Aviation

Flying-Car Startup Kittyhawk to Shut Down

The flying-car firm Kittyhawk, which is backed by Larry Page, a co-founder of Google, said on Wednesday that it will be shutting down.

The firm was established in 2010 to produce eVTOLs, or electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, and was given its name after the North Carolina town where the Wright brothers’ ground-breaking aircraft first took flight. Sebastian Thrun, a former Google vice president and co-founder of the startup, oversaw the creation of Google Glasses and the self-driving car.

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The Kittyhawk Flyer, an electric-only ultralight aircraft, was presented by the business in 2018 and was capable of carrying a single passenger up to 10 feet in the air at 20 mph. A two-person electric air taxi dubbed Cora was also being developed by Kittyhawk.

Cora is the centerpiece of Wisk Aero, a partnership that Kittyhawk and Boeing established in 2019. The strategic alliance was designed to provide both businesses a significant advantage over competing for flying vehicle and air taxi initiatives like Bell Nexus and UberAir.

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Boeing’s dedication to Wisk is unaffected by Kitty Hawk’s decision to halt operations. We are happy to be a founding member of Wisk Aero and pleased with the work they are doing to advance innovation and sustainability in the field of future electric aviation, according to a statement from a Boeing representative. We don’t anticipate that Kitty Hawk’s announcement will have any impact on Wisk’s operations or other endeavors.

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Aviation

Boeing, Antonov to Collaborate on Defense Projects

– MOU represents Boeing’s commitment to work with Ukrainian industry

– Includes exploring opportunities for collaborating on in-country support of Unmanned Aerial Systems

A Memorandum of Understanding was signed today by Boeing and Antonov Company to investigate potential collaboration on defense-related projects.

“We’re happy to keep collaborating with the Antonov Company to help Ukraine’s economic development and expansion,” stated Ted Colbert, CEO and president of Boeing Defence, Space, & Security.

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“This agreement demonstrates our ongoing efforts to find more opportunities to work with Ukrainian industry, which was underscored by our signing of the Ukrainian Defence Industry Compact earlier this year.”

The areas of potential collaboration identified in the agreement consist of training, logistical support and overhaul services for tactical Unmanned Aerial Systems utilized by the Ukrainian Armed Forces, which includes the ScanEagle. In addition, the companies will also explore opportunities for Antonov to provide engineering support to Boeing.

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“A strong, innovative, and efficient defense industry is key to sustainable economic development and national security, and we are extremely excited to collaborate with Boeing,” said Ievhen Gavrylov, CEO of Antonov Company.

This agreement brings a whole new level of opportunity to implement the latest and most effective solutions – in addition to the possibility of future projects with Boeing in the aerospace and defense industry.”