Seagull-shaped air taxi tested in New York

American companies Blade Air Mobility and BETA Technologies announced the first successful test of an electric

aircraft with vertical take-off ALIA-250. The manned eVTOL, developed by BETA, is planned to be used to organize local passenger transportation.

Test flight of ALIA-250 in New York. Photo: Blade Air Mobility, Inc.

ALIA-250 is equipped with all-electric poweran installation with the possibility of vertical take-off and landing and a noise profile that is 1/10 of the noise level of conventional helicopters, the developers note. This eVTOL can carry up to six people: five passengers and a pilot.

The design of the device is inspired by the Arctic tern.These gull birds migrate further than any other type of bird, visiting every corner of the Earth, the developers explain. New electric vehicles should create the same mobility opportunities, they add. 


ALIA-250 flight demonstration during previous tests

ALIA-250 can fly more than 450 in one flightkm, and it takes only 50 minutes to restore the charge. In addition to the passenger version, the company also presented a cargo modification that can transport cargo up to 5.6 m³.

Blade develops global platformair mobility to provide fast, cost-effective alternatives to ground transportation on popular routes. Right now, the company's fleet mostly uses helicopters, but the company plans to launch up to 20 eVTOLs for US transportation.

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