Airbus has announced the selection of Eaton and Crouzet to provide the EPDS and the human-machine interface of CityAirbus NextGen, respectively.
“The providers’ valuable experience in electrical power management and flight deck controls will ensure the seamless integration of the two subsystems into the prototype’s architecture” the company says and adds “Additionally, as key contributors to the aircraft’s performance levels, reliability, and safety, the two parts will have an important impact on the vehicle’s capabilities.”
Stefan Hedtstück, Head of UAM procurement at Airbus, said: “Eaton and Crouzet bring a unique mix of aviation expertise to our journey with CityAirbus NextGen. From full electrification to advanced ways of piloting, they are key partners in our mission to develop our eVTOL for air mobility.”
According to the press release “As the provider of CityAirbus NextGen’s electrical power distribution system, Eaton has mobilised its teams to create an optimal solution to deliver electrical power from the Airbus-designed batteries to CityAirbus NextGen’s eight electrical power units. The power distribution system ensures that the eVTOL is flying safely, by compensating for any reduction of battery performance in flight.
“Crouzet, which will equip CityAirbus NextGen’s flight deck with the piloting control device, has developed a whole new human-machine interface concept that complies with the most stringent requirements for size, weight and safety: the pilot will manage the trajectory of the vehicle rather than the attitude of the aircraft. The actual control action on the propellers is then managed by the advanced flight control system. The new piloting interface radically simplifies flying and thus reduces pilot workload.”
For more information
https://www.airbus.com/en/newsroom/stories/2023-01-driving-mobility-into-the-third-dimension
(Image: Airbus)