Originally Posted by
Ascend Charlie
Uber-Jetson needs a totally new aircraft to be invented, tested, certified and produced. Batteries can't cut it yet. Propulsion systems need to be scaled up to carry 4 or 5 POB. Reliability is yet to be created.
It needs a totally new airspace classification to be developed, tested and accepted, by CA$A / AsA and the public.
It needs a radical development of collision avoidance and guidance to be invented.
It needs the public to accept vertical takeoff aircraft buzzing at 500' and landing in new places - the NIMBY group will stop that, same as they have stopped helipad development and use.
It will NEVER happen, except in glossy CG videos to lure in gullible investors.
It will happen, but on a much, much smaller scale and longer time-frame than the venture capitalists are being conned into believing. Of the near-on 200 designs for eVTOL aircraft out there today, only a tiny fraction will make it through certification and into production and the costs per unit, with design, test, certification costs amortised, will be a lot higher than anyone envisages today. Charging infrastructure is also a massive challenge, a five unit dedicated port probably needs a megawatt supply.