Boeing and Airbus are waging a serious war in the personal air transportation industry that is budding. Boeing just completed its first successful take-off and landing with its electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) air taxi. It also calls this aircraft a “personal air vehicle,” or PAV.
Boeing eVTOL Air Taxi — “PAV”
Boeing’s PAV prototype succeeded in attempting a controlled takeoff, hover, and landing during the test conducted in Manassas, Virginia, USA. It also tested the vehicle’s autonomous functions and ground control systems.
Boeing NeXt is the company’s urban air mobility efforts. It used a Boeing subsidiary, Aurora Flight Sciences, to design and develop the high-speed electric VTOL aircraft.
About the same size as the Bell Nexus we covered at CES, the Boeing autonomous PAV should have a smaller range of 50 miles (80.5 kilometers) and measure 30 feet (9.14 meters) long by 28 feet (8.53 meters) wide, according to the company (h/t MarketWatch). The airframe integrates the propulsion and wing systems to achieve efficient hover and forward flight.
According to Boeing Chief Technology Officer Greg Hyslop:
“In one year, we have progressed from a conceptual design to a flying prototype. Boeing’s expertise and innovation have been critical in developing aviation as the world’s safest and most efficient form of transportation, and we will continue to lead with a safe, innovative and responsible approach to new mobility solutions.”
Boeing eVTOL Air Taxi Portfolio
Boeing isn’t stopping here and says it has plans for an unmanned electric cargo air vehicle, which it logically calls a CAV. The CAV will transport up to 500 lb (226.80 kilos). The CAV completed its first indoor flight last year and will transition to outdoor flight testing in 2019.
The company hints at other urban, regional, and global mobility platforms down the pipeline as well.
See our electric aircraft archives for more electric fun in the air.
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