THE 'TRANSFORMER' AIRCRAFT THAT FLIES LIKE A PLANE BUT LANDS AND TAKES OFF LIKE A HELICOPTER - AND COULD SOON TAKE YOU FROM LA TO SF IN UNDER AN HOUR
- The Transcend Air Corporation has announced the development of a new vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) six-seater aircraft called the Vy 400 that will be ready hopefully be ready by January 2024
- The Vy 400 will deliver business travelers directly to and from major citie, including Boston to New York
- The VTOL will fly at 405 mph – three times faster than a standard helicopters with a range of 450 miles
The Transcend Air Corporation has announced the development of a vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) six-seater aircraft that it hopes will revolutionize business transit.
The Vy 400 will hopefully be ready for commercial use in January 2024, and is able to travel at speeds of 405 mph, three times faster than a traditional helicopter, thanks to its tilt-wing design.
The company says it will deliver business travelers directly to and from major city centers, and has already published it first routes and ticket prices.
The Transcend Air Corporation says the vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) six-seater aircraft that will be ready in January 2024. The Vy 400 will deliver business travelers directly to and from major city centers. It is able to travel at speeds of 405 mph, three times faster than a traditional helicopter, thanks to its tilt-wing design.
It will have a range of 450 miles and be able to travel from Los Angeles to San Francisco in just 55 minutes. 'This is a necessary and transformative addition to city-to-city transportation options,' said Greg Bruell, co-founder and CEO of Transcend.
'It solves multiple problems at once: we'll take cars off congested roads, reduce pollution around airports, and lower the cost of air transportation while drastically reducing travel times.'
It will use a navigation system called fly-by-wire, meaning it will not be controlled manually but rather electronically and will potentially be automated.
It will also feature a carbon fiber design that will allow for a 'whole aircraft parachute'.
'Our VTOL aircraft is far more efficient than helicopters,' the company's website reads.
It will have a range of 450 miles and be able to travel from Los Angeles to San Francisco in just 55 minutes
'It'll cost less to operate, be less noisy, and because it transitions to fly like a jet, will be much faster. VTOLs have been around for decades, but thanks to new technology they are finally ready for the general public.'
However, trips on the Vy 400 will not come cheap.
Customers can travel from New York to Boston in 36 minutes for $283, from Montreal to Toronto for $325 in an hour, and from LA to San Francisco for $315.
It will use a navigation system called fly-by-wire, meaning it will not be controlled manually but rather electronically and will potentially be automated
Transcend also claims there are more than 46 city center pairs in the U.S. where their service will be less expensive and five times faster than existing airline service.
The company says it will use existing helipads, so there will be no major infrastructure changes in the cities.
Those who are really confident in Transcend's vision will be able to purchase their own VTOL starting in 2020 for a mere $3.5million.
WHAT TYPE OF FLYING TAXIS COULD WE EXPECT TO SEE IN THE FUTURE?
Advances in electric motors, battery technology and autonomous software has triggered an explosion in the field of electric air taxis.
Larry Page, CEO of Google parent company Alphabet , has poured millions into aviation start-ups Zee Aero and Kitty Hawk, which are both striving to create all-electric flying cabs.
Kitty Hawk is believed to be developing a flying car and has already filed more than a dozen different aircraft registrations with the Federal Aviation Administration, or FAA.
Page, who co-founded Google with Sergey Brin back in 1998, has personally invested $100 million (£70 million) into the two companies, which have yet to publicly acknowledge or demonstrate their technology.
Secretive start-up Joby Aviation has come a step closer to making its flying taxi a reality.
The California-based company, which is building an all-electric flying taxi capable of vertical take-off, has received $100 million (£70 million) in funding from a group of investors led by Toyota and Intel.
The money will be used to develop the firm’s 'megadrone' which can reach speeds of 200mph (321kph) powered by lithium nickel cobalt manganese oxide batteries.
The Joby S2 prototype has 16 electric propellers, 12 of which are designed for vertical take-off and landing (VTOL), which means no runway is needed.
AirSpaceX unveiled its latest prototype, Mobi-One, at the North American International Auto Show in early 2018. Like its closest rivals, the electric aircraft is designed to carry two to four passengers and is capable of vertical take-off and landing
The aircraft takes off vertically, like a helicopter, before folding away 12 of its propellers so it can glide like a plane once it is airborne.
Airbus is also hard at work on a similar idea, with its latest Project Vahana prototype, branded Alpha One, successfully completing its maiden test flight in February 2018.
The self-piloted helicopter reached a height of 16 feet (five metres) before successfully returning to the ground. In total, the test flight lasted 53 seconds.
Airbus previously shared a well-produced concept video, showcasing its vision for Project Vahana.
The footage reveals a sleek self-flying aircraft that seats one passenger under a canopy that retracts in similar way to a motorcycle helmet visor.
Airbus Project Vahana prototype, branded Alpha One, successfully completed its maiden test flight in February 2018. The self-piloted helicopter reached a height of 16 feet (five metres) before successfully returning to the ground. In total, the test flight lasted 53 seconds
Like Joby Aviation, Project Vahana is designed to be all-electric and take-off and land vertically.
AirSpaceX is another company with ambitions to take commuters to the skies.
The Detroit-based start-up has promised to deploy 2,500 aircrafts in the 50 largest cities in the United States by 2026.
AirSpaceX unveiled its latest prototype, Mobi-One, at the North American International Auto Show in early 2018.
Like its closest rivals, the electric aircraft is designed to carry two to four passengers and is capable of vertical take-off and landing.
AirSpaceX has even included broadband connectivity for high speed internet access so you can check your Facebook News Feed as you fly to work.
Aside from passenger and cargo services, AirSpaceX says the craft can also be used for medical and casualty evacuation, as well as tactical Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR).
Even Uber is working on making its ride-hailing service airborne.
Dubbed Uber Elevate, Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi tentatively discussed the company’s plans during a technology conference in January 2018.
‘I think it’s going to happen within the next 10 years,’ he said.
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