I discover a new startup every week and share it with you. This week’s featured startup is Airhart. Subscribe to get each and every issue.
What it does: Airhart is a company that makes safe, innovative, and simple aircraft controls that can help anyone fly easily. A throttle and stick design allows users to direct their airplanes during takeoff, landing, and flight without any effort.
How it started: Airhart is the creation of Brendan Quinn and Nikita Ermoshkin. Brendan Quinn is a software engineer and a specialist in embedded systems and low-level software. Nikita Ermoshkin is a system and electrical engineer with extensive experience in mechanical, software, and electrical engineering.
When they both met at Cornell, Nikita worked as an avionics system and
integration engineer at Space X and Brandon worked on the M1 at Apple. They lead a project to create unmanned and small air systems. They aimed at developing airplanes that had the ability to take off automatically, navigate and target independently, and be well-equipped to avoid obstacles easily.
During the project, they learned that all existing small planes were too complicated to fly, so their new creation had to be effortless and modern. In addition, they believed that today’s generation couldn’t drive a 1960’s car, let alone fly an airplane. So, they needed to create something that would eliminate the requirements of training, extra cost, and time.
How it works: Airhart develops airplane systems that come with fire-by-wire functionalities. Pilots can fly these planes and direct them as they please. The control system is intuitive, helping detect and stop problems before they become accidents.
What’s more, Airhart’s planes are convenient to operate. It is about choosing the desired speed and setting the power lever accordingly. Then, the pilot pushes the stick in their preferred direction, eliminating the need for rudder pedals or reverse controls.
The flight systems in these planes have sensors, computers, and actuators that help handle the entire operation. The cockpit of the plan is designed as per the pilot’s needs. There are no unnecessary switches, buttons, and knobs to reduce the pilot's learning curve and create complications. This allows professionals and amateur pilots to fly effortlessly.
Why it's interesting: Airhart’s advanced airplanes have the potential to help aspiring pilots get their Private Pilot License in a much easier way. They allow both new and experienced pilots to have complete control of their aircraft and prevent aviation accidents as much as possible.
This company promises to produce simple-to-fly airplanes featuring modern technology and engineering techniques, so anyone can hop on them and fly. This is what Airhart considered as their growth strategy as well. The interesting thing about these airplanes is that they reduce time, costs, and training costs and allow various pilots to stop wasting their energies on planes that might be prone to accidents.
This is precisely what people seem to seek these days: experiencing a complicated activity but with all the comforts.
