The zero-emission VA-1X flying car will use cutting-edge Formula 1 technology to boast a maximum range of approximately 100 miles. Bristol-based designers Vertical Aerospace believe the craft is will be the first winged, electric vertical-take-off-and-landing (eVTOL) craft to be certified.
Vertical Aerospace expects the VA-1X will begin commercial flights in 2024 following flight testing beginning in 2021.
Journeys in the craft are anticipated to cost travellers less than £10 per mile — between that of a helicopter and a taxi.
The VA-1X is the spiritual successor of the firm’s previous design — dubbed the Seraph — which was a multi-copter boasting twelve pairs of blades.
Despite their different underlying principles, the VA-1X was designed with the experience gained from developing the Seraph, its batteries and its flight controls.
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Vertical Aerospace CEO Michael Cervenka said: “eVTOL technology will revolutionise travel, combining the safety of commercial airlines with the disruptive environmental and cost benefits of the electrification of flight.
“With the launch of the VA-1X, we’re proud to be taking eVTOL one step closer to mass-market adoption and supporting the next era of aviation.
“At Vertical Aerospace, we believe that people should be able to quickly and affordably get from A to B without sacrificing the planet.
“With the VA-1X, this vision will start to be realised in under five years.”
These dimensions mean VA-1X will be small enough to depart off and land on existing helipads.
Its aerodynamic form will also require far less energy to fly than its chopper counterparts.
Furthermore, the flying taxi’s distributed propulsion system is expected will make it approximately 30 time quieter than a helicopter.
Vertical Aerospace added they have developed the VA-1X in order to sell them to air taxi or cargo fleet operators.
However, there is also the potential for the firm to sell the craft to individual customers.
Although it is not yet known how much the craft will cost to manufacture or purchase, they will cost ‘less than a helicopter’.
Stéphane Fymat, vice president ofUS aerospace firm Honeywell, who will be developing control systems, said: “Honeywell is honoured to be working with Vertical to enable this major advancement with our compact fly-by-wire and UAM [urban air mobility] -o ptimised flight deck technologies.”
Fly-by-wire tech involves the replacement of traditional manual aircraft controls with an electronic interface that translates pilot inputs into a desired outcome and uses a feedback process to ensure that the vehicle responds accordingly.
Mr Fymat added: “The VA-1X is a beautiful vehicle and an important technical milestone for the urban air mobility industry.”