Volocopter takes to the skies with Volocopter 2X at EAA AirVenture
UAM company successfully conducts first U.S. public manned test flight of an eVTOL in the U.S., with a goal to bring electric flights to cities globally in the next two to three years.
The Volocopter 2X during a rehearsal flight leading up to the EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh. Photo Credit: Volocopter
On July 27, urban air mobility (UAM) company Volocopter GbmH (Bruschal, Germany) flew its Volocopter 2X — which most likely incorporates composite materials like the VoloCity — at the Experimental Aircraft Association’s (EAA) AirVenture 2021 in Wisconsin. The Volocopter 2X flight was what the company says is the first public crewed test flight of a fully electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) air taxi in the U.S. This successful flight marks a key milestone in Volocopter’s plan to raise awareness of air taxis among populations around the globe and is critical to the long-term success of delivering advanced air mobility (AAM) and UAM solutions.
The crewed Volocopter 2X took off at 2:45 p.m. CST for a four-minute flight at about 160 feet and a top speed of 18 miles per hour over Wittman Regional Airport as part of EAA’s AirVenture aviation celebration. Event attendees were able to watch the Volocopter 2X fly and take a seat in the VoloCity model at Volocopter’s booth to experience these aircraft.
“Volocopter successfully conducting the first U.S. public manned test flight of an eVTOL company in the U.S. is a milestone for the industry and a reminder that our commercial launch is fast approaching,” says Florian Reuter, Volocopter CEO. “We can talk about our lead in certification, low noise emissions and global partnerships all we want, but nothing shows just how close we are to launch UAM as a service as does flying an air taxi in front of crowds and inviting people to sit in our aircraft. Air taxis are coming, and we are working to bring electric flights to cities around the globe in the next two to three years.”
Volocopter says it is the only eVTOL developer with a family of electric aircraft for passengers and goods. This aircraft family includes aircraft for both long and short distances within cities and beyond (VoloCity and VoloConnect air taxis and VoloDrone heavy-lift drone). Volocopter’s holistic approach to launching UAM services entails partnering with global industry leaders to offer the whole operating UAM ecosystem, including infrastructure and the digital backbone (VoloPort and VoloIQ) to integrate services into existing transport systems in cities.
In addition to a full-service solution, Volocopter claims it is the first and only eVTOL developer to hold Design Organisation Approval and Production Organisation Approval, two strategic certification approvals from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) to design and produce aircraft in-house. Once certified for commercial launch in Europe, Volocopter is positioned for concurrent type certification approvals in the U.S. from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), having applied earlier this year, and the civil aviation authority in Singapore (CAAS).
Volocopter has ten years of experience, more than 1,000 test flights and a track record of public flights in Paris (2021), Singapore (2019), Helsinki (2019) and Dubai (2017).
Additional pictures and footage of the flight are available in the Media Hub.
