Sikorsky will create a flying shuttle with a range of 925 km for long-distance transport

Sikorsky, a subsidiary of Lockheed Martin and part-time major helicopter manufacturer, has announced the creation of a flying shuttle. It will be designed for passenger and cargo transportation between cities.

Here's What We Know

Sikorsky will not be working alone on the flying vehicle. It will work with GE Aerospace, a subsidiary of General Electric, to develop the demonstrator. The vertical take-off and landing shuttle will be equipped with a hybrid engine. The weight of the aircraft will be more than 3,000 kg. The air taxi will be able to fly a distance of 500 miles (925 km).

Sikorsky will design and build the demonstrator, called Hybrid-Electric Demonstrator (HEX), and integrate its own MATRIX flight control system. It is already being tested on helicopters.

GE Aerospace will build the propulsion system for the HEX. It will consist of a CT7 engine, a 1-MW-class generator and power electronics. All of this stuff was commissioned by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the US Army.

Source: Lockheed Martin