3 July 2018
A six-seat, vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft, using a tilt-wing/rotor system, the Vy 400, has been announced by US company Transcend Air Corporation.
The Vy 400 (Vy is Best Rate of Climb) is at the heart of a new airline service for business travellers to and from major city centres due to launch in 2024, according to Transcend.
Greg Bruell, co-founder and CEO of Transcend said, “This is a necessary and transformative addition to city-to-city transportation options.
“It solves multiple problems at once. We’ll take cars off congested roads, reduce pollution around airports, and lower the cost of air transportation while drastically reducing travel times.”
Transcend says its Vy 400 achieves vertical takeoff and landing using a tilt-wing design. The wing rotates through 90 degrees so it can operate like a helicopter in city centres, then cruise efficiently at higher speeds.
Transcend says it will deliver a service from major city centres, such as Manhattan and downtown Boston, using VTOL-ready landing pads.
The Vy 400 features a tilt-wing, fly-by-wire design that flies at 405mph with a range of 450 miles. It will be powered by Pratt & Whitney Canada’s successful and proven PT6A turboprop engine and will also be fitted with a whole aircraft parachute rescue system.
Transcend Air Corporation is a group of aerospace executives, engineers, and entrepreneurs. They claim the Vy 400 is three times faster than helicopters, with half the operating costs, requiring no new regulatory regimes nor air traffic control systems.
FAST FACTS
Transcend Vy 400
Price $3.5m
Empty weight 4,800 lb
MGTOW 6,990 lb
Useful load 2,200 lb
Max fuel 960 lb
Seats 6 (1 pilot plus 4/5 pax)
Range @MGTOW 300/450sm
Cruise speed 405mph
Max rate of climb 4,500ft/min
Power P&WC PT6A-67F producing 1,700shp
Estimated fares/journey times NYC-Boston $283 36 minutes, LA-San Francisco $315 55 minutes
