Flying Car News, May 19
Skyport architectural designs, Pipistril’s new VTOL, a NASA Helicopter on Mars, and more!
This week’s top Flying Car News: Skyport architectural design, Pipistril unveils flying car design, a Nasa helicopter on Mars, new Uber partner Karem gets into aerial taxis, 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!
Skyport Architectural Designs
At the Uber Elevate Flying Car conference in Los Angeles, six architecture firms presented their futuristic designs for skyports, which will serve as infrastructure for the future of mass aerial transit.
“While uberAIR might feel like a far away dream, it’s closer than you think and urban infrastructure has to start to evolve now to keep up.” —John Badalamenti, Uber’s head of design for advanced programs and aviation
Pipistril Announces VTOL
Pipistril teased its new aerial taxi design at Uber Elevate, by sharing concept drawings:
“Pipistrel is not trying to reinvent the helicopter by giving the vehicle many rotors, but is rather embracing dedicated propulsion solutions for cruise and vertical lift with built-in scaling capability.” —Ivo Boscarol, Pipistrel’s founder and general manager
NASA Helicopter on Mars
Nasa’s Mars Helicopter will be the first heavier-than-air vehicle to fly on another planet after it launches with the Mars rover in 2020.
“After the Wright Brothers proved 117 years ago that powered, sustained, and controlled flight was possible here on Earth, another group of American pioneers may prove the same can be done on another world.” — Thomas Zurbuchen, Associate Administrator for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate
Karem Announces VTOL
Karem aircraft announced a partnership with Uber, and a new aerial taxi eVTOL called the Butterfly.
“Uber and Karem Aircraft will collaborate on Butterfly, a quad tiltrotor with four large rotors mounted on the wings and tail. The Butterfly configuration solves the tradeoff between hover and cruise efficiency, creating an optimal vehicle configuration for Uber Elevate’s use case.”
Embraer Announces VTOL
Embraer announced their first flying taxi concept at Uber Elevate, which utilizes eight rotors for vertical takeoff and a large propeller in the back for forward propulsion.
“It is also worth keeping in mind that this is just one of the futuristic vehicles Embraer X is currently working on, and may not be its only eVOTL concept in development.”
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!
