A³ by Airbus Vahana
A³ by Airbus
Manufacturer
Vahana
Modell
Vahana is a project developed at A³, the Silicon Valley outpost of Airbus. A³ enables access to unique talent and ideas, new partnership opportunities, and execution at speed. Vahana aims to democratize personal flight and answer the growing need for urban mobility by leveraging the latest technologies in electric propulsion, energy storage, and machine vision.
Number of Passengers
50 miles
Range
108 m/h
Cruising Speed
Rated Payload
Cruising Duration
Charging Time
Number of Engines / Propellers / Rotors
Wingspan
Aircraft Net Weight
Take-off and Landing
Propulsion
A³ by Airbus
Project Vahana started in early 2016 as one of the first projects at A³ (pronounced “A-cubed”), the advanced projects and partnerships outpost of Airbus Group in Silicon Valley. At Vahana, we are passionate about personal flight. The aircraft we’re building doesn’t need a runway, is self-piloted, and can automatically detect and avoid obstacles and other aircraft. Designed to carry a single passenger or cargo, we’re aiming to make it the first certified passenger aircraft without a pilot. We aim to fly a full-size prototype before the end of 2017, and to have a productizable demonstrator by 2020.
Beyond developing the vehicle itself, we’re seeking to move key technology categories forward, foster development of the regulatory regime for the certification and operation of automated aircraft, and to otherwise nurture an ecosystem that will help enable the vertical cities of the future.
We believe that this degree of openness will push the industry as a whole forward, and we hope that others will follow our example.