Boeing’s “flying car” prototype successfully completed its first test flight in Virginia this week as the company explores the potential of using autonomous passenger air vehicles to transport people in urban environments.
Boeing’s prototype is powered by an electric propulsion system, has a range of 50 miles (80.47kms) and features an advanced airframe and wing systems to allow it hover efficiently and transition to forward flight.
It is being developed by subsidiary Aurora Flight Sciences with the aerospace giant’s NeXt innovation arm.
Boeing is among a number of companies — including rival Airbus and rideshare company Uber — looking at smaller electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft.
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The hope is the vehicles can be used to whisk people around cities and avoid increasing congestion on the ground but they face issues that include air space design and environmental noise.
Boeing’s prototype completed a controlled takeoff, hover and landing during the test flight, testing the vehicle's autonomous functions and ground control systems.
Photo: Boeing
The company said future flights would test forward, wing-borne flight, as well as the transition phase between vertical and forward-flight modes.
It said this transition phase was typically the most significant engineering challenge for any high-speed VTOL aircraft.
"This is what revolution looks like, and it's because of autonomy," Aurora Flight Services chief executive John Langford said in a statement.
"Certifiable autonomy is going to make quiet, clean and safe urban air mobility possible."
Boeing has moved from conceptual design to a flying prototype in just a year.
Among the other innovative projects being developed under the auspices of NeXt, is an unmanned, fully electric cargo air vehicle designed to transport up to 500 pounds (227kilos).
The cargo version completed its first indoor flight last year and will move to outdoor flight testing this year.
Boeing NeXt vice president Steve Nordlund said the company intended to unlock the potential of the urban air mobility market.
"From building air vehicles to airspace integration, we will usher in a future of safe, low-stress mobility in cities and regions around the world," he said.
