Jaunt Air Mobility
Journey to Advanced Air Mobility
This article first appeared in the Future Transport-News magazine, Issue 1 2023.
Jaunt Air Mobility Brings a Different Perspective
Entering into advanced air mobility (AAM), the design of the Jaunt Journey brings the proven SRC (slowed rotor compound) technology to market with a certification path as a rotorcraft.
“Jaunt allows me to come at rotorcraft from a new angle and deal with some of the problems associated with traditional rotorcraft,” says Martin Peryea, SVP and GM of Electric Air Mobility, Jaunt Air Mobility, an AIRO Group Company. “Today’s helicopters are well-developed designs and do one mission particularly well: vertical lift and hover. This limitation of traditional rotorcraft has been known in the industry for years. Most companies are now researching and developing compound VTOL aircraft. A compound VTOL aircraft like our Jaunt aircraft retains hover and low-speed capabilities and can take off and land vertically, then fly efficiently like a conventional airplane. We are also addressing other characteristics associated with traditional rotorcraft, such as noise and improved safety, which are critical for urban air mobility and public acceptance.”
Jaunt’s proprietary SRC technology allows the aircraft to land via autorotation or by gliding in a controlled fashion should there be an unexpected total loss of propulsion. The pilot can choose a safe landing spot and completely control the aircraft during descent. No ballistic parachute is required.
Continuing to take a slightly different path to commercialisation, Jaunt Air Mobility merged with AIRO Group Holdings, Inc. in 2022. AIRO announced its merger with a SPAC with Kernel Group Holdings (NASDAQ: KRNLU) earlier this year. The organisation is positioning itself as a new middle-market aerospace and defence sector company operating in four key divisions:
- Advanced avionics: highly critical electronic systems used in aircraft. Application areas include communications, navigation, monitoring, flight-control systems, artificial intelligence, collision-avoidance systems, radar and electro-optics.
- Electric air mobility: eVTOL (electric vertical take-off & landing) aircraft. Application areas include air taxi, cargo, emergency services, commercial and military.
- Uncrewed air systems: UAS platforms and services for civilian/commercial and military applications. Application areas include reconnaissance, attack, surveillance, inspection, weather analysis and healthcare.
- Training: professional and military aviation training for clients within the wider A&D sector. Application areas include customer-specific solutions, close air support, aircraft leasing, ab initio pilot training and training or aviation consulting services.
