The Invo Moon electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft has a UFO-like shape and can carry 3 passengers with a range of 480 km.
The fully autonomous electric aircraft, called the “Invo Moon”, can seat three passengers and provide 360-degree views above and below while travelling at speeds of up to 250mph, according to the Mail. The vehicle is designed to be virtually silent, using a flight system hidden inside its skin rather than relying on noisy, exposed propellers like many of its rivals. About the size and weight of a small family car, the aircraft can fly in any direction, much like a drone.
Investor Leo Kayali, a former Tesla engineer, said the design was inspired by Leonardo Da Vinci’s drawings from more than five centuries ago. He aims to get a license from the US Federal Aviation Administration by 2027 and introduce the vehicle in every major city, including London, by the end of the decade. Future owners could even let the machine operate like an Uber taxi when not in use. The Invo Moon is 16 feet in diameter and weighs 2,500 pounds, and costs nearly $351,000. However, Kayali believes it will be cheaper to mass produce.
While most electric flying vehicles rely on external propellers, the Invo Moon keeps everything inside its aluminum frame. It uses a complex new aerodynamic design that includes more than a dozen motors, all of which are housed in rotating spheres, arranged in a ring around the body. Using the motors arranged in clusters of four, the vehicle can move in any direction. To land, the machine deploys three retractable landing gears. According to Kayali, this means the aircraft vibrates very little, emitting no more than 45 decibels of noise while moving, about the same as a light rain. Most other electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) vehicles operate at around 85 decibels, about the noise of a blender and creating too much wind.
Inside the cabin, there are three swivel seats with heating and full recline, allowing passengers to enjoy the view above and below through the transparent glass. The vehicle also has mood lighting, an ice cream maker and a smart TV. It has a range of more than 480 km, taking less than 30 minutes to charge from 20% to 80%.
While the design may seem futuristic, it is actually based on da Vinci’s ideas from the 1480s. The steering is fully automatic and is designed to travel on a three-lane highway-like system, but take off vertically. The speed limit will increase in stages from 160 to 400 km/h, and the vehicle will only land when it reaches its slowest speed.
