Airspeeder has made history with the first flights of a full-scale electric flying racing car, the remotely piloted Alauda Mk3.
These first flights have taken place at undisclosed test locations in the deserts of South Australia under the observation of Australia’s Civil Aviation Safety Authority.
The successful execution of these flights means that the electric flying car Grand Prixes will take place in 2021 at three soon-to-be-revealed international locations.
As WhichEV reported, these races will see elite pilots, drawn from aviation, motorsport, and eSports backgrounds, remotely pilot the world’s only racing electric vertical take-off and landing craft.
EXA is Airspeeder’s first racing series. Up to four teams with two remote pilots per team will compete in three individual events across the globe through 2021. They will race ‘blade-to-blade’ over locations inaccessible to traditional motorsport. Audiences will tune in through global streams available on-demand.
This approach reflects the changing requirements of global audiences, in particular a generation native to streaming and the ability to interact directly with the content generators they follow, according to Matthew Pearson, Founder of Airspeeder and Alauda Aeronautics.
“EXA delivers on the promise of a future first shown in science fiction. We are proud to introduce a sport that redefines what humans and machines can achieve together,” he said. “These historic first flights are just the start, and we are all excited to begin a momentous new chapter in motorsport’s rich legacy.”
The Alauda Aeronautics Mk3 EXA race-craft are remotely piloted by highly skilled women and men. They take a seat in a simulator environment that mimics the dynamics and ergonomics of the Mk3 cockpit environment. From there they control the vehicle in exactly the same way as a pilot located in the cockpit with finger-tip commands sent instantly to the physical Speeder as it plots a series of courses dictated by electronic sky-tracks.
As WhichEV reported, the MK3 delivers 320kWat maximum power, equalling an Audi SQ7 performance SUV, and can accelerate 0-62mph in 2.8 seconds.
Every Airspeeder race includes rapid pit stops. To facilitate this, Alauda’s engineers have developed an innovative ‘slide and lock’ system for the swift removal and replacement of batteries when on the ground.
To execute the creation of an entirely new classification of advanced aircraft, Pearson has gathered a world-class team of technical experts, engineers, and designers from F1, performance automotive and civil and military aviation backgrounds. This includes McLaren, Brabham, Boeing, Jaguar and Rolls-Royce, Pearson has explained.
“The Alauda Aeronautics Mk3 is the world’s first performance eVTOL craft. It is the result of the very best minds working with focus to accelerate a mobility revolution,” he said. “Racing will take this a step further and we cannot wait to compete with elite teams to show the world the dynamic potential of these incredible performance race-craft.”
Airspeeder employs a systems-based approach to safety. This is a recognised methodology from military, civilian and performance aviation. This means that no single operational failure can lead to loss of the primary function of the vehicle, which is controlled flight.
This new series is considered a gamechanger for the future of the technology according to Pearson.
“Nothing drives innovation like racing,” he said. “The world is ready for advanced air mobility, and we are proud to make history by introducing the world’s first racing series for flying electric cars.”