It seems that every country and company is working to get their very own flying car design out as soon as possible, and the newest participant in the passenger drone rat race is an inventor from the Philippines with his Koncepto Milenya ("Millennium Concept").
Kyxz Mendiola started out as a dancer and a camera operator in the local entertainment business. He eventually put his own time and resources into building his very own passenger drone.
The Koncepto Milenya is described as a "flying sports car." It is its creator's hope that it becomes the backbone of future transportation in the city of Manila, where the streets are constantly choked by slow-moving traffic.
In a viral online video, Mendiola himself boarded his personal creation for its first test flight in the public eye. He steered the flying car out of its storage warehouse, the vehicle's multiple downward-pointing engines kicking up a small storm of dust as it hovered in mid-air.
Despite the thick cloud that accompanied its demonstration flight, the gathered crowd of well-wishers enthusiastically applauded the successful flight of the Koncepto Milenya, which lasted just over 10 minutes.
"It was amazing," Mendiola said after landing the Koncepto Milenya. "All the hard work paid off. Everything worked perfect [sic]." (Related: The latest prototypes of flying cars do not require a pilot or piloting skills.)
Philippine inventor unveils his country's first "flying sports car"
In many ways, the Koncepto Milenya is just a much bigger version of the aerial drones that are filling the skies in increasing numbers. Many of the same technologies used by consumer drones also made it aboard the larger electric vehicle.
The passenger drone is big enough to carry one person, who also serves as its pilot. When that sole passenger is accounted for, the total cargo capacity is 220 pounds. This weight is supported by 16 separate rotary motors.
According to Mendiola, his flying sports car can climb up to 20 feet in the air and hit speeds of 37 miles per hour. That service ceiling and airspeed is enough to shave off hours of travel throughout Manila and other similarly jam-packed cities. It can reportedly turn an hour-long drive into a five-minute flight.
Mendiola built the Koncepto Milenya with his own resources. It took him years before he saved enough money to buy all of the parts. The most expensive item was the array of expensive lithium-ion batteries that provide power to its multiple engines.
Australian company throws its support behind new passenger drone
Mendiola conducted the first public flight in the province of Batangas, Philippines. He is not a professional pilot, but he demonstrated the ease with which he could fly the Koncepto Milenya.
"Press a button and it will go up, then push the stick forward, it goes forward," he explained. "It’s very smart, that’s why I’m saying it has a lot of potential."
He also assured concerned people that his passenger drone is safe for its rider and the people beneath it. It is designed to keep flying even if two of its rotors conked out.
While Mendiola used his own savings to build the prototype aerial vehicle, he now enjoys the backing of Australian solar technology company Star 8. The company caught wind of Koncepto Milenya after a video of its flight in Batangas went viral on social media.
The chief executive of Star 8, Jacob Maimon, expressed interest in building a full-scale version of the drone. This future version of the Millennium Concept will be offered to consumers in Australia, Europe, and Hong Kong.
DroneWatchNews.com more stories about the newest devices built by intrepid inventors around the world.
Sources include:
Please contact us for more information.