Skyportz today announced the release of its modular vertipad Aeroberm™ prototype at the eVTOL Show in California, “marking a major milestone in the company’s mission to create safe, scalable, and affordable infrastructure for the emerging Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) industry,” said the company in a press statement.
Following extensive research and development in collaboration with Swinburne University of Technology, Sophrodyne Aerospace, Crinnac Industrial designers and leading modular construction specialist, Simon McCarthy, the Aeroberm™ design has now progressed through computational and design testing and is entering the fabrication phase for its first full-scale prototype.
The Aeroberm™ patent directly addresses the three “showstopping” challenges that have limited urban vertiport deployment — downwash/outwash, fire risk, and noise, said the company. The innovative elevated modular platform safely manages aerodynamic forces from eVTOL operations while incorporating acoustic mitigation and integrated fire suppression systems.
Downwash and outwash were highlighted by the FAA in January in their Engineering Brief 105A where the American air regulator indicated that vertipads will need to have a wind safety zone beyond the landing surface. This safety zone has been defined as where the windspeed exceeds 34.5 mph. “The Skyportz innovation will significantly reduce the footprint requirements to satisfy the Engineering Brief,” said the company.
“This is the first truly scalable vertipad solution designed for global deployment,” said Clem Newton-Brown OAM, CEO of Skyportz. “With the Aeroberm™, we’re removing the last major barriers to establishing affordable, practical, safe, and community-friendly sites for air taxi operations.”
Professor Justin Leontini from Swinburne University said, “Our detailed CFD modelling has given us a framework to progress to a full-scale prototype incorporating downwash and outwash amelioration. We will now refine the vertipad’s aerodynamic and safety performance with the data we collect from real aircraft operations on this prototype”
Skyportz will announce the first Aeroberm™ deployment locations in the coming months, with several Australian and international partners already engaged in site selection and design adaptation.
“We will be offering our IP at no charge to OEMs, vertiport test beds and air safety regulators who want to participate in our ongoing research and development programme’, said Newton-Brown.
Skyportz anticipates that air taxi developers will be able to offer a turnkey solution for fleet buyers wanting to quickly establish their routes in a flexible and dynamic manner. Due to the modular design, the vertipads can be moved between locations subject to demand.
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