London-based Lyte Aviation challenges traditional air transportation norms with its 44-seat VTOL aircraft. The vertical takeoff and landing plane will be equipped with a hydrogen fuel cell propulsion system.
London-based company Lyte Aviation challenges traditional air transportation norms with its 44-seat VTOL (Vertical Takeoff and Landing) aircraft. The company's inaugural project, SkyBus, is designed as a large air vehicle.
With a speed of 300 km/h and a range of 1000 km, the aircraft features a design similar to small business jets. The wings of the aircraft are equipped with 8 propellers, with medium-sized ones on the inside and smaller ones on the outside.
Vertical takeoff and landing with rotating wings
Lyte Aviation's innovative approach involves rotating wings for vertical takeoff and landing. During takeoff, the wings rotate, aligning the propellers to face upward. While this concept has been tested before, maintaining the balance of the aircraft, especially in windy conditions, becomes challenging with an aircraft of this size.
Hydrogen Fuel Cell Propulsion System
To lift the heavy body, Lyte Aviation plans to use turboprop engines that run on either conventional or sustainable jet fuel in its first aircraft. In the future, the company aims to integrate electric motors powered by hydrogen fuel cells into the wingtips. This integration would allow for faster propeller responses, making thrust adjustments more manageable.
The company aims to have a full-scale prototype ready by 2024, with the first flight scheduled for 2025. In this context, Lyte Aviation announced a pre-order agreement worth 400 million euros with Indian-based Vman Aviation Services for 10 SkyBus aircraft.
Revolutionizing Regional Flights
With its new aircraft's ability to take off without the need for traditional runways, SkyBus has the potential to revolutionize regional flights. Lyte suggests that SkyBus could facilitate inter-island travel or provide on-demand flying bus services.
Despite ambitious claims, previous ventures in large VTOL projects, such as those by GKN Aerospace and Braeden Kelekona, have faced numerous challenges and made limited progress. Examples like the Bell-Boeing AW609 aircraft, which has been striving for certification for 28 years, underscore the difficulties in this field. Therefore, it wouldn't be inaccurate to say that Lyte Aviation faces a challenging path ahead.