Beta Technologies

Beta Technologies' ALIA-250 eVTOL aircraft prototype

Beta Technologies was incorporated in 2017 in Burlington, Vermont by Kyle Clark, an experienced pilot, engineer and entrepreneur.[7][8] In order to become the company's first test pilot, he learned to fly helicopters, and earned FAA qualifications for a powered lift rating.[8]

The company identified its first customer as United Therapeutics, which under founder and CEO Martine Rothblatt was looking for efficient transportation methods for organs intended for human transplant.[9] United Therapeutics awarded Beta a $48 million contract.[10][11]

On May 23, 2018, the company made the first tethered flight of its original 4,000 lb (1,800 kg) Ava XC eight motor, eight propeller battery-operated proof of concept aircraft.[11]

The company came out of stealth in January 2019.[3] That year, the Ava XC became the world's heaviest eVTOL aircraft to fly.[3]

In February 2020, the company began participating in the United States Air Force Agility Prime program that seeks to advance electric air mobility. In May, the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center announced that the company, along with Joby Aviation, would progress to the third phase of the program.[12][13] In June, the company unveiled its second aircraft prototype, ALIA-250.[14]

In March 2021, the ALIA-250 made a test flight from Plattsburgh, New York, across Lake Champlain to Burlington, Vermont.[15] In April, United Parcel Service (UPS) entered into a contract for ten ALIA-250 aircraft to be supplied in 2024, which included the option for UPS to acquire up to 150 more aircraft.[16] UPS announced it planned to have them travel directly to and from UPS facilities, rather than use airports.[17] In April, Blade Urban Air Mobility made a commitment to purchase up to 20 ALIA aircraft, becoming BETA's first passenger service company.[18] In May, the U.S. Air Force's Public Affairs office announced that Beta Technologies was granted the Air Force's first airworthiness certificate as a part of the AFWERX Agility Prime program, allowing the military to begin using the company's aircraft for test flights.[19] Also in May, the company announced it was building a 270,000 square-foot manufacturing facility at the Burlington International Airport, with a planned production capacity of 250–400 EV aircraft per year.[20] In July, the company completed a 205-mile crewed flight of its aircraft, its longest flight up to that point.[21]

The company announced on January 31, 2022, that it had won a U.S. Army contract to support flight testing of its ALIA electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft. The partnership is designed to help the Army test specific military cargo and logistics missions for eVTOLs, while allowing Beta to accelerate development for both military and civil applications. Initially, Army engineers and Beta's team would evaluate how ALIA might best be applied to specific missions by measuring its range, altitude, endurance, and payload limits.[22] In March 2022, the company hosted the United States Air Force and USAF test pilots flew the ALIA aircraft for the first time.[23]

In April 2022, aircraft lessor Lease Corporation International placed an order for fifty ALIA aircraft,[24] and in August that year, vertical lift aircraft operator Bristow Helicopters ordered five ALIA with options for an additional fifty.[25]

In May 2022, an ALIA aircraft completed a flight of 1,400+ miles in total, from New York State to Arkansas. This included stops along the way for recharging on the company's network.[26] The ALIA was included in X-Plane 12, desktop simulation software developed by Laminar Research, in October 2022.[27]

In December 2022, an ALIA completed another test flight after traveling 876 miles to UPS Worldport, where its founder was met by U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg.[28] The same month, the company completed a FAA-sponsored 50-ft battery drop test with the National Institute of Aviation Research as part of crashworthiness determination for the eVTOL industry.[29] Also in December, BETA was selected as one of four developers to be a part of Air New Zealand’s Mission Next Generation aircraft program.[30]

By the end of 2022, the company had begun to repurpose an Energizer Battery plant in St. Albans, Vermont for use as its primary battery production and validation facility.[31]

In March 2023, the company sought FAA certification for a conventional take-off and landing (CTOL) variant of its ALIA aircraft, dubbed the CX300, and had received orders for the new product from Bristow, Air New Zealand, and United Therapeutics.[32] The company said that FAA test pilots had flown the aircraft during a qualification evaluation earlier that year.[2] It also opened an office in Montreal.[6]

eVTOL aircraft can take off and land without the use of a runway, allowing smaller loads to be delivered directly to recipients,[33] whereas eCTOL require conventional, runway-dependent operations. The company’s eVTOL and eCTOL (fixed wing) aircraft share many design features: both are powered by the same internally-developed electric pusher motor.[2]

The company uses electric motors as they are reportedly quieter and have a smaller carbon footprint with zero operational emissions compared to an equivalent gasoline engine. Electric propulsion aircraft also require less maintenance.[3] The company claims they are also more efficient than combustion engines and have constant torque across all speeds, which enables control without helicopter-like complexity.[34] The motors run from lithium-ion batteries.[29]

Beta Technologies develops eVTOL aircraft and a network of charging stations to support them.

Beta Technologies elevated landing pad for aircraft

Beta Technologies small charging tower for ground fleets

• ALIA-250 – The A250 is an all-electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft that uses four top-mounted lift motors and one rear pusher motor to achieve vertical capabilities as well as wing-born flight while in cruise.[35] It is designed to charge in under an hour, and carry six passengers or cargo for up to 250 nautical miles (nmi), which is the basis for the model number.[36] The design of the 50-ft wing was inspired by the arctic tern, a migratory bird known for its long flights. Its engines provide separate lift and thrust, as opposed to the tilt-rotor design of AVA, with a maximum range of 250 nm at a weight of 6,000 lbs and a cruise speed of 170 miles per hour.[6][36]
• CX300 – The CX300 is an all-electric conventional take-off and landing aircraft that is designed to charge in under an hour, and can be used in passenger, cargo, medical, or military configurations. The aircraft is powered by one rear-mounted pusher motor and its lift is created by the same 50-ft wing.[2]
• Charging infrastructure – Beta developed a line of purpose-built chargers to support the deployment of electric aircraft. By September 2022, the company had operated ten stations across the Midwest, with a few dozen more in permitting or construction stages.[35] All Beta chargers can work with ground based electric vehicles in addition to electric aircraft.[4][37] The company also develops elevated landing pads that, when coupled with chargers, provide an off-airport landing option.[38][39]

• Electric aircraft
• VTOL

• Official website
• Secrets of the Amazing New Beta Technologies Electric VTOL Prototype Airplane (2020) on YouTube