Jetson One
{{short description|Electric ultralight}}
{{Infobox product
| title = Jetson ONE
| logo = Jetson_One_logo.webp
| logo_caption = Jetson logo
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| type = eVTOL ultralight
| inventor = Tomasz Patan
| inception = 2017
| manufacturer = Jetson
| available = Available
| current supplier =
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| website = {{url|jetson.com}}
| notes =
}}
The Jetson ONE is a type of personal ultralight known as an eVTOL. It is a 102-horsepower battery-operated ultralight with eight electric motors. A Polish startup company, Jetson, produces the personal ultralight, which is manufactured and tested in Arezzo, Italy. To fly the single-seat ultralight, the operator does not need a pilot licence or special training in the US. It is equipped with a parachute.
Background
Late 2017, Tomasz Patan built a working "proof of concept" of an electric VTOL personal flying vehicle with the goal of "making everyone a pilot."{{cite news |last1=Takahashi |first1=Dean |title=Jetson raises $15M from Will.i.am and others for personal electric flying vehicle |url=https://venturebeat.com/games/jetson-raises-15m-for-personal-electric-flying-vehicle/ |access-date=16 December 2023 |publisher=VentureBeat |date=3 October 2023}}
In 2018, Patan designed a personal flying car. The design was improved, and in 2021, Patan invented a new model called the Jetson ONE eVTOL.{{cite news |last1=Myers |first1=Lynne |title=Watch: Jetson completes the world's first ever eVTOL commute |url=https://www.designboom.com/technology/jetson-completes-worlds-first-ever-evtol-commute-06-21-2022/ |access-date=16 December 2023 |work=designboom {{!}} architecture & design magazine |publisher=Design Boom |date=21 June 2022 |language=en}} In 2022, the company offered the Jetson Ones for US$92,000 each.{{cite news |last1=Drăgan |first1=Otilia |title=The Famous $92K Personal Electric Aircraft Is Almost Sold Out, in Record Time |url=https://www.autoevolution.com/news/the-famous-92k-personal-electric-aircraft-is-almost-sold-out-in-record-time-175524.html |access-date=16 December 2023 |work=autoevolution |publisher=Auto Evolution |date=2 December 2021 |language=en}} In 2022, the company began manufacturing the Jetson One in Poland.
In 2022, the company moved production and testing of the Jetson ONE from Poland to a facility in Arezzo, Italy. The company's CEO is Stephan D'haene, and he announced that the company obtained approval from the Italian Civil Aviation Authority (ENAC) to fly the aircraft in Italy's uncontrolled airspace.{{cite news |last1=Burgos |first1=Matthew |title=Jetson ONE becomes the first certified ultralight eVTOL allowed to fly all over italy |url=https://www.designboom.com/technology/jetson-one-worlds-first-certified-ultralight-evtol-italy-10-18-2023/ |access-date=16 December 2023 |work=designboom {{!}} architecture & design magazine |publisher=Design Boom |date=18 October 2023 |language=en}} In 2023, the company announced that it had raised US$15 million to fund the project. They planned to begin delivering the next Jetson ONEs in 2024.{{cite news |last1=Daleo |first1=Jack |title=Artist will.i.am Headlines $15M Investment in Flying Car Company Jetson |url=https://www.flyingmag.com/artist-will-i-am-headlines-15m-investment-in-flying-car-company-jetson/ |access-date=16 December 2023 |work=FLYING Magazine |publisher=Flying Magazine |date=3 October 2023}}
Specifications
The ultralight will be powered by high-discharge lithium-ion batteries and eight electric motors generating 102 horsepower.{{cite news |last1=Reynolds |first1=Carlos Ferrer-Bonsoms, Nathan |title=You could soon fly to work in a $92,000 flying car that can reach 63 miles per hour |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/new-flying-car-goes-63-mph-20-minutes-costs-92000-2021-12?r=US&IR=T |access-date=16 December 2023 |work=Business Insider |publisher=Business Insider |date=13 January 2022}} Battery-powered flight time is limited to 20 minutes and has a top speed of {{cvt|63|mph}}. The vehicle has a charger which can recharge in one hour at 230/240V or two hours with 110V power. Batteries may be removed and changed to avoid waiting for charging.{{cite news |last1=Teague |first1=Chris |title=Jetson ONE Is A $92,000 'Flying Sports Car' |url=https://www.autoweek.com/news/a39092293/jetson-one-is-a-dollar-92000-flying-sports-car/ |access-date=16 December 2023 |publisher=Autoweek |date=15 February 2022}} The person piloting the ultralight must be less than {{cvt|210|lb}}. The individual motors powering the ultralight resemble drones. The ultralight can fly at {{cvt|1,500|ft|m}}. It weighs {{cvt|190|lb}}, and the fuselage is built of aluminium and a carbon-Kevlar composite. It is being offered for US$98,000.{{cite news |last1=Knutsson |first1=Kurt |title=It's a bird. It's a plane. No, it's a flying jet ski |url=https://www.foxnews.com/tech/bird-plane-no-flying-jet-ski |access-date=16 December 2023 |work=Fox News |publisher=It’s a bird. It’s a plane. No, it's a flying jet ski |date=19 October 2023}}
The ultralight is capable of flight even if one of the engines fails. It is equipped with lidar sensors to avoid obstacles. There is a rapid-deploying ballistic parachute, and the ultralight has a mode which allows the craft to hover without operating the controls. Joysticks control it, and it has a throttle lever to adjust power. The left controller operates the ultralight's altitude, and the right controls the direction. The single-seat ultralight is considered a recreation vehicle, and it is not considered an aircraft by the US Federal Aviation Administration, so it does not require the operator to have a pilot licence or special training.{{cite news |last1=Trop |first1=Jaclyn |title=These 5 eVTOLs Let You Take to the Skies Without a Pilot's Licence |url=https://ca.sports.yahoo.com/news/5-evtols-let-skies-without-140000318.html |access-date=16 December 2023 |work=Yahoo Sports |agency=Robb Report |publisher=Yahoo |date=8 June 2023 |language=en-CA}}
Reception
Jetson posted a video to YouTube, received 48 million views, and was featured on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. The company attracted investors, including musical artists Will.i.am and Rikard Steiber. In October 2023, the American business magazine Forbes announced, "Flying Cars Are Here, And You Can Buy This One For Less Than $100,000".{{cite news |title=Flying Cars Are Here, And You Can Buy This One For Less Than $100,000 |url=https://www.forbes.com/video/6338862173112/flying-cars-are-here-and-you-can-buy-this-one-for-less-than-100000/?sh=4e75f9286a83 |access-date=16 December 2023 |work=Forbes Media LLC |date=12 October 2013 |language=en}}
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FzhREYOK0oo Jetson One] on YouTube
Category:Personal air vehicles
Category:Vehicles introduced in 2021
Category:Ultralight helicopters