Canadian startup WatFly has developed a single-seat electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft dubbed Atlas. It’s designed for recreational use, and the company plans to start selling them by 2021. The unique part about this aircraft is its tail-sitter design, where the device sits vertically on its tail for both takeoff and landing while it’s on the ground.
Until the physicists figure out teleportation, flight is the best we can do.
– Gonzalo Espinoza Graham.
WatFly’s founders, Abi Chandra and Gonzalo Espinoza Graham are students from the University of Waterloo, Canada. Around five years ago, Graham saw people building oversized backyard quadcopters, and the idea to make the Atlas was born. “We very quickly realized that autonomous, vertical takeoff and landing, electric aircraft would be the next available step, so we got to work,” he added.
Atlas is a 4-rotor manned multicopter design, in which all four of its ducted rotors are aligned along a single wing. While the aircraft is vertical for takeoff and landing, they pivot horizontally during flight. The cabin is connected by a gimbal system that lets the pilot keep an upright sitting position independently from the wing.
The Atlas is mainly made of carbon fiber, which makes it ultra-lightweight. The cockpit offers over 180-degrees Field of View with its glass canopy wraparound. There’s a storage area in the rear, with enough room to fit golf clubs, snowboards, or luggage.
Atlas specifications include:
- One passenger aircraft
- High Performance, All-Electric Powertrain
- Vertical Take-Off and Landing
- Unpressurized cabin
- A wingspan of 4.6 meters (15 feet) by 2.5 meters
- An empty weight of 129 kg (285lbs)
- A height of 8.2 feet
- Maximum speeds reach up to 200 km/h (125 mph)
- As quiet as 87 dBA from 15.2 m (50 ft) away
- It can carry approximately 113 kg (250 lbs) of payload
- Its battery packs recharge within two hours
- It can fly for one hour and hover for 15 minutes per charge
Due to its configurations, the aircraft will be FAA certified as an Ultralight Air Vehicle, meaning Atlas owners won’t need a pilot’s license to fly it. However, they will need to complete the company’s training course. The designation also means that the aircraft is limited to leisure activities with the prohibition of flying over congested areas, such as towns, cities, or specific airspaces. WatFly expects to launch the Atlas by next year with an initial cost of $150,000.
