Flynow Aviation’s Ecopter Achieves Breakthrough With Successful Untethered Test Flights
FlyNow Aviation, based in Austria, recently took a big step in the journey to urban air mobility with the success of untethered test flights of the modular eCopter. The test flights were conducted in early June at a newly acquired unrestricted test site in Eastern Austria. This is something worth celebrating, as it represents significant movement towards FlyNow’s scalable family of electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft.
Leading the Future of Sustainable Urban Air Transport
FlyNow Aviation started in 2019 to provide sustainable, efficient and affordable aerial mobility. The eCopter is designed for the future of short-distance transport with an emphasis on sustainability, efficiency, an affordable cost of operation. The eCopter35 modular architecture uniquely allows FlyNow Aviation to ‘provide eVTOL efficiency with simplicity in design.
Following initial modular flight demonstrations in 2021 and the first 1:1 scale prototype flight in 2023, FlyNow conducted extensive tethered testing at Salzburg Airport (LOWS).Because of government regulations near active airspace and infrastructure, these tethered operations were instrumental in validating flight systems and pilot training for the autonomous flight control computer.
Now in a free-flight test phase, it’s a completely different development stage, which provides the chance to gather data in true operating conditions, while providing opportunities to further improve safety measures, propulsion, and flight control.
A Vision Taking Flight
“Every milestone brings us closer to making urban air mobility a reality for everyone,” said Yvonne Winter, Co-Founder and COO of FlyNow Aviation GmbH. “Our untethered flight is not just a technical success — it’s proof of concept in action. We are committed to maximizing safety and minimizing complexity to enable sustainable, scalable air transport.”
Milestone Objectives and Technological Highlights
The latest untethered tests are focused on:
- Verifying flight stability and safety under realistic flight profiles
- Optimizing propulsion and control systems
- Advancing toward full certification of the modular platform
FlyNow achieved its first major certification in 2022 under the EASA Specific Category SAIL II and is now working toward SAIL IV certification, paving the way for commercial cargo operations.
What is Next: Cargo in 2027, and Passenger after
FlyNow desires to establish commercial cargo missions by 2027, hoping to log over one million test kilometers before moving into passenger operations. With a modular design using validated counter-rotating rotor technology, FlyNow is offering 3 major benefits:
- Low noise – 55 dB(A) at 150m – similar to a home dish washer –
- High energy-efficiency – 30 kWh per 100 km
- Low cost – up to 10x less than conventional eVTOL production costs – or the estimated cost to operate FlyNow is comparable to urban taxi fare.
Toward a New Era: Automated Air Mobility
FlyNow is a founding member of the Sky Alliance for Automated Air Mobility (SALAAM.earth), a strategic collaboration with Skyroads and industry partners. The alliance champions a shift from software-based systems to cyber-mechanical infrastructure, where AI is integrated into analog-safe, sustainable aerial mobility networks.
“With nations like China pushing forward the ‘Low Altitude Economy,’ our work aligns with a global shift toward Advanced Air Mobility (AAM). We envision a world where automated, efficient, and safe air transport complements existing infrastructure,” Winter added.
As FlyNow continues its ascent, the aviation industry watches closely — the age of scalable, modular electric air mobility may be closer than we think.
https://www.flynow-aviation.com/
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