Subj : Helixs personal vertical take-off and landing aircraft is the fut To : All From : TechnologyDaily Date : Tue Jan 09 2024 16:45:05 Helixs personal vertical take-off and landing aircraft is the futuristic flying machine we always wanted Date: Tue, 09 Jan 2024 16:36:12 +0000 Description: The Helix Pivotal is pricey, but it looks like a whole lot of flying fun, and it's turning heads skywards at CES 2024. FULL STORY ====================================================================== Just imagine sitting in your own personal aircraft. You pull a single joystick back and buzz vertically into the sky. Your nose itches, so you let go of the joystick to scratch it while your EV floats vertically in space like a giant drone. Itch scratched, you grab the joystick, push it gently forward, and head off to your destination. Thats the dream of the burgeoning electric vertical take-off and landing (EVTOL) industry that's on display at CES 2024 . I didnt see one fly, but I did get up close with one of the first commercially available all-electric personal aircraft, the Helix Pivotal. (Image credit: Helix) eVTOLs are attractive to the flight enthusiast community because you dont need a pilots license to fly them. Theyre light enough and speed-limited enough to fall just below that threshold, which in the US is classified as an FAA Part 103 (Ultralight) aircraft. In the case of Helix, it weighs just 360 pounds. Thats quite surprising for the single-seater, considering its size, and means that one person, with effort, can move it (using a small, included two-wheeled cart). The white, red, and black, carbon-fiber body is roughly 15 feet long, and the dual wings stretch out at least that far. I wondered how something like this could be transported without flying it into Las Vegas; it turns out the wings pop off, and then the body and wings can fit in your standard U-Haul trailer. (Image credit: Helix) Inside the wings, which are tilted slightly backwards, are eight motors and as many batteries. The Helix Pivotal can fly for two hours on a charge at a snappy 62mph thats obviously well below the 170mph or so you might expect from a typical single-engine aircraft, but for more speed youd need that license. There are no wheels on the Helix, and thats because it performs vertical take-offs and landings. Company representatives told me it can land on grass, dirt, and other surfaces. In hover mode, the personal aircraft is tipped back so youre looking skyward. Flight mode is the opposite; youll be tipped forward so the hatch cover is facing you. Cameras near the base show you whats below to help guide your landing. Image 1 of 4 (Image credit: Future) Image 2 of 4 (Image credit: Future) Image 3 of 4 (Image credit: Future) Image 4 of 4 (Image credit: Future) It's a beautiful, sleek aircraft, and the gray interior is the picture of simplicity. There are two joysticks, though you only use one at a time. Helix execs told me the second one is there for redundancy, and to allow flyers to choose left or right-handed control. In between them is a roughly 12-inch touchscreen that was not turned on when I saw it. The seat looked comfortable I wasn't allowed to climb in, sadly and the space appeared cramped but not claustrophobic. I didnt see a hatch for luggage, or even for a bag of in-flight snacks. Helix Pivotal in hover mode (Image credit: Helix) Helix is taking orders for the small aircraft now, and plans to begin deliveries in June of this year. The base model, which includes the Helix, a vehicle cart, charger, canopy, and training goes for $190,000 (yes, you read that right). If you want to add 4K cameras, recording, an extra cart for the dual wings, another charger, and even a flight-traffic control system, itll cost you $240,000. There's even a $260,000 tier that adds training for a second pilot, an updated flight deck, and a fully customized exterior. I foresee some all-black Helixs in the company's future. No one, including Helix, expects you to start flying the Pivotal into work; itll likely only be used in rural and other open areas, and not, for instance, in New York City, or any suburb featuring lots of power lines and other obstacles. Even with these limitations, though, theres a definite appeal to the idea flying inside your own drone if you can afford it. We've got transparent, wireless TVs, health gadgets, and more at CES. Were covering all of the latest CES news from the show as it happens. Stick with us for the big stories on everything from 8K TVs and foldable displays to new phones, laptops, smart home gadgets, and the latest in AI. And dont forget to follow us on TikTok for the latest from the CES show floor! ====================================================================== Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/vehicle-tech/helixs-personal-vertical-take-off-and-l anding-aircraft-is-the-futuristic-flying-machine-we-always-wanted --- Mystic BBS v1.12 A47 (Linux/64) * Origin: tqwNet Technology News (1337:1/100) .