OSHKOSH, WI (WTAQ) — You can take a glimpse into what could be the future of flight this weekend at EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh.
Whatever the future may hold, it seems inevitable that it will be easy-to-use, electric, accessible, and capable of Vertical Takeoff and Landing, or VTOL for short.
One of the more futuristic aircraft on display may not be a Jetson-esque fantasy for much longer. The Volocopter is a drone-like helicopter aircraft designed to be used as an urban air taxi.
The Volocopter takes flight at EAA AirVenture 2021 (Volocopter GmbH)
“This is based on drone technology,” said Volocopter spokeswoman Helena Treeck. “It’s fully battery powered, we’ve got multiple rotors, and it’s designed to bring people to their destinations within cities. That’s why it’s an air taxi.”
Volocopter is a German company. They actually conducted a test flight at AirVenture this year. They intend to bring the vehicle, which is totally autonomous and summoned by a cellphone app, much like Uber, to cities around the world within the next five year. They hope to have it flying in Paris, France by the time the city hosts the Olympic Games in 2024.
“The Volocopter will come by, you get in, and you have a beautiful view, you’re free of emissions, and flying into the city. The price tag is going to be about the same as a ground taxi.”
They intend to make it as safe as possible, too, with dozens of rotors and several backup batteries to ensure redundancy in case of failure.
That appears to be part of the design philosophy for many consumer electric aircraft. teTra Aviation is a Japanese company that is on hand at EAA AirVenture this year. They’re producing an electric VTOL kit plane, called the Mark Five–one of the first products of its kind.
The teTra Mk-5 (teTra Aviation)
“We’re focusing both on safety and quick performance,” said CEO Tasuku Nakai. “So we added much more redundancy so that it can be used either from the city center or rural areas.”
The Mark Five is capable of reaching about 100 mph in the air and has a range of around 93 miles on a full charge. They’re expecting to have a full flight demo ready for AirVenture next year.
Taking a more direct approach to the consumer electric plane of tomorrow is Aska, the product of a San Francisco area company that promises the dream of flying cars at last. CEO Guy Kaplinsky says they want to make a vehicle that’s practical and that people who aren’t interested in aviation can use.
Aska (NFT, Inc)
“We want to use it on a daily basis. It has to be practical,” said Kaplinsky. “95% of the people who sign up for this vehicle are not pilots. They won’t jump into a Cessna.”
The Aska uses several redundant rotors that fold on top of the car when driving. In its road configuration, it is roughly the size of an SUV, and has a backup conventional gasoline engine. They intend to sell it for around $750,000. A working model is expected to be produced next year with an expected launch in 2028.
You can see all three of these vehicles, and plenty more, at EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh at Wittman Regional Airport this weekend.
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