Watch The Maiden Flight Of An 18-Propeller Copter
Because what's better than getting to watch weird things fly?
This helicopter-with-antlers is a test vehicle, made by the German company e-volo. It’s battery-powered and emissions-free, according to the company. This is the first time it has flown.
The e-volo folks call the craft a volocopter. It works on the same principles as the quadcopter drones we’ve seen, except it’s much, much larger. That cockpit there has seats for two people.
In an indoor test November 17, the company says it flew the volocopter—by remote control, without any passengers—nine times for a total airtime of 20 minutes.
The company plans eventually to produce and sell volocopters. Engineers are aiming for a craft that has a cruising speed of at least 54 knots, is able to fly up to 6,500 feet, can carry up to 992 pounds (450 kilograms), and flies for at least an hour. Those in Germany with a private pilot license should be able to fly it.