Photo: Instagram/Bellwether
In the world of UAM (Urban Air Mobility), flying cars have a special place. As their name suggests, they look more like cars that can actually fly, in contrast to most eVTOLs (electric vertical take-off and landing). The one named Oryx was developed by a London-based company and has just hit a milestone.
It’s slightly bigger than an SUV and has enough room for two passengers plus the pilot. This is the third-generation version of the Oryx, the flying car designed by Bellwether. It will be 6.2-meter-long (20 feet) and 3.8-meter-wide (12.4 feet), with no fixed wings, and with a hidden propulsion system.
To give us a better idea of what Oryx can do, Bellwether says that a route that would take at least 50 minutes to complete by car (Heathrow Airport to Canary Wharf) would be completed in just eight minutes by the Oryx, flying at 140 kph (87 mph).
This third-generation version claims to boast even better flight efficiency, extended range, and better flight control, thanks to its new configuration, plus multiple control surfaces. It’s the result of several years of development, which started with the Gazelle design back in 2015.
What the London-based manufacturer wants is to go beyond what it calls a stereotype – the idea that eVTOLs are just “smaller airplanes” that must have fixed wings and external propellers.
It challenged this by introducing the concept of “volars,” meaning a new type of flying vehicle for private transportation. Volars are supposed to be not only better for the environment and compatible with the complex aerial environments of big urban centers but also easy to operate by anyone.
The new-and-improved Oryx is ready to take to the sky for the first time next year. The event is set to take place in Dubai together with Inmarsat and Enata Aerospace. At the same time, development continues – Bellwether is already working on a four-passenger version.
To give us a better idea of what Oryx can do, Bellwether says that a route that would take at least 50 minutes to complete by car (Heathrow Airport to Canary Wharf) would be completed in just eight minutes by the Oryx, flying at 140 kph (87 mph).
This third-generation version claims to boast even better flight efficiency, extended range, and better flight control, thanks to its new configuration, plus multiple control surfaces. It’s the result of several years of development, which started with the Gazelle design back in 2015.
What the London-based manufacturer wants is to go beyond what it calls a stereotype – the idea that eVTOLs are just “smaller airplanes” that must have fixed wings and external propellers.
It challenged this by introducing the concept of “volars,” meaning a new type of flying vehicle for private transportation. Volars are supposed to be not only better for the environment and compatible with the complex aerial environments of big urban centers but also easy to operate by anyone.
The new-and-improved Oryx is ready to take to the sky for the first time next year. The event is set to take place in Dubai together with Inmarsat and Enata Aerospace. At the same time, development continues – Bellwether is already working on a four-passenger version.
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