Vela Alpha Specification: Flying Taxi From Indonesia

Vela Alpha specifications. (Photo: Instagram/@airspacereview)

YOGYAKARTA - Indonesia will have flying taxis or often termed flying cars, made locally, Vela Alpha, which is currently being developed by Vela Prima Nusantara alias Vela Aero, a Bandung-based company that has been established since 2020. Alpha's basic specifications are Vertical Take-off and Landing (VTOL) aircraft with one pilot and 4 passengers.

Sourced from information on the Vela Aero web, Alpha looks like a small jet with propellers so that it flies like a helicopter. There are 8 propellers facing up and one facing back at the stern.

The Alpha is 10.8 m long, 4.2 m large and 13.1 m wide. The cabin consists of 2 separate rooms, namely the pilot room and passengers.

Alpha's maximum load is 456 kg. Maximum Takeoff Weight (MTOW), aka a weight, has a maximum takeoff of 2,850 kilograms.

Alpha has 2 kitchen runway options, pure electricity (eVTOL) with a power of 216 kWh and a hybrid (hVTOL) 71 kWh. This specification is said to be able to adjust consumer needs.

In the eVTOL type, it is claimed that the distance is up to 100 km, the operation is quiet, zero emissions and brings 8 battery packaging. Alpha eVTOL is claimed to be appropriate for Urban Air Mobility (UAM).

On the other hand, Alpha hVTOL carries a battery-assisted internal combustion engine. This type of excess can fly over the waters, the distance is up to 400 km according to Regional Air Mobility (RAM) needs.

According to the company's video explanation on Youtube, Alpha needs 8 minutes to fly from the Jakarta Central Business District (CBD) to Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Tangerang.

The expedition is claimed to be faster than the use of KRL for 44 minutes or 60 minutes.

Cooperating With The Indonesian Aerospace

Dirgantara Indonesia menjelaskan kelompoknya bekerja sama dengan Vela Aero buat engineering serta produksi. Bermungkinan besar Alpha bakal dibuat di sarana Dirgantara Indonesia yang terdapat di Bandung.

"In the future, PTDI and Vela Aero will carry out co-partnering for the manufacture of the air taxi and further development. Making manufacturing is very possible in PTDI facilities," said Public Relations of the Indonesian Aero Anissa Carolina on the website of the Indonesian Aerospace, quoted on Sunday, March 3.

Anissa revealed that the flightworthiness test process has been submitted to the Directorate of Airworthiness and Aircraft Operations of the Ministry of Transportation (Kemenhub). The pre-aplication of certification with the Directorate General of Air Transportation of the Ministry of Transportation is currently being carried out.

Mockup, a flying taxi Vela Aero, has been exhibited at the Singapore Airshow 2024 at the Changi Exhibition Center in Singapore.

The cooperation between Vela Aero and Dirgantara Indonesia begins in 2023. Vela Aero is said to have a target of completing Alpha certification in 2028 and entering service in the same year.

In addition, to read also: This All-Electric Air Car From The US Gets Feasibility Certification, to increase insight into flying cars.

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