Luxury carmaker Aston Martin has unveiled plans for a personal aircraft dubbed a “sports car for the skies”.
The company has teamed up with jet engine maker Rolls-Royce and engineering boffins at Cranfield University on the futuristic project.
A concept aircraft was unveiled at the Farnborough Airshow, but the consortium hopes to have a flying version ready for the next show in two years.
The three-seat hybrid-electric vehicle will be vertical take-off and landing.
Aston Martin, so associated with James Bond, dismissed suggestions it was a gimmick more likely to appear in 007 films than be seen flying commercially.
“Personalised and electric air transport is a fast-developing area and we need to start getting into it,” said James Stephens, the company’s director of global government.
A number of aviation and technology firms are hoping to make electric-powered small aircraft and air-taxis a reality, including Airbus, ride-sharing firm Uber, and a Google-backed firm called Kitty Hawk. Earlier this week, Rolls-Royce announced plans to develop a flying taxi engine, although the project with Aston Martin is separate.
Mr Stephens said Aston Martin wants to corner the market in next-generation luxury flying vehicles for the rich and famous. The aircraft would, he said, “be a sports car for the skies”.
But it won’t come cheap. The working price guide for the vehicle is put at between £3-5m
“We, in the UK, have the ability to develop this,” Mr Stephens said. “The challenge is time, money and regulation. But the market will be there eventually.”
SOURCE – BBC
