5/23/2023 0 Comments Hover car 2021The project is expected to lead to taxi services in urban areas, new means of transportation for remote islands and mountainous areas, and emergency transport in times of disaster.” “A roadmap formulated by METI and MLIT and anticipates the start of business in the mid-2020s and full-scale deployment. “In Japan, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) have jointly established the Public-Private Conference for Future Air Mobility in 2018, bringing together stakeholders in the public and private sectors to realise flying vehicles,” Miyauchi says. Regulations might be a pain point for eVTOL companies across the globe, but not for SkyDrive, as the government in Japan seems to be very cooperative. “We are also considering eVTOL use scenarios such as transporting a doctor to the scene of an emergency, but we are not currently developing an aircraft specifically for this purpose,” she adds. Not too long ago, SkyDrive showcased its automated cargo drone – the SkyLift.Īs Miyauchi explains, the potential use cases for the SkyLift include transporting materials for use in pylon maintenance, as well as to elevated expressway construction sites. While the specifications for this aircraft haven’t been released yet, the initial plan is to open sales to operators and other companies rather than individual consumers.īut that’s not all. The most significant difference between the SD-03 and the newer version is that the SD-05 will have the same safety assurance as existing aircraft and get type certification. SkyDrive is planning to launch commercially as early as 2025 with the SD-05. SkyDrive cooperates closely with the Japanese Government and the Japanese national aerospace agency, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) in the process of research and development to build a flying car that is as safe as any existing aircraft.” “We have conducted flight tests over 1,000 times to date and completed a piloted hovering flight test in 2020 in Toyota City. “We are trying to make our flying vehicle as compact and light as possible so that it can take off and land virtually anywhere in the future,” says Miyauchi, speaking about how SkyDrive is trying to differentiate itself from other eVTOL players in the space. In the event that one motor stops working, or one of the propellers breaks, the vehicle is still able to fly stably and land in a safe location. Each rotor works with an independent motor and electric system to ensure safe operation in case of catastrophic malfunction. The SD-03 used contra-rotating rotors to generate enough lift to carry a person whilst also keeping the vehicle compact. ![]() Developed in Japan, this model was a proof of concept for the company, and the prototype aircraft completed a piloted hovering flight test in 2020 in Toyota City. The SD-03 was a single-seat, all-electric, vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) multi-copter type aircraft. ![]() The SkyDrive SD-03 with CEO Tomohiro Fukuzawa. “Our founder, Tomohiro Fukuzawa, believed that if there was air mobility that could be used on a daily basis, people would be able to move more freely and faster, with fewer restrictions and time wasted by existing infrastructure,” explains Miyauchi.īack in 2020, SkyDrive lifted the curtains off its prototype, SD-03, for the world to see. Time is wasted in daily transportation due to waiting at traffic lights, traffic jams, and delays. Existing mobility such as automobiles, trains and, aeroplanes cannot be used where there are no roads, tracks or runways. ![]() “ SkyDrive was established in July 2018 with the aim to lead a once-in-a-century mobility revolution,” she says, throwing some light on what the company is set out to achieve. From here, we will continue to deepen our partnership with JCAB and discuss plans toward obtaining a type certificate,” says Chief Technology Officer, Nobuo Kishi.Īuto Futures spoke to the Head of the CEO’s Office at SkyDrive, Sumie Miyauchi, to find out more about the company and some very interesting developments, including a recent collaboration with Suzuki. We are very pleased that we have moved a step closer to obtaining a type certificate. We’ve now come to an agreement with the JCAB to adopt AIM Part II as the basis for type certification. Since then, we have held a series of discussions with the authority regarding ways to develop and design safe aircraft and the means for testing them. ![]() “The Japan Civil Aviation Bureau accepted our application for type certification in October 2021. Using the Bureau’s Airworthiness Inspection Manual (AIM), the SkyDrive SD-05 is almost ready to take to the skies. Japan-based SkyDrive recently announced that it had reached an agreement with the Japan Civil Aviation Bureau (JCAB) that it could start the type certification process for its two-seat flying car.
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