The Blackfly Personal Flight Vehicle

VTOL That Google's Larry Page Is Investing In


Source:  Opener's Blackfly in Flight with the CEO Piloting

Vertical Take Offs and Landings in Your Personal Flying Machine
The Blackfly is a single seat, electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft.  The startup company developing it is Opener, headquartered in Palo Alto.  And none other than Alphabet and Google's Larry Page is a major financial backer behind it. Opener hopes to put it on the market in 2019 with a price-tag of an SUV.

Revolutionary Travel Tech
This is clearly a revolutionary form of personal transportation. It's not a flying car but aims to compete with cars as the primary mode of transportation.  In the picture above founder/CEO Marcus Leng is flying it. They have flown the aircraft more than 22,000 miles and completed 1600 flights.  The company says the aircraft can go 25 miles at a speed of 62 mph.  Like Larry Page's other personal flying vehicle investment Kitty Hawk and its aircraft Flyer, the pilot uses a joy stick to control the vehicle.

Tech Specs
The aircraft uses 8 small rotors spread across 2 parallel wings for flight. The company says, it's designed with "triple-modular redundant flight systems, control surfaces and sensors" to ensure safety.  It has auto-land and return-to-home features to make it user friendly.  Additionally, the company says it's energy efficient, quiet, and amphibious - it can take off and land on water and land. Opener is going to require pilots to take the FAA private pilot written exam and training from the company before flying Blackfly.  For more travel and other news stories on innovation, go to amazon.com/author/ekane

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