The air taxi developed in Japan should be ready for series production in 2023. The Japanese company Skydrive has tested an electrically powered one-person aircraft with a pilot on board. The aircraft was in the air for several minutes. According to the company, it was the first public demonstration of a flying car in Japan.
SD-03 is about four meters long and four meters wide; It takes as much space on the ground as two parked cars, according to a company statement. As a drive, the aircraft has eight rotors, which are arranged as double rotors. This allows the single-seater flying car to take off and land vertically. Further test flights are planned for this year.
The test flight took place on a 10,000 square meter test site owned by the Japanese automaker Toyota. The manned test flight lasted around four minutes. The pilot controlled the aircraft. But it was also supported by a computer-aided control system.
“We want to create a society in which flying cars are an available and convenient means of transport and in which people can experience a safe and comfortable new way of life,” says Tomohiro Fukuzawa, head of Skydrive, describing the company’s future plans.
Urban Air Mobility (UAM) is the name of the new aviation concept: passengers should cover shorter or medium distances with air taxis or taxi drones. Because some of the traffic is shifted into the air, the roads should be less polluted. The aircraft can take off and land vertically on a relatively small area. They are powered electrically, which makes them quieter than conventional helicopters. The aircraft should first be controlled by a pilot. In the long term, they should bring passengers to their destination autonomously.
The company Skydrive, founded in 2018, wants to bring its flying car to the market in 2023. But it is by no means the only player in this market.