Aviation View July 2023

10 AVIATION VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 3, ISSUE 2 us,” explained Maki Kaplinsky, co-founder, chair and COO of Aska. “We are working with local airports in the Bay Area to test and confirm our concept of operations—they open the gate, Aska A5 drives in as a car, drives/taxis to the helipad or runway, transforms into the flight mode, and can take off.” Amazingly, Aska’s design took just five years to get to this stage. Founded in 2018, the company released the first A5 prototype in 2019. The following year, it signed a five year Space Act agreement with NASA to participate in its AAM National Campaign. By 2022, ground testing in a controlled environment began, expanding to the streets of Los Altos and Palo Alto by the first quarter of 2023. Simultaneously, the company has been progressing through the FAA’s type certification process. The agency accepted Aska through its intake board in November. Now, just a few months later, the firm is eyeing a G-1, which would provide the basis for A5 certification. Archer, Joby, and Lilium have all received G-1s in the past year. “The data we are harvesting from flight testing is enabling us to make progress towards our type certification,” said Guy Kaplinsky. “We already completed the initial phase and are progressing towards our next milestone, G1 status.” Aska opened preorders for the A5 in 2021, with prospective users paying $5,000 to get on the queue. The vehicle will ultimately cost $789,000, and initial deliveries are expected in 2026. But if that price tag seems high, the firm also plans to offer a shared ownership service, On The Fly, wherein participants can split the cost. When realized, Aska’s preorders would amount to $50 million, the company said. Source -flyingmag.com, Jack Daleo,First published June 30, 2023 short takeoff and landing (STOL) from a runway. But like the Model A, it can also take off and land vertically from an area the size of a helipad. And with in-wheel motors, its wheels can be positioned outside the fuselage, providing more cabin space (enough for a pilot and three passengers) and better aerodynamics in flight, the company claims. In the air, the vehicle’s large wings allow it to glide and land safely. And six independent motors provide additional thrust, giving it a range of 250 miles (217 nm) and a top speed of 150 mph (130 knots). In case of emergency, the cabin also includes a ballistic parachute. For propulsion, the A5 combines lithium-ion batteries with a range extender engine, which runs on premium gasoline and provides charge to the batteries during flight. The hybrid-electric configuration gives it enough reserve flight time to meet FAA requirements. And conveniently, you can juice up the A5’s batteries either at home or at a public charging station. For now, the A5 needs someone to pilot it. But according to Guy Kaplinsky, co-founder and CEO, it may fly autonomously as soon as 2030. Before then, the company plans to offer a rideshare service by leasing vehicles to pilots. WHAT’S NEXT? Certifying a “fly and drive” vehicle will be an uphill battle—just ask any of the air taxi manufacturers that have spent years trying to certify a less complex design. But when (or if) the A5 gets FAA approval, it has one key advantage—it won’t require additional infrastructure to fly. “One of the significant advantages of a roadworthy eVTOL, like the Aska A5, is that it does not require the modification or electrification of existing airports since it can maximize the use of today’s infrastructure, such as the many charging stations located around