Diehl Aerospace, a unit of the leading aerospace supplier Diehl Aviation, has signed a contract with Volocopter for the development and production of Flight Control Computers (FCC).

Volocopter is the manufacturer of the first fully electric air taxi in certification to safely and quietly transport passengers within cities. Under this agreement, Diehl Aerospace will supply the FCCs including the primary and backup control computers for Volocopter’s “eVTOL” (electrical vertical take-off and landing) aircraft named VoloCity, currently under development.

The contract with Volocopter marks the entry of Diehl Aviation into the market segment of urban air mobility (UAM). While the company has firmly established itself as leading supplier of cabin interiors and aircraft systems to manufacturers of commercial aircraft and military platforms, the UAM market has been identified as a perfect addition to its portfolio.

Diehl Aerospace has a solid track record of providing flight control systems to major airlines and aircraft for decades and sees great prospects for applying its expertise in this field also to eVTOL platforms. The emerging UAM market is expected to play a major role in urban mobility solutions in the future, particularly in combination with electric propulsion and mobile IT services.

Initial development work has started already at Diehl sites for the Volocopter work package. Certification of the Diehl FCCS for Volocopter is expected for 2021, while first flight and entry-into-service of the VoloCity is expected within the next two to four years.

In addition to the application of Diehl’s flight control expertise to the eVTOL platform, the company is also looking at new market potentials for other products within its portfolio, such as cabin interiors and integration capabilities.

Diehl Aviation is a division of Diehl Stiftung & Co. KG and combines all aviation activities of Diehl Group under one roof. In the aviation industry, Diehl Aviation – including Diehl Aerospace (a joint venture with Thales) – is a leading system supplier of aircraft system and cabin solutions. Diehl Aviation currently has around 6,000 employees. Its clients include leading aircraft manufacturers Airbus (both airplanes and helicopters), Boeing, Bombardier and Embraer, as well as airlines and operators of commercial and business aircraft.