The Optionally Piloted Personal Air Vehicle (OPPAV) recently developed by the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) has logged a top speed of 240 kilometers per hour. The model is a single-seat Korean urban air mobility (UAM) aircraft.
On Feb. 28, the OPPAV was busy taking flight tests at the National Comprehensive Flight Test Center in Goheung, Jeolla Province. On that day, the OPPAV traveled about 20 kilometers at a height of 100 meters. More than 80 noise measurement devices were installed on a runway to measure flight noise. Flight noise from the OPPAV generally reached 61 to 62 decibels. This level is similar to that of normal city noise (65 decibels) and nearly 20 decibels lower than helicopter noise (80 to 85 decibels).
“For UAMs that need to operate in urban centers, controlling flight noise is one of the keys to technology development,” a KARI official said. “The main goal of the OPPAV is to secure UAM technology development and certification. Since the OPPAV is not a commercial model, it is not yet loaded with noise reduction technology.”
The OPPAV is the first UAM aircraft of Korea’s own development. It is an electric-powered vertical take-off and landing aircraft that is quieter and safer than a helicopter. The total budget for the development of the OPPAV from 2019 to last year was 44.8 billion won (US$33.7 million) with 21.2 billion won spent on the development of its airframe alone. Currently, KARI has two OPPAVs and is utilizing them for technology certification and further research and development (R&D). Based on the OPPAV, KARI plans to develop a five-seat UAM aircraft with a maximum speed of 340 kilometers per hour.
The Korean government spent 45 billion won on the development of the Korean UAM aircraft because the UAM market is growing rapidly due to carbon neutrality policies and increasing traffic congestion in major cities around the world. According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport (MOLIT), the global UAM market is expected to grow nearly five times from US$10.9 billion in 2025 to US$51.6 billion in 2030. After that, the market is expected to explode, reaching US$609 billion in 2040.
“The global UAM market is estimated to grow at an average annual rate of 31 percent from 2023 to 2040,” a MOLIT official said, “The Korean UAM market will reach 13 trillion won in 2040, we believe.”