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The Future of Advanced Air Mobility
The Jaunt Jambulance will be used for emergency medical operations.

Jaunt Air Mobility acquired what it now calls the ROSA program from Carter Aviation in April 2019. By June 2019, it had been selected by Uber as the sixth prospective partner for the ride-sharing giant's plans to establish Uber Air using eVTOL aircraft. The program now has the backing of prominent partners Honeywell (providing avionics, navigation systems, electric propulsion system and connectivity systems) and Triumph Group (engineering services).

The company intends to build several versions of the aircraft being developed and all would have similar performance. These would include a passenger-carrying air taxi aircraft called the Jaunt Journey, the Jaunt Jambulance (for emergency medical operations), the Jaunt Joust (for military use) and the Jaunt Geap (for package delivery). 

As of early 2020, privately owned Jaunt planned to achieve type certification of a piloted version of ROSA by the end of 2025, followed by an autonomous version by the end of 2029. However, in October 2020, the company acknowledged that the timeline had slipped by almost a year, in part due to disruption caused by the Covid pandemic. It now aims to start low-rate production of the aircraft in 2026 and achieve initial type certification by the end of that year. On September 18, 2020, it started flying a sub-scale technology demonstrator in the Dallas area. The company aims to fly a full-scale prototype in 2023.

Jaunt plans to achieve type certification under the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration's Part 29 rules, which apply to rotorcraft operated commercially. ROSA is described as a "compound helicopter" which has both a main rotor and a fixed wing with propellers. 

On October 23, 2019, Jaunt finalized the agreement for Triumph Aerospace Structures to provide engineering and manufacturing services to support the ROSA program. Triumph will design and test the aircraft structure to optimize weight and cost factors, as well as defining how best to ensure they are ready for production. This work will be done at Triumph's Technology and Engineering Center in Arlington, Texas, where they built the technology demonstrator.

Jaunt is also working with BAE Systems to develop the energy management system for ROSA. On December 5, the two companies announced a memorandum of understanding covering work on ROSA's aircraft power management requirements. BAE's Controls and Avionics Solutions division is handling the project.

BAE Systems has 20-plus years of experience developing and integrating electric propulsion systems. The company has more than 10,000 electric-hybrid systems on transit buses and marine vessels around the globe, including major cities such as Paris, London, New York, and San Francisco. The company also has more than 40 years of experience in controls and avionics for military and commercial aircraft. 

In October 2020, the company reported that it had started a Series A funding round. At the same time, it said it is in talks with a possible manufacturing partner outside the U.S. This followed a board decision to replace co-founder Kaydon Stanzione as CEO, with CTO Martin Peryea being appointed on an interim basis.

On December 16, 2020, Jaunt Air Mobility announced its partnership with propulsion specialist VerdeGo Aero to explore development of a hybrid-electric aircraft. The company aims to use VerdeGo's diesel-electric generator system in tandem with its existing battery pack design. Jaunt indicated in the announcement that the hybrid-electric design offers greater range and more power than their all-electric Journey model, while offering up to a 40% reduction in carbon emissions over comparably sized turbine-powered aircraft. Although Jaunt did not state a range target, they referenced the U.S. Air Force's 100 mile minimum range requirement.

A January 14, 2021 announcement revealed a partnership with Italian startup Walle to launch air taxi services using the Jaunt Journey eVTOL. Walle has stated it would like to begin service with flights up to 50 km using the five-seat, hybrid-electric aircraft, which aim to begin production in 2026. As of now, the Milan-based company has committed to the purchase of three new Jaunt eVTOL's, with more orders in the future should new routes and a larger network prove feasible, promising to also assist Jaunt with the interior design of the aircraft.

Although the Journey is slated to eventually be certified in the U.S. under 14 CFR Part 29 with the FAA, Jaunt is still working with local and regulatory authorities in Italy to make plans for its proposed air taxi network there. The company also has its sights set on Latin America, announcing a partnership with UAM infrastructure group Varon Vehicles to begin identifying cities across the continent where its eVTOL could be adopted, citing, to start, its work to begin developing "infrastructure networks" along low altitude airspace in Columbia for the vehicle to operate.

In May 2021, Jaunt announced plans to establish its design and manufacturing operations in Montreal, Canada, appointing former Bombardier Aerospace senir executive Eric Cote as president of this division. During the course of the year, the company has expanded its network of partners to include leading aviation groups such as training provider CAE. It

The company also has benefitted from research and development contracts under the U.S. Air Force's Agility Prime program to explore the use of eVTOL aircraft for military missions. In August 2021, it was selected among 35 other companies to be assessed as part of a short-list of potential aircraft providers for the U.S. military's high-speed VTOL requirement, for which it is offering its new MAV55 hybrid-electric design.

In October 2021, Jaunt Air Mobility announced it will merge with the U.S.-based Airo Group. In recent years, the Airo Group has built a portfolio of advanced air mobility companies. The merger is expected to lead to the groups going public with a 2022 Wall Street listing.

In April 2022, Canadian technology investor Mitch Gerber and former Air Canada president and CEO Calin Rovinescu became private investors for Jaunt. They will help to fund Jaunt’s plans to bring its eVTOL to market in 2026.

Timeline

Projected

type certification granted

Type certification of autonomous version of Jaunt aircraft
Projected

type certification granted

Type certification of piloted version of the Jaunt Journey aircraft
Projected

test flight

First flight of type certification version of Jaunt Journey aircraft

test flight

First flight of a sub-scale technology demonstrator aircraft

partnership

The announcement was made during the 2019 Uber Elevate conference.

Outlook

Our objective assessment of this program’s probable success.

FutureFlight assesses the probability of success for a new aircraft program by considering the following criteria:

  • Total investment funds available in proportion to the anticipated cost of getting an aircraft certified and in service
  • A company’s in-house capability (in terms of numbers of engineers, technical staff, and customer support teams)
  • The past experience of the company and its senior leadership in developing aircraft
  • The caliber and past experience of key program partners
  • Whether key aircraft systems have been selected and are available for use
  • Whether the preliminary design review has been completed
  • Whether the design for the full-scale prototype has been completed
  • Whether the type certification process has been formally initiated with an appropriate regulator
  • Whether the company has achieved a first flight with a full-scale prototype
  • The number of hours logged in a flight test program
  • Whether type certification has been achieved
  • The number of orders and commitment received for the aircraft
  • Whether the company has adequate facilities to begin series production of the aircraft
Our Methodology

At face value, Jaunt Air Mobility and the ROSA program seem to be dark horses. New Jersey-based Jaunt was only founded in early 2019 and almost immediately acquired the intellectual property of Carter Aviation, which had been developing an eVTOL aircraft based on its patented Slowed Rotor Compound technology. The company was formed by a pair of engineers, CEO Kaydon Stanzione and chief technology officer Martin Peryea. Stanzione, who has a masters degree in aerospace engineering  from Rutgers University, was a U.S. Department of Defense test pilot for 20 years and since 2007 has run his own company Praxis Technologies, which is active in the defense aviation and security markets. Peryea, who has a masters degree in aerospace from Cornell University, held senior engineering roles with Bell Helicopter (for 33 years) and then with Triumph Aerospace Solutions.

Significantly, Stanzione has experience operating car ridesharing services in the New York City area through his company Praxis Transport, which moves both passengers and packages. His team is working on detailed plans for establishing networks of so-called Jaunt Ports that would serve as operating bases in public locations. Jaunt intends to operate aircraft under its own Part 135 air operators certificate, while also selling its aircraft to other operators.

The backing of Uber, as well as established aerospace groups Honeywell, Triumph, and BAE would seem to provide a firm foundation of credibility to the program. Jaunt says it has chosen to partner with proven aerospace groups to supply major systems for its aircraft in order to reduce technology risk for the program and to accelerate the time taken to get them to market. For the same reasons, the company has chosen to certify its aircraft under the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration's Part 29 rules for air transport category helicopters. This decision avoids the need to wait until regulatory agencies complete plans for type certification rules specifically developed for new-generation eVTOL aircraft.

The company was launched with $50 million through an early funding round. It estimates that it may need around $75 million to get a technology demonstrator aircraft flying and "on a certifiable path." To get aircraft fully certified and in service, the company anticipates a possible need for total capital of between $500 million and $1 billion, and so further funding will be required.

The news early October 2020 that the board had replaced Stanzione as CEO provided an indication that the company's plans have not progressed as the directors had hoped. The company acknowledged that development work and the timeline for type certification have fallen around a year behind schedule. However, strategic partners still appear to be on board and further investment and partnership announcements were promised. It appears from the most recent public statement that Jaunt Air Mobility may be in the process of relocating all or part of its operations from New Jersey to a new base near Dallas. It has made progress in starting test flights with a sub-scale technology demonstrator in Texas during September 2020. 

During 2021, Jaunt appears to have put its business plan on a more sure footing with a clearer timeline to bring aircraft into both civil and military markets. The company has established a new Montreal-based Canadian subsidiary to act as the hub for design and manufacturing operations, giving it a clearer center of corporate gravity. New income streams have resulted from U.S. Air Force research and development contracts, and Jaunt is now bidding its new MAV55 vehicle for the Pentagon's high-speed VTOL requirement. On the commercial side, a provisional sales agreement with prospective Italian air taxi operator Walle has provided a further boost to its prospects.

The backing of new Canadian investors provided a boost to Jaunt. Its long-term future should be further bolstered by an anticipated initial public offering for its parent group Airo during the course of 2022.

Jaunt Models

Jaunt Journey Specifications

local stol Lift + Cruise
Imperial/Metric

Performance

  • Passenger Capacity
    5
  • Range
    67 mi
  • Cruise Speed
    175 mph
  • Powerplant Type
    single rotor
  • Power Source
    electric
  • Endurance
    180 min
  • Max Altitude
    6,000 ft
  • Takeoff Distance
    n/a
  • Landing Distance
    n/a
  • Empty Weight
    3,600 lb
  • MGTOW
    6,000 lb
  • Payload Weight
    1,000 lb

Dimensions

  • Length
    50 ft
  • Width
    50 ft
  • Height
    15 ft
  • Wingspan
    50 ft

Jaunt Air Mobility acquired what it now calls the ROSA program from Carter Aviation in February 2019. By June 2019, it had been selected by Uber as the sixth prospective partner for the ride-sharing giant's plans to establish Uber Air using eVTOL aircraft. The program now has the backing of prominent partners Honeywell (providing avionics, navigation systems, electric propulsion system, and connectivity systems) and Triumph Group (engineering services).

Privately owned Jaunt plans to achieve type certification of a piloted version of ROSA by the end of 2024, followed by an autonomous version by the end of 2029. The company aims to achieve a first flight with the ROSA prototype in the fourth quarter of 2020 and a first flight with the type certified version of the aircraft in the first quarter of 2022. Jaunt intends to achieve certification under the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration's Part 29 rules, which are the same as those used for commercially-operated rotorcraft.

The first of several versions of Jaunt's aircraft is called the Journey, and this will be used for passenger flights. 

The aircraft is described as a "compound helicopter" that combines both a main rotor and a fixed wing with propellers.

Investors

Total Amount Invested: $50m
  • Jan 4, 2019/$50m

Jaunt Air Mobility was launched by CEO Kaydon Stanzione and chief technology officer Martin Peryea, with support from several undisclosed private investors.

Key Personnel

Martin Peryea is CEO and chief technology officer of Jaunt Air Mobility.
Martin Peryea

Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

Eric Cote is president of Jaunt Air Mobility Canada.
Eric Cote

President

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