Overair goes full-scale with Butterfly prototype

Overair last month rolled out its Butterfly prototype, a multirole eVTOL with optimum-speed tilt rotors and individual blade control technology that eventually will include a cargo variant. Santa Ana, Calif.-based Overair is targeting applications including logistics, passenger service, medical transport and military lift, the manufacturer told Cargo Facts . [caption id="attachment_56866692" align="aligncenter" width="1941"] (Courtesy/Overair)[/caption] Tests to assess the Butterfly’s controls, propulsion and safety features will begin in early 2024 in Victorville (VCV) as Overair looks to achieve a maximum noise level of fifty-five decibels, according to a Dec. 19 release. The company garnered interest in the Butterfly from all of the market segments the eVTOL will serve after launching a promotional campaign last summer. Houston-based Bristow Group signed a memorandum of understanding with Overair in December 2021 to help develop the Butterfly. Bristow pre-ordered twenty to fifty units as part of the deal. Overair told Cargo Facts that it expects to announce more deals once they are finalized. Overair was awarded a small business innovative research contract by the United States Navy to further develop the individual blade control (IBC) technology, according to a Dec. 14 release. The IBC system significantly reduces vibration to extend component life and improve safety, while the optimum-speed tilt rotors maximize efficiency and can reduce engine demand while hovering by 60%, according to Overair. The company is working closely with regulatory bodies to ensure that the prototype is compliant. The company aims to receive approval by 2028 as part of an industry initiative to provide eVTOL service at the Los Angeles Olympics, it said. Santa Ana, Calif.-based Karem Aircraft launched Overair as a subsidiary in 2020. Founder Abe Karem developed the Amber UAV, which was integrated into the United States Air Force’s Predator UAV after General Atomics acquired the Amber design. Overair’s Butterfly expects to generate future lift in the eVTOL segment along with aircraft designed by other developers such as Burlington, Vt.-based Beta Technologies’ Alia , China-based Autoflight’s Prosperity and U.K.-based Lyte Aviation’s SkyTruck . Cargo Facts EMEA 2024, the essential event for stakeholders in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, will take place Feb. 5-7 in Amsterdam. Learn more and register now.

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