Kitty Hawk Corporation Explained
Kitty Hawk Corporation was an American aircraft manufacturer producing electric ultralight aircraft.
History
The company was founded as Zee.Aero in 2010.[1] It was supported by Google's co-founder Larry Page.[2] In September 2022, it was announced that the company was winding down, though their joint venture with Boeing, Wisk Aero would continue.[3]
Products
Kitty Hawk Flyer
The Flyer was an ultralight aircraft which was kept aloft by eight battery-powered propellers.[4] [5] The engineering was led by Cameron Robertson and Todd Reichert.[6] The production Flyer was introduced on 6 June 2018. A license was not required to pilot the Flyer, as it was built under US FAR Part 103 ultralight regulations.[7] After 25,000 unmanned or crewed flights combined, using 111 aircraft, Kitty Hawk ended the programme on 3 June 2020;[8] CEO Sebastian Thrun stated that, with Flyer, the company "could not find a path to a viable business".[9]
Cora PAV
See main article: Cora by Wisk. Since March 2018, Kitty Hawk Corporation had been testing an autonomous, electric air taxi prototype in New Zealand called Cora and code-named Zee.Aero.[10] [11]
In 2019, the Kitty Hawk Cora autonomous personal air vehicle prototype was split off into a joint venture between Wisk Aero LLC and Boeing, becoming the Wisk Cora.[12] [13] In December 2019, the Cora team was rebranded and spun off as a separate company called Wisk Aero.[14]
Kitty Hawk Heaviside
In 2019, Kitty Hawk introduced a new aircraft called the Heaviside.[15] It is designed to be quieter than normal aircraft.[16] [17]
Kitty Hawk H2 (Heaviside 2)
In 2022, Kitty Hawk introduced the 2nd iteration of its Heaviside, named H2.[18]
Notes and References
- Web site: Google co-founder’s flying car startup is winding down . 21 September 2022 . Capoot . Ashley . CNBC.
- Web site: Google cofounder's 'flying car' makes its debut. Fiegerman. Seth. 24 April 2017. CNN Money. 27 July 2015.
- Web site: Shakir . Umar . 2022-09-21 . Larry Page's flying car startup Kitty Hawk is shutting down . 2022-09-21 . The Verge . en-US.
- Web site: No Longer a Dream: Silicon Valley Takes On the Flying Car . Markoff . John . . 24 April 2017 . 6 January 2018.
- Web site: Google Co-Founder Larry Page's Kitty Hawk Venture Demos Flying Car . Jaikumar . Vijayan . 8 May 2017 . 25 April 2017 . eWeek.
- Web site: The top tech innovations of 2017 . Jefferson . Graham . 22 December 2017 . 6 January 2018 . USA Today.
- News: Kitty Hawk Enters Service . 12 Jul 2018 . Kenneth I. . Swartz . . Electric VTOL News.
- News: Kitty Hawk ends Flyer eVTOL programme . Pilar . Wolfsteller . 3 June 2020 . FlightGlobal.
- Web site: Kitty Hawk abandons its Flyer project, lays off dozens. Sean. O'Kane. 4 June 2020. The Verge.
- Web site: Air taxi trials possible in six years as tech company trials flying vehicle in Canterbury . Michael Hayward . stuff.co.nz . 13 April 2020.
- Web site: Wisk (Kitty Hawk) Cora . . . en . 13 April 2020.
- Web site: Kitty Hawk Announcements . 24 August 2019 . . . en.
- Web site: After ups and downs, Boeing and Kitty Hawk reboot flying-car venture as Wisk . . 3 December 2019.
- News: After ups and downs, Boeing and Kitty Hawk reboot flying-car venture as Wisk . Boyle. Alan. GeekWire . December 9, 2019 . April 13, 2022.
- Web site: Eric . Adams . Kitty Hawk’s New Flying Car Promises a (Near) Silent Flight . wired.com . 18 April 2020 . 18 April 2019.
- Web site: Is Kitty Hawk Introducing Range Anxiety For eVTOL Aircraft With Its Heaviside? . . 13 October 2019.
- Web site: Kitty Hawk Reveals Ultra-Quiet ‘Heaviside’ eVTOL Design . . en . 4 October 2019.
- Web site: Kittyhawk Heaviside 2 revealed! . youtube.com . 8 Feb 2022. CNET.
