S.V. Smirnov1

1 V.A. Trapeznikov Institute of Control Sciences of RAS (Moscow, Russia)
1 sapr2006@bk.ru

The work is devoted to the current and promising topic of using innovative vertical takeoff air transport (air taxi with an electric motor), which can successfully solve important problems of movement and saving time in a large city for a local part of consumers (business and urban emergency services). This is due to the increasing demand for such a transport service, the improvement and safety of the aircraft themselves, as well as equipping them with artificial intelligence, under the control of which it is possible to do without a pilot.

New generation air taxis are already used in China and Russia, and in the USA, UAE and Germany, launch is planned for 2025. In addition, India, Singapore and other countries are also interested in launching a new type of air transport, which is characterized by the interest that they show in air taxi manufacturing companies (Joby Aviation, Volocopter, Ehang, Transport of the Future, etc.)
The purpose of the work is to consider individual examples of practical application of air taxis in the world, as well as to indicate their design and functional features for solving problems of fast movement in the conditions of a complex transport situation of the city.

The results of the work included consideration of the application and operation of the following air taxi models:

Joby S4 from the American company Joby Aviation, which is a fully electric tiltrotor with vertical takeoff and landing, equipped with six rotary rotors, four of which are located on the wing and two at the ends of the V-shaped tail. Joby Aviation is planned to appear in US cities in 2025.

VoloCity by the German company Volocopter, which is a small electric aircraft, vaguely resembling a helicopter, which can take off and land vertically. VoloCity is equipped with an electric power plant and has 18 rotors in its design, which significantly dampen noise. It is noteworthy that if 1-2 rotors (propellers) fail, the device can remain in the air. The use of VoloCity is planned for the near future (2026-2030) in Germany, Singapore, the UAE and France.

EH 216-S by the Chinese company Ehang. This model is a simplified optocopter with a small shell cabin that accommodates two passengers and does not plan to have a pilot on board. It should be noted that to date, the EH216-S is the world's first pilotless air transport approved (so far only in China) for commercial passenger transportation. In addition, the EH216-S has been launched into serial production and is officially available for sale.

Hi-Fly S700 by the Russian company "Transport of the Future". This AT is built on the principle of a multicopter and is equipped with 16 electric motors (and the same number of propellers), which are installed at the top and bottom of the cabin of the flying machine (4 pairs each). This number is not accidental, if several propellers or electric motors (in this case 2) fail, other propellers will compensate for the work of the faulty ones and allow the device to land safely on the ground. The company expects to begin serial production of the Hi-Fly S700 passenger AT in 2028.

The practical significance lies in the fact that the considered examples of the application of the innovative type of transport are insufficiently analyzed in various review publications. This work is able to contribute to the clarification of some not very detailed reviews on the application of air taxis in the life of large cities of the world.

It should be noted that the examples of air taxis described in this work are of a scientific and practical nature and contribute to its popularization, as well as, albeit small, but still promotion of this innovative air transport in the passenger transportation system of large and small cities, as well as for use by emergency services (ambulance, firefighters, police, etc.).

The future use of air taxis as a supplement to urban air transport seems to be a promising and growing direction in the field of transporting people and assisting emergency services, which will undoubtedly improve in the coming years.

Smirnov S.V. Air taxi as a supplement to air transport in city conditions. Science Intensive Technologies. 2025. V. 26. № 5. P. 69−77. DOI: https://doi.org/ 10.18127/j19998465-202505-07 (in Russian)

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