Opener Donates BlackFly eVTOL to EAA Aviation Museum

July 24, 2019 - Opener has donated a first-generation manned BlackFly vehicle to the EAA Aviation Museum. Designed and built by Opener, BlackFly is a fixed-wing, all-electric, vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) personal ultralight aircraft. The BlackFly will be displayed outside the Innovation Showcase at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2019 from July 22-28.

"BlackFly is an exciting addition to the museum’s collection of historic aircraft," said Rick Larsen, EAA vice president of communities and member programs. "The Opener team tackled complicated problems, innovated modern battery and motor technologies, and showed the world that eVTOL is real. It is an honor to showcase this pioneering electric personal aerial vehicle."

"We are very honored that the EAA recognized our work and allowed us to showcase our greatest innovation yet at the museum of experimental aircraft," said Marcus Leng, Opener founder and CEO. "Now everyone can see Opener's first-generation manned eVTOL aircraft."

BlackFly can easily take off and land on small areas and travel distances up to 35 miles (25 miles restricted in USA), at speeds up to 75 mph (62 mph restricted in USA). These Personal Aerial Vehicles (PAV) are simple to master and require no formal licensing or special skills to operate safely in the USA.

"Opener has shown that electric flying vehicles are a viable and efficient mode of aerial transportation," Rick added.

"BlackFly vehicles are intended for everyone," Marcus said. "We are proud to make history with these single-seat eVTOL aircraft and gratified to donate one of these BlackFly vehicles to EAA on their 50th anniversary of fly-in conventions at Oshkosh."

Safety is Opener's No. 1 priority, without which no general adoption of this new eVTOL technology is possible.

BlackFly vehicles have cumulatively flown more than 23,000 miles during more than 2,300 flights.

Since introducing BlackFly at EAA's AirVenture 2018, Opener has logged another 11,000 miles and 900 flights on preproduction models, has upgraded firmware and software, and has streamlined manufacturing.

Opener has recently appointed aerospace industry veteran and innovator and EAA board member Ben Diachun to the senior leadership team as president. He will be overseeing the production and sale of the first 100 BlackFly eVTOL vehicles. The production version of BlackFly is on display all week in the Innovation Showcase, where AirVenture attendees, members, and investors can go to see the latest and greatest groundbreaking technology that aviation has to offer.