Pegasus Vertical Business Jet The Sky is the Limit

| BY SOMNATH CHATTERJEE

eVTOL stands for an electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft which promises to alter the conventional aviation yardsticks. Pegasus wants to combine that and disrupt the business jet market. Unlike traditional business jets or helicopters, the Pegasus Vertical Business Jet promises to provide a greener and a far more convenient alternative. Being able to take off and land vertically gives it the flexibility that a business jet/helicopter owner craves for. You can pretty much land anywhere (a rooftop, a yacht, or a helipad) plus not only that as it will have four times the range of a helicopter. Pegasus terms it as the “first aircraft to provide business jet performance coupled with helicopter convenience”.

It is also claimed that its performance would be better than helicopters, piston engine planes and any of the tilt-rotor VTOL aircraft currently on market as the range is an impressive 4400km from runway take-off (or 2124km in VTOL) with a 45 minutes reserve. The VBJ also has a cruising speed of 609 Kilometers per hour at 35,000 feet. It uses twin double ducted fans and four lift fan units.

However for business jet owners the issue of range or weight will come into focus as electric poses those challenges. The VBJ though overcomes that with a pair of turbo-shaft engines and a maximum fuel capacity of 2,040 kg. Compared to conventional business jets, you save a lot of fuel as you take off and land via the fans in the wings. There are four of them which provide the thrust and the whole process is streamlined with a proprietary system in place requires less pilot training than a conventional aircraft. Unlike helicopters, there is a much quieter cabin for the passengers and the pilot also. It will have the ability to accommodate seven passengers with a luxurious cabin- albeit with a futuristic design theme.

Recently the company has performed a hover test with a prototype to see the complex transitions. The South African based Pegasus Universal Aerospace will continue to test more and already has its South African patents granted plus approved EU and US patents. Pricing and exact launch timing is unclear but the company is hoping for the final VBJ certified for use around 2025 which is quite early. Lead time for ordering is 12-18 months from FAA certification. The key points here are the pricing factor and getting certification as in concept this is indeed more appealing as with less noise than helicopters plus more space along with the ability to land virtually anywhere; the scope for the VBJ is indeed huge with the sky being the limit.

eVTOL concept can also revolutionize consumer travel in the future and many big companies are heavily investing in this space with the first consumer air-taxi being a probable reality. However before that the business jet sector is pretty much ripe for a disruptor like Pegasus.