Nascent eVTOL “flying automotive” racing league Airspeeder has introduced a collaboration with famend structure agency HOK to introduce the “SkyDeck,” described because the world’s first modular race vertiport. This solar-powered hub will provide followers 360-degree views of the eVTOLs racing via the air, bringing a brand new stage of immersion to motorsports.
Airspeeder is an electrical vertical takeoff and touchdown (eVTOL) racing league headquartered in London, first introduced in November 2021. The league operates as an entity of Alauda Aeronautics – an electrical aviation firm primarily based in Adelaide, Australia, the place the league’s headquarters and testing grounds are positioned. Alauda additionally designs, engineers, and builds the league’s devoted eVTOL racing plane referred to as “Airspeeders.”
Since its preliminary launch, we’ve seen Alauda and Airspeeder assemble groups of racers that competed in improvement races on the best way to a whole world competitors referred to as the EXA Collection. Within the fall of 2022, we received our first glimpse of the joy an eVTOL racing league may convey to motorsport lovers when Airspeeder showcased its first-ever EXA racing occasion.
On the time, Airspeeder pilots like Zephatali Walsh, who ended up successful the inaugural EXA Collection Championship in December 2023, competed remotely from the bottom. The objective of Airspeeder and the EXA Collection has at all times been to ship crewed “flying automotive” races, which ought to occur utilizing Mk4 eVTOLs, which have been unveiled in early February.
So as to add much more expertise to a novel and thrilling new motorsport, Airspeeder has lately collaborated with HOK to design a brand new modular vertiport, which can enable future spectators to go to and expertise aerial motion up shut with 360-degree views. You’ll be able to see extra within the video beneath.
Airspeeder appears to be like to revolutionize flying automotive races for followers
Airspeeder shared particulars of its new modern design collaboration referred to as “SkyDeck,” which is a modular flying automotive race vertiport and occasion house developed with HOK’s Sports activities + Leisure crew primarily based in London.
HOK introduced expertise in creating and constructing distinctive design tasks like LaGuardia Airport’s Terminal B in New York Metropolis, Mercedes-Benz Stadium the place the Atlanta Falcons play, and the Etihad Area on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi.
Collectively, HOK and Airspeeder shared they’ve been in a position to think about a brand new inventive house for EXA Collection spectators that additionally addresses the distinctive challenges of flying automotive races. Per John Rhodes, director of Sports activities + Leisure at HOK:
It’s extremely thrilling to design a model new sports activities typology. Airspeeder challenged us to attract on our a long time of experience designing for F1 and different sporting occasions whereas additionally imagining a bodily setting for the long run.
The results of these efforts its the SkyDeck, a brand new fully-modular eVTOL vertiport that’s 100% solar-powered as a part of Airspeeder’s “depart no hint” philosophy of sustainability in motorsports. The preliminary design seen above provides house for as much as 10 groups and 20 Airspeeders. Nonetheless, its modularity permits room for steady enlargement to the construction with a view to meet the evolving wants of the younger aerial sport because it grows.
This new hub design is exclusive in that it sits straight beneath the airborne racetrack. The vertical nature of this setup provides a spectators an immersive 360-degree expertise, the place they will observe the race grid and end line from one spot.
HOK has additionally helped design an “airside” zone inside the SkyDeck, the place groups have protected workspaces that followers can see and watch behind the scenes motion. These zones additionally embody retractable touchdown pads for mid-race pit stops to alter batteries. Stephen Sidlo, Airspeeder’s world media & advertising and marketing director, additionally spoke:
We imagine that flying automotive racing will provoke a brand new mobility revolution, advancing eVTOL and EV expertise to profit your entire trade. This collaboration with HOK represents not only a new sport however the way forward for high-speed, sustainable mobility.
As if flying automotive races weren’t distinctive sufficient to the world of motorsport, Airspeeder and HOK imagine the SkyDeck, which can be erected within the desert of Australia, is first-of-its-kind method for followers that can mix cutting-edge design with interactive digital experiences.
Airspeeder appears to be like to proceed its EXA flying automotive race collection with 10 crewed groups in 2025. You’ll be able to see extra of the design plans for the SkyDeck in Airspeeder’s video beneath:
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