Planar unveiled a hybrid electric propulsion AAM and revealed a differentiated 500km long-distance flight goal.

Plana announced on the 23rd that it unveiled for the first time a scaled-down version of the domestic only hybrid electric propulsion AAM at the '2023 Drone Show Korea' held at BEXCO in Busan from the 23rd to the 25th.

Plana is devoting all its efforts to the development of Advanced Air Mobility (AAM), which encompasses Urban Air Mobility (UAM). At the event, a company representative stated, "We aim for commercialization by 2028 and expect commercialization to be pursued first in the United States, Europe, and South America."

Plana aims to achieve a 500km flight based on a hybrid system by adding a generator to the battery in the aircraft currently under development. Through a series hybrid powertrain in which a turbine generator and a battery system assist each other, it becomes possible to carry one pilot and 4 to 6 passengers and fly long distances at a cruising speed of 300 km/h and a maximum speed of 350 km/h.

"A company representative stated, 'The distance from Seoul to Jeju Island is about 500km, so it is significant that it allows for a direct trip, and in Europe, it enables travel between countries.'"

In addition, UAM and AAM are gaining attention as eco-friendly modes of transportation. Planar's airframe uses next-generation aviation fuel (Sustainable Aviation Fuel, SAF), which can reduce carbon emissions by more than 90% compared to existing air transport methods.

Meanwhile, Plana has recruited 40 experts with at least five years of experience in the relevant industry, including former employees of global aviation OEMs such as Airbus, Collins Aerospace, Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI), and Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI), as well as companies possessing core electric vehicle technologies such as Hyundai Motor, Honda, Mando, Autoliv, and Valeo. Last October, Plana secured a pre-Series A investment worth 11.8 billion won.

In addition, on the 13th, the company signed a business agreement with LG Uplus for joint research on communication-based UAM data transmission. The goal is to develop a UAM traffic management platform and data transmission technology between aircraft, and to jointly secure demonstration flight data linked thereto.

Planar will showcase the maiden flight of its all-battery-based scaled-down aircraft within the year. It is pursuing the establishment of a US branch to cooperate closely with the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certification authority, and plans to participate in the Grand Challenge demonstration project conducted by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport in the second half of this year.