Next Year, Flying Taxi Will be Tested in Singapore Skies
Teknologi.id . October 25, 2018
Volocopter, a German aviation start-up, will be putting its air taxis to test in Singapore in the second half of 2019. The trials are aimed at verifying whether the company's electronically-powered chopper-lookalike drone, called Volopcopters, can navigate through the republic and complete take offs and landings without glitches, reports Channel NewsAsia. These demo flights will only happen at areas with low human traffic or property, and will be under the watchful eyes of government agencies and aviation experts. Drone tech allows each taxi to be flown with varying degrees of autonomy: with a pilot controlling a joysticks or remote-controlled from the ground. Capacity wise, they can take up to two passengers for distances of less than 30km. The Volocopter 2X has a total of 18 rotors. Credit: Volocopter. However, it won't be anytime soon before these massive machines can ferry you to a dinner date as they are not commercially used anywhere at the moment. But don't worry. Volocopter has long been serious about the "flying car" business and they know it takes more than just a cool, futuristic-looking thing to convince naysayers. In April, the company released a video revealing a plan that allows air taxis to disembark over 1,000 passengers on rooftop stations which also serve as charging ports. Volocopter said it flies regularly in Germany, where it has held a preliminary permit since 2016. It is working towards a full commercial licence with the European Aviation Safety Agency. It also performed a public unmanned test flight in Dubai in September 2017. You Might Also Like: Pop.Up: Flying Electric Car.
