While walking the line of NBAA-BACE, ANN Editor-in-Chief Jim Campbell spotted one of Volocopter’s demonstrators on the ramp, giving attendees a close-up look at the electric VTOL aircraft. Oliver Reinhardt, Chief Certification Officer for Volocopter, talked a little bit about the path to certification the company has navigated. The model at NBAA, as it happens, was an older iteration of the Volocopter flagship design, a Gen-4. The 5th generation sports some revisions to the aerodynamics and battery efficiency, but most of the basic elements are the same to the average NBAA passer-by.
Volocopter spent 2023 moving on from one test element to another, working their way to full airworthiness and type certification for their design. It hasn’t been the most simple path, either, since eVTOL designers were starting from scratch on every front. Reinhardt says their European roots have given them plenty to work with from the EASA, thanks to their Special Rotorcraft Airworthiness Standards, and he expects FAA criteria to more or less carry over.
Interestingly, he said that a hiccup in development came during the changeover from uncrewed flight testing to actual flight testing. Optimizing controls for remote control doesn’t lend much comfort to crewed operation, so Volocaopter engineers had to go back and re-tune its control behavior to feel well-sorted to their test pilot. With much learning to be done, Volocopter still has lots of work to do - but that’s a check in for NBAA ‘24 in October.
Aero-TV is a production of the Internationally syndicated Aero-News Network. Seen worldwide by hundreds of thousands of aviators and aviation adherents, ANN's Aero-TV has produced well over 5000 aviation and feature programs, including over 2500 episodes of our daily aviation news program, AIRBORNE UNLIMITED, currently hosted by Holland Lee. Now in its third decade of operation, parent company Aero-News Network, has the most aggressive and intensive editorial profile of any aviation news organization and has published well over a half-million news and feature stories since its inception -- having pioneered the online 24/7 aviation new-media model that so many have emulated.
Decision Altitude (DA) A specified altitude (mean sea level (MSL)) on an instrument approach procedure (ILS, GLS, vertically guided RNAV) at which the pilot must decide whether to >[...]
Aero Linx: T-34 Association, Inc. The T-34 Association was formed in July 1975 so that individuals purchasing then military surplus T-34As had an organization which would provide s>[...]
As He Released The Brakes To Begin Taxiing, The Brake Pedals Went To The Floor With No Braking Action Analysis: The pilot reported that during engine start up, he applied the brake>[...]
“Legislation like the Mental Health in Aviation Act is still imperative to hold the FAA accountable for the changes they clearly acknowledge need to be made... We cannot wait>[...]
Also: IAE Acquires Diamond Trainers, Army Drones, FedEx Pilots Warning, DA62 MPP To Dresden Tech Uni The danger to the flight training industry and our future pilots is clear. Dona>[...]
ANN's Daily Aero-Term (12.08.25): Decision Altitude (DA)
See All