EAA Air Venture, Oshkosh, is a great showground for the best in experimental aircraft and just one year after revealing an autonomous passenger drone, Chinese manufacturer Ehang says it will offer the first public demonstration of the Ehang 814 later this year in China or the UAE.

Earlier this year the Dubai Road and Transport Authority (RTA) revealed that it has earmarked the aircraft as part of a strategy to have self-driving vehicles (of all kinds) account for a quarter of journeys made in the city, by 2030. The RTA had originally said this would be by this month (July) along pre determined routes, and the electrically powered drones are already in flight test in Dubai.

Dallas Fort Worth is another town keen to take advantage of such transport. Ride sharing firm Uber is a big supporter of unmanned cabs and has tasked five aircraft manufacturers with developing prototypes of economical, quiet, four-passenger, electric aircraft, which will have to be capable of vertical takeoff and landing, in order to fit into elevated airports - or vertiports - spread around cities. The manufacturers include Dallas-based Bell Helicopter, Aurora Flight Sciences, Pipistrel Aircraft, Embraer and private plane maker Mooney.

Nine years after launching the Switchblade flying motorcycle concept, start-up Samson Motorworks is on track to launch production of the three-wheeled aircraft by the end of next year. The Switchblade comes with an aft wing that folds forward and under the vehicle for storage. The company has also developed a method of curing carbonfibre resin components within an hour, to speed up production.

Flying cars are so far into development that they even come in kit form. Start-up Detroit Flying Cars unveiled a new concept at Osh, which featured telescoping and offset wings, a telescoping canard and dual aircraft/electric engines for the air and ground.

Another EAA debutante was the Stratos 714, a very light jet that first came into being eight years ago. Washington-based Stratos Aircraft brought a flying prototype to Air Venture for the first time, and says it, too, may offer the jet in kit form.

Meanwhile in France, Europe’s economic rebound has helped French manufacturers. Dassault Aviation reported 23% increase in its new and pre-owned Falcon business. Daher, too, had a strong showing with the most aircraft deliveries in any first-half of a financial year since 2008, according to senior vice-president Nicolas Chabbert. Daher delivered 25 TBMs and has orders for 17 more aircraft in its backlog.

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