PLANA, a hybrid eVTOL (electric vertical take-off and landing) aircraft development company, announced Dr. Taekyu Reu’s joining as a senior vice president of aircraft configuration engineering.
Dr. Reu was the former vice president of the Advanced Defense Technology Research Institute (Korean DARPA) at the Agency for Defense Development (ADD). Within ADD, he also participated in KT-1 Basic Trainer, T-50 Advanced Trainer, KFX Korean Fighter development programs, and advanced UAV technology development programs. He is the recipient of the Order of Service Merit (Cheonsu Medal). He received his B.A. and M.A. in aerospace engineering from Seoul National University and his Ph.D. from Virginia Tech (VPI&SU).
PLANA plans to accelerate the commercialization roadmap of its hybrid eVTOL aircraft in 2028 with a more organized engineering effort from Dr. Reu’s joining. Dr. Braden J. Kim, CEO and co-founder of PLANA, said, “From Dr. Reu’s joining, I am confident that PLANA established a strong leadership foundation in elevating its competency of aircraft configuration and system integration to a global level.”
PLANA, founded in July 2021, is a hybrid eVTOL startup in Korea. PLANA develops hybrid eVTOL aircraft, which carries 4 to 6 passengers and one pilot with a cruising speed of 300 km/h (maximum 350 km/h) and a flight range of more than 500km. PLANA plans to finish the pure battery-based eVTOL subscale test this year and launch a branch office in the United States for closer communication to start the certification process with FAA, aiming to commercialize its certified aircraft in 2028. The company participates in the Korean Grand Challenge UAM demonstration project organized by Korea Mistry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport (MOLIT).
PLANA has recruited 62 experts with at least five years of experience in the industry, including global aviation OEMs such as Airbus, Collins Aerospace, Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI), Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI), and companies with core electric vehicle technologies such as Hyundai Motor, Honda, Mando, Autoliv, and Valeo.
This press release was prepared and distributed by Plana.
