News Design study: lithium-phosphate powered personal tilt-rotor aircraft

Won't believe it until i buy it.
That is, if they manage to make it legal somehow.
 
It'll never get off the ground.

Edit: Just had a closer look at the video, and noticed that the two sets of blades have the same pitch. I thought they were contra-rotating, and this was the reason they are staggered axially.

Any advantage to this, why not just use a four blade prop?




N.
 
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That look just a bit to tight for comfort, but I would still fly it, if I could get my hands on one.
 
Yes, I think I'd need the "Waist Bulge" adapter...

N.
 
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Notebook said:
It'll never get off the ground.

Edit: Just had a closer look at the video, and noticed that the two sets of blades have the same pitch. I thought they were contra-rotating, and this was the reason they are staggered axially.

Any advantage to this, why not just use a four blade prop?

N.
Click to expand...

Probably to house the prop pitch equipment for such a proportionally large blade.

Cool idea, defiantly wont one :)
 
My guess:

If they don't get enough funding, the project will die. Otherwise:

It will probably work. However, it will be a bit unsafe, it will have a short range, uncomfortable, and no room for luggage or other people. And it will be very expensive. Legal conditions are probably related to those of helicopters.

If you are very rich, you love taking risks, and a motorbike is too boring for you, this might be what you are looking for.
 
Get real, and use a combustion engine.

It seems modern engineers fail to adhere to the principle of KISS.

Other then that, other then the obvious safety issues, I can see it running into the usual problems encountered by "flying cars".

But it would still be awesome to fly around in. :)
 
T.Neo said:
Other then that, other then the obvious safety issues, I can see it running into the usual problems encountered by "flying cars".
Click to expand...
... and other Tiltrotorcrafts. -> Engine Failure

Additionally, what has this thing for a crush-zone, in case you have to do an emergency landing (i.e. empty batteries), and what happens if you have a bird strike?

For other Tiltrotorcrafts, Pilots need both licences for planes as also for helicopters. And thats a realy extensive (and expensive) way, just for that?

Sry, I don't believe that this will ever come flying.
 
I'd imagine birdstrikes would be relatively a minor problem due to the somewhat low velocities.

The multiple licenses are what grounded other "flying car" concepts before. Even getting one pilot's license would be a pain for the average citizen, IMO. I've heard that if a flying vehicle is small enough, you can fly around without a license. Don't know if it's true or not.

This isn't even a tiltrotor, as the rotors (AFAIK) do not tilt- the thing just converts from hovering to forward flight, like those VTOL tailsitter planes experimented with in the 1950s (?).

Escape in an emergency is indeed a problem, as it is for all hovering aircraft. Helicopters can autorotate and airplanes can glide, but this thing seems unfit for either (especially when hovering at low altitude.) Where is the landing gear for landing from a glide? Do you land on your belly and destroy the props?

Perhaps, a ballistic parachute would be a possible method of escape. But I am sure it would run into it's problems.


And one other thing that they must not forget... the cablecutters. ;)
 
Ultralights do not require a license in the United States. However, you are still required to follow all FAA regulations.

This thing is obviously not an ultralight, so it would require a pilot's certificate. For me,what would kill it is that it's a tailsitter. The tailsitters in the 50s, like the Convair Pogo, were very nice airplanes taking off and flying level, but they were extremely difficult to land, which is what killed them. At least this one lands with the pilot standing up.


Anyone who's ever tried to land a tailsitter in Orbiter without using KILLROT or other autopilots has an idea of why this is hard, but this new plane looks like it might be easier.
 
Andy44 said:
This thing is obviously not an ultralight, so it would require a pilot's certificate. For me,what would kill it is that it's a tailsitter. The tailsitters in the 50s, like the Convair Pogo, were very nice airplanes taking off and flying level, but they were extremely difficult to land, which is what killed them.

Anyone who's ever tried to land a tailsitter in Orbiter without using KILLROT or other autopilots has an idea of why this is hard.
Click to expand...
Ah but, seems to me they could definitely have some computer assistance in the landing...
 
Hielor said:
Ah but, seems to me they could definitely have some computer assistance in the landing...
Click to expand...

Not for me, thanks. Thing is already complicated enough mechanically, without adding software. But I suppose most people would be comfortable with this.
 
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1R-4BlavMY&feature=sub"]YouTube- Narrated: NASA's Puffin Vertical Takeoff and Landing Personal Aerial Vehicle[/ame]

Narrated version from AVweb.
 
jinglesassy said:
heh puffin makes you think of personal coffin
Click to expand...

:cheers:

That nice little transition flare and cool touchdown at the end will not be that easy to accomplish manually, especially with a little bit of wind thrown into the bargain. Some level of FC automation would be required, or the above comment would come into its own repeatedly if this is aimed at the "average Joe", as it says.

The split wing trailing edges are not so much thrust deflectors as much as they are ground effect deflectors.

What about alternate & reserves? You need 30-45 (VFR-IFR) minutes minimum of endurance over and above the projected duration of your flight to start with. It is a good idea to have that, no matter what experimental category certifications say otherwise (I think...).

I do not believe the 30,000 ft service ceiling, at least not in the depicted configuration. By the time you got there it would have run out of batteries, and it is a long way down for a not very efficient looking glider which cannot land in a normal aircraft attitude! :lol:

PS:
Still, wish them luck. Stranger things have been accomplished...
 
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The real question here is: Where can I sign up?

Jokes aside, it might be a fun RC project for the distant future...
 
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