First CityAirbus demonstrator public flight lifts off in Bavaria, Germany

The first public flight of Airbus’ CityAirbus four-seat all-electric multicopter demonstrator took place at the company’s Donauwörth, Bavaria, Germany, flight test facility on July 20, 2020.

Its eight propellers are driven by electric motors at around 950 rpm to ensure a low acoustic footprint. According to the company: “The single failure tolerant architecture ensures safety. Its cruise speed will be approximately 120 Km/h on fixed routes with up to 15 minutes of autonomy. It has a capacity of four passengers that is ideal for aerial urban ridesharing. Type certification and commercial introduction are planned for 2023.”

The CityAirbus full-scale demonstrator conducted its first take-off in May 2019.

(Image: Airbus)