Flying PAV passes first test

A prototype Boeing electric passenger air vehicle (PAV) designed for fully autonomous flight has successfully completed its first test flight in Virginia, USA.

“In one year, we have progressed from a conceptual design to a flying prototype,” Boeing chief technology officer Greg Hyslop says.

Resembling a giant drone, the PAV prototype has an 80.47km range and is 9.14 metres long and 8.53m wide.

Its advanced airframe integrates the propulsion and wing systems to achieve efficient hover and forward flight, Boeing says.

“This is what revolution looks like, and it’s because of autonomy,” Boeing subsidiary Aurora Flight Sciences president and chief executive officer John Langford says.

“Certifiable autonomy is going to make quiet, clean and safe urban air mobility possible.”

The test flight represents the latest milestone for Boeing NeXt.

The division works with regulatory agencies and industry partners to lead the responsible introduction of a new mobility ecosystem and ensure a future where autonomous and piloted air vehicles safely coexist.

In addition to the PAV, the Boeing NeXt portfolio includes an unmanned fully electric cargo air vehicle (CAV) designed to transport up to 226.80kg, and other urban, regional and global mobility platforms. The CAV completed its first indoor flight last year and will transition to outdoor flight testing in 2019.

“Boeing was there when the aviation industry was born and in our second century, we will unlock the potential of the urban air mobility market,” Boeing NeXt vice-president and general manager Steve Nordlund says.

“From building air vehicles to airspace integration, we will usher in a future of safe, low-stress mobility in cities and regions around the world.”

Boeing has had an Australian branch of Boeing Research & Technology operating in Queensland for 10 years.