Zapata’s Air Scooter zooms into reality…
It could well be the stuff of sci-fi/fantasy flicks – soaring over traffic jams on the way to save the world. Okay, maybe not the second part, but in the personal aviation game, Zapata have created a saviour of sorts with their latest innovation – the Air Scooter.
Recently revealed at a Viva Technology event, this electric wasp may well revolutionise how we take to the skies, and having created groundbreaking machines like the Flyboard Air and JetRacer – you know Zapata have the creds.
Heavily influenced by the world of virtual reality gaming and elite jetfighters, the scooter is equipped with two VR-style joysticks as the main controls, creating a legit pilot experience for the operator.
With a distinctive design featuring six rotors that extend from its body, the layout not only guarantees a smooth VTOL (vertical takeoff and landing) journey but also allows for some sweet panoramic views. The main feature are those egg-shaped glass panels that make up the panoramic glass enclosure.Coming with hybrid propulsion, it is projected to achieve a flight time of two hours (with 18.9 litre tank) – easily slaying all the competitors in the industry stuck on electric propulsion.
With a top speed of 100 km/h and cruise speed of 80 km/h, the hybrid propulsion almost equates to the carbon footprint of a passenger vehicle, which is less eco than electric VTOLs, but greener than copters or jets.
Zapata insists the computer-assisted ‘fly by wire’ controls will provide the highest degree of safety while also requiring minimal training, meaning no pilot licence – no problem.
In the automotive world the sky is clearly no longer the limit, and Zapata’s Air Scooter aims straight for that blurred line between virtual and reality. While infrastructure is yet to catch up, Zapata is taking a step closer to that reality.
By Bill Varetimidis
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