Ever since the calendar turned to 2010, I’ve been asking myself where I could find a flying car or personal jetpack. After all, 2010 sounded so futuristic at one point. Sadly, we still aren’t living in an age of the Jetsons, and I’m still tethered to the Earth by gravity on my daily commute.
Thankfully, the big brains over at NASA are hoping to change that, as they are set to officially unveil the design for their Puffin personal aircraft. According to Gizmodo, the vehicle stands 12-feet in height, has a wingspan of 13.5-feet, and is powered by an electrical engine that can cruise at speeds of 150 mph and but can top out at over 300 mph when necessary. Reportedly, the aircraft can fly up to 30,000 feet in altitude, and is designed for vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL).
What’s the catch you ask? Well, as a prototype, there is no known costs yet, and because it is battery powered, its flight range is still a bit limited. At the moment, the Puffin is only capable of covering about 50 miles of distance on a single charge.
Good enough for that morning commute, but not great for heading to the coast for the weekend. Still, NASA has a pretty good track record with improving on technology, and better, more efficient batteries are in the works. That leaves me with just one question. Where and when can I get one of these?
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