Supernal debuts S-A2 eVTOL at Farnborough Airshow

Supernal has debuted its S-A2 eVTOL concept at Farnborough International Airshow.

Supernal, Hyundai’s advanced air mobility (AAM) company, has debuted its S-A2 eVTOL concept at Farnborough International Airshow (FIA) this week. The firm revealed it is preparing for test flights and has received its aircraft wing from GKN Aerospace. It also announced a deal with Luxaviation company Sigma Air Mobility.

“We are eager to share Supernal’s latest product milestone – our eVTOL product concept – with the aviation industry as we work to launch commercial Advanced Air Mobility operations in 2028,” said Jaiwon Shin, president of Hyundai Motor Group and CEO of Supernal. “With our ‘right product, right market at the right time’ philosophy, S-A2 embodies critical work Supernal is conducting with fleet operators, suppliers, governments and Hyundai Motor Group to ensure AAM becomes a safe, economically viable and widespread mode of transportation in the coming decades.”

Supernal said it will start flying its full-scale technology demonstrator later this year, before beginning prototype testing of S-A2 in 2025. The firm has also just taken delivery of the full composite wing assembly for the technology demonstrator from GKN Aerospace, and it will receive the booms from the UK-headquartered supplier by the end of the month.

The composite wing assembly and booms are manufactured and supplied by GKN’s sites in Bristol and Cowes, UK. The delivery follows preliminary agreements initiated in 2022 and 2023.

John Pritchard, president, Civil Airframe at GKN said: “We are excited to support Supernal’s multi-year eVTOL testing programme. Electric aircraft will play a key role in the transition to zero-emissions flight. Delivering these vital aerostructures is a testament to our wealth of experience in the design and high-rate manufacturing of aerostructures. We are proud to be a part of Supernal’s journey in bringing innovative eVTOL solutions to market.”

Shin added: “Acceptance of the composite wing assembly and booms from GKN Aerospace is an important step in readying Supernal’s Full-scale Technology Demonstrator for at  by the end of 2024. Learnings from this aircraft will benefit concurrent S-A2 prototyping so we can begin delivering aircraft to operators in 2028 that meet mission requirements and are certified to commercial aviation safety standards.”

Supernal also used the airshow to announce a multi-year memorandum of understanding with Sigma Air Mobility to explore markets for future AAM operations, targeting areas in south and southeast Asia and southern Europe.

Christophe Lapierre, CEO, Sigma Air Mobility said: “The need for more sustainable aviation solutions is global, while specific transportation needs are local. Together, Sigma Air Mobility and Supernal can expand access to AAM by matching our solutions with the markets where they will be best suited.”

This article was first published on our sister title Revolution.Aero.