Building An Aircraft Carrier

Building An Aircraft Carrier - Sandboxx News is a digital and print military media outlet focused on the lives, experiences, and challenges facing today's service members and America's defense apparatus. Built on the simple premise that service members and their supporters need a reliable news outlet free of partisan politics and sensationalism, Sandboxx News delivers stories from around the world and insights into the U.S.

Military's past, present, and future – delivered through the lens of real veterans, service members, military spouses, and professional journalists. Just like the family motor boat, an aircraft carrier propels itself through the water by spinning propellers.

Building An Aircraft Carrier

Of course, at about 21 feet (6.4 meters) across, a carrier's four bronze screw propellers are in a very different league than a recreational boat's. They also have a lot more power behind them. Each propeller is mounted on a long shaft, which is connected to a steam turbine powered by a nuclear reactor.

A Costly Arsenal

Boeing's 60-page proposal discusses the ways such a program could be executed, but lagging questions remained regarding the fuel range of a 747 carrying such a heavy payload and about how the fighters would fare in a combat environment.

Previous flying aircraft carrier concepts showed that the immense turbulence from large aircraft (and their jet engines) made it extremely difficult to manage the fighters they would drop, especially as they attempted to return to the aircraft after a mission.

Besides any possible combat roles, the South Korean military said the new carrier "will also work as a multi-purpose military base in the sea in a non-military threat situation such as a rescue operation for citizens when disasters or accidents occur."

It is expected that South Korea will purchase US-made F-35B fighter jets, which have short takeoff and vertical landing capability, compatible with a small aircraft carrier. F-35Bs are the only short take-off and vertical landing fighter jets in production in the world.

"The primary advantage a small carrier offers South Korea is its use as a mobile airfield," said Carl Schuster, a former US Navy captain and a former director of operations at the US Pacific Command's Joint Intelligence Center.

Flying Aircraft Carriers: the words capture the imagination: And yet, the idea seems to have never really been taken to its natural conclusion. Could the US Air Force make this a reality? How would Russia and China feel about it?

As the United States shifts its posture away from ongoing counter-terror operations and back toward great power competition with nations like China, the U.S. is being forced to reassess its aircraft carrier force projection strategy. If U.S.

carriers find themselves on the sideline for such a conflict, it may be worth revisiting the idea of ​​a different kind of aircraft carrier: the flying kind. The U.S. Air Force ultimately did away with the concept thanks to the advent of mid-air refueling, which dramatically increased the operational range of all varieties of aircraft and made a flying aircraft carrier concept a less cost-effective solution.

After lackluster performance in a series of Naval exercises, the Akron would crash on April 4, 1933, killing all 76 people on board. Just weeks later, on April 21, its sister ship, the USS Macon, would take its first flight.

Two years later, it too would crash, although only two of its 83 crew members would die. However, as you may have already guessed, it was that vast presence that also created the rigid airship's massive weakness: it was susceptible to being shot down by even the simplest of enemy aircraft.

England was the first nation to try to offset this weakness by building an apparatus that could carry and deploy three Sopwith Camel biplanes beneath the ship's hull. They ultimately built four of these 23-class Vickers rigid airships, but all were decommissioned by the 1920s.

The U. S. Navy's Bureau of Aeronautics took notice of the concept, however, and set about construction on its own inflatable airships, with both the USS Akron (ZRS-4) and USS Macon (ZRS-5) serving as flying aircraft carriers.

Last year, South Korea hinted at its interest in an aircraft carrier, saying it would build a “multi-purpose large transport vessel.” But in its national plan for 2021-2025, published this week, the government for the first time explicitly committed to building the billion-dollar equipment.

The idea behind the Boeing 747 AAC (Airborne Aircraft Carrier) was simple in theory, but incredibly complex in practice. Boeing would specially design and build fighter aircraft that were small enough to be housed within the 747, along with an apparatus that would allow the large plane to carry the fighters a long distance, drop them where they were needed to fight, and then recover them

once again. Although we very rarely see rigid inflatable airships in service to national militaries today, things were much different in the early 20th century. Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin's airships (dubbed "Zeppelins") were proving themselves to be a useful military platform thanks to their fuel efficiency, range, and heavy payload capabilities.

These massive airships were not only cost-effective, their gargantuan size also offered an added military benefit: their vast looming presence could be extremely intimidating to the enemy. The carrier's two nuclear reactors, housed in a heavily-armored, heavily restricted area in the middle of the ship, generate loads of high-pressure steam to rotate fan blades inside the turbine.

The fans turn the turbine shaft, which rotates the screw propellers to push the ship forward, while massive rudders steer the ship. The propulsion system boasts something in excess of 280,000 horsepower (the Navy doesn't release exact numbers).

Lockheed-Martin says their short takeoff and vertical landing capability allows them to operate from roads or small airports as well as ships – meaning they can be closer to the battlefront and have a quicker turnaround time on missions than conventional fighter aircraft.

In January, DARPA successfully launched a Dynetics' X-61A Gremlin UAV from the bay of a Lockheed Martin C-130A cargo aircraft. The program aims to demonstrate the effectiveness of low-cost combat-capable drones that can be both deployed and recovered from cargo planes.

DARPA envisions using cargo planes like the C-130 to deploy these drones while still outside of enemy air defenses; allowing the drones to go on and engage targets before returning to the airspace around the "mother ship" to be recaptured and carried home for service or repairs.

"Cost and benefit analysis really needs to occur. Is it worth it to invest this kind of money?” Chun said. "Another aspect to this cost is, if we invest in this capability, are we not going to divert from other prioritized capability?"

The airships were built with an apparatus that could not only deploy F9C-2 Curtiss Sparrowhawk biplanes, they could also recover them once again mid-flight. The airships and aircraft fell under the Navy's banner, and the intent was to use the attached bi-planes for both reconnaissance (ship spotting) and defense, but not necessarily for offensive operations.

The idea was similar to that of the later proposal from Boeing, carrying the fighters internally to extend their operational range and then deploying them via a lowering boom, where they could serve as protection for the bomber, reconnaissance assets, or even execute offensive operations of

their own before returning to the B-36 for recovery. The B-36 had a massive wingspan. At 230 feet, the wings of the Peacemaker dwarf even the B-52's 185-foot wingspan. In its day, it was one of the largest aircraft ever to take to the sky.

Despite it's incredible capabilities, the B-36 never once flew an operational mission, but the massive size and range of the platform prompted the Air Force to consider its use as a flying aircraft carrier, using Republic YRF-84F Ficon "parasitic" fighters as

the bomber's payload. Before placing a superlift module into the ship, the construction crew assembles its steel body and hooks up almost all wiring and plumbing. Then they use a giant bridge crane to lift the module and lower it precisely into its proper position inside the ship;

then they weld it to the surrounding modules. Near the end of construction, the crew joins the last module, the 575-ton island, to the flight deck. China's arsenal of hypersonic anti-ship missiles have created an area denial bubble that would prevent American carriers from sailing close enough to Chinese shores to launch sorties, effectively neutering America's ability to conduct offensive operations against the Chinese mainland.

Without the ability to leverage the U.S. Navy's attack aircraft, combat operations in the Pacific would be extremely difficult. It is, however, possible (though potentially impractical) to develop and deploy flying aircraft carriers for such a conflict - the United States has even experimented with the concept a number of times in the past, and is continuing to pursue the idea today.

The test showed that a drone could be deployed by the C-130, but the drone itself was ultimately destroyed when its parachute failed to open after the completion of an hour-and-a-half flight. A subsequent test that would include drone capture was slated for the spring of this year, but has likely been delayed due to the outbreak of COVID-19.

Initial plans called for using the massive cargo aircraft Lockeed C-5 Galaxy, but as Boeing pointed out at the time, the 747 actually offered superior range and endurance when flying with a full payload. According to Boeing's proposal, the 747 could be properly equipped to carry as much as 883,000 pounds.

Between the success of this test and other drone wingman programs like Skyborg, the concept of a flying aircraft carrier has seen a resurgence in recent years, and may potentially finally become a common facet of America's air power.

The Skunkworks at Lockheed Martin have been responsible for some of the most incredible aircraft ever to take flight, from the high-flying U-2 Spy Plane to the fastest military jet ever, the SR-71. But even those incredible aircraft seem downright plain in comparison to Lockheed's proposal to build an absolutely massive, nuclear powered, flying aircraft carrier–the CL-1201.

This massive bomber weighed in at an astonishing 410,000 pounds when fully loaded with fuel and ordnance (thanks to its large fuel reserves and 86,000 weapon capacity). Development of the B-36 began in 1941, thanks to a call for an aircraft that was capable of taking off from the U.S., bombing Berlin with conventional or atomic ordnance, and returning without having to refuel.

By the time the B-36 made it into the air, however, World War II had already been over for more than a year. The planes come with software suites which, in theory, allow them to communicate in real time in battle not only among South Korean forces, but also with other nations operating F-35s, such as the US, Japan and Australia, which has the F

-35A model. The USS Ford is the most advanced aircraft carrier the US has ever built. The tally for the total cost is $13.3 billion, nearly 30% more than initial estimates. However, more costs are expected.

The Navy accepted the Ford in 2017 without some of its newest technologies operating, and the ship still won't be completely ready for battle until 2022. The Boeing 747 has already secured its place in the pantheon of great aircraft, from its immense success as a passenger plane to its varied governmental uses like being a taxi for the Space Shuttle or as a cargo aircraft.

The 747 has proven itself to be an extremely capable aircraft for a wide variety of applications, so it seemed logical when, in the 1970s, the U.S. Air Force began experimenting with the idea of ​​converting one of these large aircraft into a flying aircraft carrier full of "parasite" fighters that could be deployed, and even recovered, in mid-air.

The proposal called for an aircraft that weighed 5,265 tons. In order to get that much weight aloft, the design included a 1,120 foot wingspan, with a fuselage that would measure 560 feet (or about two and a half times that of a 747).

It would have been 153 feet high, making it stand as tall as a 14-story building. According to Lockheed, they could put this massive bird in the sky using just four huge turbofan engines which would be powered by regular jet fuel below 16,000 feet, where it would then switch to nuclear power courtesy of its on-board reactor.

The flying aircraft carrier could then stay aloft without refueling for as long as 41 days, even while maintaining a high subsonic cruising speed of Mach 0.8 at around 30,000 feet. Unlike the old oil-boiler carriers, modern nuclear carriers don't have to refuel regularly.

In fact, they can go 15 to 20 years without refueling. The trade-offs are a more expensive power plant, a longer, more complicated refueling process (it takes several years) and the added risk of a nuclear disaster at sea.

To minimize the risk of such a catastrophe, the reactors inside a supercarrier are heavily shielded and closely monitored. The four onboard turbines also generate electricity to power the ship's various electrical and electronic systems. This includes an onboard desalination plant that can turn 400,000 gallons (~1,500,000 liters) of saltwater into drinkable freshwater every day -- that's enough for 2,000 homes.

The giant aircraft would carry a crew of 845 and would be able to deploy 22 multirole fighters from docking pylons installed on the wings. It would also maintain a small internal hangar bay for repairs and aircraft service while flying.

Unsurprisingly, this design did not make it past the proposal stage, but the concept itself stands as a historical anomaly that continues to inspire renewed attention to this day. Since the 1950s, almost all U.S. supercarriers have been constructed at Northrop Grumman Newport News in Newport News, Virginia.

To make the construction process more efficient, most of each supercarrier is assembled in separate modular pieces called superlifts. Each superlift may contain many compartments (rooms), spanning multiple decks, and they can weigh anywhere from 80 to 900 tons (~70 to 800 metric tons).

The supercarrier is made up of almost 200 separate superlifts.

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Beta Aircraft Stock

Beta Aircraft Stock - The aerospace & defense stocks are a diverse group of companies, but they are all united by their exposure to the aerospace and defense industries. These companies provide products and services that are essential to the functioning of the aerospace and defense industries and are, therefore, a key part of the global economy.

There are a number of reasons for the rise of orbital aerospace companies. First, the traditional aerospace companies have been mired in bureaucracy and slow to innovate. Second, the market for spacecraft is growing rapidly, thanks to the rise of commercial spaceflight and the growth of the satellite industry. Third, the orbital aerospace companies are led by visionary entrepreneurs who are unafraid to take risks.

Beta Aircraft Stock

Spirit AeroSystems (NYSE: SPR) is a smaller aerospace company, but it is also a leading supplier of components to the industry. The company is involved in producing fuselages, wings, and other aircraft parts, and it has a strong presence in the global market.

Aerospace Stock Index

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An aerospace stock index is a tool used by investors to measure the performance of stocks in the aerospace industry. The aerospace industry is a highly competitive and globalized industry, and the stock prices of companies in this sector can be volatile. The aerospace stock index can be used to track the performance of stocks in this sector and to make investment decisions.

The aerospace industry is highly capital-intensive, and companies must constantly invest in new technologies and products to stay competitive. This means that aerospace stocks are often a volatile investment but one with the potential for high returns.

Boeing (NYSE: BA) is the largest aerospace company in the world, and it is a popular choice for investors who want exposure to the sector. Boeing is a diversified company, and it is involved in both commercial and military aircraft production. The company also has a strong presence in the space industry and is a leader in the production of satellites and other space-related equipment.

Why Did This Happen?

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The aerospace stock index is made up of companies that are involved in the design, manufacture, and sale of aircraft and spacecraft parts. These companies are located in countries all over the world, and the index includes both large and small companies. The index is a market-weighted index, meaning that the stocks in the index are weighted according to their market capitalization.

If you are looking for stocks that are well positioned to maintain their recent uptrend, Piper Sandler Companies (PIPR) could be a great choice. It is one of the several stocks that passed through our "Recent Price Strength" screen.

Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) is another large aerospace company that is a leader in the production of military aircraft. The company also produces missiles, satellites, and other defense-related products. Lockheed Martin has a long history of dividend payments and is a good choice for income-oriented investors.

Piper Sandler Companies Piper Is A Great Choice For Trend Investors Here's Why

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The aerospace industry is dominated by a few large firms. The three largest firms in the industry are Boeing (NYSE: BA), Airbus (EPA: AIR), and Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT). These three firms account for more than half of the global market for aircraft and spacecraft.

Aerospace stocks are a type of equity that represents ownership in companies that design, develop, and manufacture aircraft, spacecraft, satellites, and related technologies. The aerospace industry is a critical driver of innovation and economic growth, and aerospace stocks offer investors the opportunity to participate in this growth.

© 2023 Market data provided is at least 10-minutes delayed and hosted by Barchart Solutions. Information is provided 'as-is' and solely for informational purposes, not for trading purposes or advice, and is delayed. To see all exchange delays and terms of use please see Barchart's disclaimer.

Aerospace Stock Market Share

When considering an investment in an aerospace and defense ETF, there are a few things to keep in mind. First, it's important to look at the holdings of the ETF to make sure it's well diversified. The sector is dominated by a few large companies, so an ETF that only holds a few stocks is likely to be more volatile than one with a broader range of holdings.

In addition, it's worth taking a look at the expense ratio of the ETF. Aerospace and defense stocks tend to be less volatile than the overall market over a long time period so a higher expense ratio could eat into your returns.

Finally, it's worth considering how the ETF is structured. Some ETFs invest directly in stocks, while others use derivatives to gain exposure to the sector. If you're worried about the potential for a sudden drop in the value of the ETF, you might want to consider an ETF that uses derivatives.

The iShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF (BATS: ITA) is another popular choice for investors looking to get exposure to the aerospace and defense industry. It tracks the Dow Jones U.S. Select Aerospace & Defense Index.

Aerospace Stocks Explained

Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) is the third largest firm in the aerospace industry, with a market share of around 10%. The company is headquartered in the United States and has a strong presence in Europe and Asia.

Orbital aerospace companies are those that focus on the design, manufacture, and operation of spacecraft and related technologies. Unlike the traditional aerospace companies, which primarily focus on aircraft that fly in the earth's inner atmosphere, orbital aerospace companies are looking to the stars for their growth.

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The aerospace & defense stocks are a group of stocks that represent companies involved in the aerospace and defense industries. These companies provide products and services related to designing, developing, manufacturing, and supporting aircraft, spacecraft, missiles, weapons, and other systems and technologies for military, commercial, and other applications.

Orbital Aerospace Stocks

Apkudo, the leader in supply chain automation for connected devices, announced today that they have closed $37.5 million in Series C funding in an oversubscribed round co-led by Closed Loop Partners' Leadership Fund and Piper Sandler Merchant Banking with the participation from new and existing investors including MissionOG, Harbert Growth, Grotech Ventures, Lavrock Ventures, and Point Field Partners. During 2022, Apkudo continued its rapid growth and doubled revenue as industry players increasi

The consolidation of the aerospace industry has had a number of impacts. First, it has led to increased competition between the leading firms. This has resulted in higher prices for aircraft and spacecraft. Second, it has led to a reduction in the number of suppliers in the market, which has made it more difficult for new firms to enter the market. Third, it has led to increased concentration of power within the industry, with the three largest firms now accounting for a much larger share of the market.

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The sector is also impacted by geopolitical events. Tensions between countries can lead to increases in defense spending, which in turn benefits the sector. Conversely, periods of peace typically lead to cuts in defense spending, which weigh on the sector.

Aerospace Defense Stocks

The consolidation of the aerospace industry is likely to continue in the future. The leading firms are likely to continue to invest in new technologies and approaches to aircraft design and manufacturing. They are also likely to continue to consolidate their position in the market.

The most important thing to understand about orbital aerospace companies is that they are still in the early stages of their development. They are small, nimble, and hungry relative to companies in other sectors of the economy. They are also unencumbered by the legacy systems and processes that bog down the traditional aerospace companies. As a result, they are able to move quickly and innovate rapidly.

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The SPDR S&P Aerospace & Defense ETF (NYSEARCA: XAR) is one of the largest and most popular aerospace ETFs. It tracks the S&P Aerospace & Defense Select Industry Index, which is made up of companies involved in the aerospace and defense industry.

Apkudo Secures $ Million In Series C Funding Accelerating Growth Of Its Circular Industry Platform For Connected Devices

The aerospace industry has undergone significant consolidation in recent years. The three largest firms now account for a much larger share of the market than they did in the past. This consolidation has been driven by a number of factors, including the need to compete in a global market, the need to invest in new technologies, and the need to reduce costs.

BETA promotes a culture of safety and simplicity.  The need for the highest levels of safety and robustness in the aircraft is serviced by elegant redundancy, appropriate diversity of implementation, and simplicity of control.  BETA Team Members achieve their goals by removing every unnecessary element.

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Blackfly Aircraft Range

Blackfly Aircraft Range - The company says that in the U.S., the single-seat "personal aerial vehicle" is categorized as an ultralight, for which no pilot license is required. Transport Canada has designated the aircraft as a basic ultralight, for which an ultralight pilot license is required. With a maximum gross takeoff weight of 313 pounds, BlackFly exceeds the weight limit for an ultralight in the U.S. Opener says that it has been categorized as an "amphibious ultralight" for which the weight limit is higher.

“As a kid,” he says, “I already envisioned what it would be like to have an aircraft that could seamlessly do a vertical takeoff, fly, and land again without any encumbrances whatsoever.” It was a vision that never left him, from a mechanical-engineering degree at the University of Toronto, management jobs in the aerospace industry, starting a company and making a pile of money by inventing a new kind of memory foam, and then retiring in 1996 at the age of 36.

Blackfly Aircraft Range

So who told you the Opener Blackfly may not qualify as an ultralight? At 354 pounds empty compared to other ultralights means it does qualify. Avoiding politics is what the FAA usually does by focusing on the facts compared to other government agencies; having followed the FAA for a life time; 50 plus years. Or, someone is leading you astray. Or someone at the FAA is leading Opener astray! Can you tell us which it is? Probably over 20 existing ultralights and maybe over 40 existing ultralights; why your thought "may not qualify" is offensive.

Designing An Evtol From First Principles

Hope you realize that is only the range because it qualifies as an ultralight when and if the government changes the regulation for flying vtols the range will change.. I’m sure 60 miles would be no problem!

It is just what I need. I have to drive 45 minutes to get to the airport where I can my real airplane that will haul real people 100+nm at real flight speeds (140KTAS or better) at altitude. So, flying direct, puts me there in about 15 minutes flying direct (which I can do in MVFR — and basically fly a contact approach).

There are not many conventional used VTOL’s out there that don’t require nothing short of helicopter pilot certification. Although pricey, a Blackfly like craft, might well allow anyone with maybe more money than they know what to do with, to fly. More scary than cool.

The company’s long-term vision is to integrate the new vehicles into a rural-urban commuting network, officials explained. These networks would be powered by renewable energy sources requiring only a fraction of the transportation energy used currently, they add.

Advanced Air Mobility For Everybody

BlackFly is a recreational VTOL that is designed for pleasure operations and a concept demonstrator for future technologies. Opener is the parent company; heavily funded by Larry Page of the Google Enterprise. Because the BlackFly meets Transport Canada Ultralight categorizations, it does not require certification to be operated in specified Canadian airspace. However, the BlackFly is not yet flying in the United States as the certification requirements and classifications for ultralights differ.

Also a dangerous one, inasmuch as within an urban environment such as the greater L.A.-Orange County Megalopolis you won’t be traveling in a straight line, but rather directed to follow a circuitous route around any number of obstacles such as finals, closed airspace, etc. In that case, that 25mi range/half-hour endurance is cutting things too close for comfort. The Beach Cities/South Bay might only be 10-15 miles to, say, downtown L.A., but I guarantee you the flight path is much longer.

In March 2020, while few details have been released since 2019, the company stated in a Twitter post that it has been busy refining manufacturing processes and vehicle design to be more robust and efficient for future demand. No timeline has been released, and as of early 2021, no new details have surfaced.

“OPENER is re-energizing the art of flight with a safe and affordable flying vehicle that can free its operators from the everyday restrictions of ground transportation,” said Marcus Leng, CEO. “We will offer competitive pricing in an endeavor to democratize three-dimensional personal transportation. Safety has been our primary driving goal in the development of this new technology. OPENER will be introducing this innovation in a controlled and responsible manner. Even though not required by FAA regulations, BlackFly operators will be required to successfully complete the FAA Private Pilot written examination and also complete company-mandated vehicle familiarization and operator training.”

Blackfly flew four times at Oshkosh. Each time, it took off, flew a few hundred yards over a grassy area between the runways, and then returned to the original spot, landing gently on its keel, before tilting to one side.

The California company expects to sell up to 25 of its ultralight category, computer-operated aircraft before the end of this year. Its website says that when Blackfly goes into mass production, “it will [sell for] the price of an SUV.” Then it adds a slight disclaimer: “We are vague about the price so as not to overpromise.”

But 2023 looks to be a pivotal year for eVTOLs. Several well-funded startups are expected to reach important early milestones in the certification process. And the company Leng founded, Opener, could beat all of them by making its first deliveries—which would also be the first for any maker of an eVTOL.

The FAA is going through rule changes for FAA Part 103 called MOSAIC; and is due out in August 2023. The Part 103 expansion should include all existing ultralights plus use in populated areas because the Opener Blackfly has a wing span of 13 feet 7 inches; or is street legal in most if not all states. I want to hangar a Blackfly in my back garage; and leave and return to my back yard. I have an open area about 40 feet by 40 feet; with around 1000 flying hours with commercial and instrument rating.

Opener vehicles will be on display at the 2018 EAA AirVenture Oshkosh, from July 23 to July 29, 2018. The public is invited to view the vehicles in the Innovation Building, booths IC-12A and 13A, and also experience three-dimensional flight by operating the vehicles in a virtual reality simulation, company officials said.

Then consider that the hysterics and NIMBYs will doubtless clutch their chests and roll their eyes about the next door neighbour who takes off and lands in his driveway, whining that it gives them headaches or similar complaints. ( Add to that class-envy driven complaints while you’re at it.) Ditto it landing on, say, a rooftop parking structure. Worst First thinking will doubtless meet municipal cowardice and ignorance plus liability concerns to ban them in certain (or most) urban areas except airports – said airports such as Santa Monica being under attack BTW – thus negating the benefits of being able to fly directly to the office. (The fact that it can be trailered and assembled elsewhere is a tacit admission of that by the manufacturer, that you’ll have to haul it out of town just to use it.)

Founder Marcus Leng achieved first flight with a prototype eVTOL aircraft in October 2011 at his then-headquarters in Warkworth, Canada. In September 2014, the company was restructured as Opener and relocated most of its operations to Palo Alto, California. The company said the aircraft would be available for purchase in 2019, but that had yet to happen as of early 2020.

The motors started out generating 160 newtons (36 pounds) of static thrust. It was way too low. “I actually tried to purchase motors and motor controllers from companies that manufactured those, and I specifically asked them to customize those motors for me, by suggesting a number of changes,” he says. “I was told that, no, those changes won’t work.”

But as he looked to set his craft down, he saw a wing starting to dig into his lawn. “Uh-oh, this is not good,” he thought. “The aircraft is going to spin out of control. But what instead happened was the propulsion systems revved up and down so rapidly that as the aircraft did that skidding turn, that wing corner just dragged along my lawn exactly in the direction I was holding the aircraft, and then came to a stable landing,” says Leng. At that point, he knew that such an aircraft was viable “because to have that sort of an interference in the aircraft and for the control systems to be able to control it was truly remarkable.”

Today, some 350 organizations in 48 countries are designing, building, or flying eVTOLs, according to the Vertical Flight Society. These companies are fueled by more than US $7 billion and perhaps as much as $10 billion in startup funding. And yet, 11 years after Leng’s flight, no eVTOLs have been delivered to customers or are being produced at commercial scale. None have even been certified by a civil aviation authority in the West, such as the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration or the European Union Aviation Safety Agency.

The BlackFly is a recreational air vehicle that carries a single passenger/operator. The BlackFly features eight rotors spread over two wings, and does not require a pilot's license to operate due to the augmentation of its control system.

“So, take off, flew about 6 feet above the ground, pitched the aircraft towards my wife and the two couples that were there, who were behind automobiles for protection, and decided to do a skidding stop in front of them. Nobody had an idea that this was going to be happening,” recalls Leng.

The aircraft resembles two boat hulls, one forming the bottom, the other inverted to form the top, with a bubble canopy in the middle for the single person Blackfly carries. Attached to the shell are two wings—one in front and the other at the rear—each holding four electrically powered propellers.

Overall, the 2-kilogram motors are capable of sustaining 20 kilowatts, for a power density of 10 kilowatts per kilogram, Leng says. It’s an extraordinary figure. One of the few motor manufacturers claiming a density in that range is H3X Technologies, which says its HPDM-250 clocks in at 12 kw/kg.

Created for the US recreational sport-vehicle market, Blackfly operates under Part 103 of the federal air regulations. That comes with a few restrictions. As an ultralight, Blackfly can weigh no more than 254 pounds and may not be flown at night or anywhere near populated areas.

Equipped with these sophisticated flight controllers, the fly-by-wire BlackFly is similar in that regard to the hobbyist drones that rely on processors and clever algorithms to avoid the tricky manipulations of sticks, levers, and pedals required to fly a traditional fixed- or rotary-wing aircraft.

By layering the steel of the rotor, Leng was able to greatly reduce its heat generation, because the thinner layers of steel limited the eddy currents in the steel that create heat. Less heat meant he could use higher-strength neodymium magnets, which would otherwise become demagnetized. Finally, he rearranged those magnets into a configuration called a Halbach array. In the end Leng’s motors were able to produce 609 newtons (137 lbs.) of thrust.

According to Opener, the BlackFly prototype has flown more than 23,000 miles and more than 2,300 flights with a full payload since first flight in August 2014. The full-length propulsion system has completed 40,000 flight cycles.

Also, Opener touts the Blackfly as the perfect vehicle to commute from the country to the city. At only 25mi, the range simply isn’t there. 60 miles would be more like it, a range not available on either the U.S. or European model.

Ed Lu, a former NASA astronaut and executive at Google, sits on Opener’s safety-review board. He says what impressed him most when he first met the BlackFly team was “the fact that they had based their entire development around testing. They had a wealth of flight data from flying this vehicle in a drone mode, an unmanned mode.” Having all that data was key. “They could make their decisions based not on analysis, but after real-world operations,” Lu says, adding that he is particularly impressed by Opener’s ability to manage all the flight data. “It allows them to keep track of every aircraft, what sensors are in which aircraft, which versions of code, all the way down to the flights, to what happened in each flight, to videos of what’s happening.” Lu thinks this will be a huge advantage once the aircraft is released into the “real” world.

The fundamental challenge to designing a vertical-takeoff aircraft is endowing it with both vertical lift and efficient forward cruising. Most eVTOL makers achieve this by physically tilting multiple large rotors from a vertical rotation axis, for takeoff, to a horizontal one, for cruising. But the mechanism for tilting the rotors must be extremely robust, and therefore it inevitably adds substantial complexity and weight. Such tilt-rotors also entail significant compromises and trade-offs in the size of the rotors and their placement relative to the wings.

Opener’s strategy is not without risks, either. For one, there’s no guarantee that the FAA will ultimately agree that Opener’s aircraft, called BlackFly, qualifies as an ultralight. And not everyone is happy with this approach. “My concern is, these companies that are saying they can be ultralights and start flying around in public are putting at risk a $10 billion [eVTOL] industry,” says Mark Moore, founder and chief executive of Whisper Aero in Crossville, Tenn. “Because if they crash, people won’t know the difference” between the ultralights and the passenger eVTOLs, he adds. “To me, that’s unacceptable.” Previously, Moore led a team at NASA that designed a personal-use eVTOL and then served as engineering director at Uber’s Elevate initiative.

As of late October, the company had built at its facility in Palo Alto, Calif., roughly 70 aircraft—considerably more than are needed for simple testing and evaluation. It had flown more than 30 of them. And late in 2022, the company had begun training a group of operators on a state-of-the-art virtual-reality simulator system.

“The main objective behind this was proof of concept,” he says.“I had to prove it to myself, because up until that point, they were just equations on a piece of paper. I had to get to the point where I knew that this could be practical.”

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