Airspeeder, a company developing flying racing vehicles, has announced a partnership with cyber protection firm Acronis, with plans to launch the world's first flying car racing series next year. The series is being billed as the 'Formula One of the skies', with single-seat electric vehicles known as 'Speeders' competing on aerial tracks.
The flying cars are capable of reaching speeds of up to 130km/h and will be equipped with LiDAR and Machine Vision technology to enable close but safe racing. Each vehicle will accommodate one pilot, drawn from backgrounds in military, civil UAV, motorsports or e-sports. Airspeeder stated that all teams will be provided with identical hardware, ensuring that success depends on the skill of the pilot.
The announcement follows a test of the team's MK4 flying race car at the Goodwood Festival of Speed Future Lab last year. During a demonstration at Goodwood Aerodrome, a smaller prototype took to the skies but quickly spun out of control, rising high before crashing into an empty field. No one was injured in the incident.
Matt Pearson, founder of Airspeeder, commented on the mishap, saying: "We didn't promise a soft landing! That's the thing with early technology, these things happen." He also expressed confidence in the partnership, describing Acronis's backing as significant affirmation of the vision to accelerate a "mobility revolution" through sporting competition.
The series is scheduled to launch in 2021, with the aim of delivering intense but safe racing set against visually striking backdrops around the world.
