neva's airquadone is the flying quadbike you've been waiting for

neva’s airquadone, the concept for which has just been unveiled at the paris air show, takes the titles as the world’s first flying quad bike. the futuristic ride is a fully-electrical vehicle expected to weigh around 500 kg and carry payloads of up to 100kg. the craft sets out to be licensed under the light aircraft certification within the USA and EU.

all images courtesy of neva aerospace

the quad’s 100kg battery pack makes for a flight time of 20 to 30 mins, reaching speeds of up to 80 km per hour. airquadone gets its power and endurance from neva’s specially-developed technology, including static thrust and semi-dynamic electric turbofans (ETFs) that are designed to optimise the vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) that is a pre-requisite for the use of UAVs and personal aircraft in crowded industrial and urban skies. unlike a standard electric ducted fan, a neva electric turbofan has a specifically calculated shaped inner shroud.

the airquadone will be compatible with recharging stations designed for electric cars. the idea is for its unmanned version should be able to lift payload up to 100kg, and replace cranes and helicopters or emergency cars. as the team continue research and development in the UK and germany, neva also expect that a hybrid version of the airquadone will be able to provide flight time around 60 minutes, based on current battery technology.