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This flying taxi could be ready for take-off by 2025

The vehicle is designed to travel up to 6.2 miles with a maximum cruise speed of 62 miles per hour.

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The SD-05 is a two-seat, electric-powered compact aircraft with vertical takeoff and landing capabilities. (SkyDrive Inc. via SWNS)

By Dean Murray via SWNS

This flying taxi could take off by 2025, according to its Japanese designers.

SkyDrive Inc. say they plan to use the model as an airborne taxi in Osaka Bay by 2025.

They suggest the aircraft could also be employed as a medical responder, able to quietly land on small spaces such as rooftops.

The SD-05 is a two-seat, electric-powered compact aircraft with vertical takeoff and landing capabilities.

(SkyDrive Inc. via SWNS)

Operated by a driver-pilot, its flight stability is secured with the assistance of a computer-controlled flight system.

The vehicle is designed to travel up to 6.2 miles (10km) with a maximum cruise speed of 62 miles per hour (100kmh).

The company's aim is to develop flying cars with an eye toward realizing a world where they are used in daily life for air mobility much as automobiles are used for daily ground transportation.

Takumi Yamamoto, SkyDrive design director explains: "This is another big step towards the realization of flying cars and sky roads.

Operated by a driver-pilot, its flight stability is secured with the assistance of a computer-controlled flight system. (SkyDrive Inc. via SWNS)

"Two years have passed since the announcement of the SD-03, which successfully completed its public manned flight test in August 2020, and we are very happy to be able to announce its successor, the SD-05.

“This vehicle is not just a simple means of traveling from point A to B. Based on the design concept of ‘giving wings to daily travel,’ it’s also a safer and more enjoyable travel partner.”

SkyDrive is in the process of acquiring a "type certificate2" for the SD-05 from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT), which they say is the "first of its kind in Japan".

Being able to operate in the Osaka Bay area would allow them to offer a more efficient mode of transport in an area where bodies of water sometimes prevent or hinder direct access by public transportation.

(SkyDrive Inc. via SWNS)

SkyDrive explain: "Getting from one tourist venue to another can be difficult and time-consuming, in some cases taking as long as 40 minutes to travel just one kilometer as the swallow flies.

"However, the SD-05 makes the trip in just in five minutes and is expected to provide a more efficient and enjoyable choice for transportation."

(SkyDrive Inc. via SWNS)

The company also believes the SD-05 could be suited to emergency medical services, explaining: "The SD-05 is more compact, lighter, and quieter than helicopters.

"Being able to take off and land in a small space, including on a rooftop, the SD-05 is expected to assist medical workers who must travel quickly to provide needed assistance."

This month they set up an office in the United States.

They have been developing the market jointly with local authorities and partner companies, with the aim of providing a means of “last mile” air transportation.

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