The Crimson S8 can fly at a height of 15m with a payload of 100kg. — The Straits Times/Asia News Network
SINGAPORE: A Singapore firm has unveiled a one-seater flying vehicle that it hopes could be used for door-to-door transportation in urban areas when it is launched in the United States.
The personal aerial vehicle, named Crimson S8, is earmarked to launch in California late next year, Neo Aeronautics said yesterday.
It will not be launched in Singapore due to regulations.
The vehicle is currently undergoing indoor trials without an operator on board in Loyang. Neo Aeronautics is looking to fine-tune the model and conduct outdoor trials soon.
Founder and chief executive Assoc Prof (Adjunct) Neo Kok Beng said the vehicle is designed for low-level urban aerial mobility and facilitates door-to-door urban transportation.
It can fit into a standard American carpark lot measuring around 15sq m and can fly at a height of 15m with a payload of 100kg.
It will have a maximum speed of 100kph.The current development model can stay airborne for 20 minutes, but the company plans to improve the limit up to at least 60 minutes.
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The vehicle can also fly on autopilot or be manually controlled by the pilot.
Prof Neo, who teaches innovation and technology commercialisation at the National University of Singapore, said the Crimson S8 is designed to fit into the ultralight category set by the US Federal Aviation Administration.
This means that any potential operator will not require a pilot licence to fly the vehicle.
“Flying the Crimson S8 fulfils our aspiration that everyone can fly as it is as simple as operating a drone,” he said.
Prof Neo said the company planned to launch the vehicle in 25 cities in the United States by 2025, with 1,000 units in each city.
He started the company last August last year and built the Crimson S8 with three other engineers. He has invested over US$200,000 (RM825,550) of his own money into the project.
In the long term, he plans to offer the Crimson S8 on a membership-based scheme.
“If we sell unit by unit, not many people can afford it. We are going for the masses so we go by membership services and will take care of maintenance and upgrading,” said Prof Neo.
