Fans of AirVenture have seen the old Opener Blackfly a few times, but the team’s new company branding and subtly improved new eVTOL were a new sight in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Ken Karklin of Pivotal gave Aero News’ own vertical flight consultant Rex Alexander a quick rundown on where things sat for the Blackfly in 2023.
The Advanced Air Mobility industry is a competitive scene, and there’s a palpable hunger in the air as Pivotal and its competitors look to carve themselves out a piece of a brand-new market. Karklin sees the Blackfly as much more than a simple Part 103-legal single-seat runabout. Crewed or Uncrewed, the basic design could be pressed into service as emergency response, patrol, survey, or firefighting aircraft.
Karlin says the Blackfly won’t just be stuck on dry land; a set of floats have been in the works to open up the wide world of amphibious operations. On top of that, Karlin hints that some bigger-boned versions of the Blackfly could be coming out too, which would slot right into a post-MOSAIC LSA market. A few lucky customers have already taken delivery of their aircraft, he adds. The little eVTOL isn’t too common yet, with only a few dozen produced so far. But the interest at AirVenture shows that there’s plenty of interest in Pivotal’s work, so that should change in no time.
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