Posted on 11/02/2026 6:43:19 PM PST by Libloather
You may be used to seeing police cars cruising through your neighborhood or helicopters flying overhead. But what if an officer could respond to an emergency in a small electric aircraft that looks like a giant drone? That idea is getting closer to reality in Florida. The Florida Polytechnic University Police Department in Lakeland has introduced a flying patrol vehicle that the university has nicknamed Astro. Jetson, the company behind the Jetson ONE personal flying machine, built the single-seat aircraft.
According to the university, it’s the first U.S. law enforcement agency to add this type of piloted electric aircraft to its fleet. Jetson calls it a world first. However, Astro still needs FAA authorization before officers can use it for operational police patrols. Here’s how Astro works and why police believe this unusual aircraft could change the way they respond to emergencies.
Astro is Florida’s new flying patrol vehicle
Astro gets its name from the dog in the classic cartoon The Jetsons. The aircraft even looks like something George Jetson might have parked outside his house. Astro uses electric vertical takeoff and landing technology, commonly called eVTOL. As a result, it can lift straight into the air without needing a runway. Unlike a conventional police helicopter, Astro has a compact frame that folds for easier transport and storage. The aircraft features an open cockpit surrounded by a lightweight frame.
Eight electric motors power its eight propellers. Meanwhile, a four-axis joystick allows the pilot to control its movement. Florida Polytechnic University selected the Jetson ONE to explore its potential for law enforcement. The aircraft arrived during summer 2026. Since then, police personnel have completed flight training, according to Jetson. That includes Police Chief Aaron Murray. Jetson also identifies the aircraft by its registration number, N911FP.
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
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That would be pretty sweet duty, I would think.
soon to be a target over afro neighborhoods...
Astro the Cop better know how to navigate urban streets. Power lines everywhere.
Ruh-roh, Reorge.
“Jetson estimates approximately 20 minutes of flight time per charge,”
I see this not making it back to the charger a lot!
Absolutely.
The whole idea is DOA.
”Rastro” is also acceptable as a pronunciation, in that case.
Wonder if they’ll employ a truck with a flatbed and a charging station hooked up to draw from the vehicle’s battery…?
Better have some Level 4 in the bottom of that thing.
The local cultural enrichers will have a bounty on it.
.
How fast do those rotors stop when it lands?
The officer might want to get out fast in emergency situations but with spinning props on both sides that could be dicey.
That’s actually the most sensible design for those small battery-powered helicopters.
Having two motors on each pylon and contra-rotating propellers largely cancels the torque of each. There’s still a twisting moment about the mounting pylon, but that will be counteracted by an opposite twisting of the pylon at the opposite corner. So there’s much less torque effect for the pilot to deal with (no translating tendency, etc).
And the big bugbear of these small ‘copters is they can’t autorotate, so their safety in the event of propulsion failures is entirely reliant on redundancy. This one has eight independent motors so as long as there isn’t a battery failure, a single failure won’t cause it to lose more than 12.5% of its lift. It can climb, which means that in normal operation it can create excess thrust, which means that it might still be able to maintain altitude with a single failed motor. In any case you’d have lift enough for a controlled landing rather than a crash.
But none of that changes the fact that, in terms of energy required, vertical take-off or landing is hideously expensive, but I don’t think endurance is much of a consideration in a campus ‘copter.
“Freeze! Only one piece of candy!”
That’s no “Blue Thunder” at least. No room for a ‘JAFO’ either.
The officer will have to pry himself out of that thing with a big shoehorn….
“Here’s George Jeston/ Jane his wife....’’
“That would be pretty sweet duty, I would think.”
Did you notice the side of the vehicle? It said polytechnic. A polytechnic university is an educational institution or course of study that focuses on applied sciences, technical arts, and hands-on, career-oriented training. Would you get into a vehicle like this that was designed for training people to build one? Definately the lowest bidder.
wy69
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