Top speed 222 km/h Engine type Turboshaft | Length 8.1 m Manufacturer Urban Aeronautics | |
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The Urban Aeronautics X-Hawk is a design for a flying car which is being developed by Rafi Yoeli in Yavne, Israel. It is planned to be built by Metro Skyways Ltd., a subsidiary of Urban Aeronautics. Yoeli and his privately held company, Urban Aeronautics, claim to have flown the car to a height of 90 cm (3 ft), though they say that greater heights are possible. It will be about the size of a large van. The X-Hawk and its smaller unmanned version, the AirMule, would be used in search and rescue operations where a helicopter would be useless or at least very dangerous, such as evacuating people from the upper stories of burning buildings, or delivering and extracting police and soldiers while very close to structures, narrow streets, and confined spaces.
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Background
Urban Aeronautics Ltd. has patented its design as Fancraft. The Fancraft technologies are supported by 37 registered (granted) patents and 12 additional are in-process.
Metro Skyways Ltd. (MSL), as a subsidiary of Urban Aeronautics Ltd. has an exclusive license for use predominantly in the manned air-taxi (civil), air-rescue, and medical evacuation markets. MSL has taken the lead in the development of the X-Hawk. Tactical Robotics Ltd. (TRL), as a subsidiary of Urban Aeronautics Ltd. has an exclusive license for use mostly in the unmanned military and homeland security markets. TRL has taken the lead in the development of the AirMule.
Development
In 2004, the development and the proof-of-concept vehicle CityHawk completed more than 10 hours of hover testing near Ben Gurion Airport in Israel. Its success encouraged the development of the X-Hawk and the Mule.
Shortly after the X-Hawk LE concept was published by Urban Aeronautics.
Development is being done in parallel to the primary effort put into the Urban Aeronautics AirMule.
Design
The X-Hawk is a vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft with no exposed rotors, configured as a tandem-fan, turbine-powered vehicle. Pilots will use a fly-by-wire multi-channel flight control system, with an automatic stabilization feature to help control the aircraft and maintain level flight. The ducted fan design allows the car to achieve the speed and maneuverability of a helicopter.
Variants
Partners
Urban Aeronautics is in contact with the United States Army and the militaries of other nations, including India and Italy, for possible sale of the AirMule.