Aircraft / Aria V42 VTOL
A JStream Exclusive Original Concept Aircraft
The Aria V42 VTOL is a narrow-body, short range quad-engine, hybrid-fuel regional air mobility (RAM) VTOL airliner produced by Aria Aircraft Company, a commercial aircraft manufacturer headquartered in Denver, Colorado USA and Dublin, Ireland.
The Aria V42 is a vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) offshoot of the Aria T42 Transonic airliner, one of the four original aircraft types Aria Aircraft began developing in 2013. The V42’s VTOL capabilities were derived from the Aria V12 Subsonic commuter aircraft, the first VTOL aircraft that was designed by the company. The Aria V42 VTOL is the largest passenger VTOL aircraft to be successfully built.
Shortly after the V12 was launched in 2016, a subset of V12 project engineers were reassigned to evaluate the possibility of developing a VTOL version of the Aria T42. They applied roughly the same design used to create the V12, including its hybrid electric/fuelflex capability, but also made several modifications to the airframe to account for the heavier weight of the V42, and incorporated several performance and aerodynamic improvements that were developed by the V12 program.
After briefly considering several engine types, the V42 engineers selected very powerful Sonata Type 20A ducted fan engines as the project’s powerplant of choice. The Type 20A also supported fuelflex technology, which would allow the engines to use 50% or 100% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), or switch to standard Jet A or Jet A1 fuel as desired or necessary. Thus, like the V12 the V42 is designed to operate as a hybrid electric-SAF (sustainable aviation fuel) aircraft, and can also be aftermarket converted to or from an all-liquid fuel aircraft should needs ever dictate such a change.
By 2019 the design for the V42 was locked in and launched, and 4 prototypes were produced. Testing was completed by 2022, and certification was attained in June 2024. The Aria V42 VTOL began deliveries in early August 2024. Orders for the V42 have been substantial, especially with customers seeking to operate through airports with short runways.
The Aria V42 VTOL is available by default as a passenger airliner, as well as in a quick-change combi configuration called the Aria V42qc VTOL QC Combi, and in two business jet versions, namely the Aria V42b VTOL Bizprop and Aria V42bqc VTOL QC Combi Bizprop. Although a non-hybrid version of the V42 is available, over 90% of orders to date have been for the hybrid version.
The company is developing a hydrogen fueled variant, tentatively tagged as the Aria V42h. It is presently in the test and certification approvals stage, and the type is projected to enter service sometime in late 2025 or early 2026.
Reference: none - fictional; inspired by the LyteAviation LA-44 eVTOL.
Stats
Stats displayed are for the Aria v42 VTOL quad-engine RAM aircraft.
Name: Aria V42 VTOL
Final Assembly Lines: Wichita-ICT, Kansas USA; Belfast-BFS, UK
Role: Quad Engine VTOL Regional Air Mobility Aircraft
First Introduction: 1 August 2024
Status: In Production; In Service
Cockpit Crew: Two
Seating:
Airliner Standard: 42 - 6 Business + 36 Premium Economy
Airliner Alternate: 36 - 12 Business + 24 Premium Economy
Airliner All Economy: 48 Premium Economy
Airliner All Business: 24 Business
Combi Standard: 32 Premium Economy
Bizjet Standard: 16 Business
Engines: 4 x Sonata Type 20A
Cruise Speed: 325 knots (602 km/h; 374 mph)
Range:
Hybrid: up to 900 nmi (1667 km; 1036 mi)
Electric Only: 725 nmi (1343 km; 834 mi)
Fuel Reserves Only: 200 nmi (370 km; 230 mi)
Non-Hybrid: up to 600 nmi (1111 km; 690 mi)
Runway Requirements:
Takeoff: 0 feet (0 m) via VTOL; 1969 feet (600 m) STOL via runway
Landing: 0 feet (0 m) via VTOL; 1640 feet (500 m) STOL via runway
VTOL Hover Ceiling:s
In Ground Effect: 12,000 feet (3700 m)
Out of Ground Effect: 6000 feet (1800 m)