Tags
Aircraft, Aviation, Business, Business Aircraft, Business Aviation, DTA Americas, eVTOL, Las Vegas, NBAA-BACE, News, Transport, Travel
LAS VEGAS, Nev. – A two-seat hybrid electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft dubbed a “heavy drone” in France is set to begin flight testing in the United States, the executive behind the project said Tuesday.
“We are planning to start flight tests of the JP1 in April,” Théo Parant, CEO and co-founder of DTA Americas, said in an interview.
The company was established in Arizona this year as a subsidiary of DTA France, which has been building ultralight aircraft, including gyroplanes and trikes, since 1990.
Parant said the JP1 was registered as a drone in France because of government regulations. “In fact, it was the heaviest drone in the country,” he quipped.
Although the JP1 has already logged 200 hours of flight testing in France, the company will begin the process anew in the U.S. because of a “different administrative path” toward certification, Parant said.
The aircraft is on display at NBAA-BACE, the business aviation industry’s largest convention, which opened Tuesday.
“We’ve brought a real aircraft that can fly,” Parant said as visitors stopped to take photos. “Not a startup with a mockup” is the company’s slogan, printed on its brochure.
The company says the JP1 can fly for two hours at full payload. It has a range of 180 miles with two people on board and up to 235 miles with one occupant. Other features include an airframe parachute, a hybrid powertrain and an autopilot.
DTA is targeting private pilots who could use the aircraft for recreation or as a “modern-day two-seat helicopter,” Parant said.
“I am not very happy with the term ‘flying helicopter,’ but in a way that is what this aircraft will be used for,” he said.
The JP1 will be a new entrant in the U.S. eVTOL market, but Parant stressed that DTA is not “starting from scratch.”
He said the company has decades of aviation experience, with nearly 600 aircraft deployed worldwide. DTA France continues to maintain those aircraft and provide after-sales support, he said.
The company is taking orders for the JP1 with a $12,000 deposit, of which $10,000 is refundable. The launch edition is expected to be available in 2028 at $385,000, DTA said.
Bombardier is building a new final assembly facility at Toronto’s Pearson International Airport for its Global business jets.
DUBAI – Deals worth $54.5 billion were reached at the latest edition of the Dubai Airshow, which closed on Thursday, the event’s organizers said.
De Havilland Canada, which returned to the show after many years, won a number of orders for its Dash 8-400 aircraft from companies in the UAE, Russia and Nigeria.
Airservices Australia selected Searidge’s digital tower solution for an initial prototype at Sydney Airport.
LAS VEGAS, Nev. – Swiss aircraft maker Pilatus has unveiled its new single-engine turboprop – the PC-12 NGX – at the National Business Aviation Association’s Convention and Exhibition (NBAA-BACE) in Las Vegas.
LAS VEGAS, Nev. – Sustainability is the main focus of this week’s Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (NBAA-BACE) in Las Vegas.
Aerion Supersonic
The 12-passenger jet was announced in 2014 by Aerion, a company founded in 2003. The aircraft will be powered by a 
Bombardier
“There is no other guide on the market that offers such a comprehensive overview of the industry today.”
She also founded the Sapphire Pegasus Awards, which honors outstanding performances by companies and individuals in business aviation.
Geneva hosts the European Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition, or 
More than 400 exhibitors will showcase their latest products and services at the three-day event.