US startup Zeva Aero has unveiled a prototype aerotaxi shaped like a flying saucer. After lifting vertically, the device moves to a horizontal position.
The disc shape of the air taxi is made of carbon fiber, which makes it lightweight and durable. Sufficient diameter and technical equipment allow the "disc" to do without wings. In the lower part of the "saucer" there are electric motors that make it possible to reach speeds of up to 257 km / h. On one battery charge, the pilot will be able to cover up to 80 km.
The essence of the technology of lowering and lifting the device is reduced to the use of a certain scheme. Takeoff and landing are carried out vertically, and the flight itself is performed horizontally. It turns out that a person in an air taxi flies face forward and head down.
The use of such a flight scheme made it possible to resolve the issue of large-scale takeoff and landing sites. One of the recent proposals is to place launch platforms on skyscrapers. So the pilot can climb into the aircraft right from the window or balcony and go flying.
At the moment, the test tests of the air taxi model, made on a scale of 1: 8, have been completed. The next step is to create a prototype in real size and test it. It is reported that in a month tests will begin in remote mode.
Previously, one could read about human flights only in science fiction books. But progress is relentless. Nevertheless, a lot can be learned from the books displayed in the section
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