Kitty Hawk is a startup backed by the Google co-founder Larry Page. On Monday, co-founder revealed its prototype for an ultralight aircraft that can take up vertically – revealing what is essentially a flying car.
In a demonstration held on Monday, the Kitty Hawk flyer is shown taking off and flying over a lake. How is this done? The prototype uses small propellers that allow for the car to hover. Currently, the prototype looks more like a bike and less like a car.
So when can you buy the new flying car? The Kitty Hawk flyer is expected to go on sale by the end of this year, according to the company’s website. How much will it cost? Well, Kitty Hawk has not revealed the price yet.
The company says it has received approval from the Federal Aviation Administration for the aircraft to be flown in “uncongested areas.” In addition, customers do not need a pilot’s license for fly it.
“We’ve all had dreams of flying effortlessly. 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,” Page said in a statement released by The New York Times.
Last year, Page was reported to have invested over $100 million in flying car startups.
The CEO of Kitty Hawk, Sebastian Thrun, describe the company’s mission on twitter arguing that this new piece of technology will change the future of transportation.
What is important to note that Kitty Hawk is not the only company invested in producing flying cars. Uber is scheduled to hold an event related to their flying car efforts this year. In addition, Airbus has announced their plans on revealing a prototype later on this year as well.