Uber Announces eVTOL Partner at Elevate Summit

Jaunt Air Mobility and Uber will partner to develop an electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) air taxi, Uber announced today at the opening of its Uber Elevate Summit 2019 in Washington, D.C. According to Uber, Jaunt has expertise in reduced rotor operating speed (ROSA) aircraft.

“Jaunt Air Mobility has assembled a highly talented team of experienced engineers with a long history of designing and certifying eVTOL vehicles,” Uber Elevate director of engineering Mark Moore said. “Martin Peryea, Jaunt’s chief technology officer, has led many helicopter development programs as a chief engineer and brings invaluable insights to developing low noise, reliable, and safe aircraft.”

ROSA will enable an air vehicle design that offers quiet operations, maximum safety, and enhanced ride quality that keeps passengers in a level position from takeoff to landing, according to Uber. Jaunt’s specialized rotor and wing design provides both high hover and cruise flight efficiency, allowing it to meet Uber’s mission requirements with an all-electric propulsion system.

In a separate but related announcement today, Honeywell Aerospace and Jaunt signed a memorandum of understanding to define avionics, navigation, flight control, and connectivity for Jaunt’s eVOTL. The two companies will work to develop the technical requirements and a definitive agreement that will support Jaunt’s eVTOL demonstration program by fall 2021, according to Honeywell.