SkyCruiser From Krossblade Would Be A VTOL Aircraft That Seats Five

A startup company based in Arizona has conceptualized a roadable aircraft that operates like a quadcopter ... and seats five.

The company is Krossblade, and the aircraft is called the SkyCruiser. The company also says it plans a small unmanned version of the aircraft.

According to the company's website, the aircraft would fly using eight independent rotors on arms that fold away for operation on the road. The aircraft is designed to cruise at over 270 knots in flight and 75 miles per hour on the road. A trip from San Francisco to Los Angeles, the company says, would take a little more than an hour.

The SkyCruiser would use a 400 hp combustion engine providing power to a 360 hp generator that would drive the electric motors for both the rotors in the air and the wheels on the ground. The lift rotors would also fold away during cruise flight, with the airplane driven by a pair of pusher propellers at the tail of the aircraft.

The SkyCruiser is currently in the "concept" phase, according to the website, so don't look for one in your neighbor's driveway anytime soon.

(Image from Krossblade Aerospace website)

FMI: www.krossblade.com/