From a drone ambulance to an egg-shaped plane: Meet the contenders for the world's first flying car
- A range of firms including Airbus and Urban Aeronautics are working on prototypes for flying cars
- Lilium Aviation is working on a two-seater aircraft that will take off vertically using 36 electric fan engines
- And Joby Aviation has developed a two-seater aircraft that reaches speeds of 200 miles/
Spurred by technology advances and demand for alternatives in congested cities, the race is on to create the world's first commercially viable 'flying car.'
Inventors have come up with some incredible designs over the years, although most aren't capable of driving on roads.
But as engineers make inroads in their development, experts say they could be ready within a few years. Here are some of the top contenders.
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Airbus has been working on a fleet of air taxis with the hopes of relieving urban congestion and the firm has unveiled its first conceptual renderings. Called Vahana, this sleek self-flying aircraft seats one passenger under a canopy that retracts similar to a motorcycle helmet visor and is summoned like an Uber
Vahana
European aircraft manufacturer Airbus is working at its Silicon Valley research center on a driverless flying taxi that at first will have a pilot, but will later be autonomous.
Called Vahana, this sleek self-flying aircraft seats one passenger under a canopy that retracts similar to a motorcycle helmet visor and the vehicle is designed to operate like a helicopter.
The vertical takeoff-landing, all-electric aircraft is a cockpit mounted on a sled and flanked by propellers in front and back.
Project Vahana began early last year and is one of the first projects at A³, the advanced projects and partnerships outpost of Airbus Group in Silicon Valley.
'At Vahana, we are passionate about personal flight. The aircraft we're building doesn't need a runway, is self-piloted, and can automatically detect and avoid obstacles and other aircraft,' A³ chief executive Rodin Lyasoff wrote on the Vahana website.
'Designed to carry a single passenger or cargo, we're aiming to make it the first certified passenger aircraft without a pilot.'
Airbus plans to test a prototype before the end of 2017, and to have the first Vahanas ready for production by 2020.
The conceptual renders suggest that the air taxis will take off and land vertically, as there are helicopter-like struts, and tilting wings each with four electric motors
Project Vahana began earlier last year and is one of the first projects at A³, the advanced projects and partnerships outpost of Airbus Group in Silicon Valley. There is space for one passenger, who will sit under a canopy that retracts like a motorcycle helmet visor
Cormorant
Israeli tech firm Urban Aeronautics originally designed its people-carrying drone as an 'air mule' for military use.
Dubbed the Cormorant, this vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft is capable of carrying 1,000 pounds over 31 miles, allowing it to deliver supplies to war zones and carry wounded soldiers to safety.
The craft is also designed to make 'split decisions' if issues should occur during a mission - it either continues its journey, retreats home or lands for further instructions from a human operator.
Israeli tech firm Urban Aeronautics originally designed its people-carrying drone as an 'air mule' for military use. Dubbed the Cormorant, this vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft is capable of carrying 1,000 pounds over 31 miles, allowing it to deliver supplies to war zones and carry wounded soldiers to safety
The craft is also designed to make 'split decisions' if issues should occur during a mission - it either continues its journey, retreats home or lands for further instructions from a human operator
A prototype has taken two years to complete, but its creators are hopeful that it will be able to reach places traditional helicopters can't in the near future.
A test flight, which was carried out on November 3, was the first time the Cormorant took to the skies over uneven terrain while piloting itself.
'This flight paves the way forward for the immediate evolution of Cormorant from prototype to near-term production and ultimately commercialization of this groundbreaking technology - for broad applications and markets, said Urban Aeronautics founder Rafi Yoeli
Lilium Jet
Germnology company Lilium Aviation is working on a two-seater aircraft that will take off vertically using 36 electric fan engines arrayed along its wings.
The egg-shaped plane, called Lilium, has been heralded as high up as the European Space Agency (ESA), who highlight its environmental benefits as well as not needing to land at an airport.
The aircraft will hover and climb until the fans are turned backward slowly.
After that, it flies forward like a plane using electric jet engines.
The company has been flight-testing small scale models. The aircraft will have an estimated cruising speed of up to 190 mph and a range of 190 miles.
German technology company Lilium Aviation is working on a two-seater aircraft that will take off vertically using 36 electric fan engines arrayed along its wings. The egg-shaped plane, called Lilium, has been heralded as high up as the European Space Agency (ESA), who highlight its environmental benefits as well as not needing to land at an airport
AeroMobil 3.0
The Slovakian company AeroMobil has developed a car with wings that unfold for flight.
It uses regular gasoline and fits into standard parking spaces.
It can also take off from airports or 'any grass strip or paved surface just a few hundred meters long,' according to the company's website.
But the flying car ran into some trouble last year when it spectacularly crashed during its maiden flight with the inventor on board after witnesses said it went into a tailspin.
Stefan Klein, the co-owner of tech company AeroMobil was taking the company's 3.0 prototype on a test flight in Slovakia.
Onlookers said the craft appeared to be in trouble before going into a tailspin, forcing Klein to deploy a parachute around 900ft off the ground to help bring the car down as gently as possible.
The Slovakian company AeroMobil has developed a car with wings that unfold for flight. It uses regular gasoline and fits into standard parking spaces. It can also take off from airports or 'any grass strip or paved surface just a few hundred meters long,' according to the
EHang 184
Chinese drone maker EHang has been flight-testing a person-carrying drone in Nevada.
The vehicle is a cockpit with four arms equipped with a total of eight rotors.
The company says the 184 is autonomous, so all the passenger has to do is enter in their destination in the smartphone app, sit back, and let the drone take over.
Chinese drone maker EHang has been flight-testing a person-carrying drone in Nevada. The vehicle is a cockpit with four arms equipped with a total of eight rotors. The company says the 184 is autonomous, so all the passenger has to do is enter in their destination in the smartphone app, sit back, and let the drone take over
There's no option to take control of the 184 remotely. The cockpit is empty, apart from a stand to place a smartphone or tablet and a cup holder.
'You know how it feels to sit in a Ferrari? This is 10 times better,' George Yan, co-founder of Ehang said in an interview with DailyMail.com.
'I think in all of us there is that little kid in all of us that says I want to fly,' said Yan.
'I don’t want to get a pilot license after five or 10 hours of flying, I want to do it right away. We’re making that dream happen.'
A command station in China will be able to monitor and control the aircraft anywhere in the world, company officials say.
S2
Joby Aviation has developed a two-seater aircraft that not only reaches speeds of 200 mph, but is also powered by lithium nickel cobalt manganese oxide batteries.
'If we can build an aircraft which is quiet, safe, and efficient, and you get door-to-door at five times the speed of ground transport, it will radically change life,' Joby Aviation CEO and founder JoeBen Bevirt told ReadWrite in an earlier interview.
Joby Aviation has developed a two-seater aircraft that not only reaches speeds of 200 mph, but is also powered by lithium nickel cobalt manganese oxide batteries. Joby S2 may look like it was designed for James Bond, but this personal plane could change the future of travel
'It will have a transformative effect.'
The aircraft has 16 electric propellers, 12 of them are designed for vertical take-off and landing (VTOL), which means no runway is needed.
Terrafugia TF-X
Terrafugia, based in Woburn, Massachusetts, is working on a 'flying car' called the TF-X — a car with folding arms and rotors for vertical takeoff and landing.
The vehicle will have a cruising speed of 200 mph (322 km/h), along with a 500-mile (805 km) flight range.
TF-X will have fold-out wings with twin electric motors attached to each end.
These motors allow the TF-X to move from a vertical to a horizontal position, and will be powered by a 300 hp engine.
Terrafugia, based in Woburn, Massachusetts, is working on a 'flying car' called the TF-X — a car with folding arms and rotors for vertical takeoff and landing. The vehicle will have a cruising speed of 200 mph (322 km/h), along with a 500-mile (805 km) flight range. TF-X will have fold-out wings with twin electric motors attached to each end
The planned four-person TF-X will be semi-autonmous and use computer-controlled so that passengers can simply type in a destination before taking off.
TF-X vehicles will be capable of automatically avoiding other air traffic, bad weather, and restricted and tower-controlled airspace.
The vehicle will be able to recharge its batteries either from its engine or by plugging in to electric car charging stations.
Volocopter
The Volocopter VC200 takes to the skies using its 18 gently humming rotors and electric propulsion.
It is piloted one-handedly with a single joystick, which has shown to reduce the major reason behind fatal helicopter accidents: human error.
The initial two-seat design uses battery packs, with a flight-time duration of only about 20 to 30 minutes.
The Volocopter VC200 takes to the skies using its 18 gently humming rotors and electric propulsion. It is piloted one-handedly with a single joystick, which has shown to reduce the major reason behind fatal helicopter accidents: human error
Its inventors say it will be the most environmentally-friendly helicopter ever created.
They also claim it will be the world's safest because it is unlikely to crash if a rotor fails.
In April last year, the German firm embarked on a new era in urban mobility with a manned flight in the world's first certified multicopter.
This Mountain View, California, aircraft developer bankrolled by Google co-founder Larry Page says on its webpage that it is working on a 'revolutionary new form of transportation' at the 'intersection of aerodynamics, advanced manufacturing and electric propulsion.'
Company officials declined to provide details about Zee's projects.
A patent from 2011 emerged last year showing its designs for a flying car, and Bloomberg reported it is pursuing a 'simpler, more conventional-looking design.'
A patent from 2011 for the Zee aircraft emerged last year, and Bloomberg reported it is pursuing a 'simpler, more conventional-looking design'
And in October, a new design was spotted by locals in the area.
The attention grabbing plane has a high pitched, electric whine, they say.
'It sounded like an electric motor running, just a high-pitched whine,' Steve Eggleston, assistant manager at an airplane-parts company with offices bordering the Hollister Municipal Airport tarmac, told Bay Area News.
