02 July 2022 || 4 min read

Skyfly, based in the United Kingdom, has announced the ‘Axe’, a two-seater personal use eVTOL capable of flying up to 200 miles while still fitting in a two-car garage. The Axe is currently being offered at approximately £150,000.

Above: Skyfly’s axe ready to fly in a pilot owner’s driveway

The Axe is unique in that although it has fixed-wing, its rotors do not tilt for flight. The aircraft can take off, land, and cruise with the four rotors at its wingtips in the same position. This design reduces complexibility, both bringing down manufacturing costs and increasing reliability, while still allowing for a fixed-wing, which greatly increases flight range as compared to competitors.

In all-electric mode, the Axe can fly up to 100 miles, but with its small lightweight built in rotary generator in operation, can fly 200 miles per flight. According to CEO Michael Thompson, users can learn to fly the Axe in about an hour, since it uses similar controls to consumer drones.

Currently, Skyfly is seeking to reach a private-use market rather than a commercial air taxi market with its aircraft. Its price point of £150,000 and simple design reflects this, as well as its choice to certify under the UK’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) BCAR Section S, which will provide a much faster and less costly route to certification than if Skyfly were seeking commercial operations.

By certifying under the BCAR Section S, Skyfly expects that customers who order their aircraft now will be able to begin flying within two years.

According to a press release from Skyfly, safety will be ensured through a redundant propulsion system, a conventional fixed-wing mechanical control system that will allow glider landings in the event of power failures, and a rocket launched ballistic parachute system allows the entire aircraft to make soft landings if necessary.

Said Michael Thompson, CEO of Skyfly, “The Axe gives customers the ultimate flexibility and opens a whole new market for new and existing pilots that would not have previously been available; With the Axe, you can fly from your garden to your friend’s house, avoiding traffic jams and cutting journey times to a quarter compared to using a car – as well as enjoying stunning views along the way.”

Current competitors to the Axe include the AIR ONE, which comes at a similar price tag and can also fly 100 miles on a full charge, and the Jetson ONE, which has a lower range but a lower price tag as well. Both aircraft are similarly positioned toward the private-use eVTOL market.

Why it’s Important: Skyfly’s Axe represents the third major company to enter the private-use eVTOL market. While air taxi companies may tackle a large economic scale, there is still plenty of demand for private, compact, affordable aircraft that can be flown either for recreation or for commutes. By entering the market with a simple design that has a clear path to certification in the next two years, Skyfly has made itself a significant player in the market for these private-use aircraft.

Source // Skyfly

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