SkyDrive, a Toyota City based company, and the Japanese leading eVTOL aircraft manufacturer, showed images of its first production eVTOL. Moreover, the firm announced that it received a G-1 certification from the Japan Civil Aviation Bureau (“JCAB”), the final step before production.
The G-1 certification outlines the airworthiness and performance criteria that the SKYDRIVE eVTOL must meet to achieve final approval. This follows an earlier agreement in March 2022 between SkyDrive and the JCAB, which established AIM Part II (Revision 61) as the regulatory framework. AIM Part II applies airworthiness criteria for aircraft carrying up to 19 passengers and weighing up to 19,000 lbs. The revised framework offers increased flexibility for aircraft manufacturers to validate their designs using methods best suited to their aircraft’s specific characteristics.
“The issuance of this certification basis represents the culmination of substantial efforts invested over several months,” said Arnaud Coville, SkyDrive’s Chief Development Officer. “We are also thrilled with the recent progress achieved in our validation project with the FAA. Our prototype aircraft, which is currently undergoing an extensive series of flight tests, continues to accumulate valuable data as we make steady progress toward the upcoming demonstration flights at the Osaka Expo.”
Regarding manufacturing, SkyDrive announced it already has its production lines ready at a plant owned by the Suzuki Motor Corporation, the company’s official production partner. Although based in Toyota City, and initially financed by Toyota, SkyDrive currently doesn’t collaborate with the world’s leading automaker. Instead, in November 2024, Toyota announced a collaboration with Joby Aviation on air mobility.
SkyDrive’s multirotor aircraft, showcased in the images, has a sleek and lightweight three-seater design. The eVTOL aircraft, codenamed SD-05, has 12 rotors spanning 37.7 feet (11.5 meters), and weighs 3,100 pounds (1,400 kg). With a fully charged battery, it will provide between 9 and 25 miles of range, at speeds of up to 62 mph (100 km/h). SkyDrive says the aircraft can seamlessly integrate into existing transportation systems, like helipads. The eVTOL aircraft can also take off carrying 3 tons of weight, while producing 80 dB of noise, three times lower than a helicopter.
The aircraft is currently undergoing flight tests and is scheduled for an official public unveiling at the World Expo 2025 in Osaka, where it will perform demonstration flights.
