Airbus has put a marker down on the eVTOL industry after presenting — with great fanfare at its new test centre in the town of Donauwörth, Germany — a prototype of its electric CityAirbus NextGen. And to add spice to proceedings a proviso: a promise of a maiden flight later this year.
The two-tonne class CityAirbus has “a lift and cruise” concept; a wing span of close to 12 metres; a flight range of 80 km; and a cruise speed of 120 km/h making it well-suited for a variety of operations in major cities and suburbs.
The 10,700-sq. ft Donauwörth Centre is part of Airbus’ ongoing and long-term investment in Advanced Air Mobility (AAM), which will now be used for the remaining trials required before the prototype’s maiden flight.
These tests cover the electric motors with their eight rotors as well as the aircraft’s other systems such as flight controls and avionics.
Video credit: Airbus.
