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 supply followers 360-degree views of the eVTOLs racing by means of the air, bringing a brand new degree 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 based mostly 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 growth races on the way in which to a whole international competitors referred to as the EXA Collection. Within the fall of 2022, we obtained our first glimpse of the thrill an eVTOL racing league might carry to motorsport fans 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 aim of Airspeeder and the EXA Collection has all the time been to ship crewed “flying automotive” races, which ought to occur utilizing Mk4 eVTOLs, which had been unveiled in early February.
So as to add much more know-how to a novel and thrilling new motorsport, Airspeeder has lately collaborated with HOK to design a brand new modular vertiport, which can permit future spectators to go to and expertise aerial motion up shut with 360-degree views. You possibly can see extra within the video beneath.
Airspeeder seems to be 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 staff based mostly in London.
HOK introduced expertise in growing and constructing distinctive design initiatives 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 atmosphere 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 “go away no hint” philosophy of sustainability in motorsports. The preliminary design seen above affords house for as much as 10 groups and 20 Airspeeders. Nonetheless, its modularity permits room for steady enlargement to the construction with a purpose 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 affords 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 embrace retractable touchdown pads for mid-race pit stops to vary batteries. Stephen Sidlo, Airspeeder’s international media & advertising and marketing director, additionally spoke:
We imagine that flying automotive racing will provoke a brand new mobility revolution, advancing eVTOL and EV know-how to learn all the business. 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 will likely be erected within the desert of Australia, is first-of-its-kind strategy for followers that can mix cutting-edge design with interactive digital experiences.
Airspeeder seems to be to proceed its EXA flying automotive race collection with 10 crewed groups in 2025. You possibly can see extra of the design plans for the SkyDeck in Airspeeder’s video beneath:
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