Japan-based aircraft manufacturing company SkyDrive and Korea-based aircraft leasing company Solyu have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), and Solyu has agreed to pre-order up to 50 SkyDrive eVTOL aircraft SKYDRIVE also known as SkyDrive SD-05.
The electric aircrafts will help to reduce carbon emissions as well as noise pollution as they’re quieter than internal combustion engine-powered vehicles and do not require you to spend most of your time in traffic jams, detours caused by roadwork, and train or bus transfers.
The new aircrafts will be integrated with eVTOL technology, meaning a runway will not be required, and the aircraft will easily land or take off in minimal space and low infrastructure cost.
SkyDrive is developing a new electric, vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft called SKYDRIVE (SkyDrive SD-05). The new eVTOL aircraft has a seating capacity for three, including drivers. The new aircraft is made of composite, aluminum alloy, etc.
SKYDRIVE aircraft will have 12 units of motors and rotors, which will be powered by battery electric. The new eVTOL aircraft will have a maximum cruising speed of 100 km/h (62 MPH) and an estimated range of 15km (9.3 miles).
The new eVTOL aircraft measures approximately 13m (43 ft) long, 13m (43 ft) wide, and 3m (10ft) high, including rotors and weights around 1,400 kg (3,100 lbs.)
The SKYDRIVE eVTOL aircraft is in the process of obtaining its Japan Civil Aviation Bureau (JCAB) certification. The SkyDrive SD-05 aircraft is scheduled to be debuted in 2025.
Mr. Andrew Claerbout, Solyu Company, Ltd. President, said, “The eVTOL market will bring opportunities for reducing global emissions and increasing traveler convenience. We’re honored to work with SkyDrive and the award-winning SD-05 to develop this global market.”
Tomohiro Fukuzawa, SkyDrive Inc. CEO, said in a statement, “We are pleased to announce that we received a pre-order in Korea following Vietnam and the U.S. This is the first pre-order from a leasing company, and we are very grateful to be able to proceed with the Solyu team with extensive experience in the aircraft leasing industry. We look forward to working with Solyu to open up the Korean market and contribute to achieving the goal of reducing CO2 emissions in the Korean aviation sector.”
In Korea, metropolitan areas face serious traffic congestion problems. The Korean government created the Korea Urban Air Mobility (K-UAM) Roadmap, expecting to reduce time and social costs by 70%. The government also promotes the K-UAM Grand Challenge, a public-private joint demonstration project scheme.
Solyu believes that promoting the use of electric, zero-emission vehicles in Korea is essential to accelerate the K-UAM goal and agreed to pre-order the SkyDrive eVTOL.
SkyDrive and Solyu continue to evaluate commercial eVTOL considerations such as vertiports, routes, infrastructure requirements, and ecosystems with the Korean government.
