• The Ann planes from Swiss firm Manta could transform personal transport. Courtesy: Manta
    The Ann planes from Swiss firm Manta could transform personal transport. Courtesy: Manta
  • The Ann series planes by Manta could change the way we travel. Courtesy: Manta
    The Ann series planes by Manta could change the way we travel. Courtesy: Manta
  • The Ann aircraft from Swiss firm Manta has been designed to take off like a helicopter. Courtesy: Manta
    The Ann aircraft from Swiss firm Manta has been designed to take off like a helicopter. Courtesy: Manta
  • A 10-foot long model of the Ann plane that has been designed with a view to being a personal transport. Courtesy: Manta
    A 10-foot long model of the Ann plane that has been designed with a view to being a personal transport. Courtesy: Manta
  • A model of the Manta Ann plane that comes in one and two seater editions. Courtesy: Manta
    A model of the Manta Ann plane that comes in one and two seater editions. Courtesy: Manta
  • A model of the plane that has been tipped by industry insiders to change the face of personal transport. Courtesy: Manta
    A model of the plane that has been tipped by industry insiders to change the face of personal transport. Courtesy: Manta

Aircraft of the future poised to transform how we travel

This sleek electric plane could become part of everyday life in future after being tipped for use by police, taxis, ambulance services as well as search-and-rescue teams.

The electric aircraft can take off like a helicopter and land like a plane on runways as short as 100 metres.

Swiss company Manta is behind the futuristic-looking aircraft, which comes in single and double-seat configurations.

The aircraft, known as the Ann-1 (single seat) and the two-seater Ann-2, have a cruising spend of just under 300kph and a range of more than 600km.

The Ann-1 is designed for “personal mobility” and was described as a racer craft that offered extreme performance.

Manta has also designed the range with a view to the Ann planes becoming widely used as a shuttle craft to and from superyachts.

The Anns are equipped with small, fuel-driven generators that create electricity to make the batteries last longer and speed up the recharging process.

The plane is still in the testing phase, with the public being given a taste of what to expect from a three-metre scale model.