MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., - Kitty Hawk, the electric flight startup backed by Google co-founder Larry Page, unveiled its third aircraft on Thursday. Heaviside, which is abbreviated to HVSD, is roughly 100 times quieter than a helicopter, and it can travel the 55 miles from San Jose to San Francisco in about 15 minutes, the company says, writes Andrew J.Hawkins for TheVerge.com. Continue reading original article
The Intelligent Aerospace take:
October 4, 2019-Kitty Hawk's Heaviside is novel as an electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) because it is both flyable by a pilot sitting in the single seat, but it is also capable of autonomous flight according to the California-based startup. The highlight for me, however, is how quiet Kitty Hawk has made the rotorcraft. At 1,500 feet above the ground, the Heaviside emits just 38 decibels of noise from its 10 rotors (see below), which is quieter than a conversation between two people, and is 100 times quieter than a helicopter at the same height. Likewise, Kitty Hawk says the Heaviside can fly "about 100 miles" on a charge, which is aided by the aircraft's svelte frame.
