NEW A vastly improved search engine helps you find the latest on companies, business leaders, and news more easily.<doc-sep>GOOGLE owner Larry Page has showcased his new single-seater, electric-powered flying vehicle which does not even require a pilot's licence to operate. The Flyer was developed and built by Kitty Hawk, a California-based tech firm backed by Page. 6 Google founder Larry Page has unveiled a new single-seater flying machine Credit: Kitty Hawk Resembling a large drone, the Flyer uses ten battery-powered propellers to stay off the ground, according to Bloomberg. It flies between three and 10ft above the ground, travels at up to 20mph and can be piloted using a joystick. But the 113kg machine is not the most comfortable according to CNN correspondent Rachel Crane who took a ride in the Flyer over Lake Las Vegas. Kitty Hawk is understood to have conducted more than 1,500 test flights with its employees in its training centre there. The Kitty Hawk Flyer factsheet Type of Machine: Personal aircraft Power: All-electric Capacity: Designed for one participant Height Limit: Operates between 3-10 ft off the surface of water Wingspan: 8ft x 13ft Vertical take-off and landing: Powered by 10 independent lift fans Battery Life: Battery life will depend on participant weight, environmental factors, and forward speed Flight time: 12-20 minutes (at 20 mph) Regulation: Part 103 Ultralight 6 The Flyer, developed by Google-backed Kitty Hawk, can fly at speeds of up to 20mph Credit: Kitty Hawk It is already taking orders for the the flying vehicle, whose price has not been discloses, but the first models will probably go to business partners which could include theme parks. Kitty Hawk said the vehicle was "the first step to making flying a part of everyday life". Chief engineer Todd Reichert told CNN the flyer could reach speeds of up to 100mph but more tests are needed and a vehicle that fast would require a built-in parachute. One of its earlier model had safety nets over the propellers and red-tipped pontoons as landing gear, the New York Times reported. 6 Kitty Hawk said the vehicle was 'the first step to making flying a part of everyday life' Credit: Kitty Hawk 6 The fully electric vehicle flies using ten battery-powered propellers Credit: Kitty Hawk 6 Kitty Hawk is understood to have conducted more than 1,500 test flights over Lake Las Vegas Credit: Kitty Hawk 6 The Flyer has been advertised as needing only an hour's-worth of training to operate Credit: Kitty Hawk Earlier this year, Kitty Hawk CEO Sebastian Thrun said the Flyer could take to the skies within five years. "You are now at a point where we can make air-based transportation... safer, faster and also more cheaper actually, environmentally friendly, than on the ground," he told CNBC. His company is also testing a driverless taxi, the Cora, in New Zealand. Read about the latest tech advancements BLOOMING Super Flower Moon will fill skies tonight – how to see stunning lunar spectacle RED AHEAD May’s Supermoon total eclipse has just happened – here's some stunning snapshots WAR GAMES Call of Duty games in order: By release date and timeline BLUE BIRD What is Twitter Blue? New paid subscription service 'coming soon' INSTA HACKS Instagram Story tricks you need to know – including cool rainbow fonts ALL ABOUT THAT BOSE What to know about the new Bose hearing aid Under Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) rules, the Flyer needs to meet specific requirements to be flown without a licence. Because it is a "powered" vehicle, it cannot weigh more than 115kg or travel faster than 63mph. It must only be flown during daylight hours and pilots cannot take the machines near an airport unless they have prior and relevant permission. We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at tips@the-sun.co.uk or call 0207 782 4368 . We pay for videos too. Click here to upload yours.<doc-sep>Google co-founder Larry Page is showcasing his flying car company's latest model, the Flyer. It's from his company Kitty Hawk — and the new model is fit for one and operated by joystick. The fully electric vehicle flies between 3 feet to 10 feet off the water, powered by 10 independent lift fans, and can fly for up to 20 minutes or 20 miles. It's something between a pontoon plane and a drone, and it's not too comfortable for the driver, according to a CNN reporter who took the Flyer for a spin. The start-up teased the Flyer in a demo video last year, and is now nearing public roll out. The personal vehicles are available for pre-order. The company hasn't publicly disclosed a sale price. Sebastian Thrun, Kitty Hawk's CEO, told CNBC in an interview earlier this year, that they could take to the skies within five years. Kitty Hawk has conducted about 1,500 flights and is also testing its pilotless flying taxi, called Cora, in New Zealand.<doc-sep>Kitty Hawk, a aerial vehicle startup that's funded by Google cofounder Larry Page, opened its Flyer "flying car" for select test flights for businesses and social media influencers on Wednesday. The Flyer, a recreational and lightweight aircraft, has been advertised as needing only an hour's-worth of training before pilots are ready to fly. In many ways, it operates a lot like a drone you can pilot from on top of it — it's powered by 10 motor propellers that are self-stabilized, and is intended to be simple and easy to control. It's intended to be flown over water, hence the pontoons on the bottom of the aircraft. Here's a look at how the Flyer evolved, how it works, and what the latest version looks like in action.<doc-sep>
Google cofounder Larry Page has spent the past few years building his very own flying car company, and finally that company’s first flying car is available to customers. The startup Kitty Hawk has revealed the newest version of its Flyer vehicle, and says that it only takes an hour of training for a user to learn to fly it. Page’s Kitty Hawk startup operated in complete obscurity until its existence became known in 2016, although details on the specifics of the company remained a mystery until a year later, when it formally unveiled their ‘Flyer’ prototype. The craft was effectively a giant rideable quadcopter, although the design was a bit rough around the edges. Since that unveiling in 2017, the Kitty Hawk team has been hard at work updating its designs. The new design looks much more polished and is being made available to potential customers for a test flight for the first time, although they’ll have to travel to Lake Las Vegas to test it. Unlike the old version, which was basically a quadcopter with a seat, this new version of Flyer features a complete cockpit and ten small rotors to keep the craft aloft. The entire contraption is controlled by two joysticks in the cockpit, and the entire craft hovers in place when not actively being driven. For now, Kitty Hawk is marketing the Flyer as a recreational vehicle, but someday hopes this technology will be used to put a flying car in every garage. The startup is still a long way from reaching that goal, but it sees the launch of the Flyer as a good first step. It remains to be seen whether that's correct. Source: CNN