- 15 Oct 2017 01:46 PM
- 0
eVTOL News Video, Ep.1: Kitty Hawk Flyer Demo
AHS is proud to kick off its original series of eVTOL News videos! Episode 1: "Kitty Hawk Flyer Demo" is an interview with Kitty Hawk's director of engineering, Dr. Todd Reichert (of Aerovelo fame), and includes clips from the first public flight on July 28, 2017 at EAA AirVenture 2017 in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
From Vertiflite, Nov/Dec 2017
The Flyer in Oshkosh
On the warm morning of July 28, aviation enthusiasts lined the shore of Lake Winnebago in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, to witness the first flight of a prototype Kitty Hawk Flyer eVTOL aircraft at a public forum.
At the waterfront, test pilot Todd Reichert slipped on a helmet and life vest as other Kitty Hawk engineers carried the Flyer to a floating dock to complete preflight and telemetry tests. Once EAA seaplane traffic had cleared the area, Reichert hopped on the Flyer, gripped the handlebars, activated the electronic controls and powered up the eight downward-facing electric propellers to lift the pontoon-equipped aircraft into the air.
For the next three minutes, Reichert entranced the crowd as he piloted the Flyer back and forth across the lake, demonstrating stability and maneuverability in a series of hovers, banks, turns and climbs. The purr of the eight electric motors was barely audible from the shore and was drowned out by every light aircraft flying overhead.
From the Kitty Hawk website
ABOUT KITTY HAWK
Our mission is to make the dream of personal flight a reality. We believe when everyone has access to personal flight, a new, limitless world of opportunity will open up to them. At Kitty Hawk, we engineer, design and build safe, fun, easy-to-fly aircraft.
ABOUT THE FLYER
The Kitty Hawk Flyer is a new, all-electric aircraft. We’ve designed our first version specifically to fly over water. You don’t need a pilot’s license and you’ll learn to fly it in minutes. We publicly revealed the working prototype in April 2017. The official Flyer will be available by the end of the year. We’ve designed our first version specifically to fly over water. You don’t need a pilot’s license and you’ll learn to fly it in minutes.
