This Flying Car Startup Is Offering ACTUAL Test Flights!
Another day, another news about the future and flying cars. But this time, this project may actually be taking flight. Kitty Hawk, a flying-car project backed by Google co-founder Larry Page was closer to takeoff, as they came out with a model that allowed for test flights for all their aspiring buyers.
Wow.
Kitty Hawk unveiled the Flyer, a model it described as “an exciting first step to sharing the freedom of flight.” The electric aircraft had 10 small lift rotors on its wings, making it capable of vertical takeoff and landing like a helicopter. The prototype has been described as the next big thing for personal flying, and with these test flights, are in tune to make that a reality.
Image from: Engadget
“Making Flyer accessible, which is what we do at our Lake Las Vegas training facility, helps more people experience the freedom and possibilities of vehicles of the future,” a Kitty Hawk spokeswoman said.
“Our immediate priority is to invite small groups of people — customers, influencers, media and community members — to experience the freedom of flight here in our newly opened training facility.”
The test flights by the guests and backers were held over water, with a maximum speed limited to 20 mph, with an altitude of no more than 3 meters. You can watch the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13ARBXySZKA
Kitty Hawk chief executive Sebastian Thrun, who founded the Google X lab devoted to “moonshots” such as self-driving cars and internet-linked eyewear, was quoted by CNN as saying piloting a Flyer was as easy as playing the video game “Minecraft.”
Image from: Seeker
The company, created last year in Google’s home town of Mountain View, California, has been testing a prototype in New Zealand. Images and details were available at a freshly launched website at flyer.aero, and CNN posted coverage of a reporter taking to the air in a Flyer over a lake at a test site near Las Vegas.
People interested in buying Flyers were invited at the website to apply for an invitation to do so, with no price specified.
It looks like the future is finally here. Would you like to give the Flyer a go? Leave a comment below!