AirQuadOne: The quadbike that doubles as a flying car

A new flying quadbike is set to be presented at the upcoming International Paris Airshow. 

The Vertical Take-off and Landing aircraft, called the AirQuadOne, can reach altitudes of 3,000 feet (914 meters) and flight speeds of up to 50 miles per hour (80 kilometers per hour). 

The 'flying quad' could be used as a means for personal transportation, as well as a replacement for cranes and helicopters or emergency cars.

The flying quad bike, developed by Neva Aerospace, is a fully-electrical vehicle that is expected to weight around 500 kilograms (1,102 pounds). 

Its applications include extreme sports and leisure, parcel transportation, robotic maintenance, active defense and heavy lifting. 

The drone, which will be manufactured as manned and unmanned versions, can fly for 20 to 30 minutes and is expected to be compatible with electric car charging stations – either via direct wire connection or induction or a battery pack switch.

According to Neva Aerospace, the drone's unmanned version will be able to lift payloads of up to 100 kg (220 pounds) and replace craned and helicopters or emergency cars. 

Now, the company is working with regulators and pilots to obtain 'Light Aircraft' certification with the US (FAA) and EU (EASA).

The AirQuadOne will have 24/7 traffic management support when flying, with an emergency satellite communication connection. 

According to Neva Aerospace, the aircraft will be manufactured using recycled carbon and will have static thrust electric turbofans (ETF's) which are designed to optimize Vertical Take-Off and Landing – a pre-requisite for the use of unmanned drones and personal aircraft in crowded industrial and urban skies. 

A hybird version of the drone is set to provide even longer flight times of around 60 minutes based on current battery technology 

The Neva Aerospace co-founder and chairman F.M. Robert Vergnes said: 'We have been working on the AirQuadOne concept since 2013, but waited to share it until our static thrust technology was proven.'

The Neva Aerospace co-founder and chief science officer Professor David Brotheron-Ratcliffe said: 'This is an exciting use of our principles for 3D distributed propulsion with electric turbines. 

'This approach provides safety and control through redundancy. 

'The only limitation we have today is the current limitation of the battery technology available.

'The next steps or us will be ensuring redundancy in flight controls and energy sources.'

The AirQuadOne will be presented at the International Paris Air Show, taking place in the city's Le Bourget airport between June 23 and June 25 2017. 

 

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