Engineering student who builds their own flying cars is already on number three since starting in 2021
- Alan Zhang has been making flying cars since he was in high school
- He just finished his third prototype, which can carry 70 pounds
- After a successful maiden flight, he’s ready to make it passenger-worthy
Published on Nov 15, 2024 at 7:54 PM (UTC+4)
by Andie Reeves
Last updated on Nov 15, 2024 at 7:54 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Tom Wood
This engineering student started building flying cars in high school and has just finished his third.
Which is a lot more than most students can say for themselves.
He just completed a successful test flight for his most recent build and is now preparing it to carry passengers.
Whatever way you look at it, this is some really impressive and clever stuff.
Building flying cars as a high school project
When he was in high school, Alan Zhang and 17 of his classmates set out on a mission to be the youngest group to make a passenger-carrying eVTOL.
After graduating, he continued his flying car journey, building a second prototype in 2023.
He wasn’t satisfied with it though, and took it apart to start working on his third aircraft.
This time, he had the support of a team and sponsorship, which provided CNC machinery for all the eVTOL’s joints.
He even had guidance from one of the leaders in the flying car realm: XPeng.
That’s the company that already has thousands of preorders for its flying car, and is now producing humanoid robots.
Zhang focused on rigidity, reinforcing the joints to withstand the vibrations caused by flight.
After months of working on the vehicle until 4:00am, it was ready for its maiden flight.
The homemade eVTOL’s first flight
Most of the prototype was built between Zhang’s apartment floor and in a garage.
The vehicle weighs 200 pounds and is able to carry 70 pounds in its current version.
But Zhang was nervous for the test flight, fearing it would “explode”, and opted out of testing its load capabilities.
The first flight was a humble one, lasting all of 3.28 seconds.
The following two were also modest, at 2.87 seconds and 23.63 seconds.
But the fourth was a success, with the eVTOL staying airborne for 68 seconds.
Next up, he’s adding a roll cage and a seat and will be carrying out a test flight with full load capacity.
Let’s hope it continues to not explode.
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Andie is a content writer from South Africa with a background in broadcasting and journalism. Starting her career in the glossy pages of Cosmopolitan and Marie Claire, Andie has a broad portfolio, covering everything from sustainability solutions to celebrity car collections. When not at her laptop Andie can be found sewing, recording her podcast, taking board games too seriously or road-tripping in her bright green Kia.
