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Fri, Nov 22, 2024 | Jumada al-Awwal 20, 1446 | DXB
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Video: Flying hypercar takes off in Dubai, completes test flight
The current prototype has just two seats, but the aim is to have a five-seater aircraft that can fly families.
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A futuristic flying car has successfully completed a series of test flights in Dubai.
The 'hypercar' is designed for inner-city travel and is projected to reach speeds of 220kmph.
London-based startup Bellwether Industries completed testing its fully-electric volar eVTOL prototype in November. It has how released the footage of the hypercar model taking to the skies.
In the past two years, the team has also conducted “several phases of iteration” to improve the flight performance of the prototypes. eVTOL stands for electric vertical take-off and landing.
“Our volar flies smoothly and proves our efforts that go into innovation and technology. We are confident in our volar and will strive for perfection with continuous improvement,” said Kai-Tse (KT) Lin, chief operating officer and co-founder at Bellwether Industries.
The flight test was conducted at an altitude of 13 feet with a speed of 40kmph. The test “demonstrated stability and controllability of the prototype and would be the start of a series of development projects”, the company said.
“The era of urban air mobility has started,” the company posted on social media.
The video shows the vehicle taking off in a park-like enclosure, flying and landing back safely.
The current prototype has just two seats, but the aim is to have a five-seater aircraft that can fly families.
The volar is said to be the world’s first eVTOL without a large wingspan or exposed blades. It has been designed for private owners as a replacement for cars.
A full-scale prototype is slated to be ready and tested by 2023.
On its website, the firm says: “We believe that people commuting in the sky is inevitable within the next 10 years. Therefore, we create a volar for anyone to fly anytime and anywhere to any point.”
The test flight reveal comes a day after Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) held the first legal forum to review legislations for flying taxis.
This is not the first time that a flying car has been explored in Dubai. During the Dubai Air Show 2021, Florida-based LuftCar said it is developing an autonomous vehicle that can be attached and detached from a flying module.
In November, the RTA said it is piloting self-driving flying taxis and skypods.
In July 2020, Dubai had issued a law regulating the operations of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV). Its ambitious Sky Dome project will see the Dubai skies buzzing with unmanned flying objects that will connect places and buildings through landing pads and mini airports across the city
Sahim Salim
As Associate Editor, Sahim Salim helps tell the UAE story like no one else does - and leads a team of reporters that asks the questions to get news and headlines that matter.
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