A manned test flight of a “flying car” aimed at commercial operation at the Osaka/Kansai Expo scheduled to be held in 2025 took place in Osaka on the 11th. However, it doesn’t have a good reputation, with people saying, “It looks like a helicopter” and “I don’t have the courage to ride it.” The companies that are promoting the development also seem reluctant to allow free flight operations. Osaka Prefecture Governor Hirofumi Yoshimura is working hard to promote the Expo as a highlight, but what are his intentions? (Joe Miyahata)
◆Made by Volocopter, Germany
When the 18 rotors attached to the circular frame at the top of the aircraft rotate in unison, the aircraft takes off vertically. It was able to land using its helicopter-like legs. This time, the test flight of the “flying car” was carried out using an aircraft made by Germany’s Volocopter, which is scheduled to fly at the Expo.
Osaka Prefecture Governor Hirofumi Yoshimura in the cockpit of a “flying car” from the German Consulate General’s X (formerly Twitter)
After getting into the cockpit and receiving an explanation, Governor Yoshimura wrote on X (former Twitter), “It’s not as big as a helicopter.It will be a revolution in air transportation.We will make it operational at the World Expo.”
Governor Yoshimura has been promoting “flying cars” until now. At an event in August, he announced, “At the Expo, I’m going to ride a flying car and go around the Osaka Bay Area like a normal person would ride a bicycle.”
However, this test flight was met with a series of comments on social media, such as, “No matter how you look at it, it’s not a car…” “It just looks like a helicopter,” and “It’s unreasonable to call this a car.”
◆”It’s difficult to fly commercially around the venue.”
Regarding the “flying car”, the Japan Association for World Expositions is envisioning a two-point operation between the Expo venue and another location, but what will happen? In an interview with reporters on the 13th, a Volocopter executive revealed that no decision has been made regarding a point-to-point flight, saying only, “We want you to see all of Osaka on a sightseeing flight.”
It’s not just German companies. Koji Shibata, president of ANA Holdings, one of the four groups scheduled to fly at the Expo, told Kyodo News on the 14th, “It’s difficult to be able to fly (commercially) around the Expo site with passengers on board.” I showed my point of view.
To begin with, flying cars are not classified as automobiles. It is a vehicle that uses electricity and can take off and land vertically, and is called an “eVTOL.” It also falls under the category of aircraft under the Civil Aeronautics Act. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism plans to finalize licenses, operating rules, and other details by the end of this year, but there is only about a year left until the Expo.
An illustration of a “flying car” published in a press release from the Osaka City Expo Promotion Bureau. Does this have something like wheels?
“Realistically, we should give up on trying to fit in with the Expo.” This is what Kenchi Aoki, an aviation critic, says. “It’s a different story if it’s for military purposes, but I think it’s still a long way off before it can be put to practical use in the civilian world. The infrastructure needed to transport it hasn’t been developed yet. I think it would be extremely expensive to ride it at an expo.” I look at it.
◆What if we could just develop the infrastructure for the casino?
Why do they insist on calling it a “flying car” and operating it at the World Expo, despite all the criticism? Hitoshi Yakushiin, professor of sociology at Tezukayama Gakuin University, said, “It is a sign of the Restoration that it is okay to lie, such as saying “Osaka city will not disappear” under the Osaka metropolitan plan or “isodine is effective against coronavirus.” “It’s just the way we do it,” he said, criticizing it as a reflection of the party’s stance.
On top of that, he said, “While the Expo’s expenses are expanding, the contents are becoming increasingly dilapidated, such as with the withdrawal of pavilions.The fact that they keep calling it a “flying car” is an example of the carelessness of what the Expo is doing. ” and speculates about his true intentions for holding the World Expo.
“It would be great to attract a casino to the site of the former World Expo venue.I guess that means that as long as the infrastructure for the casino can be developed, the Expo can be just a makeshift event.”
2023-12-16 03:00:00
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