Hanwha Systems-Overair Jointly Developed 'Air Taxi' Ground Test Site First Publicly Revealed

UAM aircraft Butterfly jointly developed by Hanwha Systems and Overair in the United States. (Photo by Hanwha Systems)

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Hyunjin] The electric propulsion system ground test site of the urban air mobility (UAM) aircraft 'Butterfly,' jointly developed by Hanwha Systems and the U.S. personal aircraft specialist Overair, was revealed for the first time.

According to Hanwha Systems on the 24th, Overair showcased the electric propulsion system test scene of the Butterfly on the 20th (local time in the U.S.). The electric propulsion system is a propulsion system that allows the aircraft to take off vertically and then move forward, and it is a core technology for the commercialization of UAM.

The test was conducted in the harsh environment of the California desert in the U.S. and under demanding aerodynamic conditions. Scenes verifying the forces that the aircraft's large wings would experience during flight using flight dynamics simulation software were revealed.

Hanwha Systems and Overair have been conducting electric propulsion system performance tests since August last year, and Hanwha Systems stated that they are currently in the final stage of performance verification through ground tests after passing the laboratory test phase. The electric propulsion system, which has undergone ground performance tests, is scheduled to be installed in the prototype for flight tests in 2023.

Hanwha Systems plans to complete the development of the Butterfly aircraft by 2024 and start pilot operations on the Seoul-Gimpo route in 2025.