If you are dreaming of the Jetsons era of flying cars especially at this time of the new normal, we are close to that reality. Recently, Japan’s SkyDrive Inc. announced that it has successfully tested a single-seater flying car with their SD-03 model.
According to Japan Times, the test involved the SD-03 flying 2 meters off the ground and circled around a netted area at Toyota Test Field for 4 minutes. SkyDrive CEO Tomohiro Fukuzawa explained that flying cars can become a reality in 2023, provided that all safety measures are addressed well. The SD-03 can fly up to 30 minutes at its current iteration, and Fukuzawa hopes they can make a model that can fly for as long as 30 minutes.
“Of the world’s more than 100 flying car projects, only a handful has succeeded with a person on board,” Fukuzawa said.“I hope many people will want to ride it and feel safe.”
As an electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) vehicle, the SD-03 measures 2m high, 4m wide, and 4m long, and takes up two parking slots when on the ground. It seats one passenger, making it ideal for personal point-to-point travel in theory.
Powering it are eight electric motors controlling eight rotors, where you have two of each per side. SkyDrive explains that the use of eight motors ” is a means of ensuring safety in emergency situations during flight and as such aims to address compliance standards and allay potential regulatory concerns.”
