XTI Aerospace provides downwash study update

XTI Aerospace, Inc., a pioneer in advanced aircraft design, today announced the successful completion of its downwash study, achieving a key 2025 first quarter product and engineering milestone, as previously disclosed. The downwash/outwash study, which analyzed airflows generated by the aircraft during vertical takeoff and landing to assess safety and performance, met expectations as anticipated by the XTI Flight Science engineering team.

"The TriFan 600 will hold a key advantage over helicopters- its downward propeller airflow is designed to be controlled by the ducted fans," said Dave Ambrose, VP of Engineering at XTI Aircraft. "As a result, when the airflow reaches the ground, the outwash dynamic pressure dissipates more quickly and closer to the vehicle. This means a person can stand closer to the TriFan during vertical takeoff and landing without being blown over, enhancing both safety and operational flexibility."

"Our product and engineering team is growing and we continue to outperform expectations," said Don Purdy, SVP Business and Program Development, XTI Aerospace. "The downwash study is just one of the many analyses we have conducted on the TriFan 600 aircraft, and it's always a great validation when the results exceed our expectations."

Figure 1 shows how the five-foot diameter aft fan duct in the fuselage helps to constrain the airflow stream. Figure 2 shows how the TriFan compares with two heavy helicopters. The felt dynamic pressure (flow parallel to the ground) is greater if you are directly under the TriFan, but it quickly dissipates below that of the helicopters the further you get from the vehicle. Importantly, the FAA has recently defined a Downwash Caution Area (DCA) as anywhere the velocity exceeds 34.5 mph or 15 m/s. Figure 3 shows that the TriFan's DCA is 53 feet which is very close to the Joby S4 DCA.

In a previous market update, the Company outlined six core product and engineering milestones for Q1, listed below, beginning with the downwash/outwash study and leading up to the launch of the "Sparrow" subscale working model in early Q2.

Completed:

- Downwash / Outwash Study – Analyze airflows generated by the aircraft during vertical takeoff and landing to evaluate safety and performance

To be Completed:

- Fuel System Design – Optimize fuel system design to reduce unusable fuel and increase fuel capacity

- Engine Air Inlets and Exhaust – Optimize air intake and exhaust design to enhance performance and efficiency of the propulsion system

- Flight Deck Mockup – Develop a flight deck human factors mockup to design and evaluate and optimize ergonomics, pilot controls, and vision polar

- Type Certification Application – Formally apply to the FAA for type certification of the TriFan 600

- Global Finite Element Model (GFEM) of the latest configuration – Update the comprehensive structural model to evaluate and optimize the aircraft's strength and load paths under various loading conditions