Global interest in developing flying cars is on the rise, and Taiwan is no exception. Two young innovators, Daniel Chen and Kai-Tse Lin, have been researching flying cars for seven years. They founded their multinational flying car company, Bellwether,in the United Kingdom last year. They have created the Antelope, a single-seat flying car made of full carbon fiber with a length of approximately 2.4 meters,roughly half the size of a typical car. Earlier this year, they successfully conducted a test flight in Dubai. Notably, their flying car's appearance closely resembles that of a regular car, in contrast to many other flying car designs on the market that feature large wings or propellers. They are currently fine-tuning their design to optimize flying efficiency with the goal of making urban flying a reality.
"Our flying car isn't an enlarged drone, nor is it a shrunken airplane. It's just a car," said Daniel Chen. Flying cars are seen as a future trend in transportation. Daniel Chen and Kai-Tse Lin, while studying at the Royal College of Art in the UK, established their international flying car company, Bellwether. Their Antelope flying car, which weighs around 10 kilograms, is roughly half the length of a regular car. Earlier this year, they completed a smooth five-minute test flight in Dubai, which left their team exhilarated.They plan to complete the development of a full-scale prototype by early next year.
The 28-year-old Kai-Tse Lin and 27-year-old Daniel Chen were classmates in the Industrial Design Department at Tatung University. Daniel Chen, in particular, felt a sense of mission to revolutionize the transportation industry. He questioned why cars,with a history of over a century, couldn't fly. In 2015, he designed a hovercraft that could float about 30 centimeters above the ground. "A flying car isn't just something out of a sci-fi movie," he said. From then on, "building a flying car" became the lifelong goal for the two of them, and they pursued this dream by studying in the field of smart mobility at the Royal College of Art.
Kai-Tse Lin expressed his excitement, saying, "Seeing it successfully take off was very moving." Due to the pandemic, the team originally planned to establish a research and development base in the United States this year but eventually settled in their hometown of Tainan, Taiwan. They are not only committed to research and development but also collaborating with organizations such as the Industrial Technology Research Institute and National Cheng Kung University to harness Taiwan's abundant resources and connect with the global industry.
Kai-Tse Lin mentioned that during the process, they scoured for resources and raised funds.The maturity of drone technology in recent years has lowered the barriers to entry for flying, and compared to foreign flying cars with large wings, which make it challenging to maneuver through tall city buildings, their model does not have wings. It features eight turbines and semi-automatic driving. The vehicle's exterior closely resembles a regular car. They plan to conduct a trial flight for a full-scale model in 2023, with a flying time of up to 1.5 hours.
Kai-Tse Lin pointed out that flying a car in the air is different from driving on the road, and not everyone can take to the skies. In addition to the high cost off lying cars, there are still several challenges to overcome, including regulations and certification procedures for flying. They are currently working on developing a visualized traffic system, infrastructure, and more. In the early stages, they aim to target the high-end experiential market for aerial racing.
Read the article: https://www.chinatimes.com/realtimenews/20201203001515-260405?chdtv (China Times)
Organization & Positions: Bellwether Industries Limited
