Globally, the development of electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) personal air vehicles (PAVs) is intensifying as companies compete to gain a foothold in the urban air mobility (UAM) market. UAM offers rapid transportation without ground traffic congestion, significantly reducing travel time, and is expected to alleviate the massive social costs due to the growing number of ground vehicles. As a result, UAM is emerging as a pivotal industry, driving innovation in air mobility and redefining the future of transportation. Numerous global UAM companies are accelerating the development and validation of prototypes in a race for market leadership.
South Korea has successfully developed electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) technology as part of its strategy to lead the UAM market. The Optionally Piloted Personal Air Vehicle (OPPAV), developed by the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI), refers to a platform that can operate either autonomously or with a pilot on board. The OPPAV project was carried out over 57 months, from April 2019 to December 2023, with support from the Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport. The Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy oversaw the development of a one-seat VTOL demonstrator capable of cruising at speeds over 200 km/h, along with its supporting ground control system. In parallel, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport focused on the development of UAM certification frameworks and technologies and autonomous flight control systems and technologies.
The OPPAV system comprises the air vehicle, data link, ground control station (GCS), ground support system (GSS), and charging equipment. The aircraft features battery-powered distributed electric propulsion and supports both VTOL and high-speed cruising. Four tilt propellers at the front and four lift propellers at the rear are mounted on the upper fuselage to improve safety for both occupants and ground staff. A triple-redundant flight control system further ensures operational safety and reliability.
Flight testing of the OPPAV began in January 2023 with the maiden flight of Prototype No. 1, which completed 85 flights in total, while Prototype No. 2 conducted 135 flights. The test program covered transition testing for forward tilt propellers, OEI (One Engine Inoperative) simulations, wind tolerance evaluations, maximum speed and range performance, piloted operations, and pirouette maneuvers. The OPPAV also successfully participated in the K-UAM Grand Challenge and conducted demonstration flights in Indonesia to validate various UAM operation scenarios. It was also employed for UAM noise measurement and onboard equipment validation. The OPPAV demonstrator is expected to serve as a flight platform for UAM operations and the development of advanced large-scale UAV systems.