SkyCruiser Prototype Brings A Car, A Plane and A Copter Into One Amazing Flying Machine

Arizona-based startup, Krossblade, is developing a five-passenger ‘flying car’ that requires no runway to take off. The project has been named as the Skycruiser – an electric hybrid aircraft that not only switches between being a plane and a quadcopter, but can also be driven on roads like a regular car.

The company has, although, come out with a fully operational prototype, dubbed as the ‘SkyProwler’, the actual car is still under development. Like a quadcopter, the SkyProwler has four horizontal propellers that allow it to perform vertical take-offs and landings, and to hover in mid-air.

“Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL) enables aircraft to operate from virtually any environment. No runway is required. This opens up flying to a much larger range of possible terrains, from backyards and rough fields, over snow-covered mountains and sandy beaches, to a boat on the sea,” Krossblade said on Kickstarter.

As reported by Gizmag, while a copter has to tilt its nose down to move forward, the SkyProwler uses the additional two vertical props in the rear to push itself forward. This, in turn, would minimize its frontal area while moving through the air. To make it go really fast, users can instruct the aircraft to retract its landing gear and pull its four copter props into the sides of its body. Its power comes solely from the rear props, maintaining lift using its wings.

It is controlled using a radio remote control unit where the users can relay simple commands like ‘take-off ‘ and ‘land’ via voice prompts. Furthermore, using a supplementary app, users can plot a flight path on a map, which the aircraft will then follow on its own.

While the concept video and the miniature drone looks enthralling we’ll hold on to an applause till we see a final passenger capable vehicle. There are many interesting prototypes that have shown that have shown the possibility of an electric-petrol hybrid engine, but the claims made in the video seem overblown for the moment so you should take it with a bit of salt.