Could Lift’s “Hexa” Make a Drone Pilot of Us All?
It’s the closest thing to a Jetsonian flying car fantasy come true. The Hexa, manufactured by Lift Aircraft, could one day allow everyday consumers to fly in a personal aircraft without a pilot’s license – or even extensive training.
The Austin, TX-based company secured its initial funding to develop the aircraft through a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant back in 2021. The US Air Force has a strong interest in Hexa as a possible stealth vehicle for special operations forces engaged in clandestine warfare overseas. But it’s also considered to be ripe for commercial applications, including aerial inspections and reconnaissance missions of various kinds.
For now, Lift and its sponsors are trying to generate buzz about the aircraft among the public at large. Next week, in Lakeland, FL, the Hexa will be available for test drives by participants in the annual Sun & Fun Exhibition in Lakeland, FL. For $249, anyone 18 years and older who agrees to receive about an hour of combined training and instruction can fly the Hexa for a few minutes over a designated launch site.
The Hexa is about the size of a small observation helicopter, with 18 separate battery-powered overhead rotors giving the craft its lift and thrust. The Hexa features a single large joystick with clearly marked push-buttons that allow a newbie pilot to fly and maneuver the craft with ease. In its current prototype mode, the Hexa flies at an extremely slow speed and comes with geofencing that prevents the craft from soaring higher than 30 feet or lower than 2 feet while still airborne. There’s also a skilled back-up team in place that monitors all Hexa flights and can assume control of the craft in the event of an unexpected mechanical or pilot error.
How can untrained pilots be authorized to fly the Hexa, even on a limited basis? It mainly comes down to the weight of the craft, which is below the minimum FAA threshold which would require the operator to obtain a formal license. It also helps that each rotor is separately powered, which reduces the safety risk. The craft can still be flown successfully in the unlikely event that a third of its 18 batteries were to fail.
Lyft and USAF officials say they plan to continue testing the Hexa at Eglin Air Force base as the prototype continues to evolve. In the meantime, Lyft hopes to make a strictly civilian version of the craft available to amusement parks and other tourist venues. And at some point, it will also be available for purchase on the broader consumer market, assuming the FAA can figure out how to regulate its private use – no easy task.
The SBIR contract is just one that Lift currently enjoys through the USAF Agility Prime Mobility Program. The company also enjoys an ongoing partnership with the University of Texas’ Center for Autonomous Air Mobility. Lyft is currently producing about one Hexa a month, and has some 15,000 customers standing by, once commercialization is approved. Texas-based composites specialist Qarbon Aerospace is Lyft’s manufacturing partner.
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