Safran Electronics & Defense has been selected to supply its next-generation SkyNaute inertial navigation system for the electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft developed by Eve Air Mobility, an Embraer subsidiary focused on urban air mobility solutions.
As part of the programme, Safran is equipping each aircraft with two SkyNaute systems. SkyNaute is a hybrid inertial navigation system based on Safran’s patented HRG (hemispherical resonant gyroscope) Crystal technology. Designed to meet demanding requirements for aeronautical applications, the navigation system provides high navigation accuracy, integrity and proven in-service reliability.
Through its next-generation architecture, SkyNaute delivers high performance and robust navigation continuity, including in environments where Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) signals may be unavailable, degraded or jammed. This capability is particularly relevant to urban air mobility operations, which require high levels of safety and reliability.
Initially developed to address the demanding requirements of both defence and civil aviation applications, SkyNaute technology reflects Safran’s dual-use approach to next-generation inertial navigation.
Benjamin Declety, Head of Avionics Global Business Unit at Safran Electronics & Defense, said: “With SkyNaute, Safran Electronics & Defense is now leveraging its inertial navigation expertise to serve the next generation of civil aviation. We are proud to support Eve Air Mobility in the development of its eVTOL and contribute to the emergence of new urban air mobility solutions.”
Johann Bordais, CEO of Eve Air Mobility, said: “Integrating an advanced navigation solution like SkyNaute is essential to maximizing the safety, reliability and performance of our eVTOL. Leveraging Safran’s renowned expertise in inertial navigation, we strengthen our aircraft’s architecture and reinforce our commitment to delivering a robust, certifiable solution for the urban air mobility market.”
Eve Air Mobility recently completed the hover and low-speed flight phase in the flight test campaign of its full-scale eVTOL prototype at Embraer’s Gavião Peixoto test facility in the State of São Paulo, accumulating nearly two and a half hours of flight time. This technological milestone marks a step in the development of electric and urban aviation, paving the way for a new generation of cleaner and more sustainable mobility solutions.
