In 2012, a group of Toyota employees established the pro bono group
CARTIVATOR and began work on the SD-00 shortly after.
This was a scale model prototype of a flying car that the company had envisioned creating.
They successfully ran driving and hovering tests with the prototype only six months later.
Still, before they could work on the real deal, they needed to scale it up first.
And so, the production of the SD-01 had begun, and the new group, SkyDrive, would arise.
SkyDrive was the new edition of CARTIVATOR and would oversee the production of the SD
series, such as the new SD-01 project.
Information on this new prototype is sparse, but it was a very early design with a metal frame,
four wheels, two seats, a steering wheel, and four rotors.
However, tests were a success, so SkyDrive was able to raise funding,
shake hands, and make friends, so they leaped into making their goal a reality.
Now you know the story, so let's get to the good stuff; the SD-03
and the current project being developed, the SD-XX.
The SD-03 made its first public demonstration in 2020
and featured a much more commercial design than the previous prototypes.
The single-seat design resembles contemporary eVTOLs
and measures around thirteen feet long and eleven feet wide.
Four rotors are evenly split between each corner.
Each rotor is powered by its own motor as a failsafe mechanism.
A pilot flew for four minutes around one hectare of land during the demonstration
while a computer handled the flight stability and safety.
At this point, SkyDrive has shaped up to be the leader of Japan's eVTOL scene,
with many sponsorships such as Bandi Namco and Mitsubishi.
For a future project, Suzuki has teamed up with SkyDrive
for a special project that looks like it could be the SD-XX.
Suzuki will handle things like business and technology research and development
and help with mass-producing SkyDrive's next project.
This means SkyDrive is left to focus on creating the best compact, two-seater eVTOL possible.
Although the SD-XX is still in development, hence the placeholder name,
it still boasts a much more striking image than its predecessor, the SD-03.
It adds another seat to the mix for two people to enjoy a ride in the glass-covered cabin.
Because of its three wheels and land driving capabilities,
it technically falls into the category of a flying car rather than an eVTOL.
This is an interesting decision considering that they are trying to balance not only
a working flying machine but then make it hybrid transportation to boot.
That's why many people believe that Suzuki's partnership
is to help with the SD-XX and logistics.
In terms of specs, the new edition to SkyDrive's flying family doubles
the number of rotors of previous prototypes to eight. It's designed
to lift a maximum takeoff weight of around one thousand and one hundred pounds.
It can reach heights of up to one thousand six hundred feet, have a max flying
speed of about sixty miles per hour, and fly for approximately half an hour.
Touching down and cruising is possible, of course. You can expect max speeds to reach upwards of
thirty-seven miles per hour, ranging from between twelve and eighteen miles depending on use.
Whether SkyDrive and Suzuki are aiming this product at personal consumers
or air taxi services could be anyone's guess.
They have stated plans for tackling entering the air taxi landscape.
What did you like or dislike about SkyDrive's timeline?
And be sure to stick around for our honorable mentions!
With the appearance of an angry wasp looking for vengeance,
the Cavorite X5 Hybrid eVTOL employs an aggressive-looking split wing design
despite being built around system redundancy and passenger safety.
The high-efficiency gas engine is based on the Chevrolet LS series of V8 engines. It's supported
by an electric motor, driving the sizeable rear-mounted pusher prop along at a rate of
215 mph.
During vertical take-off and landing, arrays of ducted fans within the dual wings turn the
X5 into a 16 rotor, self-balancing Multicopter capable of hovering in the air on a dime.
It can carry up to 5 people inside.
Urban air mobility is also on the mind of another company
Volocopter. Its development was part of the Single European Sky ATM Research program,
a public-private joint effort to overhaul European airspace for future crewless aircraft.
The Volocity made its first demonstration flight amidst regular air traffic in Helsinki
and later in Stuttgart Germany.
The Volocopter flight in Germany was the highlight of a two-day event called
“Vision Smart City - Experiencing the mobility of the future today." Also,
the company just secured 55 million in funding,
which is helping the aircraft
achieve its goal for a commercial launch within the next three years.
This jet-powered glider built for one has to be one of the stylish ways to get around.
With a jet engine powering the glider from take-off after adequate altitude is achieved
the engine is turned off and it can be flown as an unpowered glider.
It’s only 7 feet long but has a wingspan of 32 feet.
You pilot the glider from a prone position at the center.
Turning is as simple as shifting your weight and using a few handles to control the rudder.
Underneath where you lay there is a jet engine with considerable separation from the walls
of the engine pod in order to permit better cooling and prevent an excessive fire risk.
Most of the glider is made from fiber-reinforced plastic
with a wooden skeleton making the thing rather light weighing only 150lbs.
The glider can reach speeds up to 75mph but has a passenger weight limit around 110lbs.
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