A Real Manned Flying Saucer eVTO Took Flight This Week
And you thought flying saucers were just the stuff of 1950s sci-fi movies. But technology is bumping into sci-fi fiction. Now we have a real flying saucer that flew several riders this week at a promotional event. More accurately, this is a vertical take-off manned flying saucer or eVTOL flying vehicle. It’s a first, and we hope there will be more.
This effort is the continuing development of Beigang University and Northwestern Polytechnical University in China. The event took place in Shenzhen, where the flying saucer is made by Shenzhen UFO Flying Saucer Technology. Yes, that’s the actual name of the company.
What’s the Flying Saucer’s range, speed, and maximum altitude?
The design is much like other flying cars we’ve featured with six sets of two-blade propellers each. Spaced equally around the saucer body, they spread out the stability of the saucer equally. This helps in its ability to land on either water or land.
Being an EV, flights run 15 minutes, as batteries are small to keep the weight down. Its maximum flying height is around 650 feet. The maximum speed is 31 mph, according to Shenzhen Pages.
What is the Flying Saucer being developed for?
With this flying saucer being as advanced as it already is, you might expect that there is a plan going forward, and you’d be right. For now, it will be a promotional and sightseeing attraction. As speeds and range increase, its functions will also expand beyond merely existing as an attraction.
Should you doubt the flying saucer’s ability to fly, numerous videos on YouTube will quickly settle your doubts. They also give you a sense of scale, speed, and how long it takes to take off and land.
eVTOL development continues to grow as more designs and technology improve. And, of course, as investments in these startups continue to explode. It is obvious that flying cars, flying taxis, flying saucers; whatever you want to call them, are an answer to the congestion and pollution we face every day.
Are eVTOLs in use right now?
Several eVTOL makers are receiving permits to test their vehicles. There was some hope that at least one or two would be ready to put into service as we approach the 2024 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. That may not happen, but whenever it does, it will be more than welcome to take people to and from events, airports, and similar concentrations of humans.
It’s a centripetal force that ultimately ends up fixing many things ailing us all. Let’s fly!
