Supernal SA-2: Specs, Price, Availability, Release Date

However, the real boon is the promise from Supernal that, at entry into service, the S-A2 will supposedly operate as quietly as a dishwasher: 65 dB in vertical takeoff and landing phases and 45 dB while cruising horizontally.

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The design of the SA-2 is striking, and with reason. Luc Donckerwolke, the president, chief design officer, and chief creative officer of Hyundai Motor Group, gave WIRED a tour of the interior. (The brand hosted WIRED at its media event at CES and paid for a portion of our reporter’s travel expense.) On the tour, Donckerwolke revealed that the placing of the glazing on the fuselage was modeled on specific biological entities: insects.

“The DLO—daylight opening—design [of the glass] is trying to allow as much visibility as possible. When you are flying in an airplane, you look forward. When you fly in a helicopter or VTOL, you look down to see where you are landing—the passengers as well as the pilot," said Donckerwolke. "Biomimicry was important here.”

Hyundai flying vehicle

Photograph: Alex Welsh

Donckerwolke and his team came up with a solution that drew upon inspiration from bees, and then based the window placement and design for the SA-2 on the heads of bees. “Then we exaggerated it dynamically, as if the bee’s head had been morphed by speed.”

Generative design[2] was also used to create the seat frames to make sure as little metal as possible was used, thus reducing weight and giving the seats energy-absorbing properties to disperse forces exerted from vertical takeoff and landing.

Behind the cabin, eight separate battery units are housed in the rear of the fuselage. These units are separated for safety: In case one battery unit stops operating, the others are able to continue powering the vehicle. Indeed, Supernal wants to hit commercial aviation safety levels for the SA-2, meaning that, among other stipulations, in case of failure the aircraft will have redundant components built into not only the powertrain, but also the flight controls and avionics. Apparently the SA-2 does not require that all eight propellors work in order for it to fly, either.

References

  1. ^ originates (www.tiktok.com)
  2. ^ Generative design (en.wikipedia.org)

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