“This is the next revolution in flying,”says Mark Henning, European managing director of AutoFlight, a Chinese firm. Mr Henning is not alone in betting that electric vertical(垂直的)take-off and landing(eVTOL)aircraft have a bright future. The idea is that, being simpler, cheaper, greener and quieter than traditional helicopters, eVTOLs will be well suited to operate short-range passenger services across large urban areas, such as flying people between airports and city centres.
Now, Mr Henning is setting up an operation at Augsburg Airport in Germany to further the development of Prosperity I, the company’s air taxi. Prosperity I can seat three passengers and a pilot. It is a hybrid between a helicopter and a fixed-wing plane. It takes off and lands vertically, using multiple rotors(旋翼), but these are switched off when it is in full flight. At that point a “pusher” propeller(螺旋桨)at the back takes over, to provide forward drive, and thus lit via the wings. This arrangement makes better use of the aircraft’s battery, giving Prosperity I a range of some 250 km.
A model will be test-flown in Germany in order to obtain what is known as a type certificate from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency(EASA). This signifies the airworthiness of a new aircraft. Although AutoFlight is also seeking certification in China, the company thinks the addition of European approval will help speed the machine’s entry into service in other markets, too. It hopes to complete the approval process by 2025.
There is uncertainty about how the rules will differ from place to place. Nonetheless, enough regulatory progress has been made. In America, Joby Aviation hopes next year to become the first to obtain a type certificate from the Federal Aviation Administration(FAA). In Europe, Volocopter, a German firm, hopes to provide air-taxi services for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
It is not only new firms which are getting into the business. Airbus is developing ideas for eVTOLs. So is Boeing. With so much effort and money going into this new form of air travel, some of these birds will surely be flying soon.
【小题1】What will eVTOLs be used to do?| A．Deliver goods in airports. | B．Carry passengers across cities. |
| C．Function as charging stations. | D．Replace traditional helicopters. |
| A．mixture | B．symbol |
| C．concept | D．application |
| A．Obtain a type certificate from the FAA. | B．Have it tested across the sky of America. |
| C．Tailor a set of rules as soon as possible. | D．Get it approved by European authorities. |
| A．A Role of eVTOL in Machine Industry | B．A Novel Form of Air Service in City |
| C．A New Version of Boeing’s Evolution | D．How to Win the Certificate from EASA |
