Page 10 - EngineerIt January 2021

SOUTH AFRICAN INNOVATION

SA company develops a vertical

take-off business jet

outh Africa is not short of Vertical take-off jet technology has been in the military airspace for many years but
innovation and innovators, the only recently in commercial aviation. “We are not reinventing anything”, Robbie Irons,
Sproblem is that we do not talk CEO of Pegasus Universal Aerospace told EngineerIT in an online discussion. “We are
and write enough about our taking technology that has already been tried and tested in the military airspace and
achievements. The development of a we're adapting it to civil aviation. In the civil aviation space, this is a new generation
vertical take-off business jet is a good approach which seems to be the future of aviation going forward. Traditionally there
example. It is being developed right here were either rotary or fixed wing solutions and we are combining both of these
in South Africa and has already been capabilities into one aircraft. The only caveat and difference is that it's one
patented here, in the USA and the EU. comprehensive solution that provides vertical take-off and landing capability through a
Pegasus VBJ® is the brainchild of hybrid propulsion system”.
one of South Africa’s most renowned
medical practitioners in the field of Electrical propulsion
aesthetic medicine, Dr Reza Mia. He is There are two turbine engines that deliver power to a generator that feeds electrical
also an avid aeronautics scholar and power to the fans and thrust fans. That is the current approach, but as newer power
has made it his mission to innovate the generation technologies are developed, the turbine engines may well be replaced with
aerospace and transportation sector, another electrical solution. Currently the power density of batteries is about 40 times
both locally and globally. He is the less than the power density of kerosene. “For our aircraft to achieve the business
founder of Pegasus Universal performance that we're looking for, in terms of range and safety, we currently still have
Aerospace, a South African born to rely on kerosene”, Irons said. “That is not to say that with all the technologies being
aerospace company. developed such as solid-state batteries and nano cell carbon tubes as battery storage

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