VTOL Volocopter demonstrated at Paris Air Forum
First flight in Paris underscores company’s anticipation of European deployment, and is proceeding through EASA certification
Two models of Volocopter’s electric vertical-take-off-and-landing (eVTOL) aircraft – the Volocopter 2X and VoloCity – were demonstrated at Le Bourget Airfield on 21 June during the Paris Flight Forum.
The three-minute demonstration included a 1,640-feet route for the 2X, flying at 98-feet height and traveling at speeds up to 18.6 miles per hour.
Florian Reuter, CEO of Volocopter, said: “The first flight in Paris highlights Volocopter’s commitment to bring air taxi services to this region in time for the 2024 Olympic Games.”
European certification underway
Volocopter remains confident with fulfilling the criteria for the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) certification process, being the only eVTOL developer that has received Design Organization Approval from EASA.
Volocopter has also positioned its suite of multicopters for air rescue, having published a 130-page feasibility study in 2018 on its suitability. German air rescue service ADAC Luftrettung, one of the partners in the 2018 study, has since reserved two VoloCity aircraft for use in emergency response scenarios.
Khai Trung Le
Khai Trung Le is Editor of AirMed&Rescue. He is an experienced science writer, having previously been embedded in Cardiff University College of Physical Sciences, Innovate UK research council, and the UK Institute of Material Sciences. His writing can also be found on Star Trek and Vice.