Thu, Apr 21, 2022
Volocopter's Full-Size Prototype Successfully Takes to the Skies in Initial Testing
Volocopter proudly unveiled footage of their first completed VoloCity aircraft taking flight, posting it online to hearten investors and eVTOL fans abroad.
The demonstrator provides a solid proof of concept for the underlying layout and design of the aircraft, marking the first time a fully dressed and outfitted VoloCity has completed a test flight. It took to the skies for a brief time over an airfield north of Paris, France, to the applause of excited employees happy to see their hard work come to fruition. Volocopter described the flight as the culmination of 11 years of effort, a major step in their goal to have their electric VTOL aircraft ready for commercial use in the 2024 Paris Olympics. Their hope is that the environmentally friendly "mobility solution", as they call it, will offer cities around the world a more varied transit ecosystem, decreasing terrestrial congestion and saving time for everyone with reduced traffic below.
The short flight was the first time the company has flown a dressed aircraft in a close approximation of its eventual production guise. Previous testers looked more like garage projects than aircraft, a series of motors, wooden platforms, and hastily-wired battery banks. This time, the VoloCity took to the air in all its shiny, pearlescent glory, looking every bit like a futuristic Jetson's runabout - though one could argue anything curvy, colorless, and shiny tends to fall into the Apple-inspired camp.
Christian Bauer, CCO, said the French locale was key to his demonstration. “We have demonstrated our pioneering power once again here in Paris. By flying our aircraft in a crewed configuration at a Paris airport, we are proving to one of our launch cities firsthand that our aircraft will offer a practical addition for potential airport-to-city routes.”
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