PROGRESS↘
81Velocopter
2 X
Two-passenger, fully
autonomous or pilot-flyable
eVTOL from Germany.
Granted certification for
manned flights as early
as 2016. Powered by nine
high-capacity batteries
feeding 18 electric drives.
Range of 17 miles at cruise
speed of 43 mph. Max
speed of 62 mph.Samson
Switchblade
Two-passenger
roadable aircraft
developed in Redmond,
Oregon. Powered by
190-hp liquid-cooled
1.6-liter V-4 engine. Private
pilot’s license required.
Maximum airspeed: 200
mph. Max road speed: 120
mph. Range: 450 miles.
Expected cost: $120,000
for basic build-it-
yourself kit.for its first test flights about the time you read this.) He’s
convinced that, for now at least, roadable aircraft like his
Switchblade and AeroMobil’s 4.0 are the way to go. “The
eVTOLs have a distinct disadvantage,” Bousfield says.
“They lack the infrastructure, the technology, and the reg-
ulations—those are three huge hurdles. The point-to-point
approach only works if you have a place to land, and right
now there aren’t many. Even most downtown helipads
aren’t where you want to go. But almost every city has an
airport; many have several. And all the regulations for fly-
ing an aircraft are already in place.” Bousfield hopes to sell
his Switchblade as a build-it-yourself kit, priced at about
$120,000 in its most basic form.
Like Volocopter, Chinese drone maker EHang’s 184 one-
passenger quadcopter stands squarely in the eVTOL camp.
“EHang is a big advocate of autonomous aerial vehicles,” a
company spokesperson says. “We launched the first electric
passenger-grade AAV for low-airspace short-distance air
transport at the Consumer Electronics Show in 2016.” Since
then, the company claims the 184 has conducted thousands
of hours of flight tests—many with human passengers—in
China, the U.S., and Dubai. The craft is designed for fully
automated flight; the passenger simply enters their desired
destination via a central screen and then presses a “takeoff ”
button. The 184 is said to be able to fly up to 10 miles orNEIL DEGRASSE TYSON ASKS THE
QUESTION, “WHY WOULD YOU WANT A
FLYING CAR IN THE FIRST PLACE?”
HE ARGUES WE ALREADY HAVE THEM.