The brilliant capabilities of Israel’s innovative industry have also reached the field of personal aircraft. The local company AIR has been developing the Air One in recent years, an electric aircraft designed for a single person (with a pilot’s license). Weighing around 1,100 kg, it is a hybrid between a drone and a light aircraft, with wings and propellers. As such, its dimensions are relatively compact: about 5.8 meters in length and 7.5 meters in width.
The Air One is based on eVTOL (electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing) capabilities, requiring no runway for takeoff and landing. However, unlike some other aircraft in its category, it has no wheels, meaning it cannot be driven on the ground. It is capable of covering relatively short distances at a maximum speed of 250 km/h. With a fully charged battery, similar in size to that of a standard electric car, the Air One has a range of 100 to 150 km.
The aircraft includes several advanced developments, some at the patent level, including a unique aerodynamic structure and flight control applications. One of the goals is to simplify flight operations as much as possible while addressing challenges related to noise, infrastructure, and others.
Having completed its full test flight at the end of 2022, the Air One is expected to be available to consumers by the end of this year, following its full certification by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). AIR plans to sell the Air One directly to consumers, rather than as part of a fleet of flying taxis. The company reports several hundred pre-orders, which may help it fulfill its vision of becoming ‘the Tesla of aviation.’ The price of the aircraft is approximately $150,000.”
