CycloTech’s flying car features a unique rotor design, achieving a maximum speed of 120 km/h, and is expected to undergo flight testing early next year.
The Austrian aerospace company CycloTech has announced that it is developing a prototype of a vertical take-off and landing vehicle to test its electric propulsion system. The company hopes to finalize the BlackBird model by the end of this year and begin flight tests in early 2025, according to New Atlas.
The design of CycloTech’s BlackBird flying car. (Photo: CycloTech).
CycloTech has been developing a 360-degree vector thrust chamber called CycloRotor for several years. The company intends to test the 7th version of this propulsion system in the prototype. According to them, the CycloRotor is particularly suitable for flying cars as it is the only system that can control thrust vectoring in terms of power and direction along a 360-degree path.
The BlackBird will be equipped with 6 CycloRotors allowing for vertical take-off and landing, parallel parking, and mid-air braking and deceleration. The vehicle’s design resembles the CruiseUp model that the company shared in 2023, measuring 4.9 meters in length, 2.3 meters in width, and 2 meters in height. With a maximum take-off weight of 340 kg, the BlackBird can reach a top speed of 120 km/h.
The configuration of 6 CycloRotors includes 2 rotors along the length of the vehicle, enabling precise lateral movement and reverse flight, as well as mid-air braking without tilting. This will provide passengers with a smooth ride regardless of air conditions. The 6-rotor configuration also allows the vehicle to continue operating in case of an engine failure.
CycloTech has conducted 800 test flights since 2021 with the first-generation prototype equipped with 4 CycloRotors and a smaller 83 kg fuselage. The company successfully raised $21.8 million in funding in February to launch the BlackBird early next year.
CycloTech has not disclosed the passenger capacity of the BlackBird or the range of its battery. If the vehicle has specifications similar to the CruiseUp model, it could carry two passengers with a relatively short range of 100 km. In that case, it would be closer to a personal vehicle than an air taxi.
