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An Austin-based startup is taking flying cars from sci-fi movies to reality.
Over the weekend, LIFT Aviation Company put its all-electric, single-passenger flying vehicle on display at Springfield-Beckley Municipal Airport in Springfield, Ohio. The electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicle, called HEXA, could change the future of flying transportation and is projected to be publicly available by the end of the year.
HEXA was created by University of Texas alumnus and LIFT CEO Matt Chasen and was funded with a $226,000 grant by JobsOhio's Ohio Site Inventory Program at Springfield-Beckley Municipal Airport.
Together with two other aircraft companies, LIFT is also creating a facility designated for flying cars. The facility will include simulation stations for future pilots as well as charging stations to help make Springfield a key spot in a network for future flying vehicles that can travel longer distances.
The vehicle itself is light enough that it is not even designated as aircraft, so it doesn't require a pilot's license to operate. It is also semi-autonomous, with a remote computer taking care of takeoff and landing and maintaining stability throughout the flight. The vehicle was created so that anybody could take a few minutes to master the joystick controls and take a ride of their own right after.
HEXA is stocked up with safety features as well. The vehicle can operate with up to six of its 18 propellers not in use, and is equipped with parachute backup to boot.
There are a few drawbacks to the vehicle, however. Because it's essentially a manned drone, the craft can't be flown over populated areas or fly over a couple hundred feet. The vehicle also has a flight time of only 10 or 15 minutes, so it's unlikely that HEXA will be used to evade highway traffic anytime soon.
Since its unveiling at SXSW in Austin in 2019, HEXA has been looked at by the Air Force secretary and chief of staff as a possible soldier transportation vehicle. At $495,000, it's also marketed for thrill-seekers with a bit of change in their pocket. For commercial rides, the drone is looking at a price of $250 per ride, and LIFT is hoping to make the vehicle accessible as a touristy ride as well as used for future transportation research.
While LIFT isn't quite making "Back to the Future" a reality, it is making the future happen with a real-life flying car available for all.
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(Project Connect)
Designs for stations along Project Connect’s Blue Line were presented this week, giving a detailed look at what part of the rail system extending from downtown to the airport could look like.
The planned stations that have gotten the latest focus include Waterfront, Travis Heights and Lakeshore stations past Lady Bird Lake.
At the Waterfront station, the preliminary design aims to prevent visual obstructions and save on costs. This is accomplished by a transit guideway that will lower from the bridge to a level station.
Heading onto East Riverside Drive, the light rail faces a curve requiring a slow down to about 10 miles per hour.
The Travis Heights station could involve relocating a pedestrian crosswalk zone at Alameda Drive to Blunn Creek. Since light rails can't effectively operate on a steep grade, this allows the transit guideway to avoid that.
From there, the rail will extend to the Norwood Park area, and though it will reach along the right-of-way zone, the park will be able to remain open.
A view of the Blue Line by Lady Bird Lake. (Project Connect)
The line involves some coordination with the Texas Department of Transportation. That's because the department is working on an intersection that will have to be built before the phasing of the section of the Blue Line involving an I-35 crossing.
When it comes to the safety of cyclists and walkers, design ideas include a pedestrian hybrid beacon by East Bouldin Creek that would provide a protected signal to cross. And for the intersection TxDOT is carrying out, Project Connect is working with them on pedestrian access across the intersection. It could involve shared use paths along the street and crossings beneath it.
This summer, the public can expect 30% of design and cost estimates to be released. Though the project was $7.1 billion when voters approved it in November 2020, the latest estimates factoring in inflation and supply chain constraints show it could ultimately be upwards of $10 billion.
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(Amazon/Facebook)
Plans for an Amazon warehouse in Round Rock—a $250 million project slated to be a large distribution center—are on hold.
This comes just after the tech giant had its worst financial quarter in seven years.
The details:
- Late last year, it announced an expansion at the Domain adding 2,000 more corporate and tech jobs.
- Amazon still owns the site in Round Rock. Plans for it are unclear.
- Early this week, the Wall Street Journal reported that Amazon is aiming to scrap warehouse space as it faces a slowdown in its e-commerce operations.
Part of that effort involves exploring the possibility of ending or renegotiating leases with outside warehouse owners. Another aspect is a plan to sublease warehouse space.
“It allows us to relieve the financial obligations associated with an existing building that no longer meets our needs,” an Amazon spokeswoman told the Wall Street Journal. “Subleasing is something many established corporations do to help manage their real estate portfolio.”
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