New Delhi: Hyderabad-based deep-tech aerospace company BluJ Aerospace unveiled its Gen 2 prototype, the first aircraft developed in its VANTIS platform.
The platform itself was developed after four years of in-house research and development. The VANTIS platform consists of the airframe, propulsion, controls, and autonomy systems, and is designed to be scaled for use in cargo, regional, and future passenger aircraft. Previously, BluJ Aerospace has demonstrated Gen 1, a 500 kg class eVTOL (electric vertical takeoff and landing) aircraft, with Gen 2 now in active flight testing. Each new aircraft inherits subsystems already proven on the platform, allowing each variant to reach the market faster, while costing less to develop.
Gen 2 is the first commercial-grade aircraft from VANTIS, which is purpose-built for heavy payload logistics. It carries an active payload target of above 200 kg, operates under a 500 kg maximum take-off weight, and uses a lift plus cruise configuration. The Gen 2 aircraft is fully battery-powered, with major subsystems built to the standards of a certified commercial version. It is now being used for early customer pilots, payload testing, and real-world logistics mission evaluations. Eventually, BluJ plans to develop a cargo aircraft capable carrying one ton payloads, as well as a hydrogen-electric long-range passenger aircraft.
The VANTIS advantage
Amar Sri Vatsavaya, Founder and CEO of BluJ Aerospace, said, “The next major shift in aviation is the move from single product programs to platform based architectures. Just as the automotive industry builds multiple vehicles on a common platform, Advanced Air Mobility will need adaptable architectures that scale across missions, payloads, and customer use cases. That is the advantage VANTIS gives BluJ. Our platform based approach lets us develop multiple AAM product classes efficiently and at scale.” BluJ holds a design patent on its eVTOL architecture, with a utility patent filed on the airframe design, and additional patents in process across the propulsion and powertrain systems.
