CityAirbus is the air taxi of the future from Airbus.

So, eVTOL technologies are attracting wide attention in the global aircraft industry and it is already safe to say that the future has arrived. The main fundamental aspects are efficiency and environmental friendliness, as well as low noise. Electric aircraft, in the future, can compete with conventional helicopters and aircraft.

Airbus started the multicopter project in 2015. After ground testing of the equipment, the copter made its first test flight in May 2019. At the construction stage, the cost of the prototype is estimated at 1 million euros.

The technical characteristics of the air taxi make it possible to develop a flight speed of up to 120 km / h and stay in the air from 15 to 30 minutes, thanks to 4 pairs of 8 rotors and cover a distance of 30 to 60 km. The total weight of the structure is 2.2 tons, with a battery weight of 500 kg. The aircraft is designed to carry 1 pilot and 3 passengers, and in the future, an unmanned mode with 4 passengers on board.

The charging time of the experimental apparatus is 30-60 minutes, which is relatively short. In the future, the designers plan to reduce this time to 15 minutes, which is important in the case of daily operation within the pace and speed of life in modern conditions.

In our notes, we often pay attention to flight safety and minimization of risks during air traffic. According to the designers, in the event of the loss of one propeller, the engine, or a partial failure of the battery, the copter is able to land safely.

A promising direction is the transportation of passengers in urban and suburban areas, to railway stations and airports, as well as in case of congestion of urban roads. The device can be widely used in urban environments due to vertical takeoff and landing in the largest metropolitan areas of the planet.

The CityAirbus is made of metal and composite materials and is flexible in terms of upgrades during construction, testing, test flights and in case of series production.

As far as we know, to date, the air taxi is undergoing flight tests and, according to the company’s plan, may appear on the route between Paris and Disneyland, at a time when France will host the Olympic Games in 2024.

To carry out flights on such aircraft, it is necessary to create at the legislative and technical level an entire transport system with its own infrastructure, including flight control, equipped landing sites for takeoffs and landings, with places for parking to recharge the battery, as well as specialized routes for unmanned urban flights and much more.

We will follow with interest and curiosity the testing and implementation of projects of electric, electric vertical and horizontal takeoff unmanned aerial vehicles from the Airbus Corporation.

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