AutoFlight has released a second proof-of-concept (POC) video for its Prosperity I air taxi, which debuts less than four months after the original POC video and includes a modified, more efficient design.
In the latest design, new optimised lifting propellers allow for higher hover efficiency, while two propellers that were previously on either side of the air taxi have been replaced with one twin-motor centre propeller to enhance cruising, close to the final design which will be released later this year.
Prosperity I was designed for transfers between parts of a city, airport commutes, connecting two nearby cities or enabling trips to the countryside while avoiding traffic on the ground.
When ready for commercial flight in 2026, it is expected that a trip that takes hours by car will be reduced to about 10 minutes with Prosperity I, without being any less safe or more expensive than a car taxi ride.
AutoFlight started building POC#2 from Jan 2022. The production took around 3 months, with the maiden flight in April, before achieving 30+ additional transition flights in the last few weeks.
AutoFlight Europe managing director Mark Henning said: “POC#2 is a new milestone for us, and we are pleased to have achieved over 30 successful transitions in the last few weeks with a full-size aircraft.
“This further demonstrates the great potential of our lift & cruise configuration which combines simplicity and safety into the final full-scale design of Prosperity I, which we will reveal later this year.”
AutoFlight CEO Tian Yu has over two decades of experience designing and building electric aircraft, and 300 electric aviation-related patents.
He said: “We’re delighted to announce POC#2 for Prosperity I, which takes us another step towards our vision of unlocking the skies for mass individual transport in the air by creating safe, efficient eVTOL aircrafts.”
The milestone is the latest of a series of significant developments for AutoFlight including the establishment of a European base in Augsburg and the appointment of Mark Henning (formerly of Airbus) as its European Managing Director, as well as $100 million investment from next-generation mobility investor Team Global.