This is the Chevy Volt of helicopters. Excuse me, it's not a helicopter, it's a Volocopter. It's the result of German company e-volo, which has decided that the helicopter as we know it needs some rethinking for the 21st century.
e-volo says the Volocopter takes off and lands vertically like a helicopter, but lacks the mechanical complexity of one, and is therefore safer for its two occupants. Those arms surrounding the passenger compartment have propellers without the pilot having to worry about pitch and angle like on a conventional helicopter.
You should hope wherever you need to go is close by, though, because the batteries in the current version undergoing testing last just 20 minutes, according to the company. They blame the batteries that are available now, so the Volocopter is being developed with a range-extender, sort of like how the BMW i3 is available with one.
The company says the VC200, the most advanced version they've tested, will achieve a maximum altitude of 6,500 feet, be able to carry almost 1,000 lbs. and have a flight time of at least one hour before necessary recharging.
There's no word on when it'll be available to the public, but it looks cool in flight. So if you're in the market for a helicopter of your own, it might be worth it to wait.
Photos: e-volo
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