Akihabara News (Tokyo) — Tokyo-based Tetra Aviation has been moving forward with flying tests of its Mk-5 eVTOL (flying car) ahead of its plans to market the vehicle to American customers by the end of next year.
The flying tests have been proceeding in California, where the Mk-5 has been certified for its airworthiness.
The Mk-5 is a lightweight single-seat lift-and-cruise-style aircraft running 32 vertical lift rotors distributed across long, thin wings at the front and rear of a small cabin. The frame is made of aluminum, and the bodywork primarily consists of a lightweight carbon fiber-reinforced polymer.
It is 8.6 meters wide, 6.2 meters long, and 2.5 meters high, and weighs about 490 kilograms. The aircraft is designed for a top cruising speed of 160 kilometers per hour and a range of 160 kilometers.
Tetra is already accepting preorders for the Mk-5, which it plans to sell and deliver to individual customers in the United States as either home-built experimental kit aircraft or complete aircraft at a yet-undetermined price by the end of 2022.
Tetra is also planning to participate in the 2025 World Expo in Osaka, and aims to create new lines of mass produced eVTOL in the future for both the US and Japan markets.
Tetra Aviation is a startup established in 2018 with its roots at the University of Tokyo. It is a recipient of investment money from Drone Fund.
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