Airbus A³ Vahana
Airbus A³ · United States · first flew 2018 · light aircraft
The Airbus A³ Vahana was a full-scale self-piloted eVTOL air taxi demonstrator built by Airbus's Silicon Valley research arm A³, completing its first flight in January 2018.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | High-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 8 × electric, wing-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 5.7 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | No tailplane |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Tandem-wing eVTOL with eight tilting rotors
- No conventional tail — canard-tandem configuration
- Fully autonomous self-piloted air taxi demonstrator
Tandem fixed wings of equal size — no tail; eight tilting rotor-propeller units; clean composite airframe; single-seat enclosed pod; electrically-driven props distinguish it from any piston or turbine type.
Specifications
- The Airbus A³ Vahana has a length of 5.7 m (19 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 6.25 m (21 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 177 km/h (110 mph).
- Typical crew: 0 + 1 passenger.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Developed under the Vahana project launched in 2016, the aircraft used a tandem-wing configuration with eight tilting electric rotors — four on each wing — enabling vertical take-off and horizontal cruise without a conventional tail. The demonstrator completed over 138 test flights before the programme concluded in 2019, informing Airbus's follow-on CityAirbus NextGen.
Variants
Alpha One and Alpha Two test aircraft; no production variant built.
Where you'll see it
Research demonstrator only; never entered commercial service.
Related aircraft
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