While most urban air mobility companies are hyper-focused on moving people through cities with electric aircraft, Spanish start-up Crisalion Mobility has a vision for a network of ground- and air-based transportation.
Oscar Lara Rapp, chief operating officer of Crisalion, told FlightGlobal on 22 July that it is one reason why the company believes it will stand out in a crowded field of electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) developers.
“We have the air side but we also have a ground division, in which we are designing ground vehicles that can be driven remotely from a control centre,” Rapp says. “We are like a holistic mobility company.”
Crisalion is betting that its aircaft design will be a difference-maker, as well.
Appearing at the Farnborough air show with a model display of its planned “Integrity” eVTOL, Crisalion’s origins trace back to 2016, when the company assembled a small-scale technology demonstrator called Concept. It also developed a full-scale technology demonstrator in 2022 that completed a series of flight tests in Spain.
“Then we had to make a decision because either we take this kind of aircraft to market or we start designing a new one,” Rapp says. “But the problem with the prototype we have is that its range is 15km, which is not enough for many commercial purposes. It’s pilotless with one passenger, and you are not going to be able to certify without a pilot currently under EASA and FAA regulations.
“Of course, you can put a pilot inside, you can make the cabin bigger,” he continues. “But if you start changing so many things, it’s better to start from scratch with another aircraft.”
The resulting concept aircraft is designed for passenger and cargo transportation and emergency medical services, with a targeted range of 70nm (130km).
Core to Integrity’s design is the company’s patented FlyFree technology, a propulsion and stability system featuring four quad-rotor units mounted to booms on a fixed wing. The aircraft relies on differential thrust from its independent powerplants for lift and tilt.
“It is an aircraft that has a special flight-control law and a special architecture when we compare it with the rest of the solutions that we have in the market,” Rapp says.
He maintains that Integrity will be “much more stable in challenging weather conditions” compared with competing eVTOL designs.
“When we’re talking about light aircraft such as this one, we are talking about aircraft that move and shake when they have some kind of turbulence,” he says. “If we want to bring mobility to everyone, they have to feel comfortable on board.”
Crisalion is test-flying a one-sixth scale prototype of Integrity and plans to build a full-scale prototype that will be remotely piloted by 2026.
The start-up is targeting and service entry in 2030 and has begun engaging with the European Union Aviation Safety Agency. It plans to have a full-scale mock-up of Integrity exhibited at next year’s Paris air show.
