Important Innovations

Zapata Air Racer                                        Source:  Zapata Air Racer One of a Kind Personal Flying Machine French entrepreneur and jet ski racer Franky Zapata has created a 1-person VTOL flying machine that can handle barrel rolls like a fighter jet and is coming to the US for test flights this year. Known as Air Racer (aka Jet Racer), here are the key facts: VTOL (vertical takeoff & landing vehicle) has 1 seat, 10 jet engines, each with independent electric controls, and is designed for nearly autonomous flight Pilot inputs into flight controller system app what the destination is and the control panel determines the best route to get there Vehicle is so technologically advanced and agile, it can be programmed to perform barrel rolls like a fighter jet Pilot controls only direction and altitude and the flight control panel autonomously pilots the rest of the flight Software that drives the control system is designed for stability Top speeds of 125 to 155 mph with most

  Flyboard Air is the World's Smallest Jet Aircraft Source:  Zapata Flying Free on a Hoverboard Pertinent facts on unique aviation technology - Flyboard Air, flying hoverboard: Invented by world famous "Flying Man" entrepreneur Franky Zapata of France who holds the Guinness World Record for the farthest flight on a hoverboard and is an award-winning jet ski racer Flyboard Air is essentially 5 jet engines attached to a hoverboard Flyboard Air can fly to an altitude of 10,000 feet Speeds of up to 110 mph Powered by 5 jet turbine engines Flown and controlled by single hand control Maximum flight time is ten minutes Noteworthy global aviation achievement as Flyboard Air is the world's smallest jet engine aircraft Flyboard Air has flown at numerous F1 races, the Les Mans 24 Hours and the 100th anniversary of the Marseille-Provence Airport in France Exciting prototype personal flying machine that Zapata continues to develop and push forward for possible production. 

  XPENG'S Aeroht Source: XPENG  Car To Fly Over Traffic Jams In China, an all-electric, vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) flying car, the XPENG Aeroht, is scheduled to go into mass production in 2025 for the travelling public.  The EV is designed to help drivers escape the mammoth traffic jams in urban areas of China. Interestingly, the company was founded ten years ago by a self-described high school dropout, 45-year-old Zhao Deli.  His company is now the largest flying car company in China, with 1,000 employees and is an affiliate company of XPENG, which is a Chinese electric vehicle maker. Aeroht appears destined to be one of the first flying cars to become operational. New Automotive & Aviation Technologies Aeroht is a real flying car.  It has wheels and can be driven on the road. It is powered by 8 distributed electric motors connected to 8 rotors.  It has a lithium-ion battery system. The range on a charge is 35 minutes and the top speed is 81 mph.  Aeroht is designed

  Buy It, Build It, Fly It                                                  Source:  Tetra Aviation The Tetra Mk5 Tetra Aviation from Japan is developing a build-it-yourself electric aircraft called the Mk-5. It's a one seater eVTOL lightweight flying machine that can support pilots under 250 pounds and requires a pilot's license.  This is a very different approach to personal air mobility.  Tetra is offering buyers the opportunity to "buy it, build it, fly it". Full Electric, Vertical Takeoff & Landing Flying It has 36 lifting fans, 16 propulsion pods, a front and back wing and a cruise prop. Maximum speed is 100 mph and the range on a charge is 100 miles. The company is considering adding an emergency parachute system. It recently passed a test flight without a problem just outside of San Francisco. Deliveries in 2022 Delivery to customers is projected to be in 2022. They already are taking orders. Interestingly, Tetra has recently received a prestigious award f

The FlyKart 2 This vehicle was inspired by go-carts.  It's the creation of Trek Aerospace, a California engineering firm that specializes in fan powered watercraft and aircraft. FlyKart 2 is an off-road vehicle that can also takeoff and fly.  The company calls it a fun off-roader that soars. Very High Tech The vehicle is all-electric.  10 ducted propellers provide vertical takeoff.  The entire aircraft leans forward to cruise inflight.  All of the vehicle's movements are controlled through the thrusts from the propellers. On the Cusp of the Flying Future Team Trek Aerospace believes the FlyKart 2 is one of many potential flying vehicles in the future.  They believe we're just at the start of what electric aircraft with distributed propulsion can do. The FlyKart 2 placed top ten in Boeing's GoFly international competition and they're now competing for the $2 million prize.

The Pegasus 1 - Winning Personal Flying Machine It's a Y6 tilt rotor with wing, hybrid powertrain and a cruising speed of 70 knots.  The Pegasus 1 is a top 10 winner in Boeing's GoFly International.  It's the creation of USA Team Scoop and captain Alex Smolen, who is a self-taught programmer with experience flying and building multicopters. Personal Flight Smolen sees the Pegasus as the first step toward fun and simple personal flight.  He thinks anyone can fly the vehicle for 30 minutes and will find it a wonder to fly. Tech Specs The vehicle has 6 propellers.  When it hovers, they lift Pegasus off the ground, slowly and in any direction like a drone.  To cruise, the propellers tilt giving it lift and thrust.  As it accelerates, the wings give additional lift making it fly like a plane. Pegasus 1 Promise Team Scoop and Alex Smolen are now building their concept into a flyable prototype to compete against 10 other teams in the GoFly competition for the $2 milli

Japan's Tetra 3 for Personal Flying This Boeing GoFly, Top Ten winner is so cool it looks like its ready for Star Wars adventures.  It's called Tetra 3 and is the concept design created by Team Tetra of Japan.  It clearly looks like a flying motorbike.  The operator rides it like a motorcycle. And according to Team Tetra Captain Tasuka Nakai, the operator can work it and fly it like a video game. Fun and Easy to Fly The Japanese team says the Tetra 3 is easy for anyone to fly.  An electric motor powers the propellers.  The device can hover, take off and land vertically and fly horizontally, much like a plane with fixed wings.  To win the competition, it also has to fly non-stop at least 20 miles, safely, with minimal noise and comply with the international competition's size standards. Takeoff Time The rubber is hitting the road.  The futuristic, Star Wars-like Tetra 3 is now being built into a working prototype to fly for the gold.  $2 million in prize money to b

The Vantage - Personal Flying Machine With British Accent The captain of the British team Leap defines their personal flying machine The Vantage as a 5-rotor air bike.  It's also a top ten contender in Boeing's GoFly International Competition of personal flying machine prototypes. Loaded with Engineering This concept's design and technical specifications are stunning.  It has an internal combustion engine that produces electric power from a generator.  5 electric motors drive a rotor that keeps Vantage airborne.  2 more rotor-motor combos give it forward thrust.  And each rotor can be controlled independently. Real Deal - No Fairy Dust Captain Bruno Howard says "no need for fairy dust".  It's made of real components you can buy today.  He adds the principles of safety, controllability and redundancy are built into its design.  Team Leap is now building a working prototype with vertical takeoff and landing, low noise, able to fly non-stop 20 miles,

The Harmony - Not Your Average Flying Machine Forget the jetpack.  The future of personal flying machines looks quite different, as in Texas A&M's The Harmony pictured above.  This flying machine is one of ten winners in Boeing's GoFly international competition.  It's cleared for take-off in Phase 2 of the competition. The Texans will be turning the concept into a working prototype. The Harmony's Winning Music The all-electric vehicle was created by Texas A&M engineers.  It's distinctive to say the least.  It's egg-shaped and looks a bit like a lectern. The engineers call it a personal rotorcraft.  The pilot sits above the open coaxial rotors.  The creators say the configuration maximizes hover and forward flight flexibility, pilot safety and reliability.  The Texans says it's practical, safe, green and efficient.  The next step is to take their winning technical specifications and design and build a prototype to fly. Boeing's GoFly 160