China’s TCab Tech has released footage of its transition flight test using its half-scale E20 eVTOL demonstrator.
The E20 50% subscale demonstrator features a 6-m wingspan, two lift propellers and four tilt propellers. Like the E20, the demonstrator uses six propellers in VTOL and transitions to four propellers in cruise. The two lift rotors are switched off and locked during cruising flight.
The company said the demonstrator serves as a flight test platform, allowing its engineering team to collect data to validate the aircraft’s design and configuration.
Being the first passenger-carrying eVTOL company in China with a vectored thrust configuration, the 50%-subscale demonstrator is by far one of the largest eVTOL demonstrators currently flown in China.
While serving as a flight-testing platform, the 50% subscale demonstrator is also used to develop in-house structural and durability test facilities, electric motor test-rigs, and software-in-the-loop (SIL) and hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) flight simulation labs.
TCab Tech was founded in May 2021 in Shanghai, China by Yon Wui Ng, CEO and other engineers. The company’s goal is to make reliable and zero emission electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft for urban air mobility (UAM) aerial on-demand riding sharing for the general public. The TCab part of the company’s name is an abbreviation for “Time Cab” which means a time-efficient form of air transportation. The company foresees using artificial intelligence (AI) to help their aircraft navigate through complex urban air space to ensure safety for all urban air travelers. After two rounds of funding earlier in 2021, the company raised nearly $10 million USD.
The E20 eVTOL aircraft holds one pilot and four passengers traveling at a cruise speed of 260 km/h (162 mph) with a range of 200 km (125 miles) and has a maximum payload of 450 kg (992 lb). The aircraft flies has six propellers: four tilt-propellers plus two double-stacked fixed propellers for VTOL; the four tilt-propellers are used for forward flight and transition. The aircraft has one high wing with a conventional fuselage mounted tail and has tricycle fixed wheeled landing gear.
As safety is an important part of TCab Tech, the E20 will have no single point of failure in the flight control system. Another safety feature is the high wing allowing passengers to enter and exit the aircraft with ease and safety. The company expects as batteries improve over the years, the aircraft will be capable of being fully charged in one hour.
As of September 2021, according to one website, the population in China has reached 1.398 billion people and the company is counting on customers in China to use their aircraft in an effort to spend less time traveling to work and to gain more free personal time. TCab Tech and the entire aviation industry is aware that as low altitude restrictions become more lifted in China, the market for air taxi service should begin to boom.
The first market the company foresees to be successful with their E20 eVTOL aircraft will be in the tourism industry. After that, TCab Tech expects their aircraft will be used in the on-demand urban air taxi industry. The company predicts their first commercial flight for the E20 will take place sometime in 2024.
News Source: Electric VTOL News
