So you're thinking about buying yourself a private plane — but who wants a dusty old Cessna or Mooney? Anyone who's anyone is getting a Valkyrie. This ultra-fancy new private plane from Cobalt looks more like a spaceship than a propeller-driven aircraft, and if it comes to a race, the Valkyrie should leave the competition in the dust. And it better, considering the price tag is somewhere north of half a million dollars.
"10 years ago, I had a vision to disrupt the aviation industry with an innovative private aircraft, that is not only technologically sound and safe, but also design-centric and luxurious," Cobalt founder David Loury said in the press release announcing the craft. "Today, Cobalt is no longer just a prototype."
It's a single-engine design, one of the smaller types of aircraft you can get, but its aerodynamic shape and turbocharged 350-horsepower engine will take it to 260 knots, or nearly 300 MPH. The "canard" style front wing helps maintain stability, and there are all the latest safety measures and autopilot features.
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The Valkyrie will seat 4 full-size people and an additional smaller one (the center seat isn't particularly spacious), and don't worry, there's "ample storage for golf clubs, skis and suitcases." You can enjoy the view through what Cobalt claims is the largest one-piece canopy in the world.
Pre-orders are open, and you can have the experimental Valkyrie-X version as early as the middle of next year, assuming you're willing to pony up $15,000 now and the remainder of the $595,000 later. The final version will start at $699,000 — before options, of course.
