Overair

03/01/2024

🦋 Butterfly is ready for take-off -- virtually speaking! The first-generation simulator for our aircraft is up and running. This custom-built sim, crafted in-house, marks a significant advancement in our efforts to enhance human factors for the aircraft, streamline flight deck operations, and ensure compliance with flight line standards.

This week, the Overair team had the chance to take the simulator for a spin around California. Huge congratulations to everyone involved in bringing this immersive experience to life!

Once fully operational, Butterfly will comfortably accommodate up to five passengers and their luggage for trips to destinations within a 100-mile radius. Where will you take a Butterfly?

02/27/2024

Last week at the GAMA press conference, our CEO Ben Tigner shared his perspectives on what is needed for OEMs to succeed as well as the key advantages to all-electric aircraft like :

⚡ Zero Emissions: “Even though aviation is one of the most challenging segments of transportation to electrify, at long last, we have a class of aircraft that can operate in economically effective ways with no tailpipe emissions whatsoever.”

🔇 Low Acoustics: “Electric propulsion offers significant opportunities for noise reduction – with properly designed propellers and rotors that take advantage of those opportunities. It is clear that quietness is the key economic unlocker for this industry.”

🔋 Battery Capabilities: “Today’s batteries are sufficient for economically effective operations, but as technology improves, we’ll get better and better, with longer ranges, shorter charge times, longer replacement intervals, and eventually larger size aircraft.”

There is a lot more work to be done. Stay tuned as we continue to pioneer the future of aviation! ✈️

02/16/2024

Nice look at the key players in the industry from the Robb Report. Thanks Dan Sloat for sharing .

They’re coming, faster than you think. The first eVTOL air taxi is already operating, with a half-dozen others expected in the next two years.

02/15/2024

🦋 🦋 As we continue to make rapid progress on our first full-scale prototype, our second one is also beginning to take shape. Our composite technicians are currently laying up the fuselage skins, which will soon undergo final preparation for assembly. Once completed, this full-scale prototype (code-named XP-1B) will be utilized for the next phase of flight testing. This phase will encompass a significantly broader flight envelope, including the transition into forward flight mode.

02/13/2024

Ground Control: How do you read? 🎧
Butterfly XP-1A: Loud and clear!! 👋
Ground Control: 🙌

Our Ground Control Station (GCS) and Telemetry Trailer (TM) are now fully operational and successfully communicating with our prototype aircraft. This step is crucial for our testing phase, allowing us to thoroughly check the aircraft's systems on the ground before taking to the skies.

The GCS enables our team to control the aircraft from the ground, while the TM allows us to monitor the aircraft's performance in real time. Following the completion of our initial tests in Santa Ana, we're moving the GCS and TM, along with the aircraft, to our flight test facility in Victorville, CA, setting the stage for the aircraft's first flight.

02/08/2024

🦋 Progress Update: The first set of four flight engines have successfully completed acceptance tests! Following careful assembly and installation, our dedicated engine dyno measured performance across a range of powers and test conditions. This major milestone validated our prototype engine capabilities, releasing them for aircraft-level tests.

Stay tuned for more updates as we continue to drive toward our first flight.

02/06/2024

🦋 Progress Update: Our first full-scale prototype has sprung to life! ⚡Low voltage (LV) power⚡ has been successfully brought up and is undergoing comprehensive testing onboard the aircraft.

The LV system acts as the aircraft’s central nervous system, powering crucial avionics and sensors - the essential components that enable flight. Validating its functionality is paramount before progressing to the high voltage (HV) system, responsible for powering the aircraft’s propulsion. Since our prototype is designed for remote piloting throughout its flight test envelope, the LV system also facilitates crucial communication with the ground control station (GCS).

This successful milestone paves the way for our team to focus on testing the remote piloting and monitoring systems. Congratulations to the electrical and integration teams for their hard work!

02/06/2024

We were honored to host Santa Ana Mayor Valerie Amezcua and Councilmember Phil Bacerra at our Orange County, CA headquarters and manufacturing facility yesterday.

During their visit, the Mayor and Councilmember engaged with numerous members of our development and manufacturing teams. They also were able to witness the ongoing testing and preparation of our full-scale prototype, as we ready it for its first flight early this year. A former President of the Santa Ana Unified School District, the Mayor took a break from her tour to speak a group of elementary school kids who were also touring our facilities.

We share the Mayor and Councilmember’s passion for growth, development, and education in the city where we’re shaping the future of air travel. Dedication to collaboration at all levels is helping bring a world of possibilities closer to home, today.

01/30/2024

Our industrial design team has spent a good part of the past two years envisioning how our customers will fly, looking at not just comfort and safety but also functionality. From commuter to club seating, cargo to medical transport, we are creating an experience that will change the way people and goods travel. Working with our partners at PriestmanGoode we are not just imagining what’s possible in cabin design but creating a design that is adapted to go into service.

💺 Adaptable spacious cabin with seating for up to 5 passengers and their luggage

💺 Modern design with oversized windows and sustainable, certifiable materials

💺 Safety and comfort with 4-point harnesses and modern amenities such as wireless charging and space for personal items

Here’s a glimpse of how we are thinking through the passenger experience to bring a world of possibilities closer to home.