New mobility: prospects and challenges

Aernnova is playing a key role in new air mobility.

But is there a future in the new air mobility, what expectations in terms of turnover or percentage of business are expected for the coming years, what technological challenges does it face?

There is a need to develop technologies associated with more efficient aircraft and reduce energy consumption, therefore the new aviation is born. An important role will be the development of eVTOLs where there are many companies, with a dozen leading companies in the world with different solutions, some of them will replace helicopters in short distances but what is clear is that it will be a new sustainable means of transport in the near future. The dates given by the main manufacturers are approaching and there is a lot of effort, work and money for certification and implementation to make this type of project a success. There is talk that this market could reach $30 billion by 2030. We are reading more and more news of airline agreements with these manufacturers that predict success in this type of product.

The % of business for Aernnova will come from the success of the sales campaign and production of this type of product.  This is a medium or long term career, they are not immediate projects, which provide significant work in production, although they are providing Aernnova with important work in engineering. 

Currently the design and prototypes where Aernnova is working position us positively for future development.

The traditional aviation industry has always sought weight efficiency for fuel savings, but currently there is a complementary additional push for the substitution of fossil fuel (kerosene) for other less polluting fuels such as SAF.  Current aircraft are prepared to operate on 50% SAF and by 2030, all manufacturers are aiming for 100%. Hydrogen as an energy vector, either for direct combustion or to generate electricity in fuel cells, can be part of future technological solutions and has an impact on the technological solutions of all aircraft systems, including the structure where Aernnova works mainly. Additionally, there are technologies associated with new electric platforms, with batteries, for advanced air mobility vehicles, drones, aerotaxis, electric airplanes of up to 20 passengers and reduced range that position the sector in the sustainability so demanded by all stakeholders.

Let’s talk about the different projects in which Aernnova plays a key role in the area of new air mobility:

1.- Lilium

In May 2022 Aernnova was selected by Lilium N.V., the company developing the all-electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, to design and manufacture the propulsion support system for the Lilium Jet.

This is the engine support system or “flap,” the wing and canard structure, one of the key components of the Lilium Jet that provides lift by interacting with the engine’s airflow. It also houses the vectoring propulsion systems, responsible for vertical and horizontal flight. Electric motors integrated into the wing flaps provide advantages in payload, aerodynamic efficiency and reduced engine noise level, while providing thrust vector control to maneuver the Lilium Jet in every phase of flight.

The overall project with our client has been developed during the second half of 2022 and throughout 2023, with an average of approximately 25 product engineering resources (Aernnova Engineering Division (AED) offices in Madrid and Vitoria) along with tooling manufacturing engineering, and manufacturing of composite parts (ICSA, subsidiary of Aernnova Group in Toledo), metal parts (Burulan company in Vitoria, and Aerometallic Tarazona) and assembly of prototypes with the involvement of ICSA (Toledo) and Aernnova Aerostructures Alava.

This program has shown the great capacity of Aernnova to take on highly demanding programs of concurrent engineering between design, tooling and manufacturing of composite and metallic parts. All this achieved by the involvement of companies of different technologies of the Aernnova group.

Technologically the great challenge of this project is the weight requirement, the fairings of the 30 electric motors must accommodate many systems, mechanisms and wiring, which lead to a very fine design of great demands, almost a “watchmaking” project. 

The plans of our customer Lilium are being fulfilled, the first milestone in November 23rd with the start of the final assembly at their facilities in Wessling (Germany) is already a reality. We have moved from the design phase to the industrialization phase.

Important future milestones are the first flight in the second half of 2024 and series entry in 2025.

2.- Heart Aerospace.

Aernnova was contracted by Heart Aerospace in 2021 to co-design the airframe for the new ES-30 aircraft (previously ES-19, but they have expanded it to 30 seats), a hybrid electric aircraft designed to accommodate 30 passengers on short-haul regional routes.  We are currently still in the conceptual design phase. The AED´s offices involved are Zamudio and Vitoria with approximately 30 engineers on average for 1 year. The challenge of this program is to integrate the batteries and the hybrid propulsion system into the structure.

3.- Overture (Boom Supersonic)

Aernnova will participate in the design and development of the wing of the supersonic aircraft, which is one of the most specialized components and requires high-level technical capabilities. The wings of the Overture are designed to improve supersonic performance as well as subsonic and transonic handling. The wings are structurally thinner than typical subsonic wings to reduce drag, allowing the aircraft to travel efficiently at higher speeds. Aernnova is joining the project because of its technical engineering capabilities and expertise, as well as its in-depth knowledge of state-of-the-art composite materials. Aernnova will provide product engineering and manufacturing services for the preliminary design of this disruptive model to enable its subsequent progression to the certification and production phases.

The major technological challenges are: The heating motivated by shock waves in flight, together with the thin profile, but large surface area of the wing, imply technological challenges in new designs, materials and manufacturing processes.

During 2024 the project will be worked on from AED’s offices in Zamudio and Vitoria, currently estimating 60 people in a year and a half of work. 

This supersonic model aims to change the travel experience for passengers around the world by designing and building the first fully sustainable supersonic aircraft (SAF), silent and safe. The time savings over current commercial aircraft, a key feature of supersonic aircraft, together with the quest for a more efficient aircraft that can translate into greater profitability for airlines, make it significantly different from the historic Concorde aircraft of the 1960s.