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Date: 2024-05-18 Page is: DBtxt003.php txt00019477

Technology
Aircraft

Otto Aviation says the hourly cost of flying the new Celera 500L is about six times cheaper than conventional aircraft.

Burgess COMMENTARY

Peter Burgess
Bullet plane ... New ‘bullet plane’ aims to make private flights affordable



Otto Aviation says the hourly cost of flying the new Celera 500L is about six times cheaper than conventional aircraft.
  • The unusual shape of Otto Aviation's Celera 500L was designed to maximize laminar flow.
  • Laminar flow is the smooth flow of air over an aircraft's wings, and optimizing laminar flow can make aircraft incredibly efficient.
  • The plane can hold up to six passengers, and is expected to hit commercial markets around 2025.
An American aviation company claims to have designed an ultra-efficient plane that could someday make the cost of private flights comparable to flying commercial. Otto Aviation says it's completed 31 successful test flights of its new Celera 500L, a.k.a the 'bullet plane.' According to the company, the plane features seats for six passengers, a 4,500-nautical-mile range and a top cruise speed of 460 miles per hour. That means it could fly nonstop from New York City to Los Angeles in about the same time as a conventional private aircraft. But most notable is the low flying cost of $328 per hour. Compare that to the $1,300 to $3,000 hourly cost you and several friends would currently pay to charter a private jet.

How is the price so low? It's mainly because of the plane's unusual shape. The cylindrical fuselage is especially aerodynamic because it maximizes laminar flow. Laminar flow occurs when air flows smoothly over an aircraft's wings, which reduces drag and boosts fuel efficiency. The company hopes to deliver the Celera 500L to market around 2025, pending FAA certification. If successful, manufacturers like Otto Aviation, Transcend Air, and Airbus could usher in the era of air taxis, where people hail aircraft like they do taxis or Ubers.
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