One of the most enjoyable trips I took in 2022 was a visit to Adelaide, where we saw the Alauda Aeronautics factory and its Airspeeder flying cars in action. We saw the unmanned remote-controlled Mk3 vehicles buzzing through the South Australian skies, but Airspeeder has just revealed the next generation Mk4 flying car, which is also the first of its kind that will have a pilot in the cockpit.
Designed and built in Adelaide, both Airspeeder and Alauda Aeronautics are the brainchildren of founder and CEO Matt Pearson, whose ambition to create a new generation of flying electric vehicles led to the birth of Alauda Aeronautics. Not satisfied with the pace of development in the industry, however, Pearson decided to create a flying race car series called Airspeeder, which will eventually be open to competition from other aerospace companies to create an exhilarating “F1 of the skies” spectator sport.
“We have built the vehicles, developed the sport, secured the venues, attracted the sponsors and technical partners,” said Pearson in a statement. “Now is the time for the world’s most progressive, innovative and ambitious automotive brands, OEM manufacturers and motorsport teams to be part of truly revolutionary new motorsport.”
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The Airspeeder racing series with the Mk3 vehicles was competed in by pilots within the Airspeeder fold, however, with the launch of the Mk4 the competition is now open to other entrants, set to create one of the most exciting new motorsports in years. After years of development, the Mk4 is the fastest hydrogen electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing (eVTOL) aircraft, capable of 360kp/h thanks to its 1,000 kW (1,340 horsepower) turbogenerator and a range of 300kms thanks to its lightweight 950kg build.
With a two-year deal secured for broadcast rights with Fox Sports Australia (including Foxtel and Kayo), it shouldn’t be too long before we can watch the Airspeeder racing series from the comfort of our own homes.
