Flying Taxis Getting Closer to Reality

DooKey

DooKey

[H]F Junkie
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Larry Page, co-founder of Google, and his Kitty Hawk startup are testing a self-flying taxi in New Zealand. It's electric, takes off vertically, has a range of 60 miles and a top speed of 95 mph. Other companies are working on similar ideas, but it looks like Kitty Hawk might have the lead. Regardless of who gets there first they're going to have to convince me these things are as safe and reliable as their ground bound predecessors before I get into one. Check out the video of the Cora.

Watch the video here.
 
I can't say they're safer, but all of these hover / taxi / automated flight things that I've looked at have a built-in parachute, they don't carry gasoline, and they fly at less than 100 mph. The leading cause of airline accidents are pilot error, accounting for 50% of all accidents, but that's followed up by systems/information failure, and then weather, power plant failure, and then 'other'. So it's a mixed bag.
 
with the size and shape, the cora- SHOULD- be able to work just like helicopter taxi services. they also SHOULD due to vertical takeoff/landing be able to use existing helicopter pads. nyc has helitaxis from the airport to downtown, these drones (because that is what it is, a Really Big Drone) should be able to do the same thing. 1 attendant & tech needed at each pad. each "home base" pad has 3-4 "hanger" stations. the taxi lands, taxies to it's station, shuts down, people get out, tech swaps battery pack to new -charged- pack- it runs thru it's diagnostic, if all green, gets passengers, flied to destination.

60 mile range, is that Round TRIP or is that one way (with a total range of 120 miles) if that is round trip then the taxi will have a ~25-30 mile limit(30 mile IF that 60 mile range is "conservative" and there is still enough juice left to do a return trip of 30 miles with passengers to "base") for service if each "pad" does not have a battery swapping/charging station...
 
Montu said:
Larry Page, co-founder of Google, and his Kitty Hawk startup are testing a self-flying taxi in New Zealand. It's electric, takes off vertically, has a range of 60 miles and a top speed of 95 mph. Other companies are working on similar ideas, but it looks like Kitty Hawk might have the lead. Regardless of who gets there first they're going to have to convince me these things are as safe and reliable as their ground bound predecessors before I get into one. Check out the video of the Cora.

Watch the video here.
Click to expand...

That is one fugly plane.
 
44616710.jpg
 
lol this thing is a joke you could do the same just with an R22 and have WAY more range
 
I'm curious if they can scale this multi engine design up to a 4 seater with cargo.
 
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