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News Link • Transportation: Air Travel

Single-seater eVTOLs duke it out for air race supremacy

• https://newatlas.com, By Paul Ridden

Racing with some buddies of course, and that's coming closer with the unveiling of the Jetson Air Games concept recently. Strap in, and join us for a demo vid.

The Jetson ONE multicopter sees a pilot surrounded by a simple spaceframe, which takes to the air courtesy of eight props mounted to four arms in X configuration, and zipping to a reported top speed of 63 mph (102 km/h).

We've been following the progress of Jetson Aero for a few years now, from its official launch of the ONE through development milestones and on to production. While it's sure to be a ton of fun hopping to work in one of these things, racing them promises to take your breath away.

It's not a new idea. Australia's Airspeeder has been racing electric flyers for a while now, but so far the sporty electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft haven't had anyone in the pilot's seat. Meanwhile, Jetson founder Tomasz Patan has become quite the capable flyer, introducing huge racing pylons last year for pilots to twist and turn around along a short course.

The concept entered multiplayer mode back in May with the "world's first Jetson Race" – where company CEO Stéphan D'haene emerged victorious. After a quick pit stop helping Poland's GOPR with a mountain rescue operation, the team made its way to Bentonville, Arkansas, for UP Summit 2025 and the latest flight demo.

The transport innovation event also marked the launch of the Jetson Air Games concept – "a competitive format aimed at revolutionizing personal air mobility through sport." In addition to an aerial display from Patan, the event played host to the first four-aircraft formation dance and a high-speed race around the company's signature pylons.

"The energy from the crowd was incredible," said Patan. "It was a proud moment for our team and a clear signal that Jetson is ready to lead the next chapter in aviation."

Jetson currently has almost 550 orders in for the One, with the first global delivery made just last month to Oculus founder Palmer Luckey – who has been eagerly awaiting his personal aircraft since 2023. Like subsequent owners, he will control the aircraft using a 4-axis joystick, can expect a flight time of up to 20 minutes from the high-discharge Li-Ion battery bank, and will no doubt test the top speed software-limited to 63 mph at the earliest opportunity.


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