AltoVolo Sigma Flying Three-Seater Promises the Earth
Image Credit: AltoVolo.
Another futuristic flying machine, eh? Let's strap in and see if this London-based outfit, AltoVolo, is actually cooking up something revolutionary or just a load of hot air. My gut feeling? A bit of both, with a healthy sprinkle of "we'll believe it when we see it."
It's Monday morning, you're stuck in traffic, the air thick with fumes and frustration. Suddenly, you glance up and see some sleek, futuristic contraption silently zipping through the sky. That, my friends, is the promise of the electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) world, and AltoVolo's Sigma is throwing its rather stylish hat into this increasingly busy arena.
Image Credit: AltoVolo.
These blokes from London are claiming their three-seater will not only whisk you away for a good 510 miles but also cruise at 220 mph. And they reckon it'll be 80% quieter than a helicopter. That's like going from a banshee wailing next to your ear to a polite cough in the distance.
I know, we all have seen a fair few ambitious claims in the realm of electric mobility. And when AltoVolo starts throwing around numbers that make even the most optimistic eVTOL companies blush, my eyebrows naturally head for the stratosphere. For context, Archer Aviation's Midnight, which has actually already navigated some of the regulatory hurdles stateside, tops out at 150 mph and manages a paltry 100 miles.
Image Credit: AltoVolo.
Joby's hydrogen-powered gizmo did manage a commendable 523-mile jaunt, hitting 200 mph, but these machines are being designed for different gigs. Archer and Joby are eyeing the air taxi service – quick hops, rapid recharges. AltoVolo, on the other hand, wants a slice of the private helicopter market, those well-to-do folks who want to avoid the plebeian ground traffic without sounding like a squadron of angry hornets arriving at their manicured lawns.
The Sigma, as they've christened their airborne chariot, is certainly a looker – at least in the 3D renderings they've been showing off. It's a bold design, no doubt about it. It has a wingspan of just under 16 feet, roughly the width of your average two-car garage. And it has a 1,608-horsepower powertrain that they claim can keep you airborne even if one of the jets decides to have a sulk. And the weight? A featherlight 2,160 pounds, including three passengers. That's about the same as the frankly bonkers Gordon Murray T.50 hypercar (2,176 lbs).
Image Credit: AltoVolo.
AltoVolo's secret sauce, apparently, is a "patent-pending tilting electric jet design" combined with some clever aerodynamics. This, they say, allows them to tap into the instant oomph of batteries for vertical liftoff and landing, and then switch to the energy density of liquid fuel for those longer hauls. Sounds rather ingenious, but as someone who's followed the eVTOL saga for a while now, I can tell you that turning fancy designs into actual, flying metal is a whole different kettle of fish. The graveyard of ambitious aviation startups is littered with pretty pictures and bold pronouncements.
The UK startup assures us that some experienced aerospace boffin has given their design the thumbs-up, and they've even roped in a control systems firm called Embention for autonomous flight tech. Which all sounds very reassuring. However, when I tried to dig a bit into the background of the founder, Will Wood, the internet seemed surprisingly quiet. In this day and age, that raises an eyebrow or two, wouldn't you say?
Still, AltoVolo claims they've already done some prototype flight testing and are now gearing up to build a full-scale demonstrator. That's a step in the right direction, at least. They're even planning to open a waitlist for early orders of this "vertical hybrid jet" come July. So, if you've got a spare chunk of change lying around and a thirst for being an early adopter of potentially revolutionary (or spectacularly failed) technology, you might want to keep an eye on this.
Image Credit: AltoVolo.
The key takeaway here is the ambition. AltoVolo isn't just dipping its toes into the eVTOL pond; it's cannonballing into the deep end with claims that outstrip many of its competitors. The hybrid-electric approach, combining the vertical agility of electric power with the range of liquid fuel, is an interesting one, potentially offering the best of both worlds. But the complexity involved in such a system is mind-boggling, and the path from 3D renders to a certified, reliable flying machine is filled with challenges – technical, regulatory, and financial.
Will the AltoVolo Sigma be the future of personal air travel, silently whisking the jet set from their penthouse helipads to their country estates? Or will it join the long list of ambitious eVTOL projects that never quite made it off the ground? I'm not betting my money just yet, but I hope it's the first scenario. The idea of a near-silent aircraft with a range to rival a helicopter is an amazing prospect, and I am already scouring for spare change down the back of the sofa for a deposit. Just in case.
