What we know so far about the Larry Page-backed 'flying car' coming later this year

Kitty Hawk

The mysterious flying-car startup funded by Google cofounder Larry Page, Kitty Hawk, took the wraps off its first vehicle on Monday.

The Kitty Hawk Flyer looks a mix between a flying Jet Ski and, as John Markoff of The New York Times puts it, "something Luke Skywalker would have built out of spare parts." It's designed to be flown over water and will be available for sale by the end of this year, Kitty Hawk says.

Kitty Hawk says its Flyer can be operated without a pilot's license as long as you fly it in "uncongested areas." The startup hasn't said how much the Flyer will cost, but it's offering an early $2,000 discount for people who are willing to pay $100 now to get on the wait-list.

Here's everything we know so far about the Kitty Hawk Flyer and the other flying cars Page is funding:

The Kitty Hawk Flyer is a fully electric aircraft with eight rotors that weighs about 220 pounds and seats one person.

Kitty Hawk / YouTube

The vehicle is designed to fly above fresh water with two pontoons at its bottom. The prototype Kitty Hawk Flyer "looks and feels a lot like a flying motorcycle," according to Cimeron Morrissey, who tested it.

Kitty Hawk / YouTube

The flyer is controlled by two handlebars and what looks like a giant touchscreen. It travels at up to 25 mph at a max of 15 feet above the water.

Kitty Hawk / YouTube

The Kitty Hawk Flyer doesn't need a runway for takeoff or landing. Here it's making a vertical landing:

Kitty Hawk / YouTube

Kitty Hawk is calling its current Flyer a "functional prototype" and says that "the shipping version will have a different look and feel."

Kitty Hawk / YouTube

Kitty Hawk says you don't need a pilot's license to operate its Flyer and that it's meant to be flown in "uncongested areas."

Kitty Hawk / YouTube

Its price hasn't been unveiled, but Kitty Hawk says the Flyer will go on sale later this year. Those who pay $100 to be put on a priority wait-list on Kitty Hawk's website will receive $2,000 off the final price, it says.

Kitty Hawk / YouTube

Kitty Hawk is also offering early backers three years of membership to its community program, which promises "exclusive access to Kitty Hawk experiences and demonstrations" along with special gear.

Kitty Hawk / YouTube

The Kitty Hawk Flyer is just one flying vehicle the Page-backed startup is working on. Page has reportedly invested more than $100 million into Kitty Hawk and its other division, Zee.Aero. Both organizations have registered to test several aircraft, from gliders to sailplanes.

USPTO/Zee.Aero

The goal of Kitty Hawk and Zee.Aero is to one day reinvent personal transportation. The divisions have about 100 employees combined. Kitty Hawk's CEO is Sebastian Thrun, the cofounder of Udacity and father of Google's self-driving-car project.

Kitty Hawk / YouTube

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