The aircraft's designation refers to eight lift fans, no tilt rotors and one tractor propeller. It is being designed as one electric VTOL proposal for Uber Elevate.[1]
The design uses wings as it provides greater speed and range over wingless designs, plus the ability to take off and land on a runway, if required.[1]
The aircraft features a cantilever high-wing, a five-seat, enclosed cabin under a bubble canopy, retractable tricycle landing gear, eight vertical electric lift motors powering shrouded fans mounted in two underwing pods and a single electric motor engine in a tail-mounted tractor configuration. It will be capable of flying on six of the eight lift fans.[1]
The design incorporates fly-by-wire controls and will be capable of autonomous flight (flight without a pilot) from delivery. The design incorporates the ability to see-and-avoid other aircraft and emphasizes a low noise signature for acceptance in urban areas.[1]
The design used in-house designed batteries, with four of varying designs to avoid design flaws. It also used energy-absorbing seats and seat belts. Also each of the eight lift fans operates at a different rpm and therefore frequency to reduce noise pitch peaking.[3]
The aircraft will have a range of 600NaN0 at a cruising speed of 1750NaN0 or more.[1]