On Thursday, an electric helicopter with multiple rotors flew in conventional air traffic near Paris in preparation for commercial flights in 2024.
The Volocopter test aircraft, which resembles a large drone with eight rotors, took off from the Pontoise-Cormeilles airfield outside Paris with a passenger on board and briefly circled around while other aircraft were nearby.
Dirk Hoke, CEO of the German company Volocopter, stated that his company will prepare its craft for certification in the next 18 months and that he hopes to launch short commercial flights by 2024, when Paris will host the Summer Olympic Games.
The company wants its two-seater aircraft to eventually take to the skies fully automated, with passengers aboard, but admits that a lot of work was still needed in terms of infrastructure, airspace integration and public acceptance.
The craft’s digital fly-by-wire system and multiple rotors, according to test pilot Paul Stone, make it much easier to fly than a traditional helicopter.
‘In a helicopter, when you move one control, three things happen, and it’s like patting your head and rubbing your tummy – it’s a coordination exercise. In this aircraft, they take away all that difficulty, and it’s very simple controls in each axis, that’s what makes it easier to fly,’ he said.
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