Israel-based company Urban Aeronautics is to provide four of its CityHawk vertical take-off aircraft to air ambulance service provider Hatzolah Air.
CityHawk is a twin-engine VTOL (vertical take-off and landing) aircraft for use in urban areas and as emergency response. According to Urban Aeronautics the final version will be almost a third larger and quieter than comparable helicopters.
Unlike many VTOLs in development, the CityHawk is not electric and uses jet fuel, although the company announced in June it plans to switch to a hydrogen fuelled version in the future.
The CityHawk uses technology that Urban Aeronautics is developing via a subsidiary called Tactical Robotics for the Israel Defense Forces for use in the unmanned Cormorant aircraft. The Cormorant, previously called the AirMule, has been flying for several years and has conducted more than 300 test flights.
The company’s aircraft use ducted fan technology called Fancraft for propulsion, a multi-directional internal rotor that Boeing has expressed an interest in using.
Urban Aeronautics plans to achieve FAA certification for emergency medical service (EMS) applications and be ready for production within three to five years.
As part of the agreement to supply the aircraft, Hatzolah Air is to become Urban Aeronautics’ sales representative and distribution channel to other EMS and rescue organizations around the world. The order and expansion of the partnership builds on an agreement made between the two companies last August.
Nimrod Golan-Yanay, CEO of Urban Aeronautics said, “Hatzolah’s pre-order of four air ambulance CityHawks is an amazing show of confidence in our program and in our company.
“We look forward to delivering on our promise to revolutionize urban air mobility and the emergency response capabilities of major cities across the world.”
Hatzolah Air is a charity that provides urgent, emergent, rescue flights for patients and those in need around the world. The organization currently uses fixed-wing aircraft and plans to use the CityHawk as an alternative to ground based ambulances in densely populated urban areas.
Urban Aeronautics’ engineers are working closely with Hatzolah’s experts to tailor the CityHawk flying ambulance to their operational requirements. It will accommodate a pilot, a patient plus companion, two EMS personnel, and a suite of onboard life support equipment.
“We are excited to become not just the worldwide distributor of Urban Aeronautics’ Air Ambulance CityHawk, but its first customer as well,” said Eli Rowe, president of Hatzolah Air. “Hatzolah’s mission is always about patient care, and adding the VTOL CityHawk has the potential to save many thousands of lives every year.”
