Transforming Transportation In Cities With A Fixed Wing STOL (Electric Vehicles: Everything is Changing. USA 2019)

A short takeoff and landing (STOL) aircraft is the practical and profitable way to achieve urban air mobility. Metro Hop has designed an all-electric STOL aircraft that can be used immediately for cargo transport and for passenger transport in the future. The aircraft is designed with community acceptance in mind: it has unparalleled levels of safety, ultra-quiet takeoffs and landings, and affordable fares. For cargo, this means same-day shipping for half the price of overnight; for passengers, this means $39 fares. Metro Hop's rapid cruising speed, high departure and arrival rates, robotic battery swapping, and efficient loading and unloading systems make for a lucrative urban air mobility system.

Bruno Mombrinie, Founder/CEO of Metro Hop

Bruno Mombrinie is the founder and lead designer of Metro Hop. The Metro Hop plane is virtually silent and is made to move people and things within the Bay Area and beyond. Bruno is no stranger to electric flight and aviation innovation: as an MIT undergrad, he helped build the Chrysalis human-powered airplane. As a board member of the CAFE Foundation, a non-profit that promotes efficient aircraft designs, he managed the NASA Green Flight Challenge in 2011. A lifelong entrepreneur, Bruno is a fan of the flow state, side projects, and making better stuff.

Metro Hop is a Bay Area-based aviation startup that has designed an all-electric, fixed wing aircraft for sustainable travel in metropolitan areas. The Metro Hop engineers and builders are from the University of Stuttgart e Genius team, co-winners of the NASA Green Flight Challenge. Virtually silent, Metro Hop operates from the densest urban locations around the world, both day and night. An international patent-pending active landing gear system allows the aircraft to takeoff and land in 60 meters. What's more, the aircraft cruises at 400 km/h and holds two passengers; it uses existing battery technology, has a well-known flight envelope, and a clear path to certification. Metro Hop makes a trillion-dollar industry possible: the aircraft operate on $39 fares, making them a commonplace tool for any business, large or small. See the aircraft in action at metrohop.aero.