Revisiting Kitty Hawk’s Flyer: The Aircraft Now With Over 25,000 Flights

The Kitty Hawk Flyer, a one-man, manually piloted eVTOL designed for recreational use, has recorded over 25,000 flights with no issues. 

From prototype, to vehicle that has traveled more than 25,000+ times, Flyer is working on making the dream a reality. pic.twitter.com/sBb2kZ7vNw

— Kitty Hawk (@kittyhawkcorp) August 14, 2019

Including both the Flyer’s prototype stage as well as its more finalized design, Kitty Hawk recently announced that their aircraft had successfully been flown with reliability over 25,000 times, indicating that the company believes that their eVTOL is ready to spread through the open market. Currently, the company, based in Mountain View, California, is searching for applications from potential partners who would deploy it in their own communities, such as a travel destination or resort. 

Both the Flyer and the Cora, a two-seater autonomous air taxi developed in collaboration with Boeing, could soon be brought to market. For the Flyer, Kitty Hawk has refined the eVTOL to the point where anyone, with or without flight experience, could learn to fly the aircraft within 15 minutes. Public information on the Flyer’s pricing or availability has not been released yet, and will most likely be released after Kitty Hawk has secured a deal with larger partners first. 

The Cora, in development by Kitty Hawk and Boeing

The Flyer itself is an all-electric personal hoverbike/eVTOL, with a flight time of 12-20 minutes (at 20 mph), although the actual battery life will depend on outside environmental factors and load. It is powered by 10 independant fans, and can operate at an altitude of about 3-10 feet above the water. The vehicle without load weighs 250 lb, and can fly at a maximum speed of about 20 mph (limited by flight control system). 

To learn more about the Flyer, visit our aircraft page here.

Why it’s important: The Flyer is a unique eVTOL in that the aim is to only provide short distance transportation, more for leisure or recreation rather than commute or long-distance travel. While the Flyer cannot meet the expectations of an eVTOL for use in the air taxi industry, the reliability and ease of use of the Flyer could do much to improve public perception on the safety and local impact of UAM in urban areas. 

Sources // Forecast Wire

Subscribe to TUP

Listen to the TUP Podcast