Alauda Aeronautics revealed the Airspeeder Mk4 on February 21, 2023, calling it the first crewed craft for its Airspeeder flying-racing series. The company announced a hydrogen-electric eVTOL design with a claimed top speed of 360 kph (225 mph) and range of 300 km (188 miles). Those are reveal figures, not independently verified results. Alauda’s technology page currently describes the crewed Mk4 as “in development,” so the announcement does not establish that the aircraft is race-ready or that the previously forecast crewed races took place.
What is the Airspeeder Mk4?
The Mk4 is a crewed racing aircraft program developed by Alauda Aeronautics for Airspeeder, its flying-racing series. In its February 2023 reveal, Alauda presented the craft as a hydrogen-electric electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) vehicle. The reveal marked a shift from the series’ earlier remotely piloted craft toward a design intended to carry a pilot.
Alauda’s current technology page describes the crewed Mk4 as in development. The page also discusses the company’s work on airborne traffic management, collision avoidance, pilot training and AI flight control. These are company descriptions of its technology work, not evidence of a particular Mk4 certification or independently established safety record.
How fast and far is the Mk4 supposed to fly?
At the 2023 reveal, Alauda announced a maximum speed of 360 kph (225 mph) and a range of 300 km (188 miles). The company also named its Thunderstrike Hydrogen Turbogenerator and AI Gimballed Thrust as elements of the design. These are manufacturer-announced specifications and technology descriptions; the sources available do not establish that the Mk4 has demonstrated those figures in flight.
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That distinction matters for an aircraft still described by its manufacturer as in development: a stated target or specification is not the same as a measured result. No independent Mk4 performance test or newer flight-test milestone is established by the sources cited here.
Is the Mk4 flying yet, and when are crewed races expected?
Alauda’s current technology page says the crewed Mk4 is in development. That status is the clearest present-tense update in the available manufacturer information; it does not provide a newer flight-test milestone.
Earlier dates were forecasts, not confirmation of completed races. In June 2021, IWC Schaffhausen said the Mk4 was expected to launch in 2022 ahead of an inaugural crewed season. The 2023 reveal summary said the first crewed races were scheduled for 2024. The sources reviewed do not verify that either forecast event occurred, and they do not establish a current race date.
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What technology and race infrastructure are part of the plan?
Traffic management and collision avoidance
Alauda’s technology page describes airborne traffic management and collision-avoidance and V2X work, alongside pilot training and AI flight-control systems. These descriptions explain the kinds of systems the company says it is developing or using; they should not be read as independent validation of the Mk4’s safety or regulatory status.
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Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →An IWC partnership announcement from 2021 described earlier Airspeeder aircraft as octocopters using carbon-fibre composites, LiDAR and radar collision-avoidance systems. It also forecast a 2022 Mk4 launch. That release is useful as a dated description of the earlier program, but it does not establish that every listed feature is confirmed for the current Mk4.
A proposed modular vertiport
In October 2024, architecture firm HOK announced a modular Airspeeder race-vertiport and event-space concept. HOK described a central spectator Skydeck, protected team workspaces and retractable landing pads intended to support battery changes during races. The proposed design’s stated capacity is up to 10 teams and 20 Airspeeders; it is design capacity, not evidence of a built or operating venue.
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HOK also described solar-powered infrastructure and virtual tracks intended to reduce physical site impacts. Those are design features and aims, not independently verified environmental outcomes. Airspeeder Global Media & Marketing Director Stephen Sidlo said in HOK’s October 2024 announcement: “We believe that flying car racing will initiate a new mobility revolution, advancing eVTOL and EV technology to benefit the entire industry.” That is a partner’s stated ambition, not an independent assessment of the technology’s wider impact.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What do the partner announcements tell us?
Airspeeder’s news listing includes September 2026 announcements naming Alpha Tools as an official Airspeeder Team Australia partner, an AnteoTech battery design and prototyping agreement with the team, EXXOVANTAGE joining Airspeeder New Zealand, and Barracuda Networks as an official partner of Airspeeder Team Australia. The listing confirms that these announcements were posted; it does not establish consumer offers or endorsements.
Earlier announcements provide historical context rather than proof of current partner status. Acronis described a technical and strategic partnership in 2020 focused on cybersecurity and race-data management, including telemetry. IWC announced an engineering and timekeeping partnership in 2021. The cited releases do not establish whether either relationship remains active.
Quick Recap
What the reveal does—and does not—establish
- Established: Alauda announced the Mk4 as its first crewed Airspeeder racing craft on February 21, 2023, and announced speed and range figures for the design.
- Current manufacturer status: Alauda’s technology page describes the crewed Mk4 as in development.
- Not established: Independent verification of the announced speed or range, a newer Mk4 flight-test milestone, completion of the previously forecast crewed races, or an operating venue based on HOK’s concept.
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