Airbus’ all-electric, self-piloted, vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft, Vahana, has completed its first full-scale test flight at Pendleton UAS Range in Pendleton, Oregon, US.
During the 53s fully self-piloted flight, the aircraft reached an altitude of 5m.
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Developed by Airbus’ Silicon Valley unit A³, Vahana has also concluded a second flight a day after completing its first trip.
A³ CEO and Vahana former project executive Rodin Lyasoff said: “Vahana’s first flight demonstrates Airbus’ unique ability to pursue ambitious ideas quickly, without compromising the quality and safety for which the company is well-known.
“For A³, it proves that we can deliver meaningful innovation with aggressive project timetables, to provide a real competitive advantage for Airbus.
“Our focus now is on celebrating the work of the tireless Vahana team while maintaining the momentum of this accomplishment.”
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By GlobalDataWith the completion of the latest hover flights, Vahana is expected to undergo additional testing, including transitions and forward flight.
Vahana is designed to democratise personal flight and address the increasing demand for urban mobility by leveraging new technologies in electric propulsion, energy storage, and machine vision.
The aircraft is capable of operating in a self-piloted mode without a passenger.
US-based component manufacturer MAGicALL, Modern Technology Solutions (MTSI) and others are also involved in the development of Vahana.
