From: mk_thisisit
Jetson One is a pioneering electric, single-person, ultra-light personal flying vehicle designed for recreational use, often described as a “flying car” or “manned drone,” though the latter term is technically inaccurate as drones are unmanned [00:01:46][00:02:27]. The company aims for Jetson to become the “Tesla of flying vehicles” [00:00:24].
Vehicle Specifications and Design
The main design philosophy behind Jetson One is simplicity in construction, compactness, and ultra-light weight [00:03:07].
- Weight: 40 kg without batteries, approximately 90 kg with batteries [00:03:18].
- Speed: Achieves a maximum speed of 100 km/h, which aligns with regulations for ultra-light vehicles [00:03:28].
- Altitude: While a maximum flight ceiling isn’t specified, flying Jetson One low to the ground, like “Star Wars Anakin Skywalker,” provides the greatest pleasure and “kick” [00:03:36].
- Flight Time & Range: It has a flight time of about 20 minutes, covering a distance of approximately 30 km in a straight line [00:04:16].
- Ease of Use: The device is very intuitive to fly, equipped with an on-board computer that simplifies control, allowing new pilots to learn in a matter of minutes [00:03:53].
- Take-off and Landing: It’s an eVTOL (Electric Vehicle Vertical Take-Off and Landing) [00:05:31], capable of stable take-off and landing within a 5-square-meter space, eliminating the need for special airports [00:05:37]. This capability enables flights in confined spaces like forests [00:05:48].
Safety Features
Safety is paramount for Jetson One [00:29:06].
- Ballistic Parachute: A ballistic parachute is planned for installation [00:29:16].
- Safety Cage: The pilot sits within a robust safety frame, or “safety cage,” inspired by racing cars, and is secured with four-point seat belts [00:29:21].
- Computerized Control: The on-board computer system is triple-cloned for redundancy, with three identical systems controlling the flight [00:29:41].
- Multiple Propellers: It has eight propellers and eight engines, allowing continued flight even if one or, in some cases, two opposite engines are lost [00:29:52].
- Software Layer: A sophisticated software layer enables the vehicle to hover autonomously even if the pilot removes their hands from the joysticks, regardless of wind conditions [00:30:06]. The machine is designed to prevent pilot errors, ensuring the pilot won’t crash [00:30:37].
Purpose and Applications
While primarily a recreational vehicle for “fun of flying” [00:04:55], Jetson One has several other potential applications:
- Specialized Services: Rescue services, border police, and military operations could benefit from its quick start and minimal preparation requirements [00:05:04].
- Urban Air Mobility: Although not designed for daily commutes to work or shopping in densely populated areas [00:04:29], it contributes to the vision of urban air mobility, aiming to transfer road traffic into the air to create better, less polluted cities [00:33:24].
Entrepreneurial Journey and Challenges
The idea for Jetson One stemmed from a childhood dream of flying and building personal vehicles, inspired by films and remote-controlled models [00:11:12]. The founder, Tomek, pursued architecture studies but ultimately returned to his passion for building, evolving from larger remote-controlled helicopters and drones to a manned flying vehicle [00:12:23][00:13:29].
The journey to developing Jetson One involved significant challenges and milestones:
- Proof of Concept: An initial prototype was built on a very small budget (several thousand dollars) in just three weeks in 2018, with the first flight being “mega exciting” [00:15:34][00:15:48].
- Funding: Initial funding ran out, leading to a return to Poland and the sale of a personal car to continue the project [00:17:01].
- Production Design: A major challenge was designing the vehicle to be producible, a new area of expertise for the founder [00:18:01].
- Personal Development: The project demanded significant personal self-development, time management, and motivation during “dark months or weeks” filled with problems and limited budget [00:18:20].
- Investor Relations: Early attempts to attract investors in Poland at fairs were difficult due to the “bold, unrealistic projects” perception [00:18:51]. The first investor was found in the United States, which had a different attitude towards the future [00:19:18].
- Location Strategy: The company considered various locations during COVID-19, including the US (for investment and customers) and Croatia, but ultimately settled on Italy due to its more friendly climate for year-round outdoor testing [00:19:55][00:15:02]. Finding a suitable facility for prototyping and testing that also allowed unimpeded flight was a significant challenge [00:20:20]. The current facility in Tuscany was found for sale online and, despite being a “ruin,” was acquired and rebuilt with investment funds [00:20:41].
- Team Building: Building a strong team proved to be the biggest challenge, emphasizing its crucial role for product development and company climate [00:23:34].
Business Development and Funding
Jetson One has made significant progress in its business development:
- Sales: Over 300 units have been sold since sales began in 2021 [00:08:28][00:08:31].
- Pricing: The device costs $98,000, with a prepayment reserving a place in the queue [00:09:21].
- Funding Rounds: A substantial financial round of $15 million was recently closed, attracting notable investors [00:21:16][00:21:24]. These funds are being invested in the facility, new employees (a team of about 30 people), legal matters (registrations), and future production [00:22:01].
- Production: Low-series production will begin in Italy next year, with plans to move to large-scale, more scalable production in the United States to be closer to customers and leverage greater opportunities for company development and partnerships [00:22:46].
Certifications and Regulations
A major milestone for Jetson One is its certification:
- Italian Certification: The company achieved certification in Italy, the first of its kind globally, allowing their ultra-light vehicle to fly everywhere in uncontrolled airspace (outside airports and big cities) [00:06:26][00:06:30]. Pilots, after short training, can now operate Jetson One in Italy [00:06:43].
- Remote-Controlled Flight Permits: The ability to perform remote-controlled flights without exposing test pilots to unnecessary risk was also secured, which is crucial for setting flight parameters and developing next versions [00:06:50].
- Pilot Training: Unlike traditional aviation, which requires extensive PPL (Private Pilot License) courses (often a year with huge costs) [00:08:00], Jetson One training is designed to be completed in just two or three days [00:08:18].
- US Regulations: In the United States, Jetson One does not require any pilot license to fly, operating under “part 103 ultralight” regulations [00:08:43][00:10:43].
- European Expansion: While Europe has stricter regulations, the Italian certification is a significant first step toward flying in other European countries [00:08:58]. Poland, for example, uses similar aviation law regulations as the US, theoretically allowing Jetson One flights now under the “ul 115” class after training [00:10:22][00:10:32].
Future Vision and Inspiration
The company’s vision is to make flying vehicles a common means of transport, transforming road traffic into air traffic, leading to cleaner, more livable cities [00:33:24]. This vision is inspired by science fiction films like Back to the Future [00:33:51].
- Market Niche: Jetson has found a niche by focusing on a single-person device, allowing them to offer it now, bypassing the complex regulations that hinder multi-passenger “flying taxi” projects [00:32:41].
- Competition: The company acknowledges global competition, particularly from China, and aims to stay ahead through continuous innovation [00:32:04].
- Global Brand: Positioned as an “exclusive European brand,” drawing parallels with Italian luxury goods, the company aims to follow a strategy similar to early Tesla, starting with an exclusive product before broader adoption [00:38:55][00:39:18].
- Diversification: Inspired by Elon Musk’s diversified ventures, Jetson aims to become a hub of innovation, developing beyond just flying vehicles into other areas like robotics and photovoltaics [00:34:18].
- Pilot School: The company plans to establish the “world’s first school for pilots of flying cars” in Italy [00:25:28][00:35:38].
- Community Engagement: The viral success of their videos (10 million views in seven days) revealed global faith in their product and confirmed the imaginative appeal of accessible personal flight [00:35:07].
The founder emphasizes the importance of retaining a childlike wonder and curiosity, finding that initial fascination to continually motivate and overcome the rigorous challenges of entrepreneurship [00:40:48].
Company Structure
The company was first registered in Sweden, then quickly established branches in the United States and Italy, with its main branch now in the US [00:25:57]. The founder is the majority shareholder, and a new CEO/president has been appointed [00:26:10]. Europe, particularly in the context of technological innovation, is perceived as playing it “safe” compared to the US, which offers more opportunities for investment and growth [00:38:10]. The founder believes Poland is on a good trajectory for developing such projects, citing its ambitious people and a “do it yourself” approach [00:39:31].