• 20 Apr 2023 10:45 AM
• 0

Alauda Unveils H2 Airspeeder Mk4, Partners with Intel

On Feb. 21, Alauda Aeronautics, the company responsible for developing the aircraft for the Airspeeder racing league, unveiled the latest generation of its racing eVTOL aircraft, the Airspeeder Mk4. The (now) hydrogen-fuel-cell-powered Mk4 is supposed to reach speeds of up to 225 mph (360 km/h) and has a projected range of 188 miles (300 km). The 2,090-lb (950- kg) aircraft is powered by the company’s 1,340 hp (1,000 kW) Thunderstrike turbogenerator that uses green hydrogen for fuel, a break from previous, all-electric iterations of the racing craft. Stylized as a Formula One flying race car, the Airspeeder Mk4 features eight ducted propellers located in four propeller housings; the airframe is made of carbon fiber composite. Alauda designed and built the aircraft at its headquarters in Adelaide, South Australia. The company expects the first crewed races with the Mk4 to begin in 2024.

Meanwhile, on March 28, Airspeeder, the racing league and an Alauda partner, announced that it has partnered with Intel as it works towards beginning crewed eVTOL races. Intel will assist with developing the underlying IT infrastructure for the Airspeeder races by providing its Intel Core processor and Intel Xeon Scalable processors. Both Airspeeder and Intel expect that the collaboration could yield valuable insights into the operation of other aspects of AAM beyond eVTOL racing. “Helping Airspeeder bring this new concept to life has the potential to not only change the way we race, but also opens up endless possibilities in urban mobility,” said Andrew McLean, Managing Director of Intel Australia and New Zealand, in a statement.