CES®, probably the most powerful tech event on the earth, provides the world a stage for the breakthrough technologies and global innovators that may change the world. Yesterday, to kick off the primary day of this unparalleled tradeshow, Supernal, a component of the Hyundai Motor Group, unveiled a physical prototype of its latest release, the SA-2 electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. The corporate hopes to reshape how people see mobility and to redefine transportation with this stunning recent vehicle.
Jaiwon Shin, President of Hyundai and CEO of Supernal, a seasoned engineer with over 30 years of experience leading NASA’s aeronautical research and development, explained the issues Supernal is trying to unravel with its SA-2 aircraft. “Urban Areas are denser, roads more congested and the planet in desperate need of more sustainable solutions,” he said. “A 20 mile urban journey by automobile can take an hour in traffic. With advanced air mobility (AAM), the identical journey can take just minutes,” he continued.
The hope is that commuters will routinely decide to fly safely and comfortably at 1500 feet AGL in a snug and quiet cabin, having fun with panoramic views of the town below, in Supernal’s SA-2 by 2028.
This reveal follows the corporate’s 2022 CES release of their vision for an AAM vehicle, the SA-1 eVTOL concept. Supernal engineers evolved that original concept into the present design to handle the ever-expanding mobility needs of today. To get thus far, the design team narrowed down over 100 different vehicle shapes during its creative ideation phase to simply one.
In describing his aircraft, Shin noted, “That is what happens when auto meets aero.”
Supernal’s world renowned 600 person team stays laser-focused on advancing the AAM mission by constructing an awesome vehicle to serve and meet our customer needs, Shin explained. The SA-2 takes the most effective of an airplane, with a protected and smooth inflight experience, and merges it with the most effective of a helicopter’s ability to land and take off vertically, even in dense urban environments.
This initially-piloted electric battery-powered, v-tailed aircraft can accommodate as much as 4 passengers, in modular seats which could be reconfigured and even removed in between flight legs. It should have the option to cruise at 120 mph at 1500 feet AGL across average trips of 25 to 40 miles. It has 8 rotors, 4 in front and 4 in back, which work together in any respect times and in all phases of flight. Importantly, during flight, they may remain as quiet as a contemporary dishwasher, registering only 45 decibels during cruise and 65 decibels during take off and landing.
CTO Ben Diachun elaborated that his team harnessed the complete advantage of electrical powertrain advancements to define this next gen aircraft. “Getting thus far took quite a lot of planning, studying and refinement.” That process, he explained, centered around 4 key principles: safety, sustainability, scalability and consumer-focus.
From a security standpoint, “AAM have to be protected with no compromises,” in response to Diachun. His team iterated that primary concentrate on the protection of passengers and the general public into a strong airframe architecture with redundant systems. They partnered with top tier aviation corporations. They put the aircraft through rigorous design assurance testing. Because of this, the SA-2 is supplied to fly in all weather, during each day and night. The corporate also continues working with government regulators on airspace management policy in furtherance of its safety mission.
On the sustainability front, to run clean and quiet, Supernal leveraged cutting-edge lightweight battery technology. With support from Hyundai and Kia’s R&D Center, SA-2’s battery generates sufficient power to go from 0-60 mph during takeoff. Because battery tech will proceed to enhance over the subsequent 20 years when it comes to expanded range and capability, the corporate designed its advanced battery with upgradeability in mind.
This sort of forward-thinking ties into Supernal’s third goal, scalability. The aircraft needed to be cost effective while maintaining the very best quality. “We may have to deliver 10s of 1000s of those to satisfy demands,” in response to Diachun. “We’ll do that by leveraging Hyundai’s mass production capability,” he said. “This may bring down the barrier to entry for operators and everybody, who will profit from this tech.”
Finally, the design needed to be customer-centric. Supernal goals to bring the most effective in-car passenger experience to the sky. To make the inside the vehicle as elegant because the vehicle behind it, Chief Creative Officer, Luc Donckerwolke, who has spent his entire profession designing cars (including “Italian super sports cars”), closed the circle by purposely designing the aircraft’s interior across the passenger-user experience, from ergonomics, to performance and aesthetics. Donckerwolke describes the ultimate final result as “kinetic purism.”
His team designed the front glass of the vehicles with inspiration from the eyes of a bee. The windows and doors allow light to mix into surfaces. In-flight light also adjusts to changing temperatures. The door’s butterfly-in hinges allow for higher access.
Internally, the aircraft has 2 sections, a passenger cabin and flight deck, differentiated by different colours. The ergonomic seats were deliberately engineered to soak up vertical energy. Its storage areas contain all the trendy conveniences in a premium cabin, comparable to cup and eyeglass holders. Supernal goals to win hearts and minds over to AAM through this level of human-centric design.
“We’re moving AAM out of sci fi movies and into the actual world,” Shin said in closing. “We’re working to vary the world of mobility for the progress of humanity.”
Regulate the skies for Supernal’s SA-2 in the approaching years, as they reach beyond and reach further to supply boundary-breaking aircraft to assist create a future where the skies above us change into the roads of tomorrow.
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