In its efforts to understand the potential capabilities and applications of emerging eVTOL technologies, the United States Air Force (USAF) has tapped the expertise of a diverse range of aviation startups under the aegis of its Agility Prime program. Over 2022 and 2023, major eVTOL contractors such as Joby Aviation and Lift Aircraft have provided the USAF with prototype platforms to assist in this evolving endeavor.
In February 2024, California-based startup Pivotal joined these ranks, delivering the first four of a planned eight of its protype eVTOLs into the USAF’s hands. This past week the partnership between the two entities deepened further, with the Pivotal signing an additional Other Transaction Authority (OTA) agreement with the service, expanding the bounds of their cooperative relationship, including arrangements for the USAF to test Pivotal’s production model Helix platform.
The Helix is a single seat Personal Aerial Vehicle (PAV) that falls under the U.S Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Part 103 Ultralight classification framework. The carbon fiber composite aircraft features a tandem wing configuration, with each wing integrating four fixed rotors each powered by electric batteries. The aircraft sports a cruising speed of 63mph and a range of 20km.
Commercial sales of the Helix platform were opened in June 2024, with the price of available packages ranging from $190,000 to $260,000.
