FutureFlight
Opener Rebrands as Pivotal, Unveils 'Helix' Personal eVTOL Aircraft
Pivotal, formerly known as Opener, has introduced its first production-conforming personal eVTOL aircraft.
Pivotal's Helix eVTOL aircraft
Pivotal's Helix is a fully electric, single-seat personal aerial vehicle designed for recreation, commuting, and short-hop travel. (Photo: Pivotal)

Opener Aero, the company behind the BlackFly personal eVTOL aircraft, is rebranding and introducing its first production aircraft. Now operating under the name Pivotal, the California-based company is getting ready to begin accepting orders for its first scalable production vehicle, called Helix, in early 2024. 

Just like the BlackFly, the Helix is a single-seat, fly-by-wire eVTOL aircraft designed for recreational use and short-hop travel. The design features two 14-foot cantilevered tandem wings mounted on the front and rear of a small fuselage, with four electric propellers mounted onto each wing. With this so-called “tilt-aircraft” architecture, the entire aircraft tilts to transition between hover and cruise. 

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