1 hr ago
Chinese Startup Sells Water-Landing Spherical eVTOL Passenger Aircraft
A Chinese company is selling a small aircraft shaped like a flying saucer.
It is designed to carry two people.
The aircraft can rise straight up and come straight down without using a runway.
It can also take off from and land on water.
Its clear cabin gives passengers a 360-degree view.
It can fly only about 100 feet above the ground.
It can stay in the air for around 15 minutes.
The company says it has received a special flight permit for civil unmanned aircraft from China’s aviation authority.
SMD Shenzhen Smart Drone UAV has developed a two-person, disc-shaped electric aircraft with a spherical transparent cockpit.
The aircraft takes off and lands vertically, so it does not require a runway, and it can operate on water.
It has a maximum altitude of nearly 100 feet and can remain airborne for about 15 minutes.
The six-rotor ducted design hides the propellers inside the aircraft’s fuselage and allows it to withstand Force 5 winds.
The aircraft was displayed at the Yiwu Global Digital Trade Center and is reportedly priced at Rs 1.1 crore.
- Who
- SMD Shenzhen Smart Drone UAV developed the aircraft; Huang Yang represented the company’s showroom.
- What
- A two-person, spherical-cabin electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft is being displayed and sold as a flying saucer.
- Where
- The aircraft was displayed at the Yiwu Global Digital Trade Center in Yiwu, Zhejiang Province, China.
- When
- The articles do not provide a specific date; the aircraft was reported as being on display when viral videos circulated.
- Why
- It is intended for low-altitude sightseeing and other aerial activities without requiring a runway.
Key facts
- Reported price
- Rs 1.1 crore
- Developer
- SMD Shenzhen Smart Drone UAV
- Passenger capacity
- Two people
- Maximum altitude
- Nearly 100 feet
- Flight duration
- About 15 minutes
- Water operation
- Can take off from and land on water
- Display location
- Yiwu Global Digital Trade Center, Zhejiang Province
- Reported authorization
- A special flight permit for civil unmanned aircraft from the Civil Aviation Administration of China
Quotes
Huang Yang
Head of Smart Drone’s showroom at the Yiwu Global Digital Trade Center
“it has obtained a special flight permit for civil unmanned aircraft issued by the Civil Aviation Administration of China.”
wionews.com
Sources
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