Vahana, the electric, self-piloted VTOL unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) developed by Airbus, recently flew on successive days, marking a milestone in the aircraft manufacturer's push to play a central role in autonomous urban transportation.
A product of A3, the Silicon Valley-based Airbus advance-projects research arm, Vahana is part of a plan to develop future-transportation demonstrators quickly. The aircraft's first flight, on January 31, lasted 53 seconds, reached a height of 16 feet (5 meters) and was self-piloted. A second fight took place the next day.
"Our aim has long been to design and build a single-passenger electric VTOL self-piloted aircraft that will answer the growing need for urban mobility," said Vahana project executive Zach Lovering. "Our goal is to democratize personal flight by leveraging the latest technologies such as electric propulsion, energy storage, and machine vision. Our first flights mark a huge milestone for Vahana as well as the global pursuit of urban air mobility."
The first-flight aircraft had a takeoff weight of 745 kilos (1,642 pounds), the company said. Vahana's next milestone will be forward flight.
The company also announced California-based MAGicALL as its new motor supplier. It plans to begin using the new motors "soon," Lovering said.
Vahana is one of several future-transportation initiatives involving Airbus. The European aircraft manufacturer plans the first public demonstration of its Skyways unmanned parcel delivery system in conjunction with the Singapore Airshow. Developed in conjunction with the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore, Skyways, which Airbus describes as a fully autonomous octocopter, aims to test and develop regulations, technologies, and operational requirements to safely operate an unmanned package-delivery service in an urban environment.
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