FutureFlight
Airbus Builds Test Center to Work On CityAirbus NextGen eVTOL Aircraft
Germany's federal government has expressed support for the European aerospace group's investment in electric aviation.
Airbus Helicopters is building a new eVTOL aircraft test center at Donauwörth in Germany.
Airbus Helicopters is building a new eVTOL aircraft test center at Donauwörth in Germany. (Image: Airbus)

Airbus Helicopters has started building a dedicated test center for its CityAirbus NextGen eVTOL aircraft within its existing site at Donauwörth in southern Germany. The European aerospace group expects to complete the 1,000 sq m (10,764 sq ft) facility in the first quarter of 2023, at which point it will be used for testing systems for the planned four-passenger vehicle for which it aims to complete EASA type certification in 2025.

To prepare for the first flight of a full-scale prototype in 2023, Airbus engineers will use the new hangar to integrate high-voltage propulsion systems and lithium batteries. Preflight testing will involve the electric motors that drive the CityAirbus’s eight rotors, as well as other systems such as the flight controls and avionics.