Phractyl Defends Its Bizarre, Bird-Like Aircraft Design

'Macrobat' engineer answers questions about the weird electric concept.

Thursday, January 27, 2022 at 10:24 AM ET

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An artist’s rendering for a concept aircraft called Macrobat has flapping wings and bird-like landing gear. [Courtesy: Phractyl]

Key Takeaways:

Phractyl's Macrobat is a highly unconventional, bird-like electric aircraft concept designed for remote logistics, intended to be remotely piloted and land on any terrain.
The concept's radical design, featuring mechanical bird-legs and a "pivotal" flapping wing, has drawn significant skepticism from the aviation community regarding its feasibility and safety.
Phractyl aims for significant societal benefit in underserved communities, proposing a seven-year development cycle before service entry, despite acknowledged certification unknowns.
Its funding strategy is unorthodox, relying on self-funding and public donations via platforms like Patreon, a stark contrast to typical eVTOL startups using large-scale investment.

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When a South African company calling itself Phractyl recently unveiled its concept art for a bird-like electric aircraft called Macrobat, members of the global aviation community expressed skepticism.

“What on Earth is going on here?” asked New Atlas. Calling it “avant-garde absurdity,” New Atlas said it was “unlike anything we’ve seen before—or are likely to see again, if we’re honest.”