FutureFlight
Sikorsky Teases Possible Advanced Air Mobility Plans In VTOL Technology Talk
The helicopter manufacturer highlighted electric propulsion and automation as priorities for its research and development work on autonomous and optionally piloted flight.
Sikorsky Matrix technology platform for helicopters.
Sikorsky's Matrix technology portfolio includes hardware and software that could support autonomous or optionally piloted operations. (Image: Sikorsky/Lockheed Martin)

Prolific helicopter manufacturer Sikorsky was one of many companies participating in this week’s Electric VTOL Symposium, which was part of the Vertical Flight Society’s 2022 Transformative Vertical Flight event in San Jose, California. In a presentation that teased expectations of news over the Lockheed Martin subsidiary’s plans for the advanced air mobility (AAM) sector, strategy lead Jonathan Hartman tantalizingly spelled out what it views as technological priorities for product development, without delivering a specific punchline regarding what the market can expect from the group.

“We need to start talking about operationalizing these technologies,” Hartman said. “How do we take something that is rather abstract and turn it into real products and applications that customers can apply to their businesses?”