SkyDrive SD-05

SD-05
SkyDrive
Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture, Japan
www.skydrive2020.com

Founded in July 2018, SkyDrive is an electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) company based in Toyota City, Japan. Tomohiro Fukuzawa is the chief executive officer and Nobuo Kishi is the chief technology officer. (All photos SkyDrive credit.) Their development of flying cars first began in September 2012 with the start-up company Cartivator which was comprised of volunteer automotive and aviation industry volunteers. In January 2014, Cartivator started developing eVTOL aircraft and have over 100 aircraft designs.

The company's goals for developing eVTOL advanced air mobility (AAM) aircraft is to make safer aircraft, less costly aircraft, less noisy aircraft, autonomous aircraft and aircraft that require less infrastructure. The plan is to start using the aircraft in the mid-2020s for air transportation of goods and people in areas where conventional public transportation is slow or almost nonexistent in rural and urban areas.

The SD-05 is a two passenger eVTOL passenger aircraft and is operated by a driver-pilot. The aircraft's flight stability is secured with the assistance of a computer-controlled flight system. The aircraft has an estimated maximum cruise speed of 100 km/h (62 mph).

The 12 propellers are on multiple booms. The aircraft a back-to-back modified V boom configuration with the rear V boom having a slight wing type structure. At each end of the booms is a cross boom and each propeller is at the ends of each cross boom. The booms are located at the top of the fuselage.

Extending from the rear of the fuselage are two rear vertical booms that connect to a downward sloping horizontal stabilizer with vertical fins on each end of the horizontal stabilizer. The aircraft has fixed skid landing gear with the rear of each skid having an angled-inward vertical fin.

The company expects the SD-05 to be used where geographical conditions don't allow for efficient public transportation or where there is very little to no public transportation. For example, a good example of where their aircraft would be extremely useful and efficient would be tourist islands where they only have slow boat transportation available. The company also foresees their aircraft to be extremely useful for emergency medical services.

SkyDrive is planning to use the SD-05 to launch air taxi service in the Osaka Bay area during the world exposition scheduled for 2025 in Osaka, Japan.

Specifications:

• Aircraft type: eVTOL passenger aircraft
• Piloting: 1 seat
• Capacity: 1 seat
• Maximum cruise speed: 100 km/h (62 mph)
• Range:
• Flight time:
• Cruise altitude:
• Empty weight:
• Maximum payload:
• Maximum takeoff weight:
• Propellers: 12 propellers
• Electric motors: 12 electric motors
• Power source: Batteries
• Fuselage: Carbon fiber composite
• Windows: Panoramic wrap around windows allowing forward, left, right visibility for spectacular views with a solid roof above the passenger compartment
• Tail: Extending from the rear of the fuselage are two rear vertical booms that connect to a downward sloping horizontal stabilizer with vertical fins on each end of the horizontal stabilizer.
• Landing gear: Fixed skid landing gear, the rear of each skid is an angled-inward vertical fin
• 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 in the sub-systems of the aircraft.

Company Insights:

• Pitchbook
• Crunchbase
• MarketWatch
• Tracxn

Resources:

• SkyDrive website
• SkyDrive Facebook
• SkyDrive Twitter
• SkyDrive YouTube
• SkyDrive LinkedIn
• PDF: Fact Book, SkyDrive, Aug. 2020
• Video: SkyDrive Members 2019, SkyDrive, Sept. 16, 2019
• Article: SkyDrive secures new financing for flying car development, eVTOL, Oct. 1, 2019
• Video: Future World with SkyDrive 2030, SkyDrive, Mar. 5, 2020
• Article: SkyDrive confirms manned flight tests, appoints Nobuo Kishi as CTO, eVTOL, Apr. 4, 2020
• Article: Tomohiro Fukuzawa: SkyDrive’s product is a flying car, Weekly Economist, Apr. 6. 2020
• Article: SkyDrive claims Japan’s first manned multirotor flight, New Atlas, Apr. 14, 2020
• Article: Japan’s SkyDrive advances ‘compact air mobility’, eVTOL, Apr. 15, 2020
• Article: Former Toyotamen are taking on the challenge of the “Flying car dream”, President Online, Apr. 17, 2020
• Article: SkyDrive Completes First Manned Flying Car Test In Japan, CleanTechnica, Apr. 20, 2020
• Article: SkyDrive Appoints Kishi as CTO, eVTOL News, Apr. 30, 2020
• Article: SkyDrive Completes Japan’s First Manned eVTOL Test Flights, eVTOL News, May 3, 2020
• Article: SkyDrive raises ¥3.9 Billion in Series B round of fund raising, eVTOL News, Aug. 28, 2020
• Article: SkyDrive Conducts First Public Manned Flight in Japan, eVTOL News, Aug. 28, 2020
• Article and video: Video: SkyDrive’s piloted eVTOL makes its first public flight, eVTOL, Aug. 28, 2020
• Article: SkyDrive Conducts First Public Manned Flight in Japan – SD-03 manned model makes its world debut, SkyDrive, Aug. 28, 2020
• Video: SkyDrive Piloted Flight Demo, eVTOL, Aug. 28, 2020
• Video: SkyDrive Project SD-03 world debut, SkyDrive Inc, Aug. 28, 2020
• Video: World debut SkyDrive Manned Flight by SD-03 in the summer 2020 Full Version, SkyDrive Inc, Aug. 29, 2020
• Article: SkyDrive raises $48M after historic demo flight of SD-03, Wings Magazine, Sept. 3, 2020
• Video: The Future World with SkyDrive-2030 - The future world with flying Cars in 2030, SkyDrive Inc., Sept. 9, 2020
• Article: SkyDrive's Personal eVTOL Vehicle Makes International Debut, Future Flight, Jan. 6, 2022
• Article: SkyDrive unveils SD-05 ‘flying car’ design, Vertical Magazine, Sept. 26, 2022