Originally Posted by
pasta
Which got me thinking... Do these things have an autorotation capability?
No, they do not. They have fixed pitch props/rotors/fans and vary RPM to change thrust. If there is a total power failure then a ballistically fired parachute is the only way down, and you land where you land - the pilot does not get a say if it comes to this, as he will have just become a passenger.
And to the point of 'fit professionals whisking off to meetings' - it is absolutely valid. It appears likely that everyone will be required to provide their weight and dimensions before booking a flight - and no, I am not joking (is it even legal to ask that information in most Western countries?). EVTOLS will be
extremely weight sensitive, so a couple of my 400lb North American colleagues (and we have a
lot of them) might render the machine unable to fly. Imagine being the pilot telling a drunk 400lb Texas cowboy that he is too fat to get in...no thanks.
The idea of electric air vehicles whisking people across cities, cleanly and quickly, is a great one, but as with all things, the Devil is in the details. And there are a lot of details.