Joby Aviation’s electric adav traveled 249 km on a single charge while Volocopter conducted its first crewed public flight in the United States.
News around flying taxis gets carried away this week with two notable events to be credited to Joby Aviation and Volocopter. Joby Aviation set a single charge distance record with a flight of 249 km in 77 minutes for its electric adav equipped with six swivel rotors. The performance was achieved without passengers on board but it includes the takeoff and landing phases which are particularly energy intensive.
Joby’s flying taxi takes off vertically like a helicopter then its rotors gradually tilt into a horizontal position to allow it to fly like an airplane. It will be able to carry four passengers plus a pilot while flying at 320 km / h in speed maximum. This long-distance flight, which has just been completed, brings the company even closer to the start of commercial operations after 10 years of development.
The long-distance flight of the Joby Aviation air taxi. © Joby Aviation
Volocopter operational within two to three years
On the German side Volocopter, it is a piloted public flight which was carried out in the United States. This is a first on American soil. The 18-rotor electric Adav completed its first crewed flight in 2016 in Germany. Since Volocopter flew with and without passengers in Singapore, Dubai, and even on the CES stage in Las Vegas in 2018.
The test which has just taken place across the Atlantic lasted only four minutes with a maximum speed of 29 km / h at an altitude of 50 meters. ” The air taxis are coming, and we are working on introducing electric flights to cities around the world over the next two to three years, ”said Florian Reuter, CEO of Volocopter.
Volocopter’s piloted flight in the United States. © Volocopter
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