FIRST UNTETHERED FLIGHT OF FLYNOW’S ECOPTER MARKS A MILESTONE IN AIR TRANSPORT
The FlyNow eCopter has completed its first untethered free flight, a milestone that moves this Austrian electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft from tethered testing into genuine open-air operation. FlyNow Aviation, founded in 2019 and based in Austria, developed the eCopter around a coaxial dual-rotor design, a configuration borrowed from conventional helicopter engineering that eliminates the tail rotor complexity found in most traditional rotorcraft. The result is a compact, capsule-like personal aircraft that targets urban cargo routes first, with passenger service planned to follow once the operational record is established.
What Makes the Coaxial Rotor Design Different
A conventional helicopter uses a tail rotor to counteract the torque generated by its main rotor. The eCopter's coaxial counter-rotating rotor pair cancels torque internally, making a tail rotor unnecessary. This simplifies the mechanical architecture, reduces the overall footprint of the aircraft, and removes one of the most mechanically vulnerable components in rotorcraft design. Four electric motors drive the coaxial system, with lithium-ion batteries providing energy. The configuration also contributes to the eCopter's exceptionally low acoustic signature: just 55 dB(A) measured at 150 meters, roughly the same level as a household dishwasher running in the next room.
Performance: Speed, Range, and Efficiency
Published performance figures for the eCopter place its top speed at 130 km/h (80 mph) with a per-charge range of 50 km (approximately 31 miles). Energy consumption runs at around 30 kWh per 100 km, which is competitive among current electric aircraft designs. These figures make the eCopter well-suited to last-mile cargo delivery and short urban hops rather than intercity travel. FlyNow has stated that commercial cargo operations are targeted for 2027, preceded by a rigorous testing program designed to accumulate one million kilometres of cargo flight before the platform transitions to carrying passengers.
The untethered flight followed years of iterative testing at facilities near Salzburg Airport, where air traffic restrictions previously required all tests to be conducted with a tether. Achieving European EASA SAIL II certification in 2022 provided the regulatory foundation for the more advanced flight envelope now being explored.
The Path to Commercial Operations
FlyNow is now working toward SAIL IV certification, which would permit the eCopter to enter limited commercial cargo service. The company's COO, Yvonne Winter, described the untethered milestone as "visible proof that our vision works." The modular platform supports cargo, single-seat, and two-seat configurations, giving the eCopter flexibility across use cases as the market for urban air mobility matures. If the certification timeline holds, the eCopter will be among the first European-developed eVTOL aircraft to reach commercial cargo operation.
TheArsenale's personal aircraft selection spans designs from light sport amphibians to advanced eVTOLs. The Valkyrie by Centauri Aircraft and the XPENG X2 eVTOL represent two very different approaches to personal flight currently available. The Icon A5 amphibious aircraft offers a proven light sport platform for those who want to fly now rather than wait for certification timelines.
Photo: New Atlas / Interesting Engineering
