OnwardAir

OnwardAir is developing the Vertex VTOL, a heavy lift vertical takeoff aircraft, and FLEX Pods, a set of swappable mission pods. The company calls this a multi mission aviation system. The site describes the Vertex as hybrid electric and built for middle mile logistics.

The Vertex VTOL has a stated hybrid range of 150 to 400 nautical miles, a payload of more than 1,000 pounds and a turnaround time of 15 minutes or less. The site says the aircraft uses a proprietary four degree of freedom flight control system.

FLEX Pods are quick connect modules that carry payloads or energy. The site says a pod can be swapped in 15 minutes or less. It says the pods support several mission types without changing the airframe.

The site lists mission types including offshore energy and remote sites, air medical and emergency response, humanitarian and disaster relief, middle mile cargo, and defense intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance work.

The site describes a safety approach with separate lift and forward propulsion systems. It says this avoids single points of dependency and allows controlled flight after some system failures. It also describes redundancy across critical systems and a patent-pending AI-enabled emergency system that monitors the aircraft in real time.

The site describes the aircraft as in development. It has a partner page for operators and a LinkedIn link for its leadership. The site does not list a street address or a phone number.