By Chris Stonor
Transcend Air Corporation announced this week a partnership with GE Aviation to develop and certify a custom variant of GE’s class-leading CT7-8 turbo-shaft helicopter engine to power the Vy 400 High Speed Vertical Take-off and Landing (HSVTOL) aircraft, reports businesswire.com.
The VTOL capabilities of the Vy 400 aircraft offers access to major urban centres along with its high speed of over 400 mph allowing the journey from Manhattan to Boston to take just 36 minutes.
Gregory Bruell, Co-Founder and CEO of Transcend Air, commented, “We immediately recognized the Vy 400’s disruptive potential in both civil and military rotorcraft applications, and we are excited to contribute our own world-class engines and technical expertise in helping to ensure the Vy’s success.” Adding, “We have optimised the Vy 400 design to shatter the current time/cost barriers for regional city-to-city travel.”
Peter Schmidt, Co-Founder and COO of Transcend Air, said, “The time is now for this aircraft. We are reaping the benefits of 50 years of technology advances since the pioneering tiltwing designs of the 1960s, including computerized fly-by-wire flight control, aero-acoustics, electric control-surface actuation, the Ballistic Recovery Systems whole-airframe parachute, Sustainable Aviation Fuels, and not least, with GE’s remarkable advancements of their industry standard T700 engine family.”
He continued, “On the day it is certified, the Vy 400 will simultaneously become the world’s fastest helicopter AND the world’s fastest single-engine civil turboprop, with CT7-8 power.”
Gregory Bruell
Bruell added, “Our Aerial Regional Transport (ARTTM) service will offer door-to-door costs lower than taking an airline today, while cutting travel time by over two-thirds and eliminating travel hassles entirely. On top of that, GE’s engines can operate on approved Sustainable Aviation Fuel, or SAF, which can help us achieve lower lifecycle carbon emissions.”
And concluded, “We can complete many more passenger trips per aircraft. That combination is key to our revolutionary economics and GE will now provide the engines to deliver it.”
Footnote
Transcend has developed the Vy 400 as the best solution for city to city-centre mobility, with door-to-door prices lower than current air travel options, and door-to-door times that are 65 to 80 percent less.
GE Aviation, an operating unit of GE, is a world-leading provider of jet and turboprop engines, as well as integrated systems for commercial, military, business and general aviation aircraft. GE Aviation has a global service network to support these offerings.
Visual presentation
https://www.youtube.com/c/GEAviation1/videos
For more information
(News Source: https://www.businesswire.com)
