Flying Car News, February 10
Airbus Vahana Completes First Test Flight
This week’s top Flying Car News: Airbus Vahana completes first test flight, Ehang completes over 1000 human test flights, North Carolina DOT proposes medical delivery drones, and more!
Flying cars will be a significant part of the future of transportation. Recent advancements in drone technology, electric VTOL aircraft, and autonomous systems have paved the way for an aerial transportation revolution. We created the Udacity Flying Car News Series, to ensure you stay up-to-date on all the latest Flying Car and Autonomous Aircraft stories!
Airbus Vahana Completes First Test Flight
Airbus completed the first test flight of its flying car Vahana at an airport in Oregon. The electric VTOL aircraft, which will have a range of 62 miles, rose to a height of 16 feet for 53 seconds.
“The VTOL design will allow it to take off and land in small areas like a parking lot or skyscraper roof.”
Ehang 184 Completes Over 1000 Human Test Flights
Chinese drone maker Ehang has conducted over 1000 human test flights of its Ehang 184 autonomous passenger-carrying quadcopter. They have tested it with weights up to 500 pounds, and have achieved speeds above 80 miles per hour.
“Ehang’s engineers also tested the 184 in a variety of weather conditions, including high heat, heavy fog, night tests, and during a Category 7 typhoon with gale-force winds.”
Flying Car Nanodegree Program Announces Recommended Drone Hardware
Jake Lussier, program lead for Udacity’s Flying Car Nanodegree program, announced recommended drone hardware this week, as well as supplemental program resources that will guide students on how to port their own code to their own drones.
“Porting code to an actual drone is an exciting step for a full-fledged autonomous flight engineer to take, and we’ve augmented our core curriculum with supplemental lessons like “Backyard Flier on a Drone” that will support your independent efforts to engage in hardware testing outside of the program.”
North Carolina DOT Proposes Medical Delivery Drones
The department of transportation for North Carolina submitted a proposal to the FAA for a program to use autonomous drones to deliver medical supplies between hospitals and testing facilities.
“We’re really excited that drone technology may allow doctors and hospitals to save more lives in North Carolina soon,” said N.C. Director of Aviation Bobby Walston.”
PAL-V to Unveil Production Flying Car at Geneva Motor Show
The production version of the Dutch Flying Car Pal-V Liberty will be unveiled at the Geneva Motor show in mid March.
“Following the Geneva debut, PAL-V says the Liberty will reach customers in 2019, a period it describes as a “pivotal time in aviation and mobility history.”
If you are interested in joining the pioneering generation of engineers who will build the smart transportation systems of the future, discover Udacity’s Flying Car Nanodegree Program today!
And stay tuned for more Flying Car News!
