The US Air Force Tested the First Electric Flying Car

After much speculation as to who would produce the first flying car, the Americans seem to be the fastest, as the US Air Force presented its prototype of a flying car.

This single-passenger vehicle for vertical takeoff and landing is called Hexa, due to its hexagonal shape made by the engines above the “pilot” cockpit, and its test flight was performed just a few days ago in Texas. Popular Hexa is a lightweight 432-pound craft, made by Texas-based LIFT Aircraft, and it runs on whooping 18 independent rotors and a flying car is meant for anybody, not just for those holding a pilot’s license.

The company that designed and built it, LIFT Aircraft, worked on it for several months in order to accelerate the commercial market for advanced aeronautical mobile vehicles. As they point out, Hexa uses 18 rotors and transports one passenger, and depending on the configuration, it can even float on water, it is controlled by a three-axis joystick, and the rest is taken care of by the autopilot. This definitely makes it safer than maneuvering a small traditional plane.

Almost one year after the Air Force officials announced that the Air Force was pursuing “self-flying cars,” the service’s top leaders gathered in Austin, Texas, to watch one take flight. The demonstration took place on August 20 and it was organized under the Air Force’s Agility Prime initiative. The military watched the test flight, where it lifted off from the ground and hovered over Camp Mabry, a base near Austin, Texas. This demonstration was part of Agility Prime, a partnership between the Air Force and private aerospace firms. Furthermore, some members even got to try Hexa for the first time last Thursday, August 20. Lift Aircraft, Inc.’s Founder and CEO, Matt Chasen, was also present at the time and demonstrated the use of this electric vehicle.

The demonstration itself took place exactly 112 years to the day after the Wright Brothers delivered their first military vehicle and the US Air Force seemed quite proud about that fact.

Hexa is approved to fly to heights of 700 feet, or 1,200 feet in some locations, however, not over populated areas.

According to the Air Force officials, this demo flight at Camp Mabry will be the first of many, as the service has seen more than fifteen aerospace companies apply to partner with the Agility Prime program and furnish the service with prototypes.

The Air Force is spending $25 million on Agility Prime this year, allocated under the fiscal year 2020 defense budget.

United States Air Force’s Agility Prime and Lift Aircraft

The United States Air Force’s Agility Prime is a program that invites local companies to provide transportation needs to the military and the USAF and this demonstration was the first for the USAF Agility Prime program.

Agility Prime’s initiative is to equip the USAF with flying cars by partnering with stakeholders, industries, and agencies.

Lift Aircraft’s Hexa, a single-passenger eVTOL or ‘flying car,’ is the company’s prototype in the 1-2 seater category to soon be used by the Air Force.