XTI Aerospace, Inc., a pioneer in advanced Vertical Takeoff and Landing (VTOL) and powered-lift aircraft solutions, today released its key product and engineering milestones for 2025 which will lead to a reopening of pre-sales of the TriFan 600 airplane later on this year. The Company aims to redefine regional air travel through novel point-to-point solutions, and the TriFan 600 represents XTI's flagship airplane.

XTI expects to unveil its next subscale working model, code-named "Sparrow," which is a follow-on to XTI's last subscale model developed in late 2023. This new model is an unmanned 1:15 scale aircraft, and it will further validate transitional flight dynamics using rotating ducted fans.

Q1 2025 Milestones

Leading up to the Sparrow release, the Company will seek to complete a series of key product / engineering accomplishments including:

- 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

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

- 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

Throughout the preliminary design phase, the Company will be launching more complex subscale working prototypes of the TriFan 600 while critical engineering, vendor selection and certification work are being completed.

Upcoming 2025 Goals

XTI intends to launch its next subscale model to further evaluate aerodynamics, flight controls and flight control laws under the code-name "Kestrel." Subsequent to the launch of Kestrel, the Company will reintroduce aircraft pre-sales. Fleet operators and other customers will have the opportunity to secure a slot for future aircraft delivery.

"While many of the milestones we achieve are behind the scenes, the Sparrow model and its successors will provide tangible evidence of the TriFan 600's progress, as we move closer to its commercial debut," said Dave Ambrose, VP Engineering, XTI Aircraft. "2024 was a banner year for accomplishing foundational engineering work necessary to move our vision forward. As we demonstrate more progress in 2025, both pre-order customers and investors will see their confidence and commitment rewarded as the TriFan 600 moves closer to production and commercial readiness."

Certification Pathway

The certification process with the FAA is underway and will parallel the following product/engineering milestones.

There are four high-level gates from now until the TriFan 600 is ready for commercial release:

- Preliminary Design Review (PDR) – During the preliminary design phase, the Company evaluates the overall design approach, ensuring that the top-level requirements are satisfied and that the project can move to detailed design and testing.

- Critical Design Review (CDR) – During the critical design phase, the Company and its suppliers perform detailed aircraft design and ensure requirements are met before proceeding to manufacturing, integration, and testing.

- First Flight – The "first flight" marks the culmination of comprehensive ground testing of structures, systems and subsystems to a confidence level sufficient for the first crewed airborne flight test.

- Type Certification – Following satisfactory completion of the FAA's certification process to include extensive ground and airborne testing, as well as detailed safety analysis, the FAA issues a type certificate for the TriFan 600 design.

Scott Pomeroy, Chairman and CEO of XTI Aerospace said, "XTI Aerospace is working to redefine air travel through efficient point-to-point solutions. It is exciting to see our product and engineering efforts steadily moving to the point where we can begin to shape the regional air travel market."