Alauda Aeronautics has revealed what it says is the world’s first fully functioning electric flying racing car. The Airspeeder Mk3 is a remotely operated electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) vehicle. It will compete in a remotely piloted Airspeeder racing series serving as a technical test-bed and feeder series to a “manned” racing series in 2022.
The unveiling of the vehicle represents the realization of more than three years of development work to create a sport that will accelerate a new clean-air aerial mobility revolution. For more on the Airspeeder, check out the Youtube channel at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtBOZtZL-jqHqk85F55WNtQ and after 15:00 UK time on Feb 5th at https://youtu.be/QMryKkMjNmg.
“The unveiling of the world’s first full-sized electric flying racing car is a landmark moment in the dawn of a new mobility revolution,” said Matthew Pearson, Founder, Airspeeder and Alauda Aeronautics. “It is competition that drives progress and our racing series is hastening the arrival of technology that will transform clean-air passenger transport, logistics, and even advanced air mobility for medical applications. The world’s first electric flying car races will take place this year and will be the most exciting and progressive motorsport on the planet.”
A full grid of Mk3 electric flying racecraft is currently being manufactured at Airspeeder and Alauda’s technical HQ in Adelaide, South Australia. More than 10 identical racing vehicles will be produced and supplied to teams in 2021.
The development team
The craft is being developed and manufactured by a team from leading names in aerospace, automotive, and motorsport technology including Mclaren, Babcock Aviation, Boeing, Jaguar Land Rover, Rolls-Royce, and Brabham.
The unveiling of the Mk3 craft represents a landmark in the development of both the racing series, Airspeeder, and the vehicle’s manufacturer Alauda. In the Spring of 2020, the company received significant institutional backing from Saltwater Capital and Jelix Ventures. This accelerated the growth at the firm’s first technical HQ in Adelaide, with senior engineers joining the firm from leading names in performance automotive, aviation, and motorsport.
Top leaders helping CEO Pearson guide the Airspeeder effort include Jack Withinshaw, Chief Commercial Officer; Lauren Bagshaw-Flanagan, Head of Operations; Felix Pierron, Head of Design; Stephen Sidlo, Head of Media; and Grant Hiller, Lead Engineer.
A strategically important technical partnership was forged with leading cyber-protection firm, Acronis, a backer of F1 and professional “football.” They join global logistics giant DHL and money management firm Equals in backing the sporting-competition vision.
London will be the commercial home of the sport, the team growing there to facilitate the rapid growth of its global fan base, setting the scene for the development of a permanent engineering base.
“Britain is a globally recognized center of excellence in motorsports and aerospace,” said Pearson. “In creating a racing series that will accelerate a mobility revolution we will need to draw upon these skills. We are building an engineering base in Britain, the existing home of our Commercial HQ. This will lead to the creation of highly skilled jobs and strategically important proximity to the rapidly growing eVTOL industry, a market predicted [by Morgan Stanley] to be worth $1.5 trillion by 2050.”
A presence has also been established with the recruitment of a (who) Head of Partnerships in New York City.
The Mk3
The Airspeeder Mk3 racing series will be announced in the coming months. The remotely piloted races will present to the world for the first time close-quarter flying circuit racing at speeds of more than 120 km/h (75 mph). The first races will take place in 2021, and the final private pre-season tests will happen in Australia before the start of an international racing calendar. The initial races will provide vital information on vehicle dynamics, performance, safety, and powertrain technology that will enable the final development of the manned Mk4 Airspeeder vehicle.
Racing will play a key role in hastening the arrival of eVTOL technologies, which the company says promise to revolutionize urban passenger mobility, logistics, and even remote medical transport. Both the remotely piloted Mk3 program and the manned Airspeeder Mk4 flying cars will provide a safe environment from where key innovations around safety, noise, and batteries can be refined and fed into the wider development of the industry.
The Airspeeder Mk3—which will be operated by an expert remote operator from the ground—features a suite of technologies and engineering elements never before seen on an eVTOL craft, claims the company. These innovations to be validated in the unmanned proving phase include LiDAR and radar collision avoidance systems that create a “virtual forcefield” around the craft to ensure close but ultimately safe racing.
The Mk3 features a carbon-fiber frame and fuselage chosen for its strength, stiffness, and lightweight properties, which ensures maneuverability, performance, and efficiency. The frame and fuselage will be further enhanced by a full carbon-fiber monocoque body to be introduced on the Mk4 vehicle.
The powertrain represents a significant upgrade on the Mk2 proof-of-concept vehicle, with power increased by 95% with only a 50% increase in weight. A 96-kW electric powertrain already sees the Mk3 operating with a thrust-to-weight ratio above 2:1 on a craft that weighs just 100 kg (220 lb) unmanned.
The speeders are laid out in an “octocopter X formation,” which provides significant advantages to pilots in terms of maneuverability and stability. When racing, the pilot will be able to make the same sharp hairpin style turns as a Formula 1 car but with the added third dimension of being able to move vertically. The octocopter configuration also adds an important measure of vehicle redundancy and will ensure the craft can safely land and remain in control should a rotor or battery system fail.
Airspeeder races will include rapid pit stops facilitated by Alauda’s engineers’ development of an innovative “slide and lock” system for the rapid removal and replacement of batteries when on the ground. The technology debuts on the Mk3, enabling teams to adapt battery strategy depending on the dynamic requirements of that particular section of the race. For example, for courses requiring more maneuverability but less straight-line speed, a lighter battery pack can be easily selected to deliver more maneuverability at the cost of raw power or endurance.
The future Mk4
Plans call for the Mk4 powertrain to produce 540 hp (403 kW) using eight two-blade motors spinning at 6000 rpm for 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) acceleration in 2.3 s and a top speed of 160-200 km/h (100-124 mph). Weight is expected to be around 400 kg (882 kg). It will race at a height above the ground of 10-60 m (33-196 ft). Racing time per battery is expected to be 5-20 min, with an emergency battery on board.
Terabytes of telemetry and racing operation data will be transmitted instantly to the pit wall and factory, the information protected by Acronis. A suite of safety systems is backed by 22 active and passive sensors including 8 broadcast cameras, front radar, lateral LIDAR, and an active altimeter, feeding the mission computer having collision-avoidance and perception algorithms. The octocopter layout ensures stability remains in the event of a rotor failure and there is a parachute for backup.
Inside is a “cockpit of the future,” with the pilot’s vision enhanced by augmented reality visors providing key performance data while presenting the path through the electronically governed sky tracks displayed alongside key performance telemetry including height, horizon, battery state, and performance. There will be data links for vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure, with the technology allowing a live-feed broadcast from the pilot’s view to the fan’s screen.
