The following report is by Euro News:
Taking a trip across town in an autonomous flying taxi sounds like the sort of thing promised by science fiction, that always remains just out of reach in reality.
This may be about to change though, after China issued the world’s first certification for an autonomous electric flying cab.
The “type certificate” certifies the safety and airworthiness of an aircraft, and it was awarded by Chinese officials to Chinese startup EHang, which develops craft in the air mobility sector.
EHang now boasts the world’s first eVTOL (electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft) to be granted such a licence, and it could signal the potential imminent green light for the commercial operation of these types of machines in the country.
Upon receiving the certification, the company said it set a benchmark for airworthiness certifications for eVTOLS in China and beyond, as well as serving as an “epoch-making milestone for commercial UAM operations”.
The certificate was issued for the company’s EH216-S unmanned aircraft system, after it went through a validation process including extensive lab, ground, and flight tests at test sites across multiple locations in China.
They tested for structural strength, flame resistance, crashworthiness, gas toxicity, and software simulation amongst an array of other factors.
The two-seater electric vehicle flies thanks to a number of small rotors, and can reach a maximum range of around 30 km, with top design speeds of 130 km/hour.
Applying for a type certificate is a lengthy and costly process, but once the document has been obtained, it opens the way for the aircraft to be used by the general public.
This model will undergo operational qualification examinations and will be officially put into commercial operation once it has met the requirements.
The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), said.
We hope to be the first in the world, in the short term, to launch commercial operation of autopilot eVTOLs.
Hu Huazhi, founder and CEO of EHang, told AFP.
Considered one of the world leaders in urban air mobility, the company was founded in 2014 before going public on the Nasdaq stock exchange in 2019. It is based in the metropolis of Guangzhou in southern China.
In Europe, electric flying taxis are being readied for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris – but the authorities and regulators still need to get on board before that gets the go ahead.
AUTHOR COMMENTARY
But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.
Daniel 12:4
The World Economic Forum has said that by 2030 the smart cities would be seeing “flying cars.” These are perhaps an example of what they meant by that.
First communication became digitized and free to everyone. Then, when clean energy became free, things started to move quickly. Transportation dropped dramatically in price. It made no sense for us to own cars anymore, because we could call a driverless vehicle or a flying car for longer journeys within minutes. We started transporting ourselves in a much more organized and coordinated way when public transport became easier, quicker and more convenient than the car. Now I can hardly believe that we accepted congestion and traffic jams, not to mention the air pollution from combustion engines. What were we thinking?
WEF wrote in an essay
[7] Who goeth a warfare any time at his own charges? who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit thereof? or who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock? [8] Say I these things as a man? or saith not the law the same also? [9] For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen? [10] Or saith he it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written: that he that ploweth should plow in hope; and that he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope. (1 Corinthians 9:7-10).
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Yooo Raah, full sized rc drones; ah nope, no way. Like I have said before; it’s all electrotonic and if your flying in one and see the release of the “magic smoke” ya drop like a rock, no noise just poof.
Boy, ain’t man smart?!
Reading this, I was reminded of China’s ‘amazing progress’ with building construction & so forth ….until the buildings started collapsing due to shoddy construction, short-cuts, poor steel and concrete being replaced by ‘fillers’ etc. The videos put up by angry Chinese people who gave their sweat and blood for new homes only to have walls collapse when leaned upon etc.
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I think I’d rather walk. The odds of surviving to serve another day are better on the ground than from a failure or ‘intervention’, ‘cancellation’ etc while suspended several hundred feet in the air.
What a waste of time and money! If they’d receive Jesus, they could fly for free, a lot further, and a lot longer in the Rapture!