It’s not quite a plane, not really a helicopter and not yet a drone. Supernal’s first flying taxi, a division of Korean conglomerate Hyundai, is equipped with four pairs of propellers that allow it to take off vertically before moving horizontally.
Belongs to the category of e-VTOL – for Electric vertical take-off and landingThat is, a vertical take-off and landing aircraft, equipped with electric propulsion -, the S-A2 wisely remained confined to the building of the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas (United States), where it was first exhibited. , from Tuesday 9 January to Friday 12 January.
Designed by a company that has 600 employees and is based in Washington near the headquarters of the highly guarded Federal Aviation Administration, the S-A2 will begin its first tests in late 2024 in the state of California. The machine intends to seek certification from authorities for commercial entry into service, planned for 2028, a move that will not only open up the vast American market to it, but also allow it to more easily obtain authorization to fly in other skies.
“Right Product for Right Market”
The air taxi can carry four passengers and a pilot at a speed of close to 200 kilometers per hour and at an altitude of 1,500 feet (457 m), for a distance of between 45 and 70 kilometers depending on the load.
It can operate in bad weather and its batteries – the specifications of which have not been disclosed -, placed in the rear of the fuselage, whose fin is designed in a V shape, can be changed to integrate technological improvements. The most recent. The interior, with its deliberately minimalist design, is bathed in light that changes according to the phases of flight.
While Stellantis has partnered with Californian start-up Archer Aviation to build its Midnight Plane and Chinese XPeng unveiled a stunning flying car at CES that is capable of deploying its wings equipped with propellers, Supernal’s managers assure that they have a fantastic Will not try to be a flying car. To get the first authorization to fly such a device for the purpose of decongesting urban areas paralyzed by road traffic.
They want to offer “Right Product for Right Market” By designing, assures company president Jaewon Shin, “The Safest Mode of Transport in the World”. With this in mind, SuperNail recruited the first number two in safety in the International Air Transport Association. Eventually, it is planned to go pilotless and convert the device into a transport drone, but no timeframe has been specified.
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