NextGen eVTOL. Due to the complex design of the aircraft, a “fly-by-wire” flight control system with an electronic interface is used instead of a conventional manual control system. The flight control computer is being developed by Diehl, tested by Airbus and analysed by Uni Stuttgart with an emphasis on passenger safety and comfort (to avoid kinetosis/motion sickness).
2022 #U-space project AMIUS launched
To guarantee the safe and efficient integrated operation of eVTOLs, UAS and general aviation in the future, new types of traffic concepts are required. The existing airspace management must be supplemented by an integrated Unmanned Traffic Management (UTM) and thus expanded by the dimension of the previously uncontrolled airspace.
The AMIUS project started in 2022 investigates how the data flow between the participating airspace users and the storage of relevant data can be secured against unauthorized external interference by various measures.
2022 #Vertiport project AMI-AirShuttle launched
The objective of AMI-AirShuttle is to develop a holistic, supplier-neutral, modular and scalable solution for the planning, development and operation of vertiports, using the airport Munich as application case. The airport Nürnberg will be used as a second application case to validate the concept. The vertiport concept focuses on an environmentally friendly design, a user-friendly passenger journey and slot-neutrality, simultaneously meeting the governmental certification requirements for ground and air infrastructure.
Project contributors are Airbus, Airport Nürnberg, amd.sigma strategic airport development, Bauhaus Luftfahrt, Catholic University Eichstätt-Ingolstadt, Deutsche Flugsicherung, Munich Airport International, Technical University Munich and Technische Hochschule Ingolstadt.
2022 #Launch of Air Mobility Initiative
Munich, To contribute to the development of advanced air mobility, leading companies, universities, and research institutions as well as municipalities are joining forces under the leadership of Airbus to form the Air Mobility Initiative (AMI). The members of the Air Mobility Initiative include Airbus, City of Ingolstadt, Deutsche Bahn, Deutsche Flugsicherung, Diehl Aerospace, Droniq, Munich Airport, Red Cross, and Telekom.
eVTOLs will offer a whole new mobility service in the near future
In a first step, the AMI partners will address the technological, infrastructural, legal, and social prerequisites for the future implementation of advanced air transport. Subsequently, the knowledge gained will be carried through a demonstration project under real conditions with eVTOLs.
Airbus is leading the vehicle stream together with Diehl Aerospace, University of Stuttgart and other partners. The UTM activities will deal with the safe and efficient flight of vehicles on their routes in and outside cities. This area is being advanced together with Droniq, Airbus, f.u.n.k.e. Avionics, SkyFive, BrigkAir, DFS, Telekom, Universities from Munich and Hamburg and other partners. Through the vertiport activities, AMI will work on take-off and landing sites for the aircraft as well as their integration into airports and cities. Munich Airport, Deutsche Bahn, Bauhaus Luftfahrt, Airport Nürnberg, Universities of Ingolstadt and Munich are responsible for this topic. Read more.
