A Japanese company has announced that they have successfully conducted a manned flying car test for the first time ever.
On August 25, 2020, Sky Drive Inc. conducted the public demonstration at the Toyota Test Field, which is also one of the largest in Japan. It is also home to the car company’s development base.
It was the first every demonstration for a flying car in the history of the country.
The car, which is currently being called as SD-03, was piloted by a human. It took off and circled the field for 1 hour and 4 minutes.
CEO Tomohiro Fukuzawa released a statement about the incident, where he said:
We are extremely excited to have achieved Japan’s first-ever manned flight of a flying car in the two years since we founded SkyDrive… with the goal of commercializing such aircraft. We want to realize a society where flying cars are an accessible and convenient means of transportation in the skies and people are able to experience a safe, secure, and comfortable new way of life.
The SD-03 is the world’s smallest electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicle. however, it takes the space of 2 cars when it parks.
The vehicle has 8 motors.
Takumi Yamamot, the Design Director of the company, said:
In designing an unexplored, new genre of transportation known as the flying car, we chose the keyword “progressive” for inspiration. We wanted this vehicle to be futuristic, charismatic and desirable for all future customers, while fully incorporating the high technology of SkyDrive.
Sky Drive Inc. says they are hoping to make a flying car part of their normal life.
They said they will be taking more test flights in the future under different conditions to make sure that the technology is safe.
The vehicle that was used in the test flight will be tested outside of the Toyota Test Field by the end of this year.