Tag Archives: flying car

This jet-inspired VTOL is propelled forward by two powerful bladeless fans

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While VTOLs are futuristic as it is, Jetoptera’s J-2000 pushes that definition further by looking futuristic even for the year 2050. Most VTOLs are characterized by massive propellers or thrusters that allow liftoff, travel, and landing, but Jetoptera’s J2000 and J4000 vehicles avoid that distinction. Instead, they come with Dyson’s bladeless-fan-inspired hoops on the front and the back. The hoops act as thrusters, relying on a proprietary “fluidic propulsion system (FPS).”

The bladeless thrusters look as well as function quite similarly to how the bladeless fans do, “multiplying” the air to generate more thrust. Both devices rely on fluid dynamics to take a relatively small flow of compressed air, and use it to suck a much greater volume of ambient air through at speed, New Atlas adeptly mentions. Jetoptera’s VTOLs come in two variants. A smaller, consumer-friendly J-2000 that comfortably seats 2 people, while a larger J-4000 works like a town car, seating 4. They work just as VTOLs and eVTOLs would work, lifting off and landing vertically like a helicopter, but traveling forward like a miniature plane.

Interestingly enough, the J-2000 and J-4000 are just proof-of-concepts. Jetoptera doesn’t intend on producing these vehicles for use, and wants to avoid going down the arduous path of certifications and aircraft development. Rather, the eVTOLs we see here are proof-of-concepts for Jetoptera’s secret sauce, its bladeless propulsion system. Unlike most VTOLs that run using propellers, Jetoptera’s propellers aren’t limited to a circular shape due to the rotating fan. Given that the fan is located somewhere within the aircraft, the bladeless propellers themselves can pretty much be any shape Jetoptera likes. I personally think the long, flat, almost-rectangular thrusters lend a uniquely futuristic touch to the aircraft. Jetoptera hopes to perfect this propulsion system and build it for other aircraft manufacturers. It’s currently in talks with the US Air Force that’s really interested in the technology.

Designer: Jetoptera

Flying cars will finally be available to the general public in 2026, and you can pre-order one right now

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Seems like our Jetsons future isn’t too far off. Meet the ASKA eVTOL, the world’s first consumer-ready eVTOL being made available to the general public. It’s about the size of an SUV, and can be driven around like a regular car on the roads too. It seats about 4 people inside its cockpit and comes with wings that fold right into the eVTOL’s design when you’re on the road. If you ever find yourself stuck in traffic and you get that common feeling of wanting to levitate and escape gridlock by flying off, the ASKA actually gives you that option. Its wings fold out sideways to reveal 6 propellers that allow the ASKA to jet off into the sky… although, for obvious reasons, the makers of the ASKA prescribe that you transition to flight mode on designated vertical take-off and launching pads.

The ASKA isn’t being pitched as some billionaire’s fantasy toy… its focus is mainly towards your more-than-average customers who can afford the eVTOL’s $789,000 price tag. The eVTOL’s big enough to be parked in your garage (you’d need decent overhead clearance) or even on the street or in parking lots. It drives pretty well as a car, relying on in-wheel motors to really give you a precise, controlled drive albeit with a top speed of 70mph. When you want to take off to the skies, the vehicle transforms both externally as well as internally. The wings fold out and propellers arrange themselves in a hexagonal fashion, while on the inside, the car dashboard transforms into a more information-dense flight-style cockpit with maps, gauges, and meters galore. In its flight mode, the ASKA can hit speeds of 150mph with an airborne range of 250 miles on a full battery charge, and even safe landing protocols built in to keep the passengers safe.

It’s worth noting that the ASKA isn’t a concept or vaporware. The vehicle actually comes with certification from the FAA and EASA as a street-legal eVTOL. To make the experience consumer-friendly, the ASKA even comes built with semi-autonomous technologies that make operating it relatively simple, although you’re expected to have pilot training before operating the vehicle. NFT Inc., the company behind the eVTOL (not to be confused with non-fungible tokens) is expecting have the vehicle ready to deliver as soon as 2026, and if you’ve got $5,000 to spare, you can place a pre-order right now while you figure out how to make up for the remaining $784,000 it’ll cost when the vehicle’s ready 5 years from now!

Designer: NFT Inc.

A stunning look at how the ASKA transforms from its driving-mode to its flying-mode. 6 propellers help it take to the skies, while two massive wings on each side help it steer the skies, making turns to help you navigate your new air-based environment (and even carefully calibrate your landing)

The two modes offer incredibly different and diverse interfaces on the inside. The ASKA looks a lot like your traditional car while you’re on the roads, with the dashboard displaying the road ahead of you, the map of your route, gauges like your speedometer and battery-level, and even entertainment and communication elements that let you do things like play videos, listen to music, or make phone calls. All that disappears when you toggle ASKA’s flight mode. The entire dashboard display immediately transforms to give you a more pilot-friendly interface, allowing you to get a sense of where you’re headed as well as what your altitude is and what the environment around you is like. The eVTOL even reportedly comes with semi-automatic technologies that make navigating your ‘flying car’ much easier. I expect they’d kick in to a greater degree in bad weather, and in the event of an emergency or a low battery, the ASKA is outfitted with safety protocols that ensure you’re safely back on land.

This Loki-inspired hover car brings Norse mythology to life in an alien world

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Let’s take you on a ride into a mythical world where strange creatures rule the land and mysteries remain to be unraveled. Or perhaps, a distant future when humankind has been erased from the face of planet earth and beings with superior powers exist. This hover concept car dubbed ‘Loki’ is from that very realm giving us the opportunity to let loose our imagination.

The flying car bears the character of Loki, the notorious god in Norse mythology. Imagined by industrial designer Christian Grajewski set in a sci-fi world of alien creatures, the hover vehicle has a glimpse of the trickster god who loves playing pranks on his fellow gods as well as their opponents. The mischievous smile is apparent in the front grill (with futuristic LED lights) that’s elevated at the corners. The profound shark fin also adds a mythical character to the concept car, while the aerodynamic flowing design right from the front to the rear lives up to the hover design.

Christian has managed to create a mystical balance of alienated design, sci-fi elements, and modern additions like the stylish livery to give the concept a very distinct appeal. Maybe someday we’ll see such cars flying at hypersonic speeds in a futuristic world.

Designer: Christian Grajewski

This autonomous flying taxi cocoons you for comfort-laden morning office commute

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Given the exploding population of humanity that doesn’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon, the only avenue left for casual travel is in the air. Commercial airlines have taken the gauntlet for decades, and the next avenue is private air travel in flying taxis. Now that times have been unprecedented this year due to the ominous COVID-19 pandemic, Italian designer Andrea Ponti has designed the idea of concept electric flying taxis that’ll be autonomous. The vision is to create a safe mode of air travel for China’s greater bay area (nine cities and two administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macau) for starters since the pandemic has pushed travel and tourism against the wall. A personalized means of commute for inter-city transit, making sure there’s minimal contact during travel.

The all-electric flying taxi derives inspiration from Hong Kong’s popular bird of prey – the black Kite. Hence, Andrea has understandably named his concept the Kite. It has a quadcopter-like propulsion system similar to that of drones with entry to the plush interiors from a single rear door. This drone-like flying car is designed to comfortably transport four people to their destination – sans any traffic congestion or fear of getting infected by the coronavirus. Step inside the interiors and passengers are embraced with private jet-like luxury and of course social distancing to keep up with the norms. There are infotainment systems to keep track of things like current weather, distance to the destination, or perhaps a collection of your favorite movies. Under the seats, there is storage for keeping your belongings like bags or briefcases, and for people who have constricted time, there are retractable trays for working or having a quick snack before arriving for an important business meeting.

Andrea says that Kite will land on docked platforms at the designated location that have charging ports to juice up for the next flight. To make sure the landing is smooth, the flying pod has retractable all-weather skids. The flying taxi has a contoured design to keep the drag down and ensure that it is energy efficient for long flight durations. For now, the idea seems quite feasible as flying cars are already knocking down the doors, literally ready to transform the way we commute!

Designer: Andrea Ponti

Watch a Toyota-backed flying car’s first public, piloted test flight

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Toyota-backed SkyDrive has finally conducted a public, crewed test flight (via Observer) for its flying car after years of work. The startup flew its SD-03 vehicle around the Toyota Test Field in the city of Toyota with a pilot at the helm. While it...

Kitty Hawk’s ‘Heaviside’ is an ultra-quiet electric flying machine

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As the field of players in "urban air mobility" (read: flying cars) get more crowded every day, the Larry Page-backed effort Kitty Hawk is trying a different approach with its latest vehicle: it's very quiet. Dubbed Project Heaviside, it's all-electr...

Hyundai hires a NASA engineer to run its new ‘flying car’ division

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Today, Hyundai threw its hat into the Urban Air Mobility (UAM) ring. The company announced that it's working to develop its own flying vehicles. Hyundai appointed Dr. Jaiwon Shin as head of its new UAM division. Most recently, Shin led NASA's Aeronau...