Photo: Alauda Racing
From 2020, the racing landscape will forever change as humans will not compete head-to-head against each other only on land and water, but also in the air. Airspeeder, the new racing series currently being set up, was previewed this week at the 2019 Goodwood Festival of Speed.
Invented by an Australian company by the name of Alauda Racing, both the series and the machines to race in it have been previewed on the grounds of the Goodwood estate.
Airspeeder the machine is a quadcopter that can reach 200 kph (124 mph) and heights of up to 900 meters (2,900 feet). It stays airborne thanks to eight 50 kW motors that spin 60-inch blades. Power for the motors comes from 500 kW battery packs that can keep up an intense pace for 15 minutes.
At Goodwood, the Alauda team flew a remote-controlled test Airspeeder, but from 2020 onwards real humans will get inside and race each other in the sky.
Airspeeder the racing series will work pretty much as Formula E does today. The first season will comprise five teams and ten pilots, taking each other on in 30-or-so minutes races, with an included pit stop for battery swap..
The actual quadcopters they’ll use will be much bigger than the one shown in Goodwood, measuring four meters long and weighing 250 kg.
At least for the first season, Alauda will be the sole supplier of racers for the teams. Unmanned tests of the production version Airspeeder will begin in November in the Mojave Desert. The names of the teams and pilots have not been ann0unced.
“This is just the start of our reach for the skies. Our vision sees not just the development of a unique sporting spectacle but also the start of a new industry, with flying cars built for competition providing an ideal environment for innovation and technical evolution. Just watch this space.” said in a statement Alauda CEO Matt Pearson.
Airspeeder the machine is a quadcopter that can reach 200 kph (124 mph) and heights of up to 900 meters (2,900 feet). It stays airborne thanks to eight 50 kW motors that spin 60-inch blades. Power for the motors comes from 500 kW battery packs that can keep up an intense pace for 15 minutes.
At Goodwood, the Alauda team flew a remote-controlled test Airspeeder, but from 2020 onwards real humans will get inside and race each other in the sky.
Airspeeder the racing series will work pretty much as Formula E does today. The first season will comprise five teams and ten pilots, taking each other on in 30-or-so minutes races, with an included pit stop for battery swap..
The actual quadcopters they’ll use will be much bigger than the one shown in Goodwood, measuring four meters long and weighing 250 kg.
At least for the first season, Alauda will be the sole supplier of racers for the teams. Unmanned tests of the production version Airspeeder will begin in November in the Mojave Desert. The names of the teams and pilots have not been ann0unced.
“This is just the start of our reach for the skies. Our vision sees not just the development of a unique sporting spectacle but also the start of a new industry, with flying cars built for competition providing an ideal environment for innovation and technical evolution. Just watch this space.” said in a statement Alauda CEO Matt Pearson.
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