Supernal partners with UMBRAGROUP on new lightweight actuation technology for eVTOL vehicles

PARIS - Advanced air mobility company Supernal in Washington, D.C. and aeronautics manufacturer UMBRAGROUP in Foligna, Italy, announced at the Paris Air Show a partnership to leverage technology that will enhance flight control operations in electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) vehicles. UMBRAGROUP will supply actuators and motor control electronics needed to deploy a safe system architecture for Supernal's future vehicles, which the company plans to launch for commercial flights in 2028.

The collaboration aims to create new actuation standards, both for rotary and linear applications, that will deliver for Advanced air mobility (AAM) manufacturers, which are concerned about size, weight, power, reliability, and safety. Traditional rotary actuators use a gearbox connected to a power source that then operates an aircraft's flight control surface. UMBRAGROUP's new line of actuators eliminates the use of the gearbox, making its product smaller, lighter and more efficient. Based on ball screws, this assembly can last beyond 20 years in commercial aircraft and is ideally suited for the AAM market where vehicles are often characterized by thin wings and limited component space.

UMBRAGROUP brings unique capabilities in developing linear jam-tolerant actuators, which have a mechanism that can resolve a failure within an actuator and are a new solution in eVTOL vehicles. Supernal and UMBRAGROUP's partnership marks the first time this type of technology will be integrated with electro-mechanical actuators (EMA), making them appropriate for primary and critical flight-control surfaces.

"This is a new and exciting challenge for UMBRAGROUP. Becoming part of this project and being a supplier of advanced technologies for Supernal is an honor for us," said Matteo Notarangelo, CEO, UMBRAGROUP. "Being selected for the electromechanical implementation on such a revolutionary platform makes us proud and elevates us among the leading players in Advanced Air Mobility. We strive for excellence in all vertical markets we serve, and we distinguish ourselves by offering innovative and sustainable solutions to our customers to help them become more competitive."