| X-Hawk | |
|---|---|
| An artist's rendition of the X-Hawk | |
| Role | Flying car (aircraft) |
| Manufacturer | Urban Aeronautics |
| Designer | Rafi Yoeli |
| First flight | 2009 (first prototype) |
| Status | Under development |
| Unit cost | $3.2 million USD (estimated) |
The Urban Aeronautics X-Hawk is a design for a flying car which is being developed by Rafi Yoeli of Tel Aviv, Israel. Yoeli and his privately held company, Urban Aeronautics, claim to have flown the car to a height of 3 ft, though they say that greater heights are possible.[1] It will be about the size of a large van. The X-Hawk and its smaller unmanned version, the Mule, would be used in search and rescue operations where a helicopter would be useless or at least very dangerous, such as evacuating people from the upper stories of burning buildings, or delivering and extracting police and soldiers while very close to structures, narrow streets, and confined spaces.
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The X-Hawk is a VTOL (Vertical Take-Off and Landing) aircraft that does not have any exposed rotors, configured as a tandem-fan, turbine-powered vehicle. Pilots will use a fly-by-wire multi-channel flight control system, as well as an automatic stabilization feature to help control the aircraft and maintain level flight. The ducted fan design allows the car to achieve the speed and maneuverability of a helicopter.[2]