First flying car
Transport is one area of life, where it seems that what was dreamt about yesterday, becomes reality tomorrow. Technology and scientific advances are transforming the way we travel, where we travel and why we travel. Read the article below about the first demonstration of a flying car and answer the short answer questions.
Answer the questions with NO MORE than THREE WORDS from the test.
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What is the approximate size of the SD-03?
What will the SD-03 be able to do in the event of a motor failure?
What significant feature did most previous models of flying cars have?
In what way is the SD-03 different from other designs?
What caused SkyDrive to apply for permission to fly outside the test area?
What does SkyDrive hope to have operating in 2023?
What will air taxis in cities potentially reduce?
SkyDrive, a Japanese company, conducted the very first public demonstration of a flying car on August 25, 2020 at the Toyota Test Field, one of the largest in Japan and home to the car company's development base. The piloted car (named SD-03) took off and circled the field for about four minutes.
The SD-03 is the world's smallest electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicle. It has one seat and operates with eight motors and two propellers on each corner and takes up the space of about two parked cars. It lifted about 3 meters (or about 10 feet) into the air and was operated by a pilot. The eight motors ensure that the car can continue to fly safely even if there’s a motor failure.
SkyDrive was founded two years ago with the goal of making flying cars an accessible and convenient means of transportation. Tomohiro Fukuzawa, SkyDrive’s chief executive, said on Saturday that five years ago there were various prototypes of flying cars, usually with fixed wings. SkyDrive’s product, he said, was more compact in size and was lighter compared with other designs.
Further test flights will occur in the future under different conditions to make sure the safety and technology of the vehicle meet industry standards. Due to the demonstration's success, the company has sought approval for flights beyond the test field by the end of 2020, and it expects a two-seat commercial machine to be launched in 2023.
There are a number of companies developing similar technology, including Boeing and Airbus, and it is predicted that urban air taxis will be commonplace by 2040. The development of such small, short-trip aircraft could help alleviate traffic congestion in crowded cities.
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