Aura Aerospace

Aura Aerospace LLC is an electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft developer based in San Francisco, California. The company was founded in August 2020 by a team of defense veterans and industry professionals with a background in heavy lift drone technology. It works on manned VTOL airframes and on its own energy storage system.

Aircraft programs

• Guardian G1: a single seat ultralight eVTOL designed to the FAA Part 103 rules, which limit top speed to 60 mph. It is a half scale airframe of the Guardian platform.
• Guardian VTOL platform: a scaled development program that began in 2018. The target design has a cabin large enough for a full sized gurney, a rear loading ramp for wheelchair access, seating for 4 to 6 passengers and triple redundant lift systems. Intended uses include medical rescue, air taxi service for wheelchair users and bulky goods transport.
• Ranger: a hybrid VTOL design for 5 passengers with folding wings, retractable pontoons that cover the lift propellers in cruise and twin turbofan engines running on sustainable aviation fuel. Published targets are a cruise speed of 820 km/h and a range of 18,000 km.

Energy

The Powercell is an energy storage unit made mainly of aluminium foil and graphene with no lithium. Aura states a 10 minute full charge and a lifespan of 250,000 cycles, and runs a Powercell development program aimed at eVTOL power systems.

Company facts

• Founded in August 2020
• Guardian program milestones: 1/8 scale model in 2018, 1/4 scale in 2019, ultralight prototype in 2020, G1 production model in 2021 and manned takeoff (tethered test) in 2022
• AURA is a registered trademark of Aura Aerospace LLC, USPTO Reg. No. 6,667,833
• Programs are in development; the company notes that final designs depend on FAA certification requirements

Contact

Email: contact@aura.aero