Composites Use in Advanced Air Mobility
Urban air mobility (UAM), sometimes referred to as advanced air mobility (AAM), is a market that continues to evolve and mature. Aircraft of this genre are designed to perform one of two functions. One is to provide piloted or autonomous air taxi service, transporting people from point A to point B (heliport/airport-to-heliport/airport) over a distance of 25-400 kilometers, intracity or intercity. The second function is to provide autonomous cargo transport in similar environments.
Latest Advanced Air Mobility Articles
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Beta’s Alia eVTOL achieves piloted transition flight
Full transition from VTOL hover, to wing-borne cruise, and back to hover, prepares Beta for next steps in progressing its aircraft platforms.
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Lilium begins composite battery packs production for Lilium Jet
First units off the battery assembly line in Munich will be used for verification testing ahead of first piloted flight, targeted for end of 2024.
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EHang secures production certification from CAAC
With production, type and standard airworthiness certification under its belt the AAM company is cleared for mass production of the EH216-S.
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Archer successfully completes multiple battery pack drop tests for Midnight aircraft
Proprietary battery pack design integrated into a composite battery enclosure passed extreme impact scenario simulations, setting the stage for upcoming for-credit testing with the FAA.
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Stellantis increases strategic shareholding in Archer Aviation
Stellantis signals its continued confidence and partnership in the eVTOL company with the purchase of nearly 8.3 million shares.
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Joby acquires facility in Ohio, scales up eVTOL aircraft manufacture
Existing facility at Dayton International Airport will enable 500 eVTOLs per year, serving as Joby’s initial manufacturing footprint in the region.
Read MoreKnowledge Centers
Closed mold processes offer many advantages over open molding. This knowledge center details the basics of closed mold methods and the products and tools essential to producing a part correctly.
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Explore the cutting-edge composites industry, as experts delve into the materials, tooling, and manufacturing hurdles of meeting the demands of the promising advanced air mobility (AAM) market. Join us at CW Tech Days to unlock the future of efficient composites fabrication operations.
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Latest Advanced Air Mobility News And Updates
Airbus debuts CityAirbus NextGen eVTOL prototype
Unveiling coincided with the opening of the new CityAirbus test center in Donauwörth, Germany, ahead of the aircraft’s maiden flight later this year.
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Volocopter receives green light for VoloCity serial production
Production organization approval (POA) extension gives Volocopter the ability to design and produce the eVTOL aircraft in Bruchsal once it receives type certification.
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Eve Air Mobility brings on Aciturri, Crouzet as eVTOL suppliers
Pilot controls and wing components will be covered by Crouzet and Aciturri, respectively, as first prototype production begins.
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Joby to launch eVTOL aircraft service in the UAE
The all-electric aircraft company has been given exclusive rights to operate air taxis in Dubai by early 2026 for six years, in addition to other financial and operational support.
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UAMMI partners with AUVSI to promote advanced materials in AAM
A free, four-part educational series aims to bring awareness of composite materials’ advantages to the uncrewed systems and autonomy community.
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FAA grants Archer Part 145 certification
The eVTOL aircraft company is now authorized to perform specialized aircraft repair services on crucial aircraft components.
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Featured Posts
How composites have become a necessity
Composites used to be one of many material options across industries and applications, but that's not the case anymore.
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Plant tour: Joby Aviation, Marina, Calif., U.S.
As the advanced air mobility market begins to take shape, market leader Joby Aviation works to industrialize composites manufacturing for its first-generation, composites-intensive, all-electric air taxi.
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Composites opportunities in eVTOLs
As eVTOL OEMs seek to advance program certification, production scale-up and lightweighting, AAM’s penetration into the composites market is moving on an upward trajectory.
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Composites end markets: Aerospace (2023)
With COVID in the past and passengers flying again, commercial aircraft production is ramping up. The aerocomposites supply chain is busy developing new M&P for an approaching next-generation aircraft program.
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We're going to need a lot of propeller blades
As advanced air mobility expands and annual shipsets get into the thousands, the demand for composite propeller blades is expected to skyrocket. What are the implications for the composites supply chain?
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Overair's Butterfly eVTOL prototype to integrate composites-intensive design
Aiming for first flight tests in the latter half of 2023, Overair’s Butterfly aircraft uses Toray carbon fiber/epoxy prepreg strategically to cut weight on its battery-powered, quiet aircraft.
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FAQ: Advanced Air Mobility
What is urban air mobility?
- Urban air mobility (UAM), sometimes called advanced air mobility (AAM), is an emerging aerospace market. These aircraft can be piloted or autonomous, designed for cargo transport or as air taxis for transporting people intercity or intracity.
- Source: Composites end markets: Aerospace
What is an eVTOL?
Electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft are some of the first models to be developed for the urban air mobility market.
They are powered by electric propulsion (generally batteries), and are designed to take off and land vertically. These can include propeller-centric, helicopter-style aircraft as well as fixed-wing aircraft.
How are composites being used in urban air mobility?
UAM aircraft are in various stages of development. Most, if not all, are using composites to some extent for aircraft bodies, wings or other components. The focus has been on technologies that are already qualified for commercial aircraft use – such as hand layup and autoclave cure of prepreg carbon fiber/epoxy.
As progress continues, additional composite materials such as thermoplastic composites will likely become more widely used.
