Tortoreto is the creator of Revolt 1, a new personal aircraft that’s currently looking to raise funds on Kickstarter, with a shipping date scheduled for early next year.
Revolt 1 is technically classified as a paramotor, which combines the flying characteristics of a paraglider with the autonomy of powered flight. Unlike airplanes, there’s no need for long runways for takeoff and landing, since both can be done in just a few dozen feet.
It also doesn’t run on polluting jet fuel, but rather batteries which allow for a 40-minute flight time, and can then easily be recharged for a more socially conscious flying experience. There are even iOS and Android apps that let users adjust the power and responsiveness of their craft, and allow instructors to correct the craft’s position for takeoff.
“The main difference from normal paramotors is that Revolt has got four rotors,” Tortoreto told Digital Trends. “That makes it a lot safer, because you can still fly with even one rotor in the unlikely event that three fail. It’s also considerably cheaper, which means we can bring electric flight to everyone.”
How much cheaper? Well, the Kickstarter campaign let’s you pledge anything from $2 — although that will only get you a thank you for helping contribute toward the project. If you want to get hold of an actual Revolt 1 unit yourself, you’ll have to shell out 4,980 euros ($5,600), which buys you a Revolt kit, harness, battery container and battery charger.
(A select few units are going for $110 less, however, so if you’re interested it may be worth paying a visit to the crowdfunding page ASAP.)
“My dream is for this to be the future of transportation,” Tortoreto said. “Imagine if everyone could fly to their work like this. I know it’s a bit early to say that, but you have to start somewhere. Hey, when the first cars arrived I’m sure there were people who questioned why they were necessary when people already had horses. I would like to think we’re at the beginning of a similar transition here.”
Hey, we guess it’s good to have sky-high ambitions when you’re working in an area like this!
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