FutureFlight
SkyDrive's Personal eVTOL Vehicle Makes International Debut
The Japanese company unveiled its full-scale SD-03 eVTOL prototype at this week's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
SkyDrive at CES 2022
Japan's SkyDrive exhibited its SD-03 personal eVTOL vehicle at the 2022 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. (Image: SkyDrive)

Japan’s SkyDrive gave an international debut to its SD-03 personal eVTOL aircraft at this week’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. The company expects the single-seat SD-05 production model to be approved to enter service in Japan in 2025, having submitted a type certification application to the country’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism in late October 2021.

The full-scale SD-03 model has been involved in flight testing since 2020, but the appearance at the CES event marked the first time it has been publicly displayed outside Japan. This version is limited to flights of up to just 10 minutes and speeds of around 30 mph.