Electrically Powered Plane a Step Towards Flying Cars?

For as long as I can remember there have been predictions about when flying cars would become a reality. There have also been many futuristic and fanciful images of what they may look like and how they might operate. Some have even made it to the prototype stage, but these have either not fulfilled their promise, or would be far too expensive to manufacture. None of them have come to pass, and that’s probably a good thing going by some of the drawings. Now, things might be different. There is a lot more of the technology in place, through what we have learned with collision avoidance with drones for example. If we could actually sort out the propulsion method, it might even be easier to get autonomous flying cars in the sky than it is to get them on the roads. We wouldn’t have to work with the existing infrastructure of painted markings on roads, or signs that are semi-obscured by trees or snow. There would be no cyclists, or pedestrians popping out between two parked cars. Our current roads are packed to capacity in many places, and traffic jams are just a fact of life. If we could take a portion of our road traffic and put it up I the air, it could ease congestion quite considerably. It might take a few datacentres to calculate routes and clearances, but that’s one thing we are not short of these days – and in the UK it seems we are short of everything else. Of course, there would be some problems to fix, you don’t get petrol pumps or charging stations at 500 metres.

Although not exactly a flying car, the Vertical Aerospace Group has developed an electric-powered vertical take off and landing aircraft (eVTOL) that it hopes to have on sale commercially by 2024. The company’s VA-X4 has space for four-passengers and one pilot. It is expected to have speeds of up to 200 mph and a range of more than 100 miles. In flight, the plane will be nearly silent and have zero emissions and a low cost per passenger mile. The company has attracted some serious partners, including Rolls Royce, who will provide the electric powertrain. Conditional pre-orders for the eVTOL have come in from companies including American Airlines, Virgin Atlantic and Avolon.

In its most recent news, Vertical has now signed an MOU with Bristow Group that will see the two companies create a joint working group that will collaborate on: regulatory and airspace; demand, fleet size, spare parts and infrastructure; potential customers; and public acceptance and environmental requirements. As part of the deal, Bristow will pre-order 25 of the aircraft, with the option for an additional 25 in the future. Bristow is a provider of helicopter transportation to oil and gas customers, search and rescue (SAR) and aircraft support solutions to government and civil organizations.

The new VA-X4 is an aircraft that seems to be targetted at the current helicopter market, with mainly short flights. Although it will be far too expensive for the ordinary consumer, it will perform the job of air taxi. Who knows where it may lead to eventually? It may just be the first step towards the flying car, but if not, it will still be a greener alternative to what we have now.

https://vertical-aerospace.com/