Poznan, Poland-based Jetson Aerohas completed initial flights of what it hopes will be a personal drone fast and nimble enough to make for entertaining racing. For now, though, the Jetson Speeder is less an aerial go-kart and more an eight-motor aircraft-aluminum H with a carbon-fiber seat in the middle.
In the video below, the proof-of-concept Speeder completes a series of low-altitude, low-speed maneuvers in Tuscany, Italy, during its second flight. Lofted by eight 18-HP motors claimed to produce 94 pounds of thrust each, the Speeder is said to have a maximum speed of 62 MPH (100 KPH) and 15-20 minutes’ endurance. Weight with batteries is said to be 166 pounds.
There is no doubt a lot of R&D and flight test between the basic prototype and the company’s conception of sleek racing craft, though the unducted props raise the possibility of unsportsmanlike conduct on the race course.
Ehang announced last February that it had flown “40 or so” passengers in its Ehang 184 autonomous VTOL.
