Chongqing Flying Car (prototype)

Chongqing Flying Car (prototype)
Chongqing Innovation Center
Chongqing, China
www.en.cae.cn

Xiang Changle, an academic and lecturer at the Chinese Academy of Engineering (China), and his team has developed an electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) and roadable passenger vehicle for advanced air mobility (AAM). The development was a joint effort of the Chongqing Innovation Center of the Beijing Institute of Technology, the Cool Black Technology (Beijing ) Co., Ltd., and the Chongqing Municipality. The announcement of the first flight and driving of the Flying Car prototype was on November 17, 2022.

The Chongqing Flying Car is a two passenger smart autonomous roadable eVTOL vehicle that has detachable cabin that connects to a propeller assembly for flight and connects to a vehicle chassis for ground travel. The pilot and passenger sit in tandem seating, one behind the other. There are three independent parts to the vehicle, the passenger cabin, the propeller assembly and the ground vehicle chassis. The Flying Car has smart technology and can connect and disconnect the cabin to each of the assemblies for flight or ground travel. The vehicle can also fly or drive by itself, has location awareness and has a tracking system.

The cabin has large front windows, large side windows and a rear window for excellent views. The empty weight of the passenger cabin is 80 kg (176 lb). The propeller assembly has 16 propellers (stacked in pairs), has 16 electric motors and has fixed skid landing gear. The chassis is compact and has front headlights, rear tail lights and four wheels.

The flying cruise speed is unknown and the maximum road speed is 80 km/h (49 mph). The cockpit's maximum payload is 280 kg (617 lb). The maximum takeoff weight for the propeller assembly and cockpit is 650 kg (1,433 lb). The maximum ground vehicle weight plus cabin is +500 kg (+1,102 lb).

Since the first flight, the team has successfully made multiple single-motor failure tests with stopped propellers while flying. The team will continue to test the vehicles and provide demonstrations of their flying car in 2023.

The team expects the vehicle will be use for both civilian, government and military missions. The team foresees the aircraft used for advanced air mobility, sightseeing, search and rescue, firefighting, emergency medical services, uncrewed air cargo deliveries and more.

Specifications:

• Aircraft type: eVTOL passenger flying and roadable vehicle
• Piloting: 1 pilot and autonomous flight and road capability
• Capacity: 1 passenger
• Flying cruise speed: Unknown
• Road speed: 80 km/h (49 mph)
• Cockpit empty weight: 80 kg (176 lb)
• Cockpit maximum payload: 280 kg (617 lb)
• Maximum takeoff weight: 650 kg (1,433 lb)
• Maximum ground vehicle weight: +500 kg (+1,102 lb)
• Propellers: 16 propellers
• Electric motors: 16 electric motors
• Power source: Batteries
• Fuselage: Carbon fiber composite
• Propeller assembly: Has 16 propellers and skid skid landing gear and the cockpit attaches to it
• Cockpit module windows: Panoramic wrap around windows allowing forward, left, right, for spectacular views  with a solid roof above the passenger compartment
• Roadable chassis: 4 wheels and cockpit is attached to the chassis
• Landing gear: Fixed skid landing gear
• Safety features: Distributed Electric Propulsion (DEP), provides safety through redundancy for its passengers and/or cargo. DEP means having multiple propellers (or ducted fans) and motors on the aircraft so if one or more propellers (ducted fans) or motors fail, the other working propellers (or ducted fans) and motors can safely land the aircraft. There are also redundancies of critical components in the sub-systems of the aircraft.

Resources:

• Chinese Academy of Engineering website
• Chinese Academy of Engineering Wikipedia
• Chongqing Innovation Center website
• Beijing Institute of Technology website
• Article: New Two-Seater Detachable ‘Flying Car’ Prototype Released In Beijing, Car News China, Nov. 18, 2022
• Article: Chinese team builds flying car prototype unlike any other, CNEV POST, Nov. 22, 2022
• Article: China develops a prototype of its first flying car, JEC Composites, Nov. 2022
• Article: Chongqing Launched the World's First Manned Smart Split-type Flying Car, Chongqing, Nov. 29, 2022
• Article: China Tests The World's First Detachable Flying Car, AndroBliz, Nov. 21, 2022
• Video: Chinese team builds flying car prototype unlike any other, Nov. 2022
• Video: New two-seater detachable "flying car" prototype unveiled, New China TV, Nov. 18, 2022
• Video: Two-seater detachable 'flying car' debuts in Chongqing, China News Service, Nov. 19, 2022