The dream for flying cars keeps becoming closer to a reality with each passing year. And if we do in fact perfect the flying car, it may very well look like E-Volo’s prototype called the Volocopter. It’s a two-seat helicopter with an electric engine that has all parameters of flight controlled by a single joystick. How can it accomplish such a feat? According to Robb Report, who first reported this story:
Networked microprocessors and sensors translate the pilot’s input to direct the aircraft’s multiple rotors and to maintain stable flight. The latest version, the VC200, flew for the first time in November, piloted remotely by company CEO Alexander Zosel, who had never flown it before. He said he found the controls intuitive and simple.
“The Volocopter stays in the air as if it has been pegged up there if you release your hands from the controls,” the company says. E-Volo’s next step is completing the first manned flight of the aircraft. German aviation authorities are working to create a new aircraft category that the Volocopter can fit into, so it can be certified for sale.
The current battery configuration only allows for 20 minutes of flight time, however E-Volo is looking to extend that by an hour or more. It’s also working on a hybrid system that would allow the battery to self charge. The company won a technical award at the United Nations climate-change conference in December, honored as a “climate champion” for the Volocopter’s potential to provide clean, energy-efficient transportation.
Personally we think that this is an amazing step in aviation. Not only are two seated self flying machines becoming closer to reality, the aerodynamics and safety features are improving as well. If you’ve ever seen the movie “The Fifth Element” then you might remember a bunch of flying cars zooming around cities going up, down, sideways and every other which way. While we’re not quite there yet, it’s a distinct possibility!
Below you’ll see more pictures and the video of successful flight tests from November of 2015
