Rolls-Royce to make Flying Taxi

.....and this would be very useful in Lagos.

Rolls-Royce has designed a propulsion system for a flying taxi which it says could take to the skies as soon as early next decade.

The Luxury automaker said it had drawn up plans for an “electric vertical take-off and landing” (EVTOL) vehicle, which could carry four to five people and travel at speeds of up to 250 mph (402 km/h) for approximately 500 miles.

Rolls joins a variety of other firms in seeking to develop flying vehicles – which is the next stop in the evolution of transportation.

Flying vehicles have long been the stuff of science fiction, but aviation and technology companies are now working to make them a reality.

Airbus, US ride-sharing firm Uber and a range of start-ups including one backed by Google co-founder Larry Page, called Kitty Hawk, have all announced similar projects.

Rolls said the initial concept for EVTOL used gas turbine technology to generate electricity to power six electric propulsors, specially designed to have a low noise profile, BBC writes.

Its wings would be able to rotate 90 degrees, enabling the vehicle to take off or land vertically at existing heliports and airports.

“We believe that given the work we are doing today to develop hybrid electric propulsion capabilities, this model could be available by the early to mid 2020s, provided that a viable commercial model for its introduction can be created,” the British firm said.