Connecting cars with aero technology, aircraft maker Boeing Co. unveiled its flying car designed to carry passengers without the hassle of congested roads completed its first test flight giving an insight into the future of urban transportation.
The aerospace giant completed a controlled take off with the prototype of its autonomous passenger air vehicle. The hover and landing during the test conducted in Manassas, Virginia.
BREAKING: It’s another first for us. Along with @AuroraFlightSci we’ve successfully tested our passenger air vehicle. We continue our progress towards a safe and sustainable urban mobility ecosystem. #TheFutureIsBuiltHere pic.twitter.com/hwuw4d5jmz
— The Boeing Company (@Boeing) January 23, 2019
It is propelled by electricity, the model is designed for fully autonomous flight, with a range of as much as 50 miles, Boeing said in a statement.
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Meanwhile, the Chicago-based planemaker and arch-rival Airbus SE are among few companies racing to stake a claim on flying cars and parcel-hauling drones.
Boeing’s push was boosted by a 2017 acquisition of Aurora Flight Sciences, whose projects include a new flying taxi it is developing with Uber Technologies Inc.
While Boeing didn’t say if the model they tested is the one being developed for Uber, the ride-hailing company said separately Wednesday that the vehicle is on track to be an air taxi on the planned Uber Air network.
Future flights of the 30-feet-long and 28-feet-wide PAV prototype will test forward, wing-borne flight and the transition phase between vertical and forward-flight modes, according to the Boeing statement.