Vahana eVTOL demonstrator offers glimpse of the future

摘要

It was a sign of the times at this year's EAA AirVenture. For the first time, the Airbus booth near the flight line did not exclusively feature one the company's sleek production helicopters on static display, but rather the second prototype of its tandem tilt-wing Vahana eVTOL. A single-seat urban air mobility demonstrator, the futuristic vehicle features eight 45-kW electric motors. It drew more foot traffic than any of the company's helicopters ever did. Despite the excitement, Amanda Simpson, Airbus Americas vice president for research and technology, cautions that it will be some time before such vehicles are commercially viable or economically sustainable in a way that appeals to a mass market.