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ORAC
28th Jan 2021, 07:05
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/urban-airport-will-pave-the-way-for-flying-cars-r5zgtlw9t

Urban airport will pave the way for flying cars

The world’s first urban airport specifically for flying cars and drones will be developed under government-backed plans to cut road congestion and pollution.

A temporary airport will be built in Coventry later this year to allow small electric passenger-carrying aircraft to operate in an urban area. The site, close to the Ricoh Arena, will also accommodate parcel delivery drones and electric cars.

The zero-emission airport, to be called Air One, will initially open in November in a month-long demonstration as part of events to mark Coventry’s year as UK City of Culture. It is hoped that a more permanent facility will be created in the future.

Urban-Air Port, the London-based aerospace company which is behind the facility, said it planned to eventually build more than 200 hubs in cities around the world, with rooftops and floating platforms being used to locate them as close to urban centres as possible.

A £1.2 million grant has been awarded to the scheme under the government’s “future flight challenge” fund which promotes innovation in aviation. It also has financial backing from Hyundai, the South Korean motor giant, which is planning to launch its own flying cars by 2028......

Flying cars — effectively large, passenger-carrying drones — are not currently permitted to operate in UK airspace because the technology has not been certified by aviation regulators.....

Air One will involve the construction of landing and charging pads for up to six air vehicles alongside space for delivery drones. It will also have a terminal for passengers, cargo processing facilities and multiple charging points for electric cars. The company said it plans to use lightweight modular buildings that could be built and dismantled in a matter of days......

Coventry city council is supporting the construction of the new facility, which will initially test and demonstrate large cargo drones developed by Malloy Aeronautics, the British technology company.

N707ZS
28th Jan 2021, 07:12
Why not just use the airport they have already got.

ATC Watcher
28th Jan 2021, 08:05
Not to mix them with certified, well maintained aircraft flown IFR by CPLs . You need to be 2 to have safety. The UAS / flying car industry is not yet to that level and when it will be its costs will raise considerably, killing many business cases.
As to flying cars, it is amazing how investors are always ready to throw away millions into those projects, where all you will have as a result is a bad car and an a bad airplane.:rolleyes:

osborne
28th Jan 2021, 08:25
I live in an urban centre with low levels of traffic noise and minimal pollution.

I'm not enthusiastic about giant drones buzzing my home or, worse, falling on my head.

People have short memories or are too young to know of the city STOL projects from the 1960s / 70s.

ETOPS
28th Jan 2021, 09:33
The usual puerile level of reporting.

This has nothing to do with “flying cars” and this isn’t anything like a car with wheels.

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/2000x1333/image_e206a28191ef44c156ef1275cb89573daaadea57.jpeg


https://www.ehang.com/ehangaav

DaveReidUK
28th Jan 2021, 12:46
I can't see anything in that Times article that supports either its headline or the thread title.

scr1
28th Jan 2021, 15:33
I know I have been losing track of dates at the moment butt it's not 1st April yet is it?

PAXboy
28th Jan 2021, 16:18
ATC Watcher
The UAS / flying car industry is not yet to that level and when it will be its costs will raise considerably, killing many business cases.
Also killing many business people and regular people too ...

ETOPS
28th Jan 2021, 16:32
Looks very good - would be interested in a visit later this year.

https://www.flyer.co.uk/govt-backing-for-coventrys-evtol-po

GROUNDHOG
28th Jan 2021, 17:52
scr1 took the words right out of my mouth!
For .... sake, people can't drive cars properly what the hell would they be like flying at the same time!

racedo
28th Jan 2021, 18:52
Only if it driflies itself.

ETOPS
29th Jan 2021, 06:15
people can't drive cars properly what the hell would they be like flying at the same time!

These are not cars and you don't drive them - merely sit inside as the machine flies itself. Early use cases will be operated like helicopters and will be professionaly flown.

We need to stop using the "car" word :ugh:

DaveReidUK
29th Jan 2021, 09:53
Praying, presumably.

osborne
29th Jan 2021, 20:00
Useful for trimming overhanging branches. Anyone got a weeping willow ?

PAXboy
30th Jan 2021, 17:45
We have to trust that these machines, apart from being self driving, will have TCAS that works really, really well and is capable of checking all angles all the time. Then test it for multiple TCAS alerts arriving in a 5 or 10 second time frame.

I'm not concerned for the lives of the people in these crates - just for those of us on the ground.