Kitty Hawk, a personal flying machine, backed by Google's Larry Page
Flying cars are on the horizon and a new company is getting into the game.
Kitty Hawk, which is backed by Google’s Larry Page, released footage of the Kitty Hawk Flyer, an electric aircraft meant for motor sports. It looks a bit like a giant drone.
The Flyer weighs only 220 pounds and counts as an “ultralight aircraft,” which means you won’t need a license from the FAA to fly it.
Powered by eight propellors, Flyer can reach speeds of 25 miles per hour.
While the Kitty Hawk Flyer is only meant to be flown over water, Kitty Hawk’s CEO, Sebastian Thrun sees the company building the transport of the future.
“The nice thing about the air” he told Backchannel, is there is more of it.”
Though Kitty Hawk wants to start selling the Flyer before the end of the year, the current Flyer is still a prototype and the design will be different the company said. Admitting the Flyer was “a bit rough a round the edges,” the Kitty Hawk team released a statement explaining “we were so excited to show you its capabilities that we didn’t want to wait until we finished its design.”
The Kitty Hawk team has their work cut out for them: The sky is already destined to be crowded with the likes of Airbus, Uber and even the government of Dubai promising to deliver the future of flying vehicles—though some at Quartz are skeptical.
Via qz
Kitty Hawk, which is backed by Google’s Larry Page, released footage of the Kitty Hawk Flyer, an electric aircraft meant for motor sports. It looks a bit like a giant drone.
The Flyer weighs only 220 pounds and counts as an “ultralight aircraft,” which means you won’t need a license from the FAA to fly it.
Powered by eight propellors, Flyer can reach speeds of 25 miles per hour.
While the Kitty Hawk Flyer is only meant to be flown over water, Kitty Hawk’s CEO, Sebastian Thrun sees the company building the transport of the future.
“The nice thing about the air” he told Backchannel, is there is more of it.”
Though Kitty Hawk wants to start selling the Flyer before the end of the year, the current Flyer is still a prototype and the design will be different the company said. Admitting the Flyer was “a bit rough a round the edges,” the Kitty Hawk team released a statement explaining “we were so excited to show you its capabilities that we didn’t want to wait until we finished its design.”
The Kitty Hawk team has their work cut out for them: The sky is already destined to be crowded with the likes of Airbus, Uber and even the government of Dubai promising to deliver the future of flying vehicles—though some at Quartz are skeptical.
Via qz
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