I’m writing today from a quiet cottage in Litchfield County, Connecticut.
Mountain views. Wildflowers. Chirping birds and running streams.
This is my escape from New York City—a place of peace.
But getting here is anything but peaceful:
Either bumper-to-bumper traffic and dodging deer for two hours…
Or a subway to Grand Central, a train to another train, then a 34-minute drive.
Like many of you road warriors who tackle a nasty commute, I often dream of more futuristic and pleasant forms of travel:
Teleportation, for example, or flying cars.
But now, a new company has managed to out-dream me:
It’s drawn up a blueprint for the ultimate flying machine…
And to fund its dream, it’s raising capital from investors like you.
Kitty Hawk, Take Two
Teleportation, theoretically speaking, would be tricky:
It would require identifying a trillion trillion of your atoms, and sending all that information elsewhere—like an email with a very big attachment.
To put you back together (without, say, moving your nose), all that data would need to be reconstituted with pinpoint precision.
All things considered, the Wright Brothers may have taken a more sensible approach:
In Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, more than a hundred years ago, they made aviation history by taking flight—if only for 12 seconds and 120 feet.
But today, a new aviation company is aiming to make some history of its own…
XTI Aircraft
Ideally, an aircraft would be able to take off and land from virtually anywhere—picture a military-grade helicopter built for high-stakes missions.
But to make history, it would also need to do more:
After takeoff, it would need to transport you comfortably for hundreds, or even thousands, of miles at rocket-like speeds—like a private jet.
What would such an aircraft look like?
Like this:
Meet the XTI TriFan 600:
Currently at the concept stage, the TriFan 600 is a long-range jet capable of vertical takeoff and landing. If successful, it would be the first commercially-certified aircraft of its kind.
To achieve takeoff and landing, it plans to use three massive fans powered by 2,600 horsepower engines.
But once the craft is airborne, it would transform itself into a jet:
Two fans mounted on the wings would rotate upwards to provide forward thrust. That would enable six occupants to cruise at 400 mph.
And to build this holy grail of flying machines, XTI has assembled quite a team…
The Dream Team
XTI’s founder, David Brody, has impressive credentials:
In addition to holding several aviation technology patents, he previously founded a helicopter company called AVX that’s in the running to build the U.S. Army’s next advanced technology aircraft.
But to build the TriFan600, Brody decided to surround himself with a full roster of aviation heavyweights:
As Vice-Chairman, he brought on Jeffrey Pino…
Pino is the former CEO of multi-billion dollar Sikorsky Aircraft, one of the world’s biggest and most renowned aviation companies. Pino was also a senior executive at Bell Helicopter, and he’s a retied master Army aviator.
As his senior engineer, Brody recruited Dennis Olcott, Ph.D, formerly of Piper Aircraft. Olcott is an expert on new aircraft development, and he’s experienced at getting aircraft certified by the Federal Aviation Administration.
And to beef up the corporate board, Brody brought on Charles Johnson, the former President and COO of Cessna.
In brief, Brody has put together the “dream team.”
A $264 Billion Market
Personal aircraft transportation is a $264 billion market.
Currently, the market is comprised of 60,000 privately-owned jets and helicopters, as well as chartering services like NetJets.
XTI has no illusion that it will replace this entire fleet of 60,000 aircraft…
But given its advantages (it would be the only aircraft in the market capable of vertical takeoff and landing), it believes it could sell 40 to 100 TriFans per year.
Its target markets include business travel, luxury personal use, medical use, and tourism.
With a $10 million retail price tag, the TriFan will be out of reach for most commuters like us—but with just 100 orders, it would help XTI achieve $1 billion in revenues.
What could such results mean for early investors?
Well, if history is any indication, an acquisition could certainly be a possibility:
NetJets, for example, was acquired by Berkshire Hathaway for $725 million…
Aircraft manufacturer Beechcraft was acquired for $1.4 billion…
And Sikorksy was recently acquired for $9 billion.
The Opportunity
To fund this dream, XTI is raising up to $50 million from investors like you.
To ensure that all investors can become shareholders—regardless of their net income or net worth—XTI is leveraging what we like to call a “Mini-IPO.”
We’ve written about the Mini-IPO before. It’s part of the JOBS Act, which is opening up alternative investments like start-ups to all U.S. citizens.
For XTI, the minimum investment reservation is just $250, and you’re free to back out later if you want to. You have no obligation at all.
Our “Kitty Hawk Moment”
Every generation should have a shot at its own “Kitty Hawk moment”…
With a big dream—and a big dream team—perhaps XTI is ours.
To learn more about XTI’s “Mini-IPO,” check out its campaign on high-quality funding platform StartEngine >>
Please note: Crowdability has no relationship with XTI, or with any of the companies or platforms we write about. Crowdability is an independent provider of education, information and research on start-ups and alternative investments.
Best Regards,
Founder
Crowdability.com
