Airbus' Electric Flying Taxi has First Flight

Airbus first announced its plans to create a self-flying taxi service in 2016. On Jan. 31, after two years of planning and building, it proved it isn’t just a pipedream — the Vahana successfully completed its first flight test.

The full-scale aircraft flew fully autonomously for 53 seconds at an altitude of 16 feet (gotta start somewhere) at its testing grounds in Pendleton, Oregon. It conducted another flight the following day, which seems to have gone well, too. The FAA was in attendance of the flight tests.

“Our goal is to democratize personal flight by leveraging the latest technologies such as electric propulsion, energy storage, and machine vision,” Zach Lovering, Vahana project executive, wrote in a Medium post.

blogs.discovermagazine.com...-fBI


This is NOT a flying car. It doesn't drive on the ground. It's also a long way from being a real vehicle for the public. Likewise, the FAA approvals alone are going to be a headache. Even with the FAA onboard, there is still the question of local acceptance. Helicopter taxis used to be far, far more common than they are today. With reason.

Even so, after half a century of personal flight being stalled, it is an exciting time again. It finally feels like the future once more.

However! We should not overhype this and see where these trends lead. If anywhere.

Interesting as I was only just reading this..

A General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) MQ-9B UAV has taxied, taken off, and landed using only its satellite communications (SATCOM) data link.

Mq-9B satcom

a reply to: anzha

Over grown drone. Not nearly as cool looking as I thought it would be.



,,,

originally posted by: anzha
Helicopter taxis used to be far, far more common than they are today. With reason.

Insurance, noise, cost, the need to still travel to and from an airport to get to your destination.

a reply to: Blue Shift

Bet they won't need the airport. They'll have little heliport type things. The SF Bay area is ripe for it. Just allow them to fly over the bay and away from the incoming airliners. Having been stuck on the bay area bridges for some times hours at a time...

Would be only for high paying workers..Not for your average person who has to get a Pizza on way home from work"IF" they were viable they would be a godsend to rescue and health workers who can get to accidents quickly.

originally posted by: anzha
Bet they won't need the airport. They'll have little heliport type things. The SF Bay area is ripe for it. Just allow them to fly over the bay and away from the incoming airliners. Having been stuck on the bay area bridges for some times hours at a time...

I still wonder how much a fender-bender with somebody's roof would cost.

a reply to: Blue Shift

About as much as a helicopter doing the same.

originally posted by: anzha
About as much as a helicopter doing the same.

My insurance is already way too high.

Kitty Hawk, the same group of California dreamers who introduced the leisure-focused Flyer last year, has revealed an all-electric, self-piloted air taxi in New Zealand. The company, which is backed by Alphabet's Larry Page, has been working on "an aircraft so personal it could weave the freedom of flight into our daily lives" since 2010. Cora is the result – a two-seater short hop aircraft that can lift off and land like a helicopter and flies forward like an airplane.

newatlas.com...


race-race-race.

OMG OHS nightmare with those open blades..Ducted fans anyone?

a reply to: Blackfinger

weight savings.

but, yeah, human sushi machines. See the flying 'motorcycles' the Dubai police are getting. Totally long pork sushi machines.

a reply to: anzha
Gonna be nasty and messy.....

a reply to: Blackfinger

Or just perfect for stir fry.

Just add some soy sauce and peanut oil.

Soylent green, haute cuisine version.

Meet Cora.

So that's where Sebastian Thrun went to!

a reply to: anzha



Meet SureFly:

newatlas.com...

a reply to: anzha

newatlas.com...