Flight tests held at Pontoise airfield simulated avoidance manoeuvres in three different real-world scenarios, proving that safe flight with urban air mobility (UAM) aircraft is possible.
Three European enterprises – global navigation satellite systems experts M3 Systems (France), light aircraft manufacturer Pipistrel (Slovenia) and UAM company Volocopter (Germany) – have completed their first joint flight test campaign in France. This is the third of several such events conducted as part of the EU-funded CORUS-XUAM project. The purpose of these flights tests is to simulate different real-world scenarios in which unmanned traffic management (UTM) and air traffic management (ATM) can operate jointly with different types of aircraft.
Held at Pontoise airfield near Paris, the successful flight tests were carried out using M3 Systems’ BOREAL unmanned aircraft system (UAS), Pipistrel’s crewed electric aircraft Velis Electro, and Volocopter’s full-scale, remotely piloted 2X electric vertical take-off and landing multicopter prototype. Pipistrel used the conventional ATM tower and system while Volocopter and M3 Systems used the UTM system provided by CORUS-XUAM project partner Hologarde, France.
Testing the unforeseen
The real-world scenarios tested during the week-long campaign included unforeseen circumstances such as complete airport or vertiport closure, an unavailable final approach and take-off (FATO) area, and traffic deconfliction. More specifically, a situation involving unexpected occupancy of a FATO area and aircraft diversion due to priority landing given to another aircraft was tested with Pipistrel and Volocopter aircraft. A flight path diversion scenario due to the closure of an airport or vertiport provided the opportunity to test M3 Systems’ UAS. Last but not least, a flight path diversion with two aircraft sharing the same airspace was tested using Volocopter aircraft and M3 Systems’ UAS.
“M3 Systems is happy to be part of this large-scale European project,” remarked M3 Systems CEO Marc Pollina. “These successful tests confirm that our BOREAL UAS will be an enabler for future XUAM operations in situations where aircraft need to safely divert paths to another vertiport due to an unforeseen closure or another aircraft in the air. By providing re-routing demonstrations and tactical communications with U-Space service providers, M3 Systems can support future coordination between AAM [advanced air mobility] and airport operators.”
Pipistrel President and Managing Director Gabriel Massey also commented on the campaign:
“As the manufacturer of the only type-certified electric aircraft in commercial service in the world, Pipistrel is proud to take part in technical projects that shape the vision of air mobility and make progress in a meaningful way. The CORUS project and Paris demonstrations clearly show how UAM vehicles will be able to fly safely in regular airspace post-2030 and will help to unlock new lower-noise and lower-emission air passenger and air cargo services.”
Volocopter’s Chief Risk and Certification Officer Oliver Reinhardt shared his thoughts about future plans:
“Building an efficient ecosystem around UAM is Volocopter’s mission, and connecting ATM/UTM integration with our digital platform, VoloIQ, is poised to be an integral part of bringing UAM to megacities worldwide. I am looking forward to the next CORUS-XUAM test flights later this year in Germany and what we can achieve there.”
The CORUS-XUAM (CONCEPT OF OPERATIONS FOR EUROPEAN U-SPACE SERVICES – EXTENSION FOR URBAN AIR MOBILITY) project ends in December 2022.
Photo: SAS BOREAL
Source: Cordis Press Release