Rolls-Royce is preparing to power the Urban Air Mobility (UAM) aircraft, the flagship of Vertical Aerospace with its groundbreaking electrical technology.
The Urban Air Mobility aircraft, which will take off with the Rolls-Royce electrical power system, will reach a cruising speed of over 320 km per hour and will have the capacity to carry four passengers for 200 km. In addition to the work to be done, the Rolls-Royce electrical system, which is planned to be certified in 2024, is planned to be integrated into the fully electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft.
The collaboration with Vertical Aerospace is highly important for Rolls-Royce Electrical, as it is the first commercial deal in the Urban Air Mobility (UAM) market and is in addition to previous agreements with partners to work on test programs. In this context, Rolls-Royce will design the system architecture of all electric propulsion systems, the electric power system that includes the latest 100kW class lift and thrust electric drive units, the power distribution and monitoring system to support operations.
“We are delighted to partner with Vertical Aerospace for the electrical technology to power eVTOL aircraft,” said Rob Watson, Director of Rolls-Royce Electrical. With this exciting opportunity, we demonstrate our ambition to become the leading supplier of sustainable power systems for the new Urban Air Mobility market, with the potential to change the way people and cargo move from one city to another. ''
“We are excited to collaborate with Rolls-Royce, a highly experienced team with extensive expertise and cutting-edge electrical technologies, to power our eVTOL aircraft,” said Michael Cervenka, CEO of Vertical Aerospace. The cooperation realized is based on the foundations of our existing business partnerships. With this collaboration, Vertical Aerospace is well positioned to develop the world's leading eVTOL aircraft, certified to the highest CAA and EASA safety standards set worldwide. ” He shares his words.
Approximately 150 Rolls-Royce engineers working in Hungary, Germany, the USA and the UK will collaborate with Vertical Aerospace teams to develop the aircraft, which aims to be one of the world's first certified eVTOLs. Thanks to ongoing work, the process will begin with the assembly in the UK shortly after the construction of the VA-X4, and the first flight of the aircraft will take place this year. Accordingly, the Bristol-based Vertical Aerospace team had previously flown many full-scale eVTOL prototypes.
Electrification of the planned flight is an important part of Rolls-Royce's sustainability strategy, and will support the company's goals to achieve net zero carbon by 2050. The Rolls-Royce Electrical team, which will carry out studies in this context, consists of a team of experts who focus on developing sustainable, efficient and quieter technology for air, sea, land and industrial applications.
In addition to all this, Rolls-Royce recently announced a partnership with Tecnam and leading players in the aviation industry on the development of the P-Volt. The P-Volt aircraft to be developed thanks to the collaborations; It is a multi-purpose, short and medium-range passenger plane, powered by renewable energy, fully electrically powered, containing electric double engines. On the other hand, Rolls-Royce continues to develop highly electric aircraft solutions with integrated electric starter generators, auxiliary power units and smarter management of aircraft electrical systems thanks to its advanced technologies in traditional aviation segments.
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