Is MOSAIC going to accelerate innovation in the US light aircraft space? Our weekly recap.
Don’t forget to check out podcast with Otto Aviation out, as well! Link below
This is a recap of the stories included in #193 edition of The Allplane Newsletter
HOT TAKE:
Developing new light aircraft will get easier with MOSAIC
The US continues to update its aerospace regulatory framework to make it easier to develop new aircraft concepts.
Advanced Air Mobility Executive Order (June)
Supersonic flight restrictions revised (June)
Light sports aircraft regulations updated (July)
What next?
Why this matters: there’s a wave of innovation sweeping through the aerospace industry right now that, in some ways, is not unlike that of the inter-war years and will shape aviation for decades to come.
Our take: generally it’s a good thing to let innovation flourish. Some regulations are, of course, there for a reason, but I guess a bit of flexibility, within bounds, can go a long way.
QUICK HITS
Hartzell electric propeller
The first propeller designed specifically for electrically-powered advanced air mobility (AAM) aircraft has been obtained Part 35 Type Certification from the FAA. This system, developed by Hartzell Propeller, was tested entirely on the BETA Technologies ALIA.
Electric aircraft in the UAE
The UAE is getting into electric general aviation, the Chinese RX-series to be more exact, and by the hand of Volar Air Mobility and Falcon Aviation.
Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) usage
Aaron Robinson, of IAG, has shared another interesting infographic that helps visualize SAF usage across the airline industry. Does you favorite airline consume more or less SAF that it would be “expected”?
LanzaJet gets funds for UK plant
LanzaJet got another £10 million from the UK government to continue working on its new Teeside SAF plant, in the UK.
Elixir Aircraft is now US-certified
The French light aircraft startup will be able to finally start its US rollout (where it has ambitious development plans) after getting Part 23 certification. To learn more about Elixit check out this factory visit report from earlier this year.
NASA’s X-59 supersonice demonstrator moves forward
…on the tarmac, for now, but the first flight is coming soon!
magniX and Robinson Helicopters to electrify the R66 helicopter
Robinson’s CEO has long been an advocate of the electrification of conventional helicopters, in the face of the eVTOL hype. Read it here.
Vertical Aerospace
Vertical Aerospace’s VX4 prototype flew for the first time between two airports. The aircraft left its base in the Cotswolds to attend RIAT at nearby RAF Fairford.
Movements in the e-SAF world
Project SkyPower, which represents 13 CEOs from across the aviation industry advocating for e-SAF adoption, has called for a number of measures to be implemented in order to facilitate the adoption of synthetic SAF.
In the meantime, some (still small) action in this space:
e-SAF producer Synhelion (an early guest of the podcast) delivered the first barrel to SWISS
INERATEC, a German company has inaugurated its first e-SAF plant, which uses carbon produced by an industrial area in Germany.
Did you know?
Google Flights is now showing the likelihood your flight will create contrails
CHECK OUT THIS NEW PODCAST EPISODE
Is laminar flow the answer?
In the latest episode of the Allplane Podcast, Otto Aviation’s President and COO Scott Drennan explains how this startup is applying this aerodynamic principle to deliver massive fuel consumption improvements:
How the Otto Aviation came to be
How does laminar flow work
How Otto iterated from its teardrop-shaped Celera to the Phantom 3500
Why the Phantom 3500 is windowless
Listen to or download this podcast episode here.
Interesting
Daedalean CEO, Bas Gouverneur explains the work this Swiss company is conducting in autonomous flight:
MARKET MOVES
An investment firm linked to luxury conglomerate LVMH just invested $800M in Flexjet. Apparently one of the factors that drove interest towards the private jet space is the dropping age of the average executive jet user.
Advanced Air Mobility news
Chinese eVTOL deals
Autoflight has received an airworthiness certificate. This paves the way for its commercial rollout. For now it is only the cargo drone version, though, although it is the largest such aircraft so far to get this level of certification in China.
TCab, another Chinese eVTOL developer, signed a 350-aircraft, $1B deal in the UAE
Ekranoplans going strong
REGENT is launching a defense division to develop military version of its Seagliders
There is now also a Turkish (military) ekranoplan.
Video with Ascendance co-founder
France is also in the eVTOL game, watch this video with Ascendance co-founder, Thibault Baldivia:
eVTOLS embracing hydrogen:
ZeroAvia is going to collaborate with Horizon Aircraft
Joby has apparently a new, long-endurance hydrogen-powered drone
WHAT ELSE IN AVIATION?
Wizz Air is closing its Abu Dhabi base
This has led me to decide to open the list of airlines that stopped operations in 2025
Did you know the state of Georgia has a large aerospace industry?
Gulf Air looks to America, with its return to New York-JFK and a new Dreamliner order.
