A company backed by Google co-founder Larry Page is making its all-electric “flying car” available for potential buyers to flight test at its facility in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Kitty Hawk’s Flyer is a personal aircraft which is being widely called a flying car. It is powered by 10 lithium-ion battery-powered lift-fans, has a top speed limited to 20mph and is designed to be flown without a pilot’s licence over water and uncongested areas.
In a major step forward for the project, the first aircraft, which can fly at an altitude of 10ft (3m) for up to 20 minutes, can now be pre-ordered and test-flights applied for at the website flyer.aero. The first journalist, a reporter from CNN, has also taken a flight in the Flyer CNN.
A prototype of the Flyer has tested in New Zealand, where Kittyhawk is also testing an autonomous, electrically-powered vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft named Cora. Kitty Hawk’s aircraft are being tested and operated by Zephyr Airworks, a company set up in New Zealand in December 2016.
June 8, 2016
