MIAMI, Oct. 31, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Doroni Aerospace, Inc. (“Doroni”) is pleased to announce that Mr. Johnny Doo has joined the company as an advisory board member. Mr. Doo is the President of International Vehicle Research, Inc., focusing on autonomous electric-powered vertical flight vehicles for “Mission-for-Good” applications. He is the Group Lead of the NASA/VFS Transformative Vertical Flight (TVF) Working Group 4 - Public Services.
In this role, Mr. Doo has teamed with over 100 industry leaders and experts to develop the roadmap and use-cases for Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) and electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) enabled search & rescue, firefighting, disaster relief, emergency/humanitarian response, law enforcement, medical transport, and military operations. He is also the lead author of the “NASA Electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing (eVTOL) Aircraft Technology for Public Services” white paper.
Mr. Doo has over 30 years of experience managing and developing crewed and uncrewed aviation products, including high-performance piston aircraft, personal and business jets, regional aircraft, new-generation aviation engines, and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV). His expertise includes engineering, product design, advanced technology, program management, MRO & flight training, marketing & business development, and many years of executive-level responsibilities.
Previously, he was the Executive V.P. of Advanced Technology, Business Development, and Engineering at Continental Aerospace. At Diamond Aircraft in Canada, he was the Vice President with full responsibility for the new generation personal jet program. He led the successful development of the all-composite sine-engine personal jet. He has a Master’s degree in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Colorado.
Democratizing Flight with Doroni Aerospace
Doroni recently launched their second crowdfunding raise on the equity crowdfunding platform StartEngine.com and has generated remarkable traction in just a few months. Between the current raise and the first Reg CF raise which concluded in April, Doroni has raised over $1.69M in investments from a community of over 1,265 investors via equity crowdfunding.
Doroni Aerospace was founded in 2016 by serial entrepreneur Doron Merdinger. With 25 years experience in design, manufacturing, and managing eight-figure firms, Doron assembled a world-class engineering and technical team to deliver on his ultimate vision—providing the world with an entirely new mode of sustainable transportation.
Doroni’s mission is to democratize the power of flight by delivering transformative electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) technology directly to consumers.
By offering the public a safety-centric mobility option—commonly referred to the general public as ‘flying cars’—Doroni will empower people to intuitively transport themselves within urban environments and between cities at a fraction of the time possible with traditional automobiles. The company ultimately envisions Doroni eVTOLs serving as one of the primary clean transportation solutions for individuals, families, first responders, law enforcement, and the military.
Introducing the Doroni H1 ‘flying car’
The Doroni H1 is the company’s go-to-market vehicle, and the company is on track to begin flight testing by Q4 of this year, with plans to secure FAA certification and launch commercially in the second half of 2024.
The Doroni H1 currently under development is a two seater personal eVTOL that will be made available for public purchase (with an estimated starting retail price of $195K) which anyone can own, fly, and park in a standard two car garage. In order to get started, customers will need a current valid driver’s license and completion of a 20-hour training course provided by the company.
The H1 was designed with an intuitive, easy-to-use aircraft control system for the H1 based on an auto-stabilizing, multi-rotor aircraft with 4 axes of movement. Its unique, patent-pending design and aerodynamic features combine the best elements of a drone and aircraft to deliver ease of use and quick deployment. Combined with the H1’s propulsion system, Doroni believes the H1 will be an agile vehicle capable of accomplishing a variety of tasks across several target markets.
The company believes it is building what will become the go-to family vehicle of the future, capable of revolutionizing the way we live, commute, and even build cities if scaled correctly. While the industry is currently getting commercial air taxi operations off the ground, Doroni is aiming to disrupt the personal mobility market, as we believe personal eVTOLs—not commercial air taxis—are the future of transportation.
Safety is in Our DNA
The customer is at the center of everything that Doroni Aerospace does, and as such every safety consideration possible has been baked into the design and nature of the Doroni H1 eVTOL. From its inception with the Y6 and X8 prototypes that came before it, the Doroni H1 was designed to maximize safety and will undergo exhaustive multi-level quality control.
First and foremost, as a flying vehicle capable of landing in a front yard or parking in a standard two car garage, in areas near families and children at play—ducted propellers are an absolute must. This aesthetically pleasing, patent-pending design sets the Doroni H1 apart from its competitors and greatly increases overall safety, while also enabling a higher thrust efficiency and greatly reduced noise levels.
The Doroni H1 evTOL will also be equipped with airframe parachutes and a variety of sensors, including 360° anti-collision sensors, lidar, barometer, and an Optic Flow camera which helps the aircraft maintain its altitude and position in windy conditions. This is in addition to a variety of other safety features, namely: multiple redundancy batteries, emergency airbags, increased lift and stability, ten independent propulsion systems, energy dissipating landing gear, and an energy dissipating body.
Pre-orders + Beyond
To date, Doroni has received 200+ pre-order inquiries for the 36 total units available at launch that can be secured with a $10K deposit. The company has also received tremendous excitement from investors and supporters about the platform Doroni is building.
Doroni projects to have a full-scale, fully-functional flying H1 eVTOL prototype completed by Q4 2022 and is targeting a Light Sport Aircraft certification with the FAA ahead of product launch in the second half of 2024. Doroni also intends on growing its current intellectual property to include 15+ design, aerodynamic, and battery utility patents by Q1 2023.
In the meantime, Doroni continues to engage with local government, law enforcement agencies, and its community of supporters and is excited to share its vision for what’s possible with flight via its design and user experience.
To learn more about Doroni Aerospace, please visit the newly redesigned www.doroni.io or email us at info@doroni.io
Follow us on social media:
Facebook: @Doroni.eVTOL | Instagram: @doroniaerospace | Twitter: @Doroni1
For investment opportunities, please visit us at: www.startengine.com/doroni-aerospace
