Whenever we think about the future, around 30-40 years from now, one of the things that come to our mind is flying cars. Well surely, science-fiction has spoiled us and we¡¯ve never been able to stop associating the future without flying cars.?
While there have been many developments in that space we still don¡¯t have flying cars available commercially. However, this is not stopping creators from innovating and this next flying vehicle takes it to the next level.?
Japanese company SkyDrive Inc successfully tested their flying car dubbed SD-03 at Japan¡¯s Toyota Test Field -- one of the largest test fields in Japan. In this public demonstration, the so-called ¡®flying car¡¯ circled around the test field for nearly four minutes.?
The SD-03 is regarded as the world¡¯s smallest electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicle. It is as big as two cars (due to its massive rotors) and is equipped with eight motors -- four-pointed upwards and four downwards -- to offer adequate lift-off and landing performance.
The vehicle looks like an enlarged drone with the ability for a man to sit inside and maneuver from within.
CEO Tomohiro Fukuzawa said in a statement, "We are extremely excited to have achieved Japan's first-ever manned flight of a flying car in the two years since we founded SkyDrive... with the goal of commercializing such aircraft."
He added, "We want to realize a society where flying cars are an accessible and convenient means of transportation in the skies and people are able to experience a safe, secure, and comfortable new way of life."
While this does look super cool and everything, there is still a long way to go for flying cars to enter our lives. SkyDrive is also seeking approval for the vehicle to be tested beyond the Toyota Test Field by the end of the year 2020 and it expects this aircraft to be out by 2023 -- the same timeline that Japan has in mind for its flying taxi service.