Japan’s SkyDrive Inc., completed a successful test flight of it’s “flying car.” This was only one of a handful of test flights that had a passenger on board.
In a video shown to reporters on Friday, a small single-seat craft with four bilateral propellers lifted off the ground. It flew for around for 4 minutes.
The prototype car, SD-03 eVTOL (electric vertical takeoff and landing), flew around at the Toyota Test Field, which is 10,000 square meters (approximately 2.5 acres). The field is Japan’s largest test field and home to the Skydrive company’s development base.
With a pilot at the controls, the flying car flew around the field. The craft was equipped with a computer-assisted control system to stabilize and monitor performance.
Tomohiro Fukuzawa, who heads up the Skydrive project, explains that the machine can only fly for five to 10 minutes but they are working to boost the capability to 30 minutes.
A representative from Tokyo-based Skydrive said the “Jetsons” like cars they are creating may soon change transportation.
