10 Best Compact Aircrafts: from Flying Cars to Jetpacks and Passenger Drones

Door-to-door air travel is one of the most popular ideas for the cities of the future. Nowadays less people would like to find a permanent travel solution that will save them time and money. Some experts believe that personal aviation may be the long-term solution.

Here are the top 10 aircrafts and small helicopters that are suitable for single flights or for flying small groups of people.


Future of Personal Air Transportation: Top 10 Flying Cars, Hoverboards and Compact Helicopters

#1. AeroMobil 3.0

The futuristic idea of making flying cars has been around for a while but not many engineers were brave enough to turn the idea into reality. In 2014 a Slovakian company managed to turn over 20 year of their work into a fully functional prototype of a vehicle that can be converted from an automobile to an aircraft.

Even after its first successful launch, the engineers behind AeroMobil continued working on their prototype in order to deliver the fully functional road-legal car to their clients by 2017.

AeroMobil 3.0 skillfully combines the functions of both a car and an airplane in order to legally use the existing road and airport infrastructure. AeroMobil uses regular gasoline, does 29.4 miles per gallon as a car and can easily fit into a standard parking space. But whenever you need to travel to air, you’ll need to find a paved surface or a grass strip just a few hundred yards long to soar into the sky and reach speeds of over 120 miles per hour. The vehicle also has everything to make the process of flying comfortable and efficient, mainly, the basic avionics equipment, autopilot and an advanced parachute deployment system.

The latest version of AeroMobil 3.0 packs some serious technologies, which enable it to spread its wings in seconds, get shorter take-off requirements, thanks to a variable angle of attack and land relatively rough terrain, mainly due to a sturdy suspension.

#2. Terrafugia TF-X

Terrafugia TF-X is the newest idea of the future of personal transportation. This plug-in hybrid tilt-rotor vehicle is expected to become the first fully autonomous flying car, which also has vertical takeoff and landing capabilities, provided there is a landing spot 100 feet in diameter.

The vehicle will use unleaded automotive gasoline and will be capable of doing 200 mph. For frying it will use electric motor pods with 1 MW of power and airplane batteries that will be partially recharged by the engine, so the flying range is expected to be at over 500 miles.

Although engineers already have technologies that can make TF-X happen on their hands, the fully functional model is expected to hit the market in 2023.

#3. SkyQuad

Looking is a vehicle straight from the James Bond movies, SkyQuad is blend of an all-terrain buggy and a part light-aircraft that is expected to be sold as the ultimate recreational sports vehicle.

On the road, thanks to a turbocharged engine, it can go as fast as 115 miles per hour, but, while in the paraglider mode, the speed is limited to 55 miles per hour.

At the moment this vehicle is designed only for one person, but the creators are working on a two-seater model, which will be adapted to performing various tasks, from search and rescue operations to extreme sports and sightseeing.

#4. ICON A5

The creators of ICON A5 combined the latest aviation technologies and the revolutionary industrial design, in order to make a lightweight amphibious aircraft, which will be easy to operate even for novice pilots. Such airplane will be a perfect transport solution for those, who have always dreamt of enjoying the sense of real freedom and fun of flying.

This two passenger aircraft is made of carbon fiber, which positively reflected on the overall weight of just 1,080 pounds. The aircraft is equipped with a robust 100-horsepower Rotax 912 engine, capable of propelling it to speeds up to 109 mph.

The engine uses 91 Octane Auto Gas or 100LL Aviation Gas, so it can be even fueled up in a regular gas station. In order to take-off this airplane requires a small strip of land or water with a length of 920 feet. On a full tank ICON A5 can cover the distance of 345 miles.

ICON A5 comes with a cabin of ICON A5, similar to that of an expensive sports car, and such important features: a towing system, retractable landing gear, powerful landing lights, GPS-navigation, radio, and a parachute that can be deployed in case of the engine failure.

#5. Flyboard Air

The real world testing of Flyboard Air show that this unusual form of personal transport is just a few steps away from becoming mainstream.

With the help of a turbojet engine, the compact device creates enough lift to take a person up to 10,000 feet in the air, while doing up to 90 miles per hour.

Flyboard is still in prototype mode and can still only last for 10 minutes on a single fuel tank, which is, by the way, located on the operators back, but such technical specs show the potential and may be the beginning of better and more powerful jetpacks.

#6. Martin Jetpack

Although jetpacks, which are a sci-fi dream of many teenage boys, were invented back in the 20th, they didn’t become a mainstream means of transportation even today. But there are many enthusiasts, who want to change that and get new achievements step-by-step.

For example, engineers at Martin Aircraft Company, who have been working on creating a jet pack, which can be used on daily basis for the last 30 years, are close to releasing a mass-production version of their invention.

In this final modification, the jet pack is expected to weigh 400 pounds and be efficient at speeds of up to 34 miles per hour, while the maximum speed will be around 45 miles per hour. The power to the fans will be generated by a 200 horsepower 2-liter engine. And the 245 Nm of torque should be enough to bring this aircraft up to 5000 feet in the air.

Speaking of the flying range, a full tank should last for about 30 minutes and help you cover distances of about 18 miles.

The developers have also taken care of making unprecedented safety features, the most important of which is a parachute system, mounted on a solid frame, which will deploy, in case of a critical equipment malfunction.

But don’t get too excited, though, this personal air transport of the future, which falls into the ultra-light aircraft category, will have a price tag of at least $200,000.

When the product is officially released, Martin Aircraft Company is planning to make special training courses, to ensure that all their buyers learn the basics of flying with a jet pack and can enjoy all the benefits such product provides.

#7. Joby S2

An aviation company called Joby developed an interesting concept of a small two-seater aircraft, which looks like a combination of a helicopter and an electric airplane. The aircraft is expected to be equipped with 12 engines with movable propellers that enable Joby S2 to take off and land vertically.

These engines should be powerful enough to let Joby S2 reach speeds of up to 200 miles per hour and go over 190 miles on a single battery charge. The engineers say that this aircraft will also be able to take off a landing strip, like a classical airplane, so it will consume less energy and have better flying range.

In the future, such airplane type can become a great solution for urgent business travel, taking aerial tours, agriculture or evacuation situations.

#8. Volocopter VC200

A German company called E-volo is working on bringing a personal air transport of the future one step at a time. They are already testing a multicopter, which is brought up in the air with 18 motors.

The setup of Volocopter VC200 enables it to take-off with almost a thousand pounds on board and reach the heights of about 6500 feet. Current tests show that current batteries will last for about 20-30 minutes but this issue is currently being addressed.
Volocopter VC200 can become the first passenger multicopter, which reaches the mass production stage.

#9. Ehang 184

Chinese drone manufacturer created the world's first aerial taxi. In fact, this aircraft looks, which looks like a giant quadcopter with a seat for one passenger, doesn’t have any means of steering and will work autonomously.

So in order to go from one destination to the other, you have to perform just these simple steps: sit comfortably in the chair, set your destination in the build-in application and enjoy the flight.

Ehang 184 can easily become an effective and safe means of solving the problems, which cripple the personal transport sector. This giant quadcopter has eight electric motors is sufficient to carry about 220 pounds, which is enough for an average person or small packages.

Such unusual mean of transportation can take off and land vertically, fly for about 20 minutes with an average cruising speed of 60 miles per hour and cover the distance of about 10 miles.

The passenger cabin of this autonomous aerial vehicle is made of composite materials and carbon fiber, while the frame and load-bearing elements are made with aluminum-based alloys. Inside the cabin you will find an air conditioning system, 4G network connectivity, a camera and a small luggage compartment for personal belongings.

#10. Pal-V One

For years people have wanted to have a vehicle that would combine the advantages of driving on the ground and flying in the sky. After testing many prototypes and making engineering attempts we can finally say that we are close to making this dream a reality with such vehicles, as Pal-V One, which, at a first glance, looks like a compact helicopter.

Pal-V One is the first step to having a futuristic flying that doesn’t even need a big runway to start flying. This vehicle is capable of going directly upwards, provided there is roof, trees or wires above it.

Having combined the features of a car and a helicopter, Pal-V One provides a great opportunity to enjoy the best of both. For example, if you are stuck in a traffic jam, you can unfold the wings with a push of a button and take off in minutes.

This three-wheeled vehicle can seat two adults comfortably and reach speeds up to 110 miles per hour, on the highway and in the sky. At such speeds, the gasoline engine will go through a full tank in 310 miles, when you fly or 750 miles, when you drive.

In this case the maximum lift height is 3900 feet. For flights below this level do not have to get permission from the aviation supervision services. Additionally, it has a special wheel tilt system that makes cornering on the roads easier to make.

Also it should be said that in order to operate this vehicle you will need a regular driving license, as well as a sport pilot certificate.