AirSpaceX, a subsidiary of Detroit Aircraft Corp, this week revealed a sub-scale model of its autonomous, electric VTOL aircraft, MOBi-ONE, at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit.

The company says MOBi-ONE is designed to “autonomously take off like a helicopter, fly like a plane, and transport passengers or cargo between urban centres, suburbs and airports within 60 miles.” It will fly at a top speed of 250 MPH.

“MOBi-ONE will offer clean, quiet, and connected on-demand air mobility to the mass travelling public at an affordable price,” says Jon Rimanelli, founder and CEO of Detroit Aircraft and AirSpaceX. “Our vision is to mass-produce aircraft leveraging lean automotive design and mass production techniques so our vehicles are affordable to the mass travelling public.”

2,500 aircraft by 2026

JP Yorro, Chief Commercial Officer at AirSpaceX, added: “Our goal is to deploy 2,500 aircraft at the nation’s 50 largest cities by 2026, targeting existing infrastructure at first.”

He added: “The MOBi development program will be capital-intensive, but air Mobility as a Service could generate billions for the economy.  We are considering a broad array of financing options, including potential fractional ownership interest and profit sharing models.”

Upon completion of engineering packages, a full-scale aircraft will be manufactured, undergo Part 27 Certification, and be operated by AirSpaceX.