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IPFS News Link • Transportation: Air Travel

Full-scale Air One eVTOL prototype unveiled at the Kentucky Derby

• New Atlas

The Air One, as we discussed last October, is a smart-looking coaxial octacopter seating two side by side under a panoramic glass cabin. Its eight electric motors can deliver a peak of 771 horsepower (575 kW) to its medium-diameter, three-blade props, giving it a maximum payload of 441 lb (200 kg).

Despite its conspicuous wings, the One has no dedicated cruise mode per se; there's no forward propulsion in evidence, and indeed the wings are tilted at an angle that'll allow them to generate lift with the aircraft tilted forward. This keeps the flight dynamics relatively simple – pilots should only require around 16 hours of training – and the price relatively cheap.


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