The CityHawk flying electric car.

JNS.org – Metro Skyways, a subsidiary of Israeli company Urban Aeronautics based in Yavne, intends to launch the design and development of a four-passenger, vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) flying car.

The company said development of the CityHawk flying electric car will take five years and is based on Urban Aeronautics’ internal rotor technology called “Fancraft.”

CityHawk is expected to be powered by jet fuel but is projected to also be converted to run on liquid hydrogen fuel as well as 700-bar compressed hydrogen, depending on the infrastructure and technology available during the development phases.

The vehicle may employ a system in which hydrogen is fed directly into a specially designed turboshaft engine, eliminating the need for fuel cells or electric motors.

The CityHawk is based on the Cormorant, a military craft developed by Tactical Robotics to ferry wounded soldiers from the urban battlefield. In the case of any airborne malfunction, the vehicle will be equipped with a standard rocket-deployed parachute to bring the driver and passengers down safely.

The Cormorant has performed over 200 test flights and can carry a driver and two passengers. It’s 20 feet long, 7.05 feet wide, and 5.9 feet tall without thrusters.

CityHawk’s first public demonstration is expected to take place at an air show after completion of development.