Hanwha Aerospace partners with UK's Vertical Aerospace for UAM

South Korea's Hanwha Aerospace Co. announced on Tuesday that it has signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with Vertical Aerospace (VA), a UK company specializing in urban air mobility (UAM) development.

Under this agreement, Hanwha Aerospace will develop and supply the tilting & blade pitch system for VA's four-seater UAM, called the VX4. The two companies plan to continue their collaborative relationship to further expand UAM business in the future.

The tilting & blade pitch system plays a crucial role in transferring power from the motor to the propeller and adjusting the flight direction and thrust of the UAM. It is a critical component that enables vertical take-off and landing as well as horizontal flight, requiring advanced levels of research and development capabilities.

After VA signed a supply deal for an electric motor actuation (EMA) system with Hanwha Aerospace in August last year, which controls various mechanical operations of the UAM, the company found Hanwha Aerospace's technological capabilities adequate enough, leading to an expansion of the scope of collaboration.

"Based on our accumulated aerospace technological competitiveness over the past 40 years, we will strengthen our collaborative relationship with VA and expand our future mobility business,"  CEO of Hanwha Aerospace Son Jae-il said during the MOA signing ceremony at the Paris Air Show in France.

Write to Mi-Sun Kang at misunny@hankyung.com