Rolls-Royce Unveils Hybrid Flying Taxi At Farnborough
Umer Jamshaid Published July 17, 2018 | 12:09 PM
British engine maker Rolls-Royce revealed plans this week to develop a hybrid electric vehicle, dubbed the "flying taxi", which takes off and lands vertically and could be airborne within five years.
Farnborough, United Kingdom, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 17th Jul, 2018 ) :British engine maker Rolls-Royce revealed plans this week to develop a hybrid electric vehicle, dubbed the "flying taxi", which takes off and lands vertically and could be airborne within five years.
The London-listed aerospace giant, which is based in Derby in central England, showed off the plans at the Farnborough Airshow for the first time, as other players also rush into the market segment.
Rolls said it hoped to manufacture a prototype version of its electric vertical take-off and landing (EVTOL) vehicle within the next 18 months, and could potentially take to the skies in the early 2020s.
The Rolls-Royce EVTOL plane will seat four or five people, with a flying range of 500 miles (805 kilometres) and a top speed of 200 miles per hour.
"In this market, you will see something like this flying within three to five years, and we will demonstrate the system in two years," said Rob Watson, head of Rolls-Royce's electrical team.
"At the end of next year we will be flight ready," he told AFP at the group's Farnborough chalet.
The hybrid vehicle, which has so far cost single-digit millions of Pounds to develop, will use a traditional gas turbine engine with an electrical system wrapped around it.
Rolls-Royce is also researching an all-electric product but that is not as advanced as the EVTOL offering.
"There is an emerging market for all-electric planes but we believe that you need a level of requirement that an all electric system cannot really provide today," Watson told AFP.
Recent Stories
HEC reviews curricula for environmental sciences degree programme
ICC Asia looking forward to an action-packed Asia Cricket Week
Yuvraj Singh named ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 Ambassador
Greece hands Olympic flame to 2024 Paris Games hosts
Two Kyiv hospitals evacuating over feared Russian strikes
World must act on neurotech revolution, say experts
Charles & Catherine's cancer diagnoses
Champions Alcaraz and Sabalenka through in Madrid Open
King Charles to resume some public duties during cancer treatment: palace
US defense chief announces $6 bn in security aid for Ukraine
Heavy rains cause damage to Spezand-Taftan railway track
Woman stabbed in Israel, attacker killed: police
More Stories From World
-
Tennis: ATP/WTA Madrid Open results - collated
16 minutes ago -
PGA Zurich Classic of New Orleans scores
16 minutes ago -
Sudanese filmmakers shine light on war's 'silent problems'
16 minutes ago -
NFL will allow players to wear Guardian Cap helmets in games
7 hours ago -
Football: German Bundesliga table
7 hours ago -
Football: Italian Serie A result
7 hours ago
-
Football: German Bundesliga results
7 hours ago -
US troops to leave Chad in second African state withdrawal
7 hours ago -
Plastics pollution may be solved without production cap: Canada minister
7 hours ago -
Biden stalls on menthol cigarette ban fearing Black vote backlash
7 hours ago -
Champions Alcaraz and Sabalenka through in Madrid Open
7 hours ago -
6,000 French police to welcome Olympic torch amid bonus boost
8 hours ago