Meet Jetson ONE – Personal Electric Flying Vehicle That You Assemble Yourself

By Mayukh Saha / Truth Theory

Jetson Aerospace has unveiled their personal eVTOL aircraft and it is blowing everyone’s minds. The plane is named the Jetson One and was named after the 1960s Hanna-Barbera cartoon, the Jetsons.

Jetson One was revealed to the public as a recreational eVTOL aircraft that did not require a pilot certificate to fly. It was revealed late last year in October, and pre-orders have recently begun.

Jetson One Is Being Offered To The Public, Some Of Its Specifications

The company plans to offer this aircraft to the public for $92,000 each by 2022. You need to keep a deposit of $22,000 to reserve a build slot. The company has planned 12 build slots for Autumn 2022, with the production process beginning in Summer 2022.

The tiny eVTOL will arrive at your doorstep will be 50% assembled. The frames will be in a single piece while the cables and batteries are up to you, with instructions written in detail.

Once this aircraft is airborne, it has a top speed of 63mph and has a range of 20 miles. It ascends at 25ft per second but most of the flight time will occur between 15-39 ft off the ground.

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Peter Ternström Talks About His Creation

“If you get the Jetson at lunchtime, you’re ready to fly by dinner,” said Peter Ternström, Jetson president and co-founder.

Peter talked about his inspiration for building the Jetson One.

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“I wanted to have a little sports car for the sky,” Ternström said. “It has always been my dream since just a kid and finally now, the technology is available.”

The aircraft weighs around 190 pounds and is powered by Tesla batteries. The aircraft will last about 20 minutes in the air. Ternström is not concerned about the short battery life as he believes that the Jetson One was constructed for something else.

“The scope of the project is not to solve big issues like urban mobility or air taxis or something like that,” he said. “The Jetson is all about having fun.”

Peter wants us to think of Jetson One as a Jetski. You can take it out for recreational purposes but can’t be taken to work.

“It’s a profoundly ecstatic experience to fly this thing because it’s completely vibration-free,” Ternstöm said. “And it makes a buzzing noise like something from ‘Star Wars.’”

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The Jetson One is technologically advanced in several ways. The lower part of the craft is fitted with LIDAR sensors and has software that can limit how fast you can travel according to your surroundings.

Several safety mechanisms are also equipped which include ballistic parachutes and zero-input hovering. You basically can let go of the throttle and come to a peaceful stop in mid-air.

As per Ternström’s statements, the Jetson One allows anyone to climb into the pilot seat and fly away without the need for any relevant experience. The software includes a “virtual cushion” which slows down the descent of the craft while landing to get rid of hard landings.

 It is not necessary to have a pilot certificate to fly the Jetson One but you need to have one to purchase it. Peter wants the initial customers to know what they’re doing.

“I am not going to sell it to anyone. Whether or not they like it or not, the first 30 people to receive their Jetson, are going to be ambassadors for the brand because the level of attention they’re going to get with their flying device is going to be astronomical,” he said. “That’s why I’m selecting people.”

Jetson One To Be Classified As An Ultralight Vehicle

The Jetson One will be classified as an ultralight vehicle and would not require any airworthiness certifications.

“It offers them some flexibility, it offers them also some restrictions that aren’t part of the usual aircraft world,” said Dick Knapinski, director of communications at EAA.

The classification of this aircraft would not let you fly it in populated areas or controlled airspaces.

Knapinski believes there are three things that can obstruct a successful eVTOL aircraft: the engineering, the regulatory process, and the acceptance of the consumers.

“It appears the Jetson people have got a lot of the engineering down,” he said.

Knapinski believes that technology moves faster than regulations, thus, it would take some time for Jetson One to find its place within the FAA certifications.

The acceptance of the audience is also a crucial factor for any emerging tech. 

“They can have the best innovation in the world. If they don’t sell many of them, they’re not going to be successful,” he said.

He hopes to see the eVTOL aircraft in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, in the near future.