Departure or arrival?
Your journey by air will be a unique experience thanks to cutting edge technology in the form of electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. Currently, the space for eVTOLS is growing fast, but Play&Co and AW Designs took the time to explore a platform that not only plays well with vertiports, but looks good doing it.
This is the vision.
eVTOL. Right technology and the right time.
Recently, an undeniable pattern has emerged: Amazon’s Climate Pledge invested in Beta Technologies, UPS inked a deal for 150 of Beta’s Alia aircraft, American Airlines invested in Vertical Aerospace with a pre-order commitment of $1 billion, United Airlines announced a partnership with Archer Aviation, and Fedex is launching a program to test Elroy Air’s Chaparral autonomous eVTOL cargo system. The list goes on.
Elegant utility and elegantly proportioned.
Pulling from their experience in the aviation and automotive industries, the Play&Co team balanced reality with aspiration - a concept that honors grounded aeronautical design principles, pragmatic vehicle packaging, and utilitarian features that can adapt to different use cases and business models.
The Rise Concept vehicle sports six tilting rotors and two vertical lift rotors in the structural boom connecting the front and rear wings. Advanced electric motors and ‘quiet’ blade design minimize sound pollution, a common complaint from the communities surrounding general use and municipal airports.
Bringing the outside in
One of the drivers of the vehicle design was to create a sense of spaciousness within the cabin. This was achieved by creating an expansive canopy, or moonroof, that hints at the future of advanced manufacturing. The UV protective glass skin blankets an advanced carbon-fiber structure that is incredibly strong and lightweight.
Beyond streamlined exterior
This vehicle also delivers on functional versatility. Most notably, a wide-format access door at the rear of the vehicle that enables: Safe, fast, and easy passenger entry and egress / Efficient (human and robotic) loading and unloading of cargo for freight applications / Careful and efficient loading and unloading of patients in medical evacuation and transport / Efficient cabin maintenance and reconfigurability.
And while experts are convinced that autonomous piloting is an inevitable future, the Rise Concept vehicle features a fully functional single pilot cockpit. Play&Co believes that freight and middle-mile logistics will be the first to prove and adopt fully autonomous aircraft for their business model; longer lead times are likely for consumer acceptance within passenger air travel.
