Mayman unveils flight-ready prototype Speeder

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Mayman Aerospace has unveiled a flight-ready prototype of its Speeder Air Utility Vehicle (AUV) at the Draper Venture Network CEO Summit 2022 in northern California. 

The debut appearance is a “significant milestone” for the multi-use VTOL P2 Speeder. The craft has eight jet engines and is comparable to a motorbike in size. The final aircraft is being designed and modelled to lift 1000lbs and fly 400miles at over 500mph in unpiloted cargo mode. 

Speeder P2 is the third full scale prototype developed by Mayman and will begin test flights in Q3 2022. The company is working with the FAA towards flight certification. Initial test flights will be remotely controlled, with piloted tests anticipated towards the end of 2022.

Once certified, Speeder aircraft will enable an operator to jump on, press start, and take off. Everything from the aerodynamic carbon fibre body to the pilot position is developed to give operators maximum flight efficiency and safe system redundancy. “This includes a proprietary onboard computer system developed to immediately rebalance engine thrust in the unlikely event of an engine anomaly. This will form an essential part of the aircraft safety systems,” said Mayman.

Mayman is in conversations with potential customers in national defense, critical cargo, wildland firefighting (coordinated swarmed support for air tankers) and disaster relief (delivery of medical supplies, water, generators, and medevac), with letters of intent from qualified non-retail customers being accepted.

Tim Draper, a primary investor in the project said: “The Speeder AUV is a total game changer. It is one of the most exciting, industry disrupting technologies we’ve seen and we were thrilled to provide this platform for its first public unveiling. We believe Speeder is the future of VTOL flight and I’m personally looking forward to flying one myself.”