Airbus’ “Flying Taxi” Completes Successful First Flight

Although the Airbus-supplied video confirms less than one minute of continuous self-piloted flight, the egg-shaped Vahana electric aircraft did fly on January 31, 2018 in Pendleton, Oregon.

Dubbed Alpha One, the vehicle reached a height of 16 feet before returning to the ground and completed a second flight the following day. The Vahana project was created in 2016 by a consortium of Airbus, Vahana and A3. The Vahana Alpha One was designed to carry a single passenger. The aircraft is 20.3 feet wide, 18.7 feet long and 9.2 feet tall.

Following the completion of this successful test, the Vahana team will continue development and perform further flight tests. They also have identified a new partner for the Vahana’s motors, MAGicALL. The California-based company designs and manufactures custom, cutting-edge components (motors, generators, inductors, transformers, etc.) with impressive performance on rapid and affordable delivery schedules. The Vahana team will begin using the MAGicALL motors soon.