VIMANA AAV

Quick Summary
The Vimana AAV (autonomous air vehicle) is being developed by Vimana Global, in Redwood City, CA, USA. The Vimana is an eVTOL with 8 rotors, 4 mounted on each wing. The wings of the AAV rotate to facilitate vertical takeoff and landing and also accelerated forward flight.
Stage of Development
Preliminary Design
Technical Details
Aircraft Type: Winged intercity eVTOL
Powerplant: 8 electric/hybrid-powered thrusters @ 60kW
Range: 900 km / 600 mi
Top Speed: 280km/h
Propeller Configuration: 8 rotors, 1.6m diameter each
Passenger/Payload Capacity: 2-4 passengers
Autonomy Level: Piloted with Semi-Autonomy
Wingspan/Dimensions
Additional Information
Overall Height: 1.95 m
Cockpit Dimensions: 4.5 m x 1.8 m x 1.4 m
Max Take-Off Mass (MTOM): 1,300 kg
Max Payload: 400 kg
Operating Empty Weight (OEW): 900 kg
Max Flight Time (@MTOM): 3 hrs @ 200 km/h + 30 min safety
Rate of Climb (@MTOM): 15 m/s
Rate of Descent: 12 m/s
Altitude (Service Ceiling): 4,500 m
Altitude (hovering): 4,000 m
Noise Level: ~70 dB(A) at 100 m
Our Take on Vimana
Vimana is proposing not only to design and build an autonomous vehicle - they're also proposing to integrate it with blockchain technology. The company plans on using its own blockchain network to compete with the likes of UberAIR instead of attempting to integrate with that system. A full-scale mockup of the Vimana was on display at the Davos World Economic Forum in January of 2018, and a teaser video of successful flight tests show a strong future for the technology they are busy developing and validating.