SkyDrive SD-03 ‘Flying Car’ Completes Successful Manned Test Flights In Japan: Here Are The Details

The successful manned flights were held over the 2.5-acre (10,000 sq. metre) Toyota Test Fields in Japan. The single-seater flying car took-off several feet off ground and circled the entire field for a time period of about four minutes.

The test flight was handled by a pilot on board, although computer-assisted controls ensured safety and flight stability. There were also technical staff members at the field monitoring the conditions and aircraft performance throughout the test.

As per SkyDrive, the SD-03 flying car comes powered by eight electric motors, two at each corner. The two rotors power the four drive rotors, which rotate individually in opposite directions. The use of eight electric motors is to ensure safety even in emergency conditions while also complying with all necessary standards.

The SkyDrive SD-03 flying car is said to be the world's smallest electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing (eVTOL) model. The company considers this to be the mode of transportation in the near future. In terms of dimensions, the flying car is said to be four-metres long, four-metres wide and two-metres high.

In terms of design, the SkyDrive SD-03 flying car is said to feature a sleek and aerodynamic styling. The vehicle will come with two white lights at the front while a red light will also be present at the bottom. This red light is said to help observers from the ground determine which way the flying car is headed in the sky.

SkyDrive is said to now be working on expanding the conditions under which testing of these flying cars take place. This should help them further improve the technology while also gain full compliance under all the safety measures and regulations of the country's Civil Aeronautics Act. The company is also looking at obtaining approvals for testing the flying car outside the limits of their facility by end-2020.

Tomohiro Fukizawa, CEO, SkyDrive Inc., stated,

"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 in 2018 with the goal of commercializing such aircraft. We aim to take our social experiment to the next level in 2023 and to that end we will be accelerating our technological development and our business development."

He further added, "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."

"We also aspire to develop markets around the world, in collaboration with our partner companies, so that an urban air mobility society with aircraft supplied by SkyDrive becomes a reality not only in Japan but also across the globe."

Thoughts On The Successful Japanese Flying Car Test Flights

Flying cars have always caught the fancy of people across the world. There have been many projects for ‘flying cars' which have taken place over the years, however, the latest from SkyDrive seems to be the most promising.