Google co-founder Larry Page has reportedly been working on a flying car project for some time now -- and today, the world finally got its first official look.
The Kitty Hawk Flyer made its debut in a YouTube video (naturally) showing the craft's propellor-based aviation system zipping above water.
In a statement given to the New York Times, Page said, “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.”
Kitty Hawk apparently has aims that go beyond just amateur pilots.
"The Kitty Hawk Flyer is a new, all-electric aircraft. It is safe, tested and legal to operate in the United States in uncongested areas under the Ultralight category of FAA regulations," reads the text under the promo video. "We’ve designed our first version specifically to fly over water. You don’t need a pilot’s license and you’ll learn to fly it in minutes."
The Flyer prototype zoomed about 15 feet above Clear Lake in California during a five-minute long demo session for the NYT, which published some extra footage of the ride along with its report, seen below.
The company is offering up three-year memberships for $100, which promises perks like Kitty Hawk-branded swag packages, early access to product updates, and, most importantly, priority on the wait list to actually buy the Flyer once it goes on sale sometime before the end of this year, according to estimates. The expected retail price and final design haven't been disclosed, either -- today's footage only showed off a prototype -- but the membership will also earn you a $2,000 discount off the eventual price, which definitely won't be cheap.
Until the craft is fully approved by the FAA, there's no way of knowing exactly when that day will come -- but Kitty Hawk's CEO, Google X founding director Sebastian Thrun, is confident the project won't be delayed. "We have been in contact with the FAA and we see the regulators as friends,” he told the NYT.
Tweet may have been deleted
This might not be exactly what we were expecting from Page's flying car project -- an ultralight lake recreation rig isn't quite the a full-on, land-to-air vehicle of our dreams -- but for now, it's an exciting place to start.
TopicsGoogle
(责任编辑：時尚)
U.S. pole vaulter skids to a halt for national anthem
Twitter's search tool is blocking photo searches of 'bisexual'
YouTubers put $1,000 iPhone X through drop tests
'Your power scares me' senator tells Facebook during first hearing on 2016 electionResearchers create temporary tattoos you can use to control your devicesMajor earthquake and multiple aftershocks rock central Italy
UPDATE: Aug. 25, 2016, 8:22 a.m. BST
。 Death toll is now at least 247 dead: 190 in Rieti province and
...[详细]Facebook has a plan to stop revenge porn—by collecting your nudes
Revenge porn is becoming a top priority for Facebook's safety team.After announcing a new set of rep
...[详细]Rich man shuts down DNAinfo and Gothamist after employees unionize
UPDATE: Nov. 3, 2017, 2:18 p.m. EDT Gothamist, DNAinfo, and other sister sites were put back online
...[详细]Facebook quarterly earnings were amazing. Zuckerberg isn't cheering
Facebook just had an incredible past three months for making money, but CEO Mark Zuckerberg's tone i
...[详细]One of the most controversial power struggles in media comes to a close
One of the world's biggest media companies has been embroiled in a complex personal and professional
...[详细]These grandparents are almost certainly more adorable than yours
Every now and then, something pops up on the internet that's just... really nice.SEE ALSO:Grandma ac
...[详细]O.G. Apple fan isn't happy about who got to preview the iPhoneX
Even before John Gruber started his one-man Apple-centric media operation, Daring Fireball, he knew
...[详细]Unqualified podcast: Anna Faris shares her experience with sexual harassment
Actress Anna Faris revealed on her Unqualifiedpodcast that like so many other women, she too has exp
...[详细]Singapore gets world's first driverless taxis
SINGAPORE -- The world's first self-driving taxis started picking up passengers in Singapore on Thur
...[详细]
HTC is finally getting with the times. The company's last flagship, the HTC U11, was a great device,
...[详细]What brands need to know about virtual reality
Hulu and Marvel's 'Runaways' will give us the MCU's first LGBT heroes
