Yahoo Finance Google founder's 'flying jetski' set to go on sale this year
A flying car start-up backed by Google co-founder Larry Page has unveiled its first prototype vehicle and said it plans to launch a commercial version by the end of the year.
The Kitty Hawk Flyer, named after the company that created it, can fly over water and looks a bit like a flying jetski or single person hovercraft.
Kitty Hawk has maintained a high level of secrecy about the final vehicle, which it said will look different to the prototype. The recently revealed prototype runs on eight electrically-powered rotas and can take off and land vertically in a similar way to a helicopter.
It is not clear how the final version will differ from the prototype when it is unveiled later in the year, but Kitty Hawk's website indicates it might be able to fly over land.
"The Flyer is safe, tested and legal to operate in the United States in uncongested areas," said Kitty Hawk. "We've designed our first version specifically to fly over water."
The vehicle has been designed for amateur flyers and as such doesn't require a licence, according to Kitty Flyer. The company says customers can learn how to fly it "in minutes".
"Our mission is to make the dream of personal flight a reality," the company said. "We believe when everyone has access to personal flight, a new, limitless world of opportunity will open up to them."
The company has not provided any indication about how much the Flyer could cost or where it will be available to buy. But it is offering interested consumers the opportunity to pay $100 now for a $2,000 discount when the vehicle comes out.
"We've all had dreams of flying effortlessly," Page told the New York Times. "I'm excited that one day very soon I'll be able to climb onto my Kitty Hawk Flyer for a quick and easy personal flight."
Kitty Hawk isn't the only flying car start-up Page has backed with his personal funds. He also invested $100 million (£78m) of his own money into Zee.Aero, which has filed patents for a small flying vehicle that can take off and land vertically.
Other companies have also been racing to launch working flying cars, including Airbus, Ehang and Uber. Ehang's autonomous taxi drone is expected to start ferrying passengers around Dubai this summer. Meanwhile Uber is preparing to make an announcement regrading its plans for airborne taxis tomorrow.
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