Also: 2021 FAA UAS Symposium, OneWeb Launch, Curiosity Rover Captures Clouds, XPO Atlanta!

 

Halo has placed a firm order for 200 Eve Urban Air Mobility vehicles -- making it the launch customer for this aircraft. The electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft have an expected delivery date in 2026. One hundred of the vehicles will be used for operations in the United States and 100 will operate in the United Kingdom. In addition, Halo announced the alignment of U.K.-based Halo Aviation Ltd. (Halo) and U.S.-based Associated Aircraft Group (AAG) under the Halo brand. Both companies had been acquired earlier this year by OneSky Flight, a member of the Directional Aviation family. Merlin Labs has raised $25 million in funding from GV (formerly Google Ventures) and First Round Capital in order to pursue a 55-aircraft partnership with Dynamic Aviation, and their King Air fleet. Merlin is reportedly building a certifiable autonomy system for complex fixed-wing aircraft. The company claims to have demonstrated hundreds of autonomous missions on multiple aircraft types, including complex twin turboprop aircraft. Archer Aviation has filed its answer to a lawsuit by Wisk (in which they asserted Theft of Trade Secrets and Patent Infringement) in the US District Court for the Northern District of California. In the answer, Archer details key information, including that it developed its “12 tilt 6” design through a leading eVTOL independent consultant before any Wisk employees ever joined Archer. Archer also filed a Motion to Dismiss, claiming that Wisk’s case is entirely baseless. All this -- and MORE in today's episode of Airborne-Unmanned!!!