Completion of Downwash Study Meets a Key
Product and Engineering Q1 Milestone
ENGLEWOOD, Colo., Feb. 27,
2025 /PRNewswire/ -- XTI Aerospace, Inc.
(NASDAQ: XTIA) ("XTI" or the "Company"), a pioneer in advanced
aircraft design, today announced the successful completion of its
downwash study, achieving a key 2025 first quarter product and
engineering milestone, as previously disclosed. The
downwash/outwash study, which analyzed airflows generated by the
aircraft during vertical takeoff and landing to assess safety and
performance, met expectations as anticipated by the XTI Flight
Science engineering team.
"The TriFan 600 will hold a key advantage over helicopters- its
downward propeller airflow is designed to be controlled by the
ducted fans," said Dave Ambrose, VP
of Engineering at XTI Aircraft. "As a result, when the airflow
reaches the ground, the outwash dynamic pressure dissipates more
quickly and closer to the vehicle. This means a person can stand
closer to the TriFan during vertical takeoff and landing without
being blown over, enhancing both safety and operational
flexibility."
"Our product and engineering team is growing and we continue to
outperform expectations," said Don
Purdy, SVP Business and Program Development, XTI Aerospace.
"The downwash study is just one of the many analyses we have
conducted on the TriFan 600 aircraft, and it's always a great
validation when the results exceed our expectations."
Figure 1 shows how the five-foot diameter aft fan duct in the
fuselage helps to constrain the airflow stream. Figure 2 shows how
the TriFan compares with two heavy helicopters. The felt dynamic
pressure (flow parallel to the ground) is greater if you are
directly under the TriFan, but it quickly dissipates below that of
the helicopters the further you get from the vehicle. Importantly,
the FAA has recently defined a Downwash Caution Area (DCA) as
anywhere the velocity exceeds 34.5 mph or 15
m/s. Figure 3 shows that the TriFan's DCA is 53 feet which
is very close to the Joby S4 DCA.
In a previous market update, the Company outlined six core
product and engineering milestones for Q1, listed below, beginning
with the downwash/outwash study and leading up to the launch of the
"Sparrow" subscale working model in early Q2.
Completed:
- Downwash / Outwash Study – Analyze airflows generated by the
aircraft during vertical takeoff and landing to evaluate safety and
performance
To be Completed:
- Fuel System Design – Optimize fuel system design to reduce
unusable fuel and increase fuel capacity
- Engine Air Inlets and Exhaust – Optimize air intake and exhaust
design to enhance performance and efficiency of the propulsion
system
- Flight Deck Mockup – Develop a flight deck human factors mockup
to design and evaluate and optimize ergonomics, pilot controls, and
vision polar
- Type Certification Application – Formally apply to the FAA for
type certification of the TriFan 600
- Global Finite Element Model (GFEM) of the latest configuration
– Update the comprehensive structural model to evaluate and
optimize the aircraft's strength and load paths under various
loading conditions
About XTI Aerospace, Inc.
XTI Aerospace (XTIAerospace.com) (Nasdaq: XTIA) is the parent
company of XTI Aircraft Company, an aviation business based near
Denver, Colorado, currently
developing the TriFan 600, a fixed-wing business aircraft
designed to have the vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) capability
of a helicopter, speeds of 345 mph and a range of 700 miles,
creating an entirely new category – the vertical lift crossover
airplane (VLCA). Additionally, the Inpixon (inpixon.com) business
unit of XTI Aerospace is a leader in real-time location systems
(RTLS) technology with customers around the world who use the
Company's location intelligence solutions in factories and other
industrial facilities to help optimize operations, increase
productivity, and enhance safety. For more information about XTI
Aerospace, please visit XTIAerospace.com and
HangerXStudios.com (aviation innovation podcast), and follow the
company on LinkedIn, Instagram, X, and YouTube.
Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking
Statements
This press release contains certain "forward-looking statements"
within the meaning of the United States Private Securities
Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Section 27A of the Securities Act,
and Section 21E of the Exchange Act. All statements other than
statements of historical fact contained in this press release,
including without limitation, statements about the products under
development by XTI, the advantages of XTI's technology, and XTI's
customers, plans and strategies are forward-looking statements.
Some of these forward-looking statements can be identified by
the use of forward-looking words, including "believe," "continue,"
"could," "would," "will," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "plan,"
"target," "projects," or the negatives of these terms or variations
of them or similar expressions. All forward-looking statements are
subject to risks, uncertainties, and other factors which could
cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or
implied by such forward-looking statements. All forward-looking
statements are based upon estimates, forecasts, and assumptions
that, while considered reasonable by XTI Aerospace and its
management, are inherently uncertain, and many factors may cause
the actual results to differ materially from current expectations.
XTI undertakes no obligation to revise any forward-looking
statements in order to reflect events or circumstances that might
subsequently arise. Readers are urged to carefully review and
consider the risk factors discussed from time to time in XTI's
filings with the SEC, including those factors discussed under the
caption "Risk Factors" in its most recent annual report on Form
10-K, filed with the SEC on April 16,
2024, and in subsequent reports filed with or furnished to
the SEC.
Contacts
General inquiries:
Email: contact@xtiaerospace.com
Web: https://xtiaerospace.com/contact/
Investor Relations:
Crescendo Communications
Tel: +1 212-671-1020
Email: XTIA@crescendo-ir.com
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SOURCE XTI Aerospace, Inc.
