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SkyDrive has completed a series of demo flights of its SD-05 eVTOL aircraft at Tokyo Big Sight, marking the first public demonstrations of its aircraft in Tokyo. The flights, conducted from 24-28 February in collaboration with Mitsubishi Estate and Kanematsu Corporation, are part of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government’s project for developing eVTOL services.
The programme evaluated integrated ground and flight operations to support future commercialisation of urban eVTOL transport. SkyDrive assessed the full operational sequence from pre-flight preparation through departure, cruising, landing and returning the aircraft to the hangar.
In collaboration with UK-based Skyports, SkyDrive set up terminal infrastructure allowing members of the public to test pre-boarding procedures including facial recognition check-in and security screening. The company says feedback will help ensure smooth running of future passenger flights.
SkyDrive says its compact multicopter design can access the majority of Tokyo’s approximately 70 existing rooftop heliports, which typically measure 15m x 15m to 20m x 20m. The company says this makes the aircraft suitable for intra-city short-hop journeys from smaller vertiports than those required by fixed-wing eVTOL designs.
In a statement, Tomohiro Fukuzawa, Founder and Chief Executive of SkyDrive, said: “Multicopters are agile aircraft, ideal for operations in major urban areas with limited space to manoeuvre. With the government’s plans for regional development now categorising eVTOL as essential social infrastructure, we are proud, as Japan’s leading eVTOL manufacturer, to lead the eVTOL revolution both in Japan and overseas.”
The demo flight route extended from Tokyo Big Sight over the sea near Haneda Airport flight paths.
