Glitch sends flying race car soaring hundreds of feet at launch event

[sincity]

A technical glitch during a flying car demonstration sent an unmanned craft soaring hundreds of feet into the sky at Goodwood Festival of Speed in West Sussex, UK.

The car was a two-thirds scale model of the Airspeeder Mark II – a quadcopter designed for low-altitude racing at an average height of four meters.

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Although the incident looked dramatic, remote operators soon regained control and brought the Airspeeder back down for a controlled landing while guests took cover indoors.

A crew member later confirmed that such a problem would be impossible in a manned Airspeeder, which is controlled directly by a pilot in the cockpit.

A flying start

Airspeeder is the creation of Australian company Alauda Racing, which is creating a sports league specifically for flying cars. Alauda officially launched the new sport at Goodwood – an annual showcase of cutting-edge and historic cars – and the demo glitch did little to dampen the mood.

Alauda also used the event to unveil the Airspeeder Mark IV, which will be the world's first manned octocopter.

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Image credit: TechRadar

The first Airspeeder championships are expected to begin next year, featuring five teams and 10 pilots. Cars will fly head-to-head, reaching speeds up to 100kmph at Formula One tracks around the world.

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