The global aviation industry is making a sharp turn towards electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. These machines promise a revolution in logistics, urban mobility, and rescue operations. While international projects — such as the American Joby S4 — are in the final stages of certification, similar developments in Russia, such as the VRT30 unmanned tiltrotor, are effectively frozen.
On April 22, the American company Joby Aviation conducted the first manned flight of the Joby S4 electric tiltrotor with a transition from vertical takeoff to horizontal flight — a key step towards FAA certification. The aircraft with six tilting rotors develops up to 322 km/h and is designed to carry four passengers up to a range of 240 km. Joby S4 is a representative of the eVTOL (Electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing) class, which is developing in both civil and military applications.
The Russian VRT30 development, similar in concept, announced in 2015 by the "Russian Helicopters" holding, is a four-rotor unmanned cargo vertical takeoff tiltrotor. The project focuses on the delivery of goods and equipment to remote regions, including the Arctic. A mock-up of the aircraft was presented at MAKS-2017, but since then, no official reports on the continuation of R&D have been made.
Both platforms are based on similar principles: multi-rotor architecture, vertical takeoff, cruising horizontal flight, high maneuverability, electrification or hybrid propulsion. The main difference is pilotability (Joby) and unmanned operation (VRT30).
Against the background of the international promotion of eVTOL and the growing interest in air mobility, the lack of progress on VRT30 looks like a missed technological and infrastructural opportunity. In the context of sanctions and logistical challenges for Russia, such aircraft could play a key role in ensuring autonomous transportation and military tasks.
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