Kitty Hawk Flyer: an amazing vehicle that flies like a drone

April 25, 2017

We have discussed and analyzed the technology and its usefulness many times over the years. However, most of us think that most projects are for the distant future, which of course is not the case. We may occasionally present you with projects from some start-ups that require years to be implemented, but there are some projects where that time has come.

Kitty Hawk, a start-up company owned by Google co-founder Larry Page, and its leaders aspire to be the first in the flying vehicle race, aiming for the end of 2017.

The prototype they have built, called the Kitty Hawk Flyer, recently passed its first public test, flying over a lake 100 miles north of San Francisco. The fully electric vehicle, has room for one passenger over eight propellers and incorporates a special landing system. During the test, the noise it made was quite loud and was likened by attendees to the sound coming from a speedboat.

As part of its first public test, the Kitty Hawk Flyer flew for five minutes over the lake at a height of five metres. The company is working on several different prototypes and right now for a hundred dollars we can secure a two thousand dollar discount off the final price. In addition, by signing up for this program, we are likely to drive one of the prototypes the company is working on before the official launch of the product.

They say that when the final product is released it will not produce as much noise, but that its appearance will be significantly improved. But let's take a look at the video:

For decades, flying cars have been a demand for companies and consumers alike. They have been one of the "distant technological dreams" of many generations and finally, it seems that the time has come for them to become reality. If Kitty Hawk's timeline is adhered to, the Kitty Hawk Flyer will be available to consumers in late 2017.

Here we should note that this move is not an isolated one. In technologically advanced countries, there is already talk of the future in terms of urban transport and companies such as Airbus and Uber are constantly testing prototype models. In fact, Uber will soon present the Elevate project, which will involve "electric, vertical landings and take-offs". We'll know more about this soon, after the presentation that the company will make in Dallas.

Prototype flying cars are becoming increasingly popular, mainly due to the integration of technologies used in drones. There are still several issues to be solved, such as that of autonomy, as only short flights can currently be achieved. In addition, security issues also arise. It is enough to think that this is something completely new, which will have to be codified and regulated by the authorities.

Meanwhile, companies such as Google, Uber and Apple are working on self-driving road vehicles. Apple, recently secured permission to test three "tweaked" Lexus RX450h SUVs, although, it is still unclear whether it aims to launch a fully self-driving vehicle, or if it intends to only deal with the software, creating a platform compatible with third-party vehicles.

In any case, we should bear in mind that technology is making huge leaps forward. Flying cars may once have been a mere technological dream, but now we are only a few months away from being able to have one.

Of course they will cost a lot of money, but think that once you get started, cheaper solutions will emerge. The difference of course is that in these cases you should trust exclusively, serious manufacturers.

by Kostthem