09 January 2024
The age of The Jetsons-inspired flying cars is here for everyday, flight-obsessed people without pilot licenses—as long as they have a spare $200,000 lying around to nurture their love of the skies.
Palo Alto, California-based Pivotal is reportedly going to release its eVTOL in the United States starting in June 2024. Named Helix, the light, personal aircraft requires no pilot's license, is all electric, features automatic take-off and landing, and includes cruise control.
Helix seems pretty remarkable—even with some limitations and requirements.
• You don't need a pilot's license, but you will be required to take flight-training instruction. Pivotal provides the classes.
• Your flight path is limited to non-congested areas.
• You must zoom far away from any airports.
• Obviously, Helix is not yet ready to be your commuter vehicle of choice.
Oh, and there's one more possible limitation—the price.
Here are the current purchase options (rentals are not available at this time):
Package 1: $190,000
White and carbon fiber exterior finish, digital flight panel, canopy, HD landing camera, charger, vehicle cart, custom marking, comprehensive pilot training, and warranty.
Package 2: $240,000
Gloss white and striped carbon fiber exterior finish and the features above, plus a trailer with a dual-wing cart, a 4K landing camera with recording and sharing features, ADS-B air traffic system, two chargers, and an enhanced warranty.
Package 3: $260,000
Exterior in gloss white, carbon fiber, plus a custom accent color and includes the features above, plus a premium flight deck, three chargers, beacon aircraft lights, emergency locator transmitter, one additional training slot for a friend or family member, and the option to fully customize the exterior at an additional cost.
The Purchase Process
Pre-orders start for customers in America with a non-refundable $250 application fee. Reserving a production slot and scheduling your mandatory flight training requires a deposit of $50,000. Deliveries are set to begin June 10, 2024.
Cartage and Assembly
A disassembled Helix can fit into a 16-foot trailer. Assembly and prep time for flight is estimated at 30 minutes.
Performance
RANGE, WITH 20% RESERVE
- 20+ miles
BATTERIES
- 8 kWh total storage
CHARGE TIME
- Level 2 charger: 240 V / 50 A, charge from 20% - 100%: 75 mins
- Level 1 charger: 120 V / 15 A, charge from 20% - 100%: 4.5 hrs
PERFORMANCE AT MAXIMUM TAKEOFF WEIGHT
- Cruise speed 55 knots (63 mph)
- Maximum climb rate 500 fpm
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- Helix (in cruise mode): 72 dBA
- Electric car: 76 dBA
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- Maximum wind: 17 knots (20 mph)
- Temperature range: 14 °F to 91 °F (-10 °C to 33 °C)
- Non-precipitating
LANDING SURFACES
- Grass, asphalt, pavement, snow, ice
SOUND LEVEL (MEASURED AT 150 FT)
Motorcycle: 80+ dBAMaximum descent rate 500 fpmSAFETY
- Triple-modular redundancy
- Fault-tolerant design features throughout
- 8 fixed propulsors tolerant to loss of 1 rotor
- 4 split elevon pairs for redundancy
- Ballistic parachute
WEATHER CONDITIONS
- Helix (in cruise mode): 72 dBA
- Electric car: 76 dBA
- Motorcycle: 80+ dBA
"We’re proud to begin selling, and soon delivering, our Helix aircraft," says Pivotal CEO Ken Karklin. "The market is ready for the wonder of aerial recreation and short-hop eVTOL travel. We are ready to provide the beauty and freedom of personal flight to a whole lot of people with a passion for flying and an interest in creating a new generation of aviators and aviation."
Watch First Public Demo
More Flight Video
