California-based eVTOL developer Opener.aero officially announced its rebranding into “Pivotal” in a press release on Thursday. At the same time, the company took the opportunity to unveil its first-ever scalable production eVTOL aircraft, Helix.
Rebranding details
The new Pivotal brand name signifies the eVTOL maker’s commitment to lead the aerospace and shift to a “product-delivering” company for various market segments.
The company claims that Pivotal has established a name in the aeronautics industry with its BlackFly model, which is apparently the first eVTOL aircraft of its category to hit customer deliveries.
“The new identity shows the versatility of our system architecture and encapsulates both the exhilaration and utility of flight.”
Pivotal CEO Ken Karklin
What’s currently known about the Helix aircraft?
Pivotal used its fourth-gen eVTOL architecture for the new Helix aircraft. It will essentially meet the needs of customers who prefer to travel through the sky for short trips.
According to the press release, Helix eVTOL will also feature the same technologies as its pre-production model, BlackFly. Some of these technologies include a unique tilt-aircraft platform and a simple user interface. It also offers superior safety features like fault tolerance and triple modular redundancy.
Presented below are the notable features of the Helix eVTOL, as displayed in Pivotal’s press release:
- “Power and propulsion improvements delivering a more robust operational flight envelope
- Updated digital electronics hardware, enabling new levels of robustness and reliability
- A weight and durability-optimized aerostructure exceeding industry best practice safety factors
- A companion smartphone app integrating owner & pilot experience while simplifying pre-flight checks, capturing flight history and managing charging and aircraft service
- A redesigned canopy and flight deck featuring with an integrated display and improvements in comfort and safety
- Enhanced non-flight-cloud connectivity to improve maintenance, vehicle telematics, charging and owner asset management
- A durable livery reducing the effects of weather, age and solar loading while extending the life of the structure and improving pilot comfort
- Product options including a transport trailer, fast charging, aviation or GSM radios, ADS-B, custom liveries, and beacon lights
- Support for future field-replaceable next generation batteries to extend range and endurance”
Pricing and availability
Pivotal announced that the Helix eVTOL aircraft will have a starting price of $190,000. It will start accepting orders by January 9 next year for a 25% deposit of the actual price.
The company expects to commence initial customer deliveries as early as June 10, 2024. By then, customers can decide on their available training schedules. Considering that it is under the US FAA Part 103 (Ultralight) category, owners would not need a pilot license. However, it must only fly in Class G airspace in the daytime.
See Also:
- Archer Aviation secures $142 million eVTOL purchase contract from US Air Force
- SkyDrive partners with Suzuki for eVTOL aircraft development
- Archer Aviation deploys first Midnight eVTOL ahead of the official launch
- Blade Air Mobility, BETA Technologies successfully complete eVTOL test flight in New York
- China approved first eVTOL flight for XPeng AeroHT’s X2
The company has yet to disclose additional pricing for accessories and upgrades once the Helix hits the market. It must be noted that future owners must undergo the necessary training, given that they would not be required to have a pilot license.
