It seems unattainable, doesn't it? Projects to develop a flying car have been numerous, but they all suffer from the same problems and get stuck in a kind of "perpetual beta." However, that doesn't stop us from trying again and again. The latest news comes from Japan, where the SkyDrive SD-03 made its first public manned flight.
Safety, stability, flight time, certifications, legal details, price, and safety again. The flying car is difficult, no one denies that. In fact, not a few believe it's ridiculous to keep investing resources in a sci-fi dream. But the same was said in its day about the conventional car, the airplane, supersonic flight, the space race. It's true that many projects bit the dust. Others seek to keep advancing, such as the PAL-V and the AeroMobil. And now it's time to travel to Japanese lands, where we find the SkyDrive SD-03:
It's likely that some of our readers think: That's not a flying car, but an octo-quad quadcopter, and technically they'll be correct, but that doesn't take away from its first public manned flight. The test was held at the Toyota Test Field (something logical given that SkyDrive has the backing of that company), a round that combines the pilot at the controls with a computer-assisted system to guarantee the vehicle's stability.
Technical specifications
What else do we know at a technical level about the SkyDrive? First, it's shaping up to be the world's smallest electric VTOL vehicle. Its basic specifications speak of 4 meters long by 3.5 wide, and a height of 1.5 meters. The prototype shown in the video clearly has space for one person, but the final version of the SkyDrive aims for a two-passenger design. Available data also indicate a top speed of 60 kilometers per hour, with a minimum range of 20 kilometers.
Another interesting detail is that the final version of the SkyDrive will have a maximum takeoff weight of 500 kilograms, which opens the possibility of cargo services in addition to the "air taxis" Japan wants in its skies for the coming years. For that reason, SkyDrive expects to have the first general production units ready in 2023.
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