Alaka’i Technologies is stepping up efforts to bring its Skai hydrogen-powered eVTOL aircraft to market, as it seeks a strategic production partner and fresh investment. Having worked quietly from its headquarters near Boston since unveiling the design in May 2019, the start-up came out of stealth mode in late September to report that it has its FAA G1 type certification issue paper in hand and is finalizing the means of compliance for testing a full production prototype starting in 2022.
Co-founder Brian Morrison told FutureFlight that his team has been working on an open-frame testbed fitted with all the production systems for the planned four-passenger vehicle. After dealing with some supplier delays, the company expects to be able to start testing propulsion systems, consisting of hydrogen fuel cells and six electric motors and rotors, on what it calls certification vehicle one (CV1) before the end of December.
