CT UAV JSC has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for a pre-order of up to 100 SkyDrive eVTOL aircraft from SkyDrive.

CT UAV is a subsidiary of CT Group, a multi-business group based in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam and is developing unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technologies.

SkyDrive is currently developing a three-seater eVTOL aircraft and is in the process of acquiring its Japan Civil Aviation Bureau (JCAB) certification. Operated by a driver-pilot, its flight stability is secured with the assistance of a computer-controlled flight system.

In Vietnam, significant traffic congestion happens daily and is growing. SkyDrive previously signed an MoU with Pacific Group for a pre-order of up to 100 eVTOL aircraft in November 2022 and thanks to this pre-order from CT UAV, the pre-order book in Vietnam has now reached 200 units.

CT UAV is supported by CT Group, a company that operates nine business lines; three sustainable and six involving high-tech industries. CT UAV is working on the integration of artificial intelligence with UAV technology.

SkyDrive and CT UAV will evaluate commercial eVTOL considerations such as vertiports, routes and network planning, infrastructure requirements and ecosystems with stakeholders interested in launching new mobility solutions in Vietnam.

CT Group president Tran Kim Chung says: “We recognise the importance of leveraging its accumulated expertise and technological capabilities in infrastructure development, as well as the development of cutting-edge technologies such as drones and AI. We expect to contribute to the general development of Vietnam on the global market.”

SkyDrive CEO Tomohiro Fukuzawa adds: “We are very grateful for the opportunity to work with CT Group, which is one of the three largest and most comprehensive UAV companies in Vietnam. It has a large share of the urban development market, especially in Ho Chi Minh City, in providing eVTOL as a new means of mobility infrastructure to resolve modern societal issues such as traffic congestion. It will be our honour to contribute to further social development in Vietnam.”

SkyDrive has selected Avidyne's Quantum Open Avionics Platform for its first production aircraft, a three seat, electric-powered lightweight aircraft with VTOL capabilities. Flown by a pilot, its flight stability is enhanced with the assistance of a fly-by-wire control system. Designed to be flown with one pilot and two passengers on board for intra-city flights, the eponymous SkyDrive aircraft requires customised, certified avionics systems to enable its mission.

For more than two decades, Avidyne has been a market-leader in the design and manufacturing of easy-to-use integrated avionics systems.

“We are very pleased to have Avidyne as our avionics partner for our eVTOL aircraft, the SkyDrive. Avidyne's Quantum avionics system is very competitive in performance, weight and cost, and will play one of the most important roles in the eVTOL aircraft system,” says SkyDrive chief development officer Arnaud Coville.

“The avionics requirements and mission profiles of the all-electric SkyDrive eVTOL aircraft are a unique opportunity for Quantum's open avionics platform, and we are honoured to have been selected to create a customised avionics solution for this innovative new aircraft,” adds Avidyne chief executive officer Dan Schwinn.