Overview
- The HAPIDA SKYNeX, which Ravi Tamta says completed a test flight on August 7, is a battery‑powered, single‑seat multirotor that resembles a scaled‑up drone and uses multiple electric motors and propellers for vertical takeoff and landing.
- Tamta is a 21‑year‑old BA graduate from Kaflikhan village in Almora who taught himself electronics and aircraft concepts from about 2015 and built the prototype through his company, Hapida Sky Private Limited.
- The prototype has basic features for VTOL operation and a lightweight cockpit, but it has no published flight data and faces clear technical limits such as battery energy, flight‑control reliability and sensitivity to weather.
- The vehicle is uncertified and not available commercially, and local authorities say further tests, independent engineering validation and approval from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation are required before any operational use.
- Supporters point to faster travel and emergency‑medical potential in hilly Uttarakhand, but experts and officials stress the need for formal safety checks, regulatory clearances and independent verification before the craft can affect everyday transport.