AltoVolo eVTOL Prototype Makes First Flight AltoVolo is another eVTOL company that is not well known but published its design for a new eVTOL but since then we have not heard much about the company's progression on anything substantial by way of development of a program...until now. The company has been quietly working behind the scenes and now has built and fielded a prototype of their Sigma eVTOL project.
That prototype is represented by a 1/4 scale specimen. However, the future full-scale Sigma eVTOL when it comes into service is estimated to be one of the faster eVTOLs in existence. A top speed of 220 mph is being cited along with an impressive range of 500 miles. These are still provisional specs and as the program continues to develop and mature, the performance figures could shift.
The cabin has now morphed from a three-seat cabin and now is a two-seat version. The change is for a specific purpose mainly in terms of widening the cadre of pilots that could fly this aircraft. Operators holding a Sport Pilot certificate and just 25 hours of training will be able to fly the AltoVolo during the day and with fair weather conditions. The lifting architecture appearance has also changed with the original ducted electric fans being replaced by open rotors like most eVTOLs currently. Below we can see when the initial design had the closed ducted electric fans.
Once they have validated the parameters with the sub-scale craft AltoVolo will head in the direction of the full-scale prototype which will then provide real world and closer metrics to the final customer aircraft. However, AltoVolo has not suggested a timeline for the full-scale demonstrator. Of course this is still early in the developmental stage as well. Important maturation milestones like transition flight tests still have to be done as well as final certification hurdles. Additionally, the scaling up of manufacturing for the aircraft to customers would have to also be identified. For more information: AltoVolo Electric Boulevard, Battersea, London, SW11, U.K. www.altovolo.com ***
