2020 has been a year full of surprises, wouldn’t you agree? From a global pandemic to moon missions for civilians, things that would have been once considered as far-fetched concepts have all began to crystalise this year. To add to the list of jaw-dropping things, a Japanese company has successfully tested a manned flying car. By Amitha Ameen
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If you are a 90’s kid, you probably grew up watching the Jetsons. A show revolving around a family that seems to be living in a utopian future with flying cars and houses in the sky. While the latter seems questionable, at least for now, flying cars are very much set to become a reality for us in the near future as a Japanese company has successfully conducted a test drive.
A Japanese company called Sky Drive Inc. has conducted a public demonstration on August 25 at one of the largest test centres in Japan, the Toyota Test Field, which is also the company’s development base. The flying car demonstration was a first in Japanese history. Named SD-03 and manned with a pilot, the car took off and flew for four minutes before landing again.
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“We want to realise a society where flying cars are an accessible and convenient means of transportation in the skies and people are able to experience a safe, secure and comfortable new way of life,” said CEO Tomohiro Fukuzawa in a statement.
The SD-03 is the world’s smallest electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing (eVTOL) model and will be a new means of transportation in the near future. The flying car is as big as two parked cars and the exterior is in pear white to represent the white birds and the floating clouds. The company hopes to obtain approval for flights outside the test field before the end of 2020.
“We will continue to develop technologies and acquire type certification so that safe and secure flying car operation services can be launched in fiscal 2023,” added CTO Nobuo Kishi.
Related: For The First Time Ever, Japan’s Ozu Castle Is Inviting Guests To Stay Overnight
