Bellwether Industries, the London-based urban air mobility company, has introduced its latest eVTOL (electric Vertical Take-off and Landing) aircraft, the third-generation aircraft model design called Oryx. The new airframe design is a significant update from previous models, highlighting fast advances in technology.

The aircraft retains the key feature of the hidden propulsion system and is estimated to be “slightly bigger than an SUV” at 6.2 m (20.3 ft) long and 3.8 m (12.5 ft) wide. Oryx is initially sized to carry one pilot and two passengers for a particular purpose and will be available for up to four passengers in a future generation.

It will be capable of completing a journey from Heathrow Airport to Canary Wharf in 8 min—which typically takes 50 to 100 min by car—at a cruise speed of 140 km/h (87 mph).

“Oryx is one step ahead in the journey to the ultimate goal of realizing the potential of volar,” said Vidyut Jacob, Senior Director of Mobility and Strategy at Bellwether, with “volar” a term coined by the company as a new category of transportation, a UAM (urban air mobility) aircraft for private use. “We envisage that volar will define a new category of private aircraft focusing on city compatibility and lead people toward a three-dimensional lifestyle.”

Bellwether pitches itself as a human-centric UAM company. Founded in London in 2019, its mission is to provide the “most compatible” UAM solution for intracity travel with a safe, efficient, and comfortable experience while minimizing the influence on the environment including potential physical damage and noise.

The company defines volar as a new category of private urban aircraft for intra-city travel, with a hidden propulsion system, environmental friendliness, a compact profile, and the ability to take off and land vertically. Its leadership team believes that people commuting in the sky is inevitable within the next 10 years, with a volar being capable of taking anyone, anytime, and anywhere to any point in cities.

Bellwether says it takes a completely different approach in building aircraft, its team challenging the stereotype of an aircraft with fixed wings or external propellers, and refusing the notion that eVTOL aircraft are just smaller airplanes. The company has been carving its own path since its original hovercraft model Gazelle was shown in 2015.

“The concept of aviation has been present and developed for hundreds of years, and the design for flying cars has been explored for over a century as well,” said Daniel Chen, Founder and CEO at Bellwether. “The experience and current technologies in aviation are a critical foundation enabling all the possibilities, and there shall be no fear of innovation.”

The company’s current airframe design sees enormous improvements in flight efficiency and control,

which improve Oryx stability. The unique configuration enjoys an advantageous lift-to-drag ratio to maximize efficiency with additional lift generation, prolonging flight duration. The designers also incorporated variations in flight control with multiple control surfaces.

The Oryx will debut in 2023, taking off for the first time in Dubai with the help of partners Enata Aerospace and Inmarsat. The significant step forward offers a broader range of possibilities for Bellwether.

Bellwether announced in 2019 that Enata Aerospace was manufacturing and co-developing Bellwether’s innovative flying vehicle. Enata’s aerospace division designs and builds some of the world’s most advanced remote-controlled planes, jet models, and multi-copters. Its unique production technique comprises modular carbon-fiber bodies and hundreds of gear components crafted from 3D printed and CNC subtractive manufactured pieces.

Announced in April, the Inmarsat collaboration is exploring how satellite communications can optimize the future of intra-city transportation services, with a focus on safety, regulation, and innovation. Inmarsat’s Velaris connectivity solution and the company’s existing expertise in aviation safety systems are expected to enable Bellwether’s volar to safely integrate with commercial airspace no matter where it flies. This includes accurate position information reported back from onboard satellite navigation systems and the ability to combine and harmonize data for uncrewed traffic management.

“Inmarsat’s contribution is extremely important to the future development of Bellwether’s onboard vehicle management system and airspace integration,” said Kai-Tse Lin, Bellwether’s Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer. “It’s crucial that the operation of our volar urban aircraft is a simplified and user-friendly experience, making commuting in a Volar easier than driving your car.”

Inmarsat’s Velaris is expected to play a key role in making safety and efficiency industry-standard features for the intra-city transportation sector.

“Our partnership with Bellwether will be critical in the development of safe and efficient intra-city transportation services with passenger experience as their driving force,” added Anthony Spouncer, Senior Director, Advanced Air Mobility, at Inmarsat. “Together we’re defining a new category of transportation that is passenger orientated by design, prioritizing safety and regulation.”