Airspeeder’s Mk3 eVTOL flying vehicle has been revealed and is now ready to race
Airspeeder has unveiled the world’s first electric flying racing vehicle — the Mk3, a full-sized, remotely-operated eVTOL which is now ready to race. The first racing series is set to begin later this year.
A full grid of Mk3 electric flying cars are currently being manufactured at Airspeeder and Alauda’s technical HQ in Adelaide, South Australia. More than 10 identical racing vehicles will be produced and supplied to teams in 2021, with final behind-closed-doors pre-season tests happening before the start of an international racing calendar.
Matt Pearson, Founder of Airspeeder and CEO of Alauda Aeronautics — and who is also recognised in the first eVTOL Insights Power Book, said: “This is a landmark moment in the dawn of a new mobility revolution. Competition drives progress and our racing series in hastening the arrival of technology that will transform clean-air passenger transport, logistics and even advanced air mobility for medical applications.
“The world’s first electric flying car racing series will be the most exciting and progressive motorsport on the planet.”
Known as Speeders — each vehicle will be operated remotely by a pilot on the ground. The groundbreaking safety enhancements include LiDAR and Radar collision avoidance systems that create a ‘virtual forcefield’ around the craft.
The Mk3 features a carbon fibre frame and fuselage chosen for its strength, stiffness and lightweight properties, which ensures manoeuvrability, performance and efficiency.
Its powertrain represents a significant upgrade on the Mk2 proof of concept vehicle, with power increased by 95 per cent and with only a 50 per cent increase in weight. A 96 kW electric powertrain already sees the Mk3 operating with a thrust to weight ratio above two, on a craft that weighs just 100kg unmanned. The Mk3 speeders will fly at speeds in excess of 120 km\h.
In terms of manoeuvrability, the Mk3 speeders are laid-out in an ‘octocopter X formation’, providing significant advantages to pilots. When racing, the pilot will be able to make the same sharp hairpin style turns as a Formula 1 car, but with the added third dimension of being able to move vertically.
And to facilitate rapid pit stops, Alauda’s engineers have developed an innovative ‘slide and lock’ system for the rapid removal and replacement of batteries when on the ground.