AUTONEWS

Pivotal Helix: a different flying car

When it began operations in 2016, the World Directory of eVTOL Aircraft had only a few flying car projects (as eVTOLs became known) registered. This year, there are already more than a thousand. In this market, Pivotal Helix maintains its leadership and will be the first commercial flying car delivered to buyers next month.

Most of the aircraft listed by the directory are expected to be launched within the next three years. Pivotal Helix has gone ahead: it will deliver to buyers in July this year.

Sales, however, started even earlier. According to New Atlas, the first batch of the flying car was sold in October last year. The United States Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) received four of the eight Helix aircraft and two flight simulators for evaluation in February of this year. The delivery highlights the aircraft's potential for diverse missions, including surveillance, special operations and disaster response.

For individual buyers, deliveries will be next month. What differentiated the model from traditional helicopters was its accessibility: the cheapest package starts at US$190,000, with relatively lower operating costs.

By comparison, a Bell-Boeing V-22 Osprey model, a manned tiltrotor and the only other aircraft produced to date, costs about US$92.6 million. Not to mention the day-to-day operating costs.

Another positive point of the flying car is that it is not necessary to have a license, just training before receiving it. See other features of the model:

The Pivotal Helix is ​​a one-seat PAV (Personal Air Vehicle) eVTOL (Vertical Takeoff and Landing) aircraft with a range of more than 32.19 km;

Cruising speed reaches around 100 km/h;

In addition to the simplest option, there are trailer and cart configurations, which can maximize the model's capabilities;

The cockpit is relatively simple, with user interface and joystick controls;

The model is sold in three packages: the simplest, priced at US$190,000; a $240,000 and a $260,000 version, the latter two with trailer and dolly configurations;

For now, the Pivotal Helix can only be sold and flown in the United States.

Pivotal is already leading the eVTOL sector, but the flying car could get even bigger in the future.

The company has plans for larger Helix variants, for two people and versions equipped with 12 rotors and autonomous cargo.

Mundoquatrorodas