Matt Thurber, editor-in-chief at AIN Media Group, has been flying since 1975 and writing about aviation since 1978 and now has the best job in the world, running editorial operations for Aviation International News, Business Jet Traveler, and FutureFlight.aero. In addition to working as an A&amp;P mechanic on everything from Piper Cubs to turboprops, Matt taught flying at his father’s flight school in Plymouth, Mass., in the early 1980s, flew for an aircraft owner/pilot, and for two summer seasons hunted swordfish near the George’s Banks off the East Coast from a Piper Super Cub. An ATP certificated fixed-wing pilot and CFII and commercial helicopter pilot, Matt is type-rated in the Citation 500 and Gulfstream V/550. Based in the Pacific Northwest, Matt and his team cover the entire aviation scene including business aircraft, helicopters, avionics, safety, manufacturing, charter, fractionals, technology, air transport, advanced air mobility, defense, and other subjects of interest to AIN, BJT, and FutureFlight readers.

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Hybrid-electric powerplant manufacturer VerdeGo Aero has shipped the first VH-4T-RD units to customers for pre-certification activities. Powered by a turbine engine, the VH-4T-RD generates 375 kW.
The plan is for customers to be able to accelerate ground and flight testing, although the production-intent 415-kW VH-4T-415 is still under development. Ground testing of the -415 should begin later this year.
According to VerdeGo, hybrid-electric propulsion systems can propel a battery-electric four- to six-seat eVTOL aircraft 10 times farther at a higher cruise speed and capable of lifting hundreds more pounds of payload.
With an integrated cooling system, the VerdeGo powerplants can run at full power continuously. “For winged VTOL aircraft/drones leveraging distributed electric propulsion, the VH-4T enables long-range missions and convertible flight modes with higher reliability than conventional tiltrotors and greater cruise efficiency than helicopters,” according to VerdeGo Aero. The hybrid-electric powerplant is also available to drive single main rotor systems or propellers in either series or parallel hybrid configurations.
Companies exploring the use of hybrid-electric power can purchase or lease the VH-4T-RD then switch to the -415 later, using the same mounting points. VerdeGo Aero’s Hybrid Systems Integration Lab in Daytona Beach, Florida, can assist customers with “raid, cost-effective system-level risk-reduction testings.”

Matt Thurber

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