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Adelaide, Australia, 21 February – Aeronautical Alauda is looking for an OEM partner to join the motorsport revolution, at launch Airspeed Mk4 – the world’s first, and fastest, manned flying car.
Designed and built in Adelaide, South Australia, the Airspeeder Mk4 is the world’s fastest electric Vertical Take-off and Landing (eVTOL) aircraft. Able to reach top speed 360 kilometers per hour in only 30 seconds from its inception, it was designed to set the standard for performance and technology in a radically new sport of trialling Air speed racing.
With its advanced electric propulsion system, advanced aerodynamics and fair takeoff weight (MTOW). 950 kgsThe Mk4 Airspeeder is also very efficient, with a projected range of 300 km while producing near-zero emissions.
The new one aircraft is a development of the remote piloted Mk3, which has successfully completed over 350+ flight tests and participated in two Airspeeders demonstration competition in South Australia in 2022.
Born To Race, Inspired By Space
Like all Airspeeders, the Mk4 is intended primarily for racing, so designed for maximum agility at high speed and low altitude. Two technologies inspired by the space industry give the vehicle unprecedented speed, maneuverability and range.
Thunderstrike Hydrogen Turbogenerator
The Airspeeder Mk4 is powered by a 1340 hp turbogenerators which powers the battery and motor. Designed specifically for use in eVTOL, this revolutionary technology enables green hydrogen for use as fuel, providing safe, reliable and continuous power over long distances and over time of flight.
The Alauda Aeronautics ‘Thunderstrike’ demonstrator engine incorporates a unique combustion chamber fabricated using 3D printing techniques developed in the aerospace industry for rocket engines. The combustion chamber design keeps the hydrogen flame temperature relatively low, greatly reducing it nitric oxide emissions (NOx).
Hydrogen is the ideal fuel for future aviation, and particularly personal urban air travel. It has a high energy density and can be stored in a lightweight and compact form, making it suitable for small aircraft; it is also non-toxic and produces no emissions except pure water, so it does not cause air pollution. In addition, because hydrogen gas is lighter than air, it will rise and disperse into the atmosphere in the event of a leak, reducing the risk of fire or explosion.
As well as taking the existing eVTOL industry to the next generation H2eVTOL era, this technology has the potential to significantly reduce emissions and create a sustainable future for individual air travel.
AI Gimballed Thrust
Most eVTOLs steer using a tilt-rotor, which is positioned vertically for takeoff and landing and horizontally for cruising. In contrast, the Mk4 maneuvers using a unique gimball thrust system, in which an Artificial Intelligence (AI) flight controller individually adjusts four pairs of rotors mounted on a lightweight 3D printed gimbal. This made the Mk4 not only fast on the straight, but also capable of maneuvering with incredible precision which is essential in close stunt racing. In fact, handling is less like a multicopter and more like a fighter jet or a Formula 1 race car.
Flight Test Begins
Alauda Aerospace plans to begin flight tests of the Mk4 chassis and powertrain, including the first manned flight of the airframe, in the first quarter of 2023. The aircraft will be ready to take the starting line in Air Speed Racing Championship in 2024.
A Grand Vision
The Airspeeder racing series has a huge international fan base and attracts the world’s top stars pilot. But it’s more than just a spectacular show of speed and skill. It is also a testing ground for sustainable eco-friendly propulsion systems, with the potential to change the way we all travel in the future.
Alauda Aeronautics has seen beyond racing to a world where personal flying cars are an everyday reality, and a viable means of urban transportation. Its team of engineers and designers, drawn from companies including Airbus, Boeing, Ferrari, MagniX and McLaren, believes its technology can make air travel faster, more efficient, more environmentally friendly and more accessible than ever before.
Matt Pearson, CEO, Lark Aeronautics said, “We, and the world, are ready for manned flying car racing. We have built vehicles, developed sports, secured venues, attracted sponsors and technical partners. Now is the time for the world’s most progressive, innovative and ambitious automotive brands, OEM manufacturers and motorsports teams to become part of a truly revolutionary new motorsports. In the launch of the manned Airspeeder Mk4, we show a vehicle that will go toe-to-toe in blade-to-blade races crewed by the most skilled pilots in the field.
“You will see this technology on the racetrack. However, eVTOL is already a multi-trillion dollar industry and we see a huge market for personal flying cars emerging in the near future. In conventional space, there are as many private jets as there are commercial jets in operation. We believe it could equal flying cars one day, with roughly equal numbers of commercial taxis and private cars at the outset. Once we are able to sell flying cars for the same price as Tesla, you will see the balance shift immediately. Today, private cars outnumber taxis by about 300 to one, so the potential for people to own and drive their own flying cars one day is enormous. It’s a really exciting time,” Pearson added.
For more information on the Alauda Airspeeder Mk4 and the upcoming Airspeeder Racing Championship, visit the Airspeeder website at www.airspeeder.com.
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