Farmers and ranchers might have a new way to get around next spring if all goes as planned for RYES Aero Technologies. The company is aiming for an early-2023 release date of its RYSE RECON, its first electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) platform. Or as RYSE Aero CEO Mick Kowitz calls it, “an aerial ATV.”
Kowitz says the RECON is a vehicle for people with a purpose and that can be made better with flight. The company has purposefully focused on agriculture, an industry Kowitz says has always been on the forefront of innovation and technology. “They’re actually the most innovative users in the world,” he told the Daily Beast in a recent interview. “Farming’s very sophisticated science,” he added. “These guys are used to using high tech before everyone else.”
A major selling point behind the RECON, though, is that users don’t have to be super tech-savvy or even have any piloting experience to fly it. In fact, the company’s mission is to “make flight accessible to all.” Because the aircraft falls under the category of “ultralight aircraft,” it also doesn’t require any type of certification or license, though users are still required to follow Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) rules and regulations. The video tutorial takes roughly 45 minutes to watch, according to Kowitz.
The RECON can travel up to 63 MPH, powered by six onboard batteries that each power a 60-inch propellor. The aircraft has a flight time of approximately 25 minutes, depending on external factors like wind, the users weight, etc. Kowitz admits that the battery life of the RECON could easily be drained by just a one way trip across larger areas of land but says users can swap out the batteries for a fresh set in a matter of minutes. That of course requires buying an extra set or more, depending on the area, and possibly stashing them at the destination as the aircraft has an advised weight limit of 250 pounds. The RECON itself weighs less than 300 pounds.
It is what’s under the hood, so to speak, that really makes the RECON so easy to operate. The AI-driven software system pretty much handles all the complicated aspects of flying an aircraft, like keeping it steady. Each of the six independent batteries are also interconnected. If one goes out for any reason, Kowitz says the other batteries would support that corresponding propeller to keep it spinning. The RECON is controlled by a joystick and an integrated removable tablet PC with redundant controls.
The open cockpit, modular design can be configured in a variety of ways and the company plans for future iterations to offer fixed-wing options and design variations. The aircraft also has the ability to land on water, which further expands its potential uses. Kowitz expects the RECON to retail for $150,000 and aims to have the aircraft on the market by the second quarter of 2023. More information and RECON flight videos are available HERE.
