ERC-System, a German aerospace and eVTOL developer, is set to unveil its new emergency medical aircraft “Charlie” on July 3, 2024, in Munich. ERC's endeavor is supported by DRF Luftrettung, a leading air rescue service in Europe.

The Charlie aircraft has the capacity to carry three passengers (a pilot, a doctor, and a patient) and a payload of 450 kilograms. The eVTOL aircraft has a cabin volume of 5.2 cubic meters, which ERC claims will be sufficient for doctors to treat patients as well as to load medical equipment.

Charlie has six rotors for vertical lift and a pair of forward-facing propellers on its wing; it reportedly can cruise at ~180 kilometers per hour with a range of ~190 kilometers. Charlie is reported to have operating costs, excluding personnel and maintenance, of EUR 8 (~USD 8.6) per minute of flight, compared to a helicopter's EUR 23 (~USD 24.8) per minute.

ERC expects hover test flights, with its technology demonstrator “Romeo,” to be complete by the end of 2024. ERC then plans to commercially launch the medical eVTOL into service by 2029 and to produce 250 Charlie aircraft each year in Germany by 2032.