Posted on 05/07/2024 12:21:54 PM PDT by Red Badger
The Pivotal Helix is a single-seat eVTOL (electric Vertical Take-Off & Landing) PAV (Personal Aerial Vehicle) with a range of 20+ miles (with 20% reserve) and a cruise speed 55 knots (63 mph). You can order now for July 2024 delivery, and no license is required, though you can't take delivery until you have completed the training. Pivotal
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Personal flight is currently undergoing a renaissance thanks to the rapid advancement of so many requisite industrial technologies. The next phase of personal flight is poised to begin and the production version of this aircraft could well mark the occasion in history.
In 2016, when the World eVTOL Aircraft Directory first began, it listed just a handful of electrically-powered Vertical Take Off and Landing (eVTOL) aircraft designs. Eight years later, it lists over 1,000 eVTOL concepts.
Many of these new aircraft are planned for launch over the coming 36 months, but it looks to us like the Pivotal Helix has beaten everybody to market as the world's first commercial eVTOL because it is about to begin deliveries of its scaled production units.
The first bulk customer deliveries will occur in July, though the very first commercial sale of the Helix occurred last October (2023) and the first four of eight Helix aircraft and two flight simulators that were ordered for evaluation by the United States Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) were delivered in February 2024.
The AFRL is currently evaluating the potential of the Helix for a wide range of missions, including surveillance, special forces operations, remote supply, disaster and emergency response.
(Excerpt) Read more at newatlas.com ...
AVIATION PING!....................
FWI?🍸🍺🍹
Looks like fun. Slow and short ranged, though.
It’s electric..................
20 mile range? And when the batteries lose their charge, the thing drops like a rock.
How many have ham-ass ordered?
John Denver would have wanted one.
Since it is not (nor does it pretend to be) practical transportation, I don’t care. Have fun for 20 minutes, then get it back on the ground.
Your basic flying Segway.
Finally the flying car (sort of) that I have been waiting for since I was a kid.
Now, if it could only change into a briefcase too.
I want my
I want my
i want my
Flying car
The Leonardo Exhibit exhibits full-and part scale models of his many technical, flight, musical, and entertainment inventions. The models were crafted at a workshop in Italy. The best materials of the day (1505) were wood and silk rope - nothing lightweight. Look how far man has come in just over 500 years!
Wouldn’t you have to have a pilot’s license to operate one of those things?
“It’s electric..................”
It could probably go 200 miles with a gas engine.
20 mile range is like taking off then making one loop to land.
20 miles? For $190k?
Do better.
Maybe like Segway, they will find a market for tourists.
Hmmm ... trade out the batteries for a small turboshaft engine, an electric generator, and a fuel bladder.
JET-A has a much higher energy density than ANY electric battery.
It’s a toy for people with a quarter-million burning a hole in their pockets.
If I had that kind of money, I’d be tempted.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.