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Popular Science is honouring XTI Aircraft’s TriFan 600 with the magazine’s 2015 “Best of What’s New” award. XTI Image
The TriFan 600 is a 2015 Popular Science “Best of What’s New” Award winner in the aerospace category.
Popular Science annually selects the 100 greatest innovations of the year, each representing a significant step forward in their respective categories.
The TriFan 600 and other honourees are celebrated in the magazine’s December issue, on newsstands now.
Developed by XTI Aircraft Company, the TriFan 600 is a six-seat fixed-wing airplane with the speed, range and comfort of a business jet, and the ability to take off and land like a helicopter.
It will be the first commercially certified high-speed, long-range vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) airplane to provide true door-to-door travel.
“The Best of What’s New awards honour the innovations that surprise and amaze us — those that challenge our view of what’s possible in the future,” said Cliff Ransom, editor-in-chief of Popular Science.
“The award is Popular Science’s top prize, and the 100 winners — chosen from among thousands of nominees — are each a revolution in their respective fields.”
“This is gratifying news and an honor for XTI and our supporters,” said David Brody, founder and chairman of XTI Aircraft Company.
“After working on the engineering and analyzing the market for the TriFan for three years, this award is further validation that TriFan 600 will be a true game-changer.”
XTI filed an application last week with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to qualify the company’s equity crowdfunding campaign.
When approved, that campaign will allow the general public to buy shares in XTI. The campaign is approaching $15 million in expressed interest from people who want to invest in the company.
XTI expects qualification from the SEC early next year to convert that interest into actual shares in the company.
In addition to raising capital, the team is currently focused on finalizing diligence on its technology and talking with key vendors. XTI plans to produce and test fly its first prototype by mid-2018.
XTI Aircraft Company is led by a team of aviation industry veterans including Brody, vice chairman Jeffrey Pino, who is the former president and chief executive of Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation, and other industry experts and leaders from Cessna and Piper Aircraft companies.
A new video features Pino discussing XTI’s vision to transform personal air transportation, and details about plans for the TriFan 600. The video is available for viewing at www.startengine.com/startup/xti.
