Boeing throws its weight behind Larry Page's flying taxi startup

What is clear is that the industry is fully engaged in producing a drone taxi program.  High powered electric motors and batteries has made all this plausible as well as all possible configurations.

The best setup is not so clear yet.

I do think that the typical speed can be over 100 miles per hour but not a lot faster.  Yet 80 is good as well.  What is important is that you now have line of sight movement for a useful distance and no interruptions from traffic.

Certainly good enough for the urban environment and very welcome.

.

Boeing throws its weight behind Larry Page's flying taxi startup


Nick Lavars 

https://newatlas.com/boeing-kitty-hawk-flying-taxi/60325/

Kitty Hawk first showed off its Cora aircraft last year and now Boeing has come onboard(Credit: Kitty Hawk)View gallery - 7 images


With the backing of Google co-founder Larry Page, California-based startup Kitty Hawk already has some noteworthy names attached to its flying taxi endeavors. And it has now found another in heavyweight Boeing, with the industry veteran teaming up with its fresh-faced counterpart to accelerate the age of electric aviation. 

 








Kitty Hawk first showed off its Cora aircraft last year, detailing a two-seater short hop electric plane that uses 12 propellors mounted on its wings to take off vertically, and then a single prop at the rear for horizontal flight. The company says the aircraft can cover around 62 miles (100 km) per charge of its battery and hit speeds of 110 mph (180 km/h).


The division behind Cora has now entered a strategic partnership with Boeing, with the two to work together on advancing "safe urban air mobility."



Boeing already has its fingers in a number of flying taxi-flavored pies, including its own in-house electric VTOL aircraft, a recent acquisition of electric aircraft company Aurora, and its US$2 million contest to build a personal flying machine. "Working with a company like Kitty Hawk brings us closer to our goal of safely advancing the future of mobility," says Steve Nordlund, vice president and general manager of Boeing NeXt. "We have a shared vision of how people, goods and ideas will be transported in the future, as well as the safety and regulatory ecosystem that will underpin that transportation