Hyundai Motor Group Subsidiary Supernal Names David McBride as Chief Technology Officer for Electric Air Taxi Development

On March 25, Hyundai Motor Group subsidiary Supernal announced that NASA veteran David McBride has been named as the company’s new chief technology officer. McBride will be responsible for leading the development and certification of Supernal’s proposed electric air taxi, which the company plans to bring to market by 2028.

Prior to joining Supernal, McBride was the director of NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center, where he achieved full operational capability of the Boeing 747SP aircraft and led record-breaking missions such as the flight of the solar-powered Helios aircraft. He also played a key role in the development of NASA’s X-57 Maxwell, an all-electric aircraft.

As CTO, McBride will oversee a team of 400 engineers and technologists in the engineering and technology division and report directly to CEO Jaiwon Shin. The SA-2 air taxi, a four-passenger aircraft with a V-tail, will operate with a distributed electric propulsion system and feature eight tiltrotors. The aircraft has a cruising speed of 104kt and is designed for flights ranging between 25 to 40 km.

Supernal aims to leverage Hyundai’s manufacturing capabilities to scale production of the eVTOL and draw on its expertise in designing smart cars. The company plans to conduct a first flight with a technology demonstrator by the end of 2024 and have a production prototype assembled by 2026. McBride expressed his excitement about joining Supernal and helping to bring this innovative eVTOL vehicle to market.

In conclusion, Supernal has appointed David McBride as its new Chief Technology Officer in order to lead the development and certification process for its proposed electric air taxi. Prior to joining Supernal, McBride worked at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center where he achieved full operational capability of several aircraft including Boeing 747SP aircraft. With his expertise in aviation technology combined with Hyundai’s manufacturing capabilities, Supernal aims