Hyundai AAM Subsidiary Readies for Flight-Testing

Honeywell Aerospace, the ubiquitous North Carolina-headquartered maker of aero-engines, avionics, and bleeding-edge aeronautical technologies, has collaborated with Hyundai Motor Group subsidiary Supernal for purpose of developing a ground-control station supportive of pilotless Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) operations.

A U.S.-based maker of eVTOL aircraft, Supernal, as stated in the company’s literature, intends to ply Hyundai’s automotive manufacturing heritage and know-how to the development and production of Advanced Air Mobility vehicles.

The inchoate ground-control station will facilitate Supernal’s flight-test program by allowing remote pilots to safely operate evolving AAM platforms while garnering real-time, real-world aircraft and flight-environment data.

Broadly, Honeywell's ground-control station is a software solution that supports the conduct of Beyond Visual Line Of Sight (BVLOS) operations—a function salient to the development and operation of AAM aircraft.

Drawing on experience gleaned over decades of designing, building, testing, and certifying advanced electronic components and systems, Honeywell will customize the ground-control station to Supernal’s operational and testing requirements. The station’s core architecture, however, will remain adaptable, and easily configurable to the varying needs of diverse AAM contraptions. In point of fact, Honeywell’s ground-control station technology will be scalable to manage hundreds, or even thousands, of discrete AAM platforms.

Supernal chief commercial officer Adam Slepian stated: “The collaboration with Honeywell brings unparalleled technological prowess to our flight test program. Their ground-control station doesn’t just meet our current needs but also offers scalable solutions for the future.”

A Hyundai Motor Group subsidiary, Supernal plans to collaborate with upwards of fifty affiliate companies and external partners, like Honeywell, to develop its eVTOL vehicle—which Supernal expects will enter commercial service in 2028.

Honeywell Aerospace vice-president and general manager of AAM David Shilliday set forth: “The Honeywell ground-control station features a certified, decentralized, and redundant architecture that offers persistent connectivity for remote operations. This integrated solution ensures seamless and reliable command and control over remote vehicles, further solidifying Honeywell’s role as a leader in Advanced Air Mobility solutions.”

The nascent ground-control station will integrate with the Honeywell Anthem Flight deck with which Supernal’s emergent AAM vehicle is equipped. The integration , which is already part of Supernal’s vehicle systems. This compatibility of the Honeywell-produced ground and airborne elements will reduce both technical and schedule risks, thereby allowing Supernal to concentrate on building the best-possible aircraft.

By dint of its partnership with Supernal, Honeywell underscores its ongoing investment in sustainable air travel. Beyond ground-control software, Honeywell’s AAM products and solutions include autonomous technologies, avionics suites, flight control computers, actuation systems, thermal management, electric motors, hydrogen fuel-cells, turbogenerators, and SATCOM hardware and services.

FMI: www.honeywell.com