Low-emissions aircraft no flight of fancy
The future of flying has landed, in the form of a low-cost, emissions-free aircraft capable of travelling 1000km non-stop with up to six people on board.
Invented by AMSL Aero chief engineer Andrew Moore, the Vertiia is a hydrogen hybrid, vertical take-off and landing aircraft unlike almost anything else in the market.
Mr Moore said Vertiia’s range, 300km/h speed and payload capabilities put it ahead of electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft (eVTOL) which were largely limited to distances of 100km to 150km before their batteries needed recharging.
The Vertiia has been more than seven years in the making, and AMSL Aero has now received orders for up to 20 from its first civilian customer, Aviation Logistics.
The charter, freight and aeromedical company was hopeful of operating the Vertiia by 2027, to do mail drops, patient transfers and passenger flights from its seven bases in Australia.
AMSL Aero chief executive Max York said it was a revolutionary aircraft with a $3m price tag.
“Because the seat mile cost is similar for five seats as it is for 500 seats, and each aircraft is so much cheaper and easier to manufacture, you can have a lot more of these flying a lot more frequently to a lot more ports,” said Mr York. “This aircraft could economically fly between regional areas that the airlines don’t service because they can’t make money on them.”
Integrating liquid hydrogen meant Vertiia was longer in the design process but the advantages over solely battery-powered aircraft were worth it, said Mr York.