Strange flying car design speed 150 km/h

CycloTech's flying car prototype has a unique rotor design, reaches a maximum speed of 120 km/h and is expected to have a test flight early next year .

CycloTech's BlackBird flying car concept. Photo: CycloTech

Austrian aviation company CycloTech says it is building a prototype of a vertical takeoff and landing vehicle to test its electric flight propulsion system. The company hopes to complete the BlackBird flying car by the end of the year and begin test flights in early 2025, according to New Atlas .

CycloTech has been developing a 360-degree vector thrust chamber called the CycloRotor for the past few years. The company plans to test the seventh version of this propulsion system in a prototype. According to the company, the CycloRotor is especially suitable for flying cars because it is the only system that can control the thrust vector in terms of power and direction along a 360-degree path.

BlackBird will be equipped with 6 CycloRotors that allow for vertical takeoff and landing, parallel parking, braking and deceleration in mid-air. The vehicle's design is similar to the CruiseUp model the company shared in 2023, measuring 4.9 meters long, 2.3 meters wide and 2 meters high. With a maximum takeoff weight of 340 kg, BlackBird can reach a top speed of 120 km/h.

The 6 CycloRotor configuration includes 2 rotors along the length of the vehicle, allowing for precise horizontal and backward flight, as well as mid-air braking without tilting. This will provide passengers with a smooth ride regardless of air conditions. The 6 rotor configuration also allows the vehicle to continue operating in the event of an engine failure.

CycloTech has conducted 800 test flights since 2021, with a first-generation prototype equipped with four CycloRotors and a smaller 83kg body. The company also successfully called for $21.8 million in investment in February to get BlackBird off the ground early next year.

CycloTech hasn’t said how many people the BlackBird can hold or what range its battery pack can reach. If the vehicle has similar specs to the CruiseUp, it could carry two passengers for a relatively short 62 miles (100 kilometers). In that case, it would be closer to a personal vehicle than a flying taxi.