One-Seat eVTOL Needs No Certificate to Fly—and It’s Ready for Piloted Tests

Rotor X Aircraft has completed hundreds of unmanned flights of its kit-built, ultralight Dragon and is ready to add the pilot.

Jack Daleo

Thursday, August 24, 2023 at 02:16 PM ET

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Key Takeaways:

Rotor X Aircraft is nearing mass production of its "Dragon," an ultralight, build-it-yourself electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft that can be flown without a pilot certificate in the U.S.
The Dragon is designed for single-person use, features redundant motors, a ballistic parachute, simplified controls, and can fold for transport, with a flight time of up to 20 minutes.
Priced initially at just under $90,000, piloted flight testing is scheduled for early September, with mass production planned for March and deliveries expected next spring for preordered units.
Qualifying as a Part 103 ultralight, the aircraft bypasses complex eVTOL pilot certification issues, though the article acknowledges potential safety concerns for inexperienced pilots despite general ultralight accident rates.

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There are thousands of Americans who have the flying bug but lack the time or energy to put in the hundreds of hours needed for a pilot certificate. But if they have the money, a personal aircraft for which the pilot needs no certification to fly just came closer to entering production.

Rotor X Aircraft, a 50-year-old manufacturer that primarily produces two-seat experimental kit helicopters, announced it will soon begin piloted flight testing of its preproduction Dragon: an ultralight, build-it-yourself, electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) design that can be flown without a certificate in the U.S.