2023-06-14 19:41:41
Franky Zapata, the Frenchman already at the origin of extravagant flying vehicles, presents the Airscooter, an electric hybrid aircraft offering unique sensations and performances. First flights are planned in the United States from 2024.
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It was at the Viva Technology show, which opened its doors this Wednesday, June 14, that Zapata unveiled this new, particularly ambitious single-seater flying machine.
Photo courtesy of Courtesy Zapata©
The Airscooter is Franky Zapata’s latest very ambitious project.
With this machine, Zapata indeed promises an incredible experience. In the United States, as an ultralight aircraft, there will be no need to have a pilot’s license to enjoy it, most of the controls being computer-assisted to optimize safety. Nevertheless, a little training will remain necessary before taking control.
For the moment, Zapata is therefore targeting the American market and intends to offer, from 2024, the first information and recreational flights, in Arizona where its first “flight center” will soon be inaugurated. The idea is also ultimately to decongest the big cities. With the Airscooter, for example, you can hope to get from Santa Monica to Long Beach in just ten minutes, compared to two hours by road.
The cruising speed of the Airscooter should be 80 km/h, with a possibility of reaching 100 km/h at peak. Its load will be limited to 120 kg, but it will be able to fly for just over two hours. This feat is due to its hybrid propulsion system, which combines combustion and electric motors. It offers record autonomy for this type of aircraft, where the all-electric has difficulty exceeding twenty or thirty minutes of flight. Note that this system also allows it to gain in weight and therefore in performance. In the end, its emissions would be comparable to those of a passenger car.
It now remains to obtain overflight authorizations from local authorities, in the United States but also in Europe and around the world, which will not be the least of Zapata’s challenges.
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