A Boston-based aerospace company MagLev Aero has emerged from stealth mode with plans to develop a proprietary MagLev HyperDrive aero propulsion platform that will enable the next generation of ultraquiet electric vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft. The breakthrough propulsion system promises a new generation of eVTOL designs that are dramatically more quiet, efficient, safe, sustainable, and emotionally appealing to the mass market.
The company will present at the highly anticipated Paris Air Mobility conference, co-located at the Paris Air Show, where they’re preparing to reveal its proprietary propulsion technology to the public.
The HyperDrive aero propulsion platform enables a large rim-driven circular rotor, maximizing efficiency and control for ultra-quiet vertical lift and high-speed cruise. The system leverages the magnetic levitation suspension principles found in high-speed trains, using a magnetic bearing to support a many-bladed rim.
Permanent magnets in the passive electrodynamic suspension, combined with segmented motor control, enable highly redundant and highly efficient distributed electric propulsion around the perimeter of the rim drive. This allows the MagLev HyperDrive propulsor to operate safely with high hover lift efficiency and lower blade loading at slower speeds and reduced noise levels during hover, surpassing traditional helicopters and multi-rotor eVTOLs.
“The eVTOL industry has achieved many important milestones in the pursuit of urban air mobility. MagLev Aero’s breakthrough technology is poised to extend these successes with a ground-up designed electric propulsion platform that is purpose-built for ultra-low noise in vertical takeoff and landing, as well as cruise, and will allow an industrial design that provides for a compelling user experience,” said Rod Randall, MagLev Aero’s co-founder, and chairman.
“We believe our HyperDrive innovation applies to a variety of sizes, configurations, and use cases, and we look forward to working with OEMs and other partners to bring our technology to market.”
MagLev Aero has begun working with major aerospace OEMs and has received support and funding from prominent technology investors and industry leaders, including Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Material Impact, Stage 1 Ventures, Grit Capital, and Moai Capital, among others.
