Kitty Hawk is the “flying car” company that’s financially
backed by Google founder Larry Page, and today it has published the
first video of its prototype aircraft. The company describes the Kitty
Hawk Flyer as an “all-electric aircraft” that is designed to operate
over water and doesn’t require a pilot’s license to fly. Kitty Hawk
promises people will be able to learn to fly the Flyer “in minutes.” A
consumer version will be available by the end of this year, the company
says.
The video is part commercial and part test footage,
starting with a lakeside conversation between friends about using the
Flyer to meet up before switching to what The New
Kitty Hawk hasn’t said exactly what the Flyer is for, nor has it set a
price for the retail version. But the company is enticing eager pilots
with a $100 three-year membership that offers priority placement on a
waiting list, company-branded gear, and exclusive access to a flight
simulator and company events. Members will also get a $2,000 discount
off the eventual retail price York Times says are shots of an aerospace engineer operating the craft in Northern California.
The Flyer is considered to be an Ultralight aircraft per
FAA regulations, which is why there’s no pilot’s license required. Kitty
Hawk says that there are no plans to ship the vehicle outside the US.
Page also invested in another mysterious light aircraft offshoot of Kitty Hawk called Zee.Aero. But he’s hardly alone in his interest. Industry giants like Airbus have proposed multiple takes on a flying car, as have dozens of startups from around the world. And, coincidentally or not, Uber is holding a conference in Texas this week about its own flying car ambitions.
Update April 24th, 12PM ET: A
representative for Kitty Hawk has clarified that Zee.Aero, the other
flying car company that Larry Page has invested in, is actually a part
of Kitty Hawk. The story has been updated to reflect this.
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