In recent times we have been seeing countless proposals for eVTOL (electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft) that seek to democratize short-distance flights, adding comfort, greater efficiency and reducing emissions to daily life. To all this, the FlyNow Aviation company aims to provide extra fun.
With this intention, the eCopter was born, a new type of eVTOL that adopts its own approach to distinguish itself from its competition in a sector that is beginning to have more and more members. And their proposal is not an oversized version of a quadcopter drone like other similar alternatives and will not work autonomously.
The eCopter features a coaxial electric drive with two counter-rotating rotor propellers installed one above the other, making it resemble an electric helicopter. It integrates safety solutions such as the ability to perform an evasive maneuver during flight if it encounters a large bird or to hover at a specific point if the sensors detect another aircraft on the same flight path.
FlyAviation has chosen not to bet on autonomous mobility but on automatic mode, which means that the eVTOL can fly on its own in predetermined trajectories thanks to a system very similar to that of a conventional passenger plane. The objective of this electric vehicle is, above all, to serve as personal transportation in urban areas.
One of the biggest surprises about the eCopter is that FlyAviation assures that flying in one of them will not be more expensive than traveling in a taxi on the road. The company’s goal is to make individual flights more fun, more sustainable and more comfortable, but also more accessible for the greatest number of people.
According to the manufacturer, the eCopter is designed to integrate the smallest number of components possible, which means reducing the probabilities of possible breakdowns as well as lower production and maintenance costs. Its small size and lightness require fewer resources, which means greater efficiency during flights.
In fact, FlyNow assures that, taking into account an initial estimate, the production costs of the eCopter could be 10 times lower than those of a conventional eVTOL. The vehicle will be offered as a passenger and cargo model, but both will use the same fuselage. In the first case, the plan is to offer a design for one person (or two, exceptionally), considering that the maximum useful load is 210 kg.
With a flight range of 30 minutes or about 50 km on a single charge, the eCopter will be able to fly at a maximum speed of 130 km/h and at an altitude of between 150 and 300 meters. Its noise level in flight will be less than 55 dB, making it a truly silent means of transport, as well as sustainable. If you are interested in knowing more details about the eCopter, still in the prototype phase, you can take a look at the video that accompanies this article.
