The latest generation of flying car developed by KleinVision company transforms from road vehicle into air vehicle in less than 3-minutes. Useful for leisure and self-driving journeys, and also as a commercial taxi service.
We're making baby steps here. I have to say that I don't really imagine too many of these things just driving around on the streets but hey check out the video below, because it sure looks cool.
Beta Technologies in Vermont are testing the Electric, Vertical Take Off aircraft Alia, which draws design inspiration from the Arctic tern. Leading the Electric
Flight Revolution Electric flight is here today. The next exciting, inevitable milestone will be its commercialization. We’re at the forefront of making that happen with a team of relentlessly focused, hands-on engineers who are testing, reworking and retesting what will be the world’s most versatile electric aircraft.
Our electric vertical take off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft promises an unprecedented forward leap in energy efficiency and cost savings. But these benefits are just the beginning. Taking a whole systems approach, we will be able to support a variety of missions from virtually anywhere, all in a design that’s just simple enough to be revolutionary.
If you are obsessed with flying cars like we are, this is interesting news. Leading flying car developer SkyDrive, established by the members of CARTIVATOR, a group of aircraft, drones, and automotive engineers, has secured 14 Million USD through Third-party share issuance funding and subsidies. A total of 18.5 Million USD has now been raised and manned test flights will begin this year. Apparently Toyota is involved with this too. Check out the videos below.
There's a new flying machine in town, and they're calling it the speeder. The company Jetpack Aviation that brought you this jetpack, is now making what almost looks like a jet ski that fly's. It looks amazing unless you run out of gas or get sucked into the jet. Here is their info, and now they are taking pre-orders. Check out the video animation at the bottom.
The world’s first flying motorcycle.
JPA's Recreational SpeederTM represents the ultimate in personal transport. It is fully VTOL (vertical take off and landing) capable and can effectively take off from anywhere the size of a small car space. Originally intended only for Military, Government and Commercial clients JPA is also designing a version of the SpeederTM for the recreational market. It will be lighter than most 125cc motorcycles, fully stabilized and simple to fly.
Flying the Recreational SpeederTM will be just light riding a motorcycle but in the sky!
Being fully stabilized means that minimal pilot training will be required.
It will take off from practically anywhere and will fly at over 150 mph*
It will also fly at up to 15,000ft but we don’t expect many of our customers to need this!
We plan to build two versions of the Recreational SpeederTM: The Ultralight Version and the Experimental Category Version.
The Ultralight Version (UVS) will not require a pilot’s license to operate – all training will be provided by JPA or one of our authorized training centers. The Ultralight version will be limited to carrying 5 gallons of fuel and to 60 mph flying speed.
The Experimental Version (EVS) will require a private pilot’s licence to fly and will have no fuel or speed restrictions. As the owner/pilot of the EVS we will host you in our manufacturing facility and you will be part of the aircraft completion process. This will satisfy the FAA rules around Experimental aircraft production.
Full training will be provided at the JPA training facility in California where we remain the only FAA authorized jet-VTOL instructors in world.
Flying taxi's seem to be the motivation for us to take to the air and Uber might just do it with this new Bell NEXUS aircraft. There are so many vehicle concepts already for this type of service, and Bell has just dropped another one at CES in Las Vegas. The newly unveiled Nexus is a look at future transportation that we have been following for some time. This aircraft is an all electric, tilting six-rotor design to take off vertically and propel itself through the air carrying up to 4 passengers. Bell has it's sights on having this Air Taxi in flight over several major cities sometime in 2020. Check out the video below to see the model at CES.
Promoted as "THE WORLD'S FIRST ALL ELECTRIC, PERSONAL FLYING MACHINE." The Hexa sure looks interesting and very different from other Personal Flying Machines. This comes to us from a company called Lift Aircraft out of Austin Texas
DISTRIBUTED ELECTRIC PROPULSION Eighteen independent electric motors and propellers are the only moving parts needed for perfectly stable, controlled flight. AMPHIBIOUS Four perimeter floats provide stability while a large central float provides buoyancy for safe water landings. SIMPLE TO FLY
A triply redundant autopilot computer with a single, 3-axis joystick is all that is needed to fly. Or tap on the seven inch touchscreen in "Look mom, no hands!" mode. Check out the video below to see for yourself.
It looks like things are moving along in the flying taxi business. Check out the video below. Vertical Aerospace is building technology to revolutionize how people fly, with the ultimate aim of making intercity air travel personal, on-demand and carbon free. The Bristol-based startup has built and flown the UK's first full scale fully electric vertical take off and landing aircraft. Its unmanned technology demonstrator aircraft weighs 750kg and flew across Cotswold Airport in Kemble, Gloucestershire in June 2018 as part of the company’s flight test program.
If you have been following my journey on this site, i am a little bit obsessed with flying cars and overall I try to touch base on all subjects I can find related to our inevitable sci-fi(cyberpunk) future coming true as it relates to the neo-noir graphic novel I've been working on. So far, we're moving a long, not little by little, but noticeably advancing new technologies all the time. The latest from UberAir is their search for a host city to market test their flying taxis. From their site:
To bring uberAIR to market, we plan to partner with three ‘launch cities’. This will allow for a balance between focus and city diversity that will set the service up for long-term success.
Dallas and Los Angeles were previously announced as the first two launch cities, and we are now seeking an international city as the third partner. These three cities will be the first to offer uberAIR flights, with the goals of operating demonstrator flights starting in 2020 and beginning commercial operations in 2023.
Considerations for a Good Launch City
To help understand what would make for a good urban air mobility pilot, we have provided the following considerations:
Cities with a greater metropolitan area population in excess of 2 million people and a density of over 2,000 people per square mile will be able to support pooled ridesharing services and thus benefit the most from an uberAIR network.
Ideal cities are polycentric, with multiple dense nodes of development in an urban area, and face significant traffic congestion. A large and dispersed city layout means that uberAIR will be able to offer significant time saving benefits at speeds of 150-200 miles per hour.
Two more flying cars are coming. As I have said before, we are entering a new era for the flying car/personal transportation type vehicles. VTOL (vertical take off and landing) if you will. Maybe we've finally reached the level of technology to make these things realistic. We covered the Kitty Hawk which looks more like a pontoon boat with propellers. And then there is the Black Fly, which I really like. I'm not sure what it is about this one that attracts me to it, but it looks fun to fly/drive.
So, here are the latest companies to join the fray of flying personal vehicles.
Of course Aston Martin is going to make an awesome looking vehicle. The Volante Vision is meant to be a private Air Taxi, I imagine it like a personal jet for wealthy business types. This is an area of tight competition right now with multiple companies attempting to do the same thing. Maybe that is just what we need to jump start this flying car thing. The Volante Vision looks more like a futuristic flying car than most of them, but for now it's just a concept vehicle like most. Before you know it Porsche and Ferrari will jump right in, after all Rolls Royce had a hand in this Aston Martin Vehicle idea.
Then there is the CityHawk, not to be confused with Bell Helicopters X-Hawk. The CityHawk flying car is almost a direct descendant of the Cormorant AirMule which is an autonomous UAV designed by an Israeli firm Tactical Robots. This vehicle has been under development for a few years now and has over 200 flights to date. The CityHawk is designed by Urban Aeronautics, also an Israeli firm that uses a similar airframe, so this one has much more of a chance of becoming real than the Aston Martin. Below is the video of test flights of the AirMule.
The CityHawk is going into full scale development according to Urban Aeronautics. The aim here is to make it some type of taxi for consumers. This one reminds me of an of a 1980's Cessna Airplane because of its chunky (non-sexy) airframe. Definitely a different take then Aston Martin. See below.
It seems that I forgot about the Lilium. Below is a still from their first test flight they did last year. Check out the video below.
The Lilium Jet successfully completed its maiden test flight series in the skies above Bavaria. The 2-seater Eagle prototype executed a range of complex maneuvers, including its signature mid-air transition from hover mode to wing-borne forward flight.
If flying cars aren't your thing, and you would rather have a little more freedom, then why not by your very own Jet Suit designed by Gravity. This suit is very cool, we have covered this and many other Jet Packs and personal transportation devices before. This one will set you back almost half a million bucks.
This thing is sound good until you run into a brick wall, but in that case you might need this.
Anyway, you've probably already seen this, but in case you've been living under a rock, check out the video below.
Well this looks interesting. I think we are in a new age of flying machines. It seems like every week we have new personal flying transportation options from different companies. Flying cars, jet packs and more... This is truly an exciting era to be part of. The latest flying machine is called The Black Fly. This thing seems pretty stable compared to the other ones so we are getting closer, but its landings are a bit funky. Here's some more info on it and then check out this thing in the video below.
We spend too much time confined to a two-dimensional network of concrete and asphalt. The dream of futurists has always been a flying vehicle capable of efficiently moving passengers from A to B.
Opener is realizing this dream in an affordable, safe, easy-to-operate, vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) vehicle: BlackFly.
Opener's BlackFly heralds a new era of aviation. Time and money spent traveling and maintaining infrastructure will be reduced. People will go places they never thought possible.
Larry Page's Kitty Hawk startup has been working on several different personal flight projects, including a self-piloting, electric VTOL air taxi that can be used for Uber Elevate-style aerial commuting. The Silicon Valley company has also been working on something a little more fun. A solo flying multi-copter called the Flyer. Recently, the team released images and partial specs on what looks to be the final production design. Check out the video at the bottom.
Flight time is somewhere around 12 to 20 minutes, depending on pilot weight and the speed you're flying at. In terms of safety, Kitty Hawk has currently decided to limit altitude to between 3 to 10 ft (0.9 to 3 m), and maximum speed to 20 mph (32 km/h).
The company says you can learn to fly it in "less than an hour," and fly it without a pilot's license as an ultralight aircraft, meaning you'll need to keep it away from populated areas.
It makes you want to jump in and go! It also looks a little less dangerous than the jet packs or the flying boards.
GoFly, a Boeing-sponsored competition wants to turn jetpacks into a working reality for everyone. They have created an international competition to enter a two-year contest, with $2 million total in prizes, for the creation of a personal flying device that can carry an individual 20 miles without refueling or recharging.
It's no surprise that ever since humans could imagine flying that we have tried to create our own mechanisms to do it.
1964 World Fair
Maybe it's the inevitable sense of freedom that flying creates or just the idea to leave the planet temporarily for a different perspective that tantalizes the imagination.
Unknown photograph
Whatever the reason, we keep trying.
Ludion Flying Rocket Chair
The goal of the GoFly Prize is to foster the development of safe, quiet, ultra-compact, near-VTOL personal flying devices capable of flying twenty miles while carrying a single person.
Bell Aerosystems "Bell Jet Belt"
What we are seeking is an “everyone” personal flying device, capable of being flown by ANYONE, ANYWHERE. It should be a device for ALL: young and old, city-dweller and country-dweller, expert and novice.
Bell Aerosystems "Bell Rocket Belt"
Bell Aerosystems "Bell Rocket Belt"
Now is the time. Recent advances in propulsion, energy, light-weight materials, and control and stability systems have combined to produce a moment of achievable innovation.
Bell Aerosystems "Bell Rocket Belt"
What can be accomplished today could not have been attained even a few years ago.
JB9 Jetpack Aviation
Technological and scientific advances have resulted in a time when our most audacious dream—the dream of pure human flight—is now achievable.
The Williams X-Jet
GoFly is about flying people, not flying taxis. Today we look to the sky and say “that plane is flying.” We challenge you to create a device where we look to the sky and say, “that person is flying.”
Bell Aerosystems "Bell Jet Belt"
The device is for a single person, but what it looks like or how it works is up to you. We welcome revolutionary design, and while all devices must be able to fly a person, you have the option to use a mannequin to simulate the user and can operate the device as a remotely piloted or autonomous UAV.
Simon Williamson
The device should function safely in both crowded cities and rural areas; it should be lightweight and maneuverable enough so that anyone can move it around, and it should be quiet not only for the user, but also for the general public.
Rick Herron, Skywalker Jetpack
We are propulsion agnostic, but like all great inventions, the device should be user-friendly–almost an extension of the user’s body, and provide the thrill of flight.
Richard Browning
Richard Browning
Richard Browning
The GoFly Prize is designed to capture our imagination.
JB9 Jetpack Aviation
JB9 Jetpack Aviation
JB9 Jetpack Aviation
JB9 Jetpack Aviation
Indeed, throughout human history, perhaps no dream has been more shared than that of soaring in the skies.
Martin Jetpack
Martin Jetpack
Martin Jetpack
Martin Jetpack
Martin Jetpack
Martin Jetpack
It has been pursued by the greatest minds from every corner of the world.
Zapata Flyboard Air
It captivated the thoughts of Leonardo Da Vinci, culminating in his ornithopter. It consumed the thoughts of Wendell Moore and his Bell Labs team, resulting in the first “jet pack.” It charmed an entire generation of children as they followed the chronicles of Superman.
Ethan Evans
Our goal is the same as Da Vinci’s and children of wonder throughout the ages: Make people fly – safely and effortlessly.
The GoFly Prize Competition will award $2,000,000 in prizes over three phases, culminating in a Final Fly Off in the Autumn of 2019.
Prizes will be awarded for each phase of the Competition as follows:
Phase I
Up to ten $20,000 prizes awarded based on a written report.
Phase II
Up to four $50,000 prizes awarded based on revised Phase I material (or for new teams new Phase I material) and demonstrated performance of progress to date.
Phase III
One $1,000,000 Grand Prize awarded for the best overall fly-off score. One $250,000 prize for the quietest compliant entry. One $250,000 prize for the smallest compliant entry. One $100,000 prize awarded for disruptive advancement of the state of the art.
Joshua Brooks
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS
Teams will keep all of their intellectual property, except that teams will grant limited media rights to GoFly so that GoFly can publicize and promote the Competition and the teams. The details of this media rights agreement are in the Phase I Competition Agreement. Other than these media rights, any rights a team has in its inventions, drawings, patents, designs, copyrights and other intellectual property remain with the team.
The information that Teams provide to GoFly as part of the Competition will only be shared with the Judging Panel and representatives of GoFly who are involved in administering the Competition. Anyone who has access to a team’s confidential information will have signed a confidentiality agreement and agreed not to share or use such confidential information, except as may be required by law. In addition, teams will not have access to any nonpublic information about other Teams or their technology or performance during the Competition.
Hubble Tea
INNOVATION INCUBATOR
Even the best and brightest minds can use a little help sometimes. GoFly empowers innovator teams by providing access to experienced Mentors and Masters in design, engineering, finance, law, and marketing. In fact, every month (and sometimes twice a month), Teams will have the opportunity to listen to and engage in discussions with the Masters of Aerospace and Business in global webinars. Have a couple of questions on conceptual design or configuration management? Looking for insight into cutting edge noise mitigation techniques? Trying to raise funding to support your build? Masters lectures speak to those disciplines and more. Learn from DARPA chiefs, NASA gurus, Boeing Senior Technical Fellows, and the luminaries who actually wrote the textbooks. Hear about the aerospace fundraising landscape, and take a deep dive into financing decks and pitching VCs. Learn how to protect your intellectual property from patent specialists. A list of Masters along with their bios can be found in the Advisors section.
Sharktooth
When one-on-one help is needed, all Teams will have access to our Mentor program, where Teams work directly with Mentors in their specific areas of need. Operationally, the Mentor program is organized so that Teams contact GoFly to request a Mentor within a particular discipline. Upon contact, that Team will be matched with a Mentor (or multiple mentors) in that area. During these Mentor sessions, a Team works directly with the Mentor to answer the Team’s specific questions related to their technical build (or financing, or corporate documents, etc.). This is one-on-one support for the Teams, geared to the precise needs of each Team. GoFly believes that providing this type of support is the best way to help aspiring inventors all over the world create the kind of ground-breaking devices that the Competition seeks.
Elijah McNeal
The GoFly Prize Competition is a two-year Competition launched on September 26, 2017. There will be three sequential rounds of the Competition.
Phase I Submission of a written report and preliminary drawing
Phase II Submission of an updated written report and demonstration of progress in development of the personal flying device
Phase III Final Fly Off competition
A list of important dates is set forth below:
Description Date
Competition Launch and Open of Registration September 26, 2017
Phase I Registration deadline April 4, 2018
Phase I submission deadline April 18, 2018
Phase I awards issued May 29, 2018
Phase II registration deadline December 8, 2018
Phase II submission deadline February 6, 2019
Phase II awards and Phase III fly-off invitation issued March 28, 2019
Phase III - Flight readiness review September 2019 [TBD]
Final Fly-off October 2019 [TBD]
Dates and other information are subject to change at the discretion of GoFly. GoFly will post changes on the Competition website to ensure that all registered teams are informed of any change. All submissions must be submitted electronically through the GoFly Competition website.
All photos and jetpacks in this post are copyright of their respective owners. P.O.M. owns no rights to any of the above images or inventions and has attempted to give appropriate credit where do. If for some reason you have any additional information to ad to make this post more accurate, please reach out and I will be happy to edit this post to reflect the new info.
