November 15, 2022
AMARILLO, Texas (KVII) — HopFlyt — which builds electric Vertical Takeoff & Landing (eVTOL) aircraft — is moving its military division from Maryland to Amarillo as part of $1M investment by Albers Aerospace.
Albers Aerospace hopes the investment will “enhance the design, development, and production of the military versions of the HopFlyt eVTOL.
The military Hop Flyt versions in work are:
“Squall” – capable of Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance/Signals Intelligence missions
“Cyclone” – long endurance aircraft with mission-relatable payloads to meet current and future Warfighter needs
“Vortex” – hybrid eVTOL that is designed to be capable of flying at 200 knots, at a range of over 500nm with a useful load over 1000 lbs.
“We believe that progressing this technology for the Warfighter with our own capital is paramount in today’s defense budget environment. The innovative eVTOL design will bring much needed capability to the Warfighter at an affordable price point and we view pressing towards that goal and using our own resources as good stewardship of resources and a demonstration of our commitment to the Warfighter.” said John Albers, President and CEO of Albers Aerospace.
In August 2022, the the Amarillo City Council unanimously location incentives agreements and tax abatements for Albers Aerospace.
The city gave Albers Aerospace 30 acres of land valued at $1.8 million and agreed to build two hangars with runway access.
Albers Aerospace was expected to have 400 new employees with an average salary of $100,000.