It is not the first time that someone has put a flying car project on the table –in fact, there are already models available for reservation–, but without a doubt it is the most radical bet of all.
The Australian firm Alauda Aeronautics unveiled
the Airspeeder Mk4 to the world, a vehicle so powerful that even a Formula 1 car is encouraged on the ground
, and that by air promises a revolution for motorsports, starting next year: the racing in the sky
There are 1,360 CV of power
delivered by this vertical takeoff and landing car/drone, proclaimed by its own creators as the "first and fastest manned competition flying car in the world".
With this capacity it can achieve a
maximum speed of 360 km/h, which it reaches in just 30 seconds
.
Those numbers are made possible by
four electric motors
, which, like the batteries, are powered by a hydrogen-based turbogenerator the company dubbed Thunderstrike.
A propulsion system that is also stabilized by gimbals manufactured with 3D printers, controlled by artificial intelligence.
The entire system is programmed to emulate the driving qualities of an F1.
Airspeeder Mk4
In short, and adding that it is a light vehicle that weighs around 950 kilos, the Airspeeder Mk4 offers a range of about 300 kilometers with emissions close to zero -especially if green hydrogen is used, that is, produced through renewable energies. renewable–.
This fourth evolution of the Airspeeder has a significant novelty compared to the Mk3: although it was also focused on competition, it was not yet ready to carry crew members on board.
Which
opens the doors to promote a new category in motorsports to run in the air with pilots
, something that the firm behind the Airspeeder plans for as soon as 2024 -in fact, on its website it confirmed that registration is open for the teams that want to join.
Airspeeder Mk4
The Formula 1 that flies.
“We have built the vehicles, developed the sport, secured the venues and attracted the sponsors and technical partners,” said Alauda Aeronautics CEO Matt Pearson.
"Now it remains for the most innovative and ambitious brands in the world, the original equipment manufacturers and the teams to join a motor discipline that will be truly revolutionary," he proposed.
Airspeeder Mk4
For now,
the Alauda Aeronautics Airspeeder Mk4 has already begun its first manned flight tests in Australia
, where its public presentation is expected on March 7 at the _Southstart exhibition, a cutting-edge technological meeting that will take place until March 10. of that month in the city of Adelaide.
The car that flies, a dream that is almost a reality
Although the Airspeeder Mk4 is intended as
a flying car to compete and not for everyday use
, the truth is that there are slightly more mundane proposals that already have the go-ahead to operate and are very close to coming to light.
Airspeeder Mk4
One of them is the AirCar, a Klein Vision proposal that was certified as an aircraft in 2022 and already has permission to take off and land in Slovakia.
Its tail and wings are retractable, and it takes just 3 minutes to go from airplane to car mode.
The first prototype is equipped with a 160 HP BMW engine, exceeds 2,500 meters of altitude and can fly at up to 190 kilometers per hour.
And while production of a model for sale is still in the development phase,
that first test example has already logged many flight hours.
And he even had his baptism on a trip between the cities of Nitra and Bratislava, a journey of 80 kilometers through the air that he successfully completed.
The other model that wants to bite the bullet is the Switchblade
, from the American company Samson Sky.
It is a three-wheeled two-seater that promises to improve the numbers of the previous example, and can mutate between a car and a plane in less time, rise twice as high and reach 300 km/h in the air, with a range that promises to be greater than the 700 kilometers.
Airspeeder Mk4
Although they are still in the testing phase, its creators are confident in the final product that they are already taking reservations: joining the waiting list costs $2,000.
However, one that is indeed already on sale is the
Jetson One
, a single-seater vertical takeoff and landing -like the Airspeeder- that was developed in Sweden.
Although the proposal is notably different: its design is more experimental –an aluminum structure without doors, roof or windshield, for example–, it has only one seat to occupy and moves with an electric motor that allows it to reach up to 102 km/h. h.
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