A flight-ready prototype of Mayman Aerospace’s P2 Speeder made its debut at the Draper Venture Network CEO Summit this week in Ventura, California.
The P2 is a high-speed, single-rider air utility vehicle (AUV), which will be capable of flying with or without a pilot. The final version of the eight-engine prototype will be able to lift 1,000 lbs and fly at more than 500 mph in its cargo configuration. Mayman is expected to begin test flights for the P2 in Q3 2022.
“The Speeder AUV is a total game changer. It is one of the most exciting, industry-disrupting technologies we’ve seen, and we were thrilled to provide this platform for its first public unveiling,” said primary investor Tim Draper. “We believe Speeder is the future of VTOL flight, and I’m personally looking forward to flying one myself.”
According to Mayman, the company is working with the FAA to gain type certification, with piloted tests anticipated for Q4 2022. The company also boasts the versatility of its Speeder, with potential uses in cargo, firefighting, medical EVAC, and military operations.
“Once certified, Speeder aircraft will enable an operator to jump on, press start, and take off,” the company said in a statement. “Everything from the glossy, aerodynamic carbon fiber body to the ergonomic pilot position is developed to provide Speeder operators with maximum flight efficiency and ultra-safe system redundancy.”
The company claims the Speeder will be “dramatically less expensive than a helicopter” and will be powered by zero net carbon or sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).
Mayman Aerospace is a brand group operating under JetPack Aviation Corporation, which designed and built the world’s first FAA-approved JetPack in the experimental category. The company has previously won two contracts with the U.S. military.
“We launched JetPack Aviation a decade ago, and the name has served development of our JetPack technology well, but as we look to the future, we needed a brand that clearly defines our professional, as opposed to consumer, Speeder product and markets,” said company CEO David Mayman. “Mayman Aerospace is pushing the outer limits of VTOL flight and will continue to innovate and incorporate new technologies including hydrogen-powered turbine engines, electric fanjets and turbofan propulsion, complex ‘sense and avoid’ sensors for autonomous swarming, and potentially even supersonic flight. At Mayman Aerospace, we never say it can’t be done. Instead, we ask, ‘How can we make it happen?’”
