Vertical Take-Off and Landing Aircraft (VTOL)

Tesla patented a vertical take-off and landing aircraft in 1928, envisioning a disk-shaped vehicle powered by electric motors and alternating current for vertical ascent and descent without runways. The design incorporated aerodynamic principles and electromagnetic controls for stability, using turbines or propellers driven by high-efficiency motors to achieve flight. This concept aimed at revolutionizing aviation by enabling aircraft to hover and maneuver in tight spaces.

Though never constructed due to technological and financial limitations of the era, Tesla's VTOL idea influenced later developments in helicopters and modern drones. It reflected his visionary integration of electrical propulsion with aerodynamics, foreseeing electric-powered flight that is now emerging in urban air mobility.