With a five-metre wingspan and a cruising speed of 160km/h, the Skyfly Axe is the next small thing in personal aircraft…
From the Watfly Atlas, to the Urban LEO Coupe, we’ve seen the potential that electric propulsion has as mass transport, and now London-based Skyfly is taking a swing with their ‘Axe’, an electric two seater that’s actually affordable – as far as personal eVTOLs go.
The Axe is a two-wing aircraft with four five-foot propellers that is capable of vertical takeoff and landing – although a 50 metre runway is highly recommended.
A 48 kW dual battery powers the four 70 kW motors at the end of the wings, which give it a 161 km/h cruising speed and a range of 160 km, which can be doubled if you click yes to an optional hybrid generator. Given its wingspan of just 5 metres, the Axe can be parked in a driveway or larger garage – no hangar needed.
Able to climb 700 metres per minute, the body is a carbon fibre composite providing low weight (600 kg) and high rigidity. The tail has a vertical stabilizer, and the aircraft has fixed wheeled landing gear; a simplified design which will be less costly and help with certification – which is expected in two years.
Skyfly sees the aircraft used for daily commuting, shopping and leisure. If you aren’t terrible at flying a drone, there’s a good chance you’ll master the Axe in roughly an hour because the controls are just as familiar and even more fun.
For safety, an autonomous landing system enables the aircraft to – funnily enough – automatically land, in an emergency. A back up parachute takes care of any last resort needs. Just imagine the feeling of taking off for work from your driveway; even the most loyal petrol head would gladly swap their ground machine for the Axe today. Aiming for 2024 deliveries, the base price is approximately $250,000 – carry on luggage included.
By Bill Varetimidis
For the full article grab the August 2023 issue of MAXIM Australia from newsagents and convenience locations. Subscribe here.
