Airspeeder Archives - 2LUXURY2.COM

Nothing drives innovation like racing. Take a look at IWC Schaffhausen x Airspeeder flying racecar ushering in a new era of sustainable motorsport.

@ IWC Schaffhausen X @Airpseeder; @airspeeder.com/

Airspeeder is the world’s first racing series for electric flying cars.

The Airspeeder racing series is the brainchild of founder Matt Pearson, who also runs Alauda, the world’s first performance electric flying car manufacturer. Taking inspiration from the role sport has traditionally played in advancing the cause of technology, Pearson’s visionary idea is to create a new kind of motorsport to accelerate the advanced air mobility revolution and transform passenger, logistical and even medical transportation.

The planned global race series will eventually see a full grid of eVTOL (electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing) craft,
manufactured by Alauda, managed by individual teams and operated by elite pilots, compete at heights of up to 40m off the ground and at top speeds of 200km/h. The air races will take place on electronically-created tracks and be streamed globally, minimising the environmental impact of more complex logistics and infrastructure.

“It’s fantastic to play a part in bringing Matt’s bold vision to life. The Airspeeder team are true pioneers of aviation and they are bringing together two things that are really close to IWC’s heart. From making some of the planet’s best pilots’ watches for the last eighty years to the cut and thrust of modern automotive design and racing, we have always equipped and inspired those who dare to dream. We are proud to collaborate on an endeavour that will make such a progressive impact on society,” Christoph Grainger-Herr, IWC CEO.

Airspeeder developed its first small-scale prototype performance eVTOL in 2017 and has continued to finesse the design ever since through computer modelling and simulation, as well as extensive testing.

The newest vehicle, the Mk3, is the world’s first fully functional electric flying racing car.

With an overall aesthetic reminiscent of classic 1950s sportscars combined with racing drones, the speeders feature an octocopter layout, airfoil- profiled rotor arms, cutting- edge carbon-fibre composites and the latest EV battery technology. New advances in safety are delivered through a suite of technologies and engineering elements never before seen on an eVTOL craft. These innovations include LiDAR and Radar collision avoidance systems that create a ‘virtual force field’ around the craft to ensure close but ultimately safe racing. Designed for maximum performance and aerial agility, they move through the air with precision and pace. An entire grid of these remotely piloted Mk3s is currently being built by Airspeeder, ahead of this year’s competitive pilotless events.

The Mk4 is expected to launch in 2022, before the inaugural crewed season gets underway.

Motorsport evolved: Airspeeder race eVTOL is built for a future international race series.

The world no longer demands what traditional motorsport delivers. The future of transport is flight. Airspeeder takes what is dreamed in E-Sports and makes it reality, says Australian aviation firm Alauda Racing, a leading performance flying car manufacturer. Their vehicles power the world’s first electric flying car racing series. Alauda Aeronautics is a Sydney-based company founded by Matt Pearson in 2016.

Airspeeder will be synonymous with the world’s first electric flying car racing series.

It is the world’s first racing series for manned electric flying cars. With elite pilots race manned electric multicopters above some of the world’s most exotic locations, this new sport is found at the confluence of frontier technology and new world entertainment. The sport promises to be the greatest modern sporting spectacle on the planet, with pilots propelled to speeds of 200kph in the largest, most powerful octocopters on the planet.

Alauda Racing is currently at a stage of advanced testing. Its MK2 electric flying multicopters successfully completed trials throughout2019. A team of test pilots recruited from the US Air Force and Martin Aviation will test the MK3 advanced development prototype in the Mojave desert.

The MK4, first shown as a concept in the summer of 2019 will be co-developed in the UK and South Australia, with the latter proving the perfect testing ground for both ground control and manned flights as the sport nears its inaugural ‘Beta Season’. This will included public manned test flights that will demonstrate Airspeeder’s potential to be the most exciting sport on the planet. The firm is poised to deliver this flight but exact timings will be dependent on the lifting of restrictions related to the current global health crisis.

Matthew Pearson and CCO, Jack Whithanshaw are actively engaged in open dialogue with the wider passenger flying car industry (eVTOL) to open co-development channels that address the key issues of safety, regulation and awareness.

“We believe in open innovation. Looking back to the development of both the car and aeroplane over a century ago, it was sporting competition that drove progress. We are delighted to work in close collaboration with global regulators and the wider eVTOL industry to bring closer a revolution in airborne mobility,” said Matt Pearson, Founder, Alauda & Airspeeder.

Airspeeder’s vision has been affirmed by significant institutional backing. The firm has secured funding from two of Australia’s leading technology Venture Capital firms, Saltwater Capital and Jelix Ventures. The investment into the future of mobility backs a pioneer in eVTOL (Electrical Vertical Take Off and Landing), which is a sector that is predicted to be worth $1.5 trillion by 2035.

Final ‘manned’ tests of the Speeders are technically ready. These flights will take place in the desert surrounding the firm’s HQ in South Australia once restrictions relating to the global health crisis are lifted. First head-to-head dual races are planned to take place in late 2020.