A full-scale prototype of the Air EV Air One eVTOL is ready for takeoff
This week, the Air EV Air One eVTOL successfully performed its first hover test flight. The 1,914-pound aircraft by Israeli aviation startup Air has subsequently completed a number of hover flights, and this year it aims to do more flight envelope testing.
“It was truly awe-inspiring to watch Air One lift off the ground for the first time. We’ve been on this upward journey for nearly five years and cannot wait for the public to join us on this ride,” said CEO & Co-founder of Air, Rani Plaut. “This momentous milestone secures Air’s spot as a market leader in the personal air mobility space, making the thrill of flight achievable on a daily basis. We look forward to continued growth as we launch into the next phase of development.”
Scheduled to be delivered to customers in 2024, the 1,914-pound Air EV Air One eVTOL is a two-seat manned multicopter with collapsible wings and an estimated max range of 110 miles on an hour battery charge. According to the startup, the Air One has a top speed of 155 mph and a cruise speed of 100 mph. And to be exact, it’s actually considered an eight-prop coaxial multicopter with two sharply angled wings.
Featured with two passenger seats and a panoramic glass top, the Air One has eight electric motors that provide up to 771 horsepower. Without a forward propulsion system, it tilts to fly like all other multicopters. Although it lacks a fully wing-borne efficient flight mode and doesn’t have control surfaces on the wings, the wings provide lift and help reduce stress on the powertrain when it’s flying and fully tilted forward.
Another Air EV Air One eVTOL prototype is being built at the business’s headquarters in Tel Aviv, which will also begin flight testing shortly. The company has already transported a full-size prototype to the United States, where it will be shown at the EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2022 in Wisconsin from July 25 to July 31. Tickets are now available on the EAA website.
