Light Drizzle In Las Vegas Prevented Aircraft From Flying

The first flight of the Workhorse SureFly passenger drone, which was to have been one of the highlights of CES 2018 in Las Vegas last week, was cancelled due to poor weather conditions. A light drizzle fell over Las Vegas Monday, and that was enough to scrub the mission.

The FAA cleared the SureFly to fly just after the new year. It is a two-place multi-rotor aircraft that is powered by a hybrid electric-diesel engine. While early models will be flown by a person, the goal is for the SureFly to be an autonomous air commuter vehicle and air taxi, according to its creators. It is designed to have a useful load of 400 pounds.

A representative of the company told the BBC that the SureFly is a "purpose-built experimental aircraft and the fuselage on the SureFly at CES has not been waterproofed, although it will be on future production models. To avoid potential risks associated with rain affecting the aircraft’s electrical system and the SureFly’s rotor blades, the SureFly’s first flight has been postponed.

The first flight of the aircraft has not been rescheduled, but Workhorse said it hopes to have the aircraft flying "soon".

(Image from file)

FMI: Original report