You don’t need a pilot’s license to control Larry Page’s new flying cars
The Kitty Hawk Flyer is limited to 10 feet off the ground right now, but it shows a major leap in the company’s technology.
By the numbers: The Flyer seats one person and weighs in at 250 pounds. It uses eight electric motors, 10 propellers, and two joysticks to move at about 20 miles per hour.
Watch it in action: Employees have flown it on more than 1,000 test flights. After two hours of training, YouTuber Casey Neistat took it for one of the first civilian excursions.
Want to fly it yourself? The flying machine fits into the FAA’s ultralight category. While that means it can only soar in unrestricted airspace, there is no pilot’s license required. No price or release date has yet been announced, but you can hop on the waiting list to try it out yourself.
Keep Reading
Most Popular
Large language models can do jaw-dropping things. But nobody knows exactly why.
And that's a problem. Figuring it out is one of the biggest scientific puzzles of our time and a crucial step towards controlling more powerful future models.
The problem with plug-in hybrids? Their drivers.
Plug-in hybrids are often sold as a transition to EVs, but new data from Europe shows we’re still underestimating the emissions they produce.
How scientists traced a mysterious covid case back to six toilets
When wastewater surveillance turns into a hunt for a single infected individual, the ethics get tricky.
Google DeepMind’s new generative model makes Super Mario–like games from scratch
Genie learns how to control games by watching hours and hours of video. It could help train next-gen robots too.
Stay connected
Get the latest updates from
MIT Technology Review
Discover special offers, top stories, upcoming events, and more.