Limosa Inc. and Airborne have agreed to terms for the production of the Limosa LimoConnect prototype airframe in parallel to designing automated manufacturing lines and supporting Limosa’s industrialisation from prototype through to serial production.
With their highly collaborative approach , the partners aim for the fast ramp up of the Limosa airframe production and ensure both trade-offs and development will be able to meet the pressing timescales of OEM.
Limosa Inc. aims to revolutionize air taxi transportation through the development of the LimoConnect allelectric, 1+7 seater Vertical and Conventional Take-off and Landing (eVTOL + eCTOL) aircraft. The strength of LimoConnect is its flexibility to adopt different mission capabilities as well as the capability of take-off and land conventionally so that it will use the available airports before needing the emergence and certification of new vertiport infrastructures. The type certification of LimoConnect under regulations of Transport Canada Civil Aviation (TCCA) and entry into service is planned for 2028.
Limosa and Airborne, a Perfect Partnership
Airborne has a unique capability set that covers the entire product development cycle for composite structures to bring to the partnership with Limosa Inc., from initial feasibility through to serial automated production and the supply of digital manufacturing equipment. These capabilities include design, tooling, stress analysis, prototype production and process development, economic analysis, automation and software development. Limosa Inc. founder and CEO Hamid Hamidi and Airborne Commercial Director Joe Summers signed the partnership heads of terms on the 8th February, 2023 . Limosa Inc. founder and CEO, Dr. Hamid Hamidi says: ‘’Design for manufacturability and serviceability is the core mission at Limosa. The production rate of these new technology vehicles will sit somewhere between automotive and aerospace industry products, so I believe the integration of automated composite manufacturing will be a game changer. I am very proud and excited by this partnership between Limosa and Airborne and I believe that combined automated composite manufacturing capability of Airborne will enable Limosa to mass produce the composite airframe structure by having the environmental issues, such as waste reduction and recyclability in mind since the very beginning’’. Airborne Business Development Manager, responsible for AAM, Jamie Snudden: “The production rates and technical requirements that are being suggested for AAM are different to any markets that have come before, and therefore a new approach to automation is needed. There also needs to be a highly collaborative approach taken between design and industrialisation functions to ensure trade-offs are fully reviewed and development occurs rapidly to reach the timescales being suggested by OEMs. I’m very excited by this collaboration between Airborne and Limosa, who is taking a long term and innovative view for the development of the LimoConnect. Airborne are looking forward to supporting Limosa in bringing about their vision.
About Airborne
At Airborne we know that innovation in manufacturing through automation, digitalisation and advanced analytics is the catalyst for the significant increase in productivity that companies need to stay competitive. We understand the complexity and cost involved in producing composite products for demanding applications in highly regulated industries. Our legacy in advanced composites manufacturing makes us experts in developing and delivering automated solutions that enable our customers to achieve high production rates and radically low conversion costs. More information: www.airborne.com
