Skyfly, producer of the Axe eVTOL, has announced it will work with electric aircraft charging company AeroVolt to conduct the UK’s first airfield-to-airfield eVTOL flight in 2024.
“The Axe eVTOL boasts an impressive range of 100 miles in a fully electric configuration or 300 miles in a hybrid configuration – far more than most other private eVTOLs, which are generally single-seat aircraft with a range of little more than 20 miles,” according to a company press release.
“However, AeroVolt’s public charging network further increases the flexibility of the Axe by enabling fast, hassle-free charging at various major General Aviation airfields such as Brighton City, Lydd, Dunkeswell, Bournemouth, Dunkeswell, Solent Airport and Sandown.
AeroVolt began rolling out its first tranche of charging stations at airfields across the UK in August 2023. In total, agreements have been signed for the installation of 60 charging stations around the UK.
Skyfly and AeroVolt will conduct test flights as part of the feasibility demonstrations for electric aircraft. The tests will also confirm the compatibility of the Axe with AeroVolt’s charging and monitoring software.
“Aerovolt’s chargers are especially relevant and useful for training organizations. The combined technology of Aerovolt and the Axe eVTOL by Skyfly will create a method of truly sustainable, quiet and cost-effective flight training – particularly circuit training, which can be focussed on a single airport with permanent charging infrastructure, said Jaap Rademaker, CCO Skyfly. “With its low operating costs, minimal maintenance requirements and its ability to fly either like a fixed-wing aircraft or a helicopter, the Axe eVTOL is an economical training platform for various aircraft types, even able to perform glide landings with all its engines shut down, which other eVTOLs cannot replicate. The Axe by Skyfly is highly likely to prove popular in this role as there are no competitors in the two seat, side by side eVTOL training aircraft market.”
AeroVolt currently offers access to its charging stations via subscription service, ‘Squadron’. Members of Squadron are also entitled to hire AeroVolt’s Pipistrel Velis Electro fixed-wing electric aircraft. Members can book rental aircraft and charging sessions at their destination, or can use the chargers for their own private aircraft.
Squadron Members receive an ID card that can be used to activate the company’s chargers and commence the charging process. Updates are provided via text while charging is underway. Once the charge is complete, AeroVolt produces an invoice which can be paid later on the company’s website, enabling pilots to charge an aircraft even at remote airfields when poor internet connectivity makes an on-the-spot payment impossible.
Additionally, the AeroVolt charging network will soon be accessible through Octopus Electroverse, a charging app from leading energy supplier Octopus Energy which is already well-established for electric cars.
Aerovolt has already started work on ATIS and NOTAM integration for its charging network.
AeroVolt’s first batch of chargers are rated to 22kW, and installation of larger 44kW chargers will begin in 2024. 120kW are also planned for the near future. Multiple aircraft – and, in some cases, electric cars – can use any one charging station simultaneously. Using AeroVolt’s chargers, the Axe eVTOL can charge in approximately 3.5 hours.
With a fully-electric range of 100 miles, or 300 miles with an optional hybrid generator, and a cruise speed of 100mph, the Axe by Skyfly is a two-seat eVTOL aircraft available for USD 180,000. It is designed for personal use and is as easy to fly as a consumer camera drone. Thanks to its small footprint and low noise, the Axe can be kept at home and flown directly to a destination, in complete comfort and with aerial views to enjoy, without traffic jams or bumpy roads.
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Skyfly and AeroVolt to perform UK’s first airfield-to-airfield eVTOL flight with recharging