SkyDrive Unveils Flying Car Design, Expects Service in 2025
September 30, 2022
Japan-based SkyDrive has unveiled the design of its commercial model flying car – the SkyDrive SD-05. The company said it will use the SD-05, currently in development, to launch air taxi service in the Osaka Bay area in 2025, during the world exposition in Osaka.
“This is another big step towards the realization of flying cars and sky roads,” said Takumi Yamamoto, design director at SkyDrive. “Two years have passed since the announcement of the SD-03, which successfully completed its public manned flight test in August 2020, and we are very happy to be able to announce its successor, the SD-05.”
The SD-05 is a two-seat, electric-powered aircraft that includes vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) capabilities. Operated by a driver-pilot, the flight stability is secured with the assistance of a computer-controlled flight system. SkyDrive said it is developing flying cars with an eye toward realizing a world where they are used in daily life for air mobility, much as automobiles are used today for daily ground transportation.
“This vehicle is not just a simple means of traveling from point A to B,” said Yamamoto. “Based on the design concept of ‘giving wings to daily travel,’ it’s also a safer and more enjoyable travel partner.”
The company said it is in the process of acquiring a type certificate for the SD-05 from Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT). The goal is to provide practical use of flying cars during the World Exposition Osaka, Kansai, scheduled for 2025. The SD-05 is designed to travel up to 10 km, with a maximum cruise speed of 100 km/h. Applications include having “short-cut transportation through the sky,” unique access to resort facilities, and emergency medical services.
“SkyDrive will continue to design the dreams of the future with the aim of realizing sky roads,” said Yamamoto. The company also plans to promote its business operations in the U.S., setting up an office in September 2022 for the purposes of providing a means of “last-mile” air transportation.
For more details on the company and vehicle, visit the SkyDrive website here.
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