Today Google founder Larry Page showed off Kitty Hawk, a new startup company that bills itself as making a much-anticipated “flying car,” and... it’s not really a flying car. It does look fun, though?
It basically looks like a gigantic octocopter, much like drone builders have been toying with for a few years now, only scaled up to human-operated scale. It’s an ultralight aircraft, technically speaking, so you don’t need a pilot’s license to operate it.
What else do we know, and how much will it cost? According to The Verge, not a lot:
Kitty Hawk hasn’t said exactly what the Flyer is for, nor has it set a price for the retail version. But the company is enticing eager pilots with a $100 three-year membership that offers priority placement on a waiting list, company-branded gear, and exclusive access to a flight simulator and company events. Members will also get a $2,000 discount off the eventual retail price.
Again, this looks like it would be extremely fun. My only concern is that this thing must be like, so goddamn loud. Even a normal-sized drone is wildly noisy and larger octocopters are super duper extra wildly noisy.
The New York Times witness this thing’s short test run over Clear Lake in California and said it’s as loud as a speedboat. Imagining a world with these things filling our cities already makes my ears hurt.
Like all flying cars, it will be on sale for real any day now.