The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has opened a public consultation period on its proposal for airworthiness standards that will enable the certification of small vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft. The agency said the aim is to “develop the first component of the regulatory framework to enable the safe operation of air-taxi and electric VTOL (eVTOL) aircraft in Europe.”
In the absence of certification specifications for VTOL aircraft, the agency has developed a set of dedicated technical specifications in the form of a special condition to its existing rotorcraft certification regulations. The unique features of a VTOL aircraft that significantly differentiate them from traditional rotorcraft or airplanes and therefore necessitate this dedicated special condition include the fact that distributed lift/thrust units are used to generate powered lift and control, and although hover flight may be possible, the aircraft might not be able to perform an autorotation or a controlled glide in the event of a loss of lift/thrust.
The new standards will be limited to VTOL aircraft with a passenger seating configuration of five or fewer and a maximum certified takeoff weight of 4,400 pounds or less. The proposal is open for comments until November 15.
