Austin startup Lift Aircraft calls Hexa, its electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft the "future of personal flight. So far, it's been compared to a drone and a flying car.
Hexa is essentially a recreational vehicle for the air, able to fly in 15-minute intervals at low altitudes. Lift plans to market them to millennials with disposable income and anyone chasing adrenaline, because a pilot's license isn't required. The COVID-19 pandemic delayed plans, but Lift still says it will be touring locations across the US where anyone meeting height, weight, and age requirements can pay to fly. As of November 2019, Lift says it had more than 15,000 flights on a waitlist to ride Hexa.
The company is also selling a small number of Hexas to buyers who will then rent them out. They cost $495,000, and only five are still available.
Here's how they work.
Hexa flies through electric propulsion.
Hexa.
Lift Aircraft
Its 18 separate electric propellers and motors move the vehicle through the air.
Hexa.
Lift Aircraft
Five floats, one large one in the center with four around the sides, provide buoyancy for water landings.
Hexa.
Lift Aircraft
Hexa is surprisingly light, at only 432 pounds.
Hexa.
Lift Aircraft
The frame is made entirely of carbon fiber.
Hexa.
Lift Aircraft
The FAA qualified Hexa as "ultralight," so no pilot's license is necessary for flying.
Hexa.
Lift Aircraft
Instead, the autopilot computer with triple redundancies flies the vehicle, along with a three-axis joystick.
Hexa.
Lift Aircraft
Or, it can be controlled from the seven-inch touchscreen.
Hexa.
Lift Aircraft
Lift says it gives "plenty of training" before takeout.
Hexa.
Lift Aircraft
All those redundancies also make Hexa safer; it can still fly and land with up to six motors disabled.
Hexa.
Lift Aircraft
As a backup, it also has a parachute and airbag system.
Hexa.
Lift Aircraft
The vehicle is built to carry one person.
Hexa.
Lift Aircraft
Before flying, that person must sign a waiver, then train in the virtual reality simulator.
Hexa.
Lift Aircraft
Then, the ground crew sets the passenger up in the vehicle for the ride, which is monitored the entire time.
Hexa.
Lift Aircraft
"Autonomy is actually much easier in the air than for cars on the ground - there are far fewer obstacles, no roads, no traffic lights, and you have 3 dimensions to move around," founder Matt Chasen said.
Hexa.
Lift Aircraft
When it approaches a certain battery level, Hexa will automatically land at a safe designated spot.
Hexa.
Lift Aircraft
Lift postponed a planned 25 city tour to show off the vehicle because of the pandemic, and the company says it is using that extra time for more testing and development.
Hexa.
Lift Aircraft
Eventually, the plan is for anyone who meets certain age and height requirements to be able to rent Hexa for a ride.
Hexa.
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