Kittyhawk’s Heaviside H2 was designed as a remote-piloted, single-seat, all-electric eVTOL aircraft with tilting motors, canards, and a large wing. [Courtesy: Kittyhawk]
Key Takeaways:
Kittyhawk, the electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft company founded by Google co-founder Larry Page, announced it is winding down its operations.
While the precise extent of the shutdown is unclear, it signals an end to Kittyhawk's independent aircraft development efforts.
This decision does not impact Wisk Aero, another eVTOL firm partially backed by Kittyhawk and Boeing, which continues to develop its self-flying air taxi and remains in a strong financial position.
Kittyhawk's closure underscores the significant challenges and high attrition rate within the competitive and emerging eVTOL industry, where few companies have achieved flying prototypes or certification.
Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) co-founder Larry Page’s company Kittyhawk, which has been developing an electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft since 2010, may be calling it quits.
“We have made the decision to wind down Kittyhawk,” the company announced on its Twitter account Wednesday. “We’re still working on the details of what’s next.”
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Thom is a former senior editor for FLYING. Previously, his freelance reporting appeared in aviation industry magazines. Thom also spent three decades as a TV and digital journalist at CNN’s bureaus in Washington and Atlanta, eventually specializing in aviation. He has reported from air shows in Oshkosh, Farnborough and Paris. Follow Thom on Twitter @thompatterson.
