As the industry turns its focus to Heli-Expo in Atlanta, Airbus Helicopters steals the headlines with the first public view of the CityAirbus. In the image seen here, the first prototype is seen outside the German plant at Donauworth, and carries a German registration ready for its first flight. Originally announced as “by the end of 2018”, the emergence of the test vehicle into the open air suggests that it will take to the air very soon. Photo credit ALutz.

The shadow on the aircraft gives some hints to the power setup, which appears to be very similar to what Airbus hinted at in this video.

A recent press release from Airbus promoted the craft as follows “CityAirbus is a multi-passenger, self-piloted battery-powered vertical take-off and landing vehicle designed for urban air mobility. It is designed to carry up to four passengers over congested megacities in a fast, affordable and environmentally friendly way.”

Jeremy Parkin – HeliHub.com

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