The ultralight’s batteries hold 8 kilowatt-hours of total storage and have a range of some 20 miles (with a 20% reserve), with a cruising speed of 55 knots (63 mph), a maximum climb and descent rate of 500 fpm, and a full static thrust of 960 pounds. It only consumes 245 watt-hours per mile compared to an electric car’s 270 and takes 75 minutes to fully recharge (from a 20% level) if using a 50-amp Level 2 charger. It’ll take much longer (4.5 hours) if plugged into a 15-amp 120-volt Level 1 wall socket.
The company’s goal was to make an elegant yet simple aircraft, not get into the air taxi service business or become a provider of vehicles for air taxi services (one of which just set a new record for the longest eVTOL flight). However, its simplicity doesn’t mean you can just hop in and go, as Pivotal puts prospective buyers through rigorous simulator and flight training sessions. If the five “simple” questions on its website are any indication, there are some significant restrictions as to who can fly it and where it can be flown.
First, you have to be over the age of 18. Due to airframe and canopy limitations, the pilot must have a seated height of no more than 3 feet 3 inches and a standing height of 6 feet 5 inches. And because of the craft’s thrust and battery reserve, the pilot must weigh less than 220 pounds.
