Airlios, a Hanoi-based company, showcased its flying motorbike model at the Vietnam Auto Show (VMS) 2022.
The flying motorbike model by Airlios has the capability to vertically take off and land with the use of electricity. It has a weight of 220 kg, a length of 1.9 m, a height of 1.15 m, a wingspan of 2 m, and a maximum load capacity of 100 kg.
The flying motorbike comes equipped with a total of 8 electric motors, which are evenly distributed across 4 axes. These motors are powered by 8 individual lithium-ion batteries, each with a capacity of 27,000 mAh. This setup ensures that in the event of a battery failure, the vehicle can still safely land.
To charge these batteries efficiently, a 30 kW DC charging station is utilized. With this charging station, the task of fully charging the motorbike’s batteries is accomplished in a remarkably quick time frame of only 7-9 minutes. Additionally, charging the batteries from 30 to 90 percent only requires approximately 5 minutes.
Airlios primarily utilizes aluminum alloy and carbon fiber in manufacturing the chassis and propellers that rotate.
The flying car model has the capability to lift off vertically from a stationary position and sustain it for 10 seconds. Once it surpasses a height of 10m, the vehicle gains the ability to maneuver and move.
The Airlios test prototype accomplished a 33km flight, reaching a maximum speed of 100km/h, lasting for 20 minutes, and maintaining an altitude below 120m. The commercial version has also been tested under the same conditions. However, the height limit of 120m could pose challenges for this type of aerial vehicle when operating in urban areas with numerous high-rise buildings.
The commercial edition of Airlios offers two control modes.
- Automatic: The flight path is pre-routed from point A to point B and is set to change altitude depending on the actual terrain to optimize energy savings.
- Driver mode: Requires the driver to complete a training course of 6 months to 1 year to master control skills.
Airlios conceived the concept of a flying motorbike half a decade ago. Presently, the company has made significant progress, completing around 70-80% of the project. As per their roadmap, Airlios aims to introduce the commercial product by 2024 with the intention of utilizing it for rescue operations and passenger transportation purposes.
Prior to its debut at the VMS 2022 expo, Airlios has amassed over 100 flight hours and conducted test flights covering a distance exceeding 1,000 km with their flying motorbike prototypes.
The Airlios flying motorbike comes in 4 different versions. The Air One standard version is the most affordable option, priced at $81,000 USD, which is equivalent to over 2 billion VND. The Peganus model costs $88,000, while the Minotaur and Custom versions are priced at $99,000 each.
