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Latest Toy: One-Man Helicopter
treble writes, "Of course the military has had these playthings for ages, but The New York Times is running an AP story about a Japanese 'Compact Copter' for general consumption. It's become my newest wish-I-could-afford-it toy. The coolest things of note: No license required in the U.S., and top speed of 60 mph. Imagine a swarm of these things rising in the air for rush hour commute." All I can say is that the traffic jams would be ... interesting.
And sheesh, it's got four engines. You can fly it on three and do a controlled-descent on two.
Didn't you read their web pages?? Or were you in such a hurry to get frist post??
Now I'm not sure how this type aircraft would be classified (ultralight? experimental?) but I wouldn't count on using it to commute to work everyday (unless you live in the desert and work at Area 51). Regardless of the rules I've always wanted one of these things, so I'm just saving my pennies so I can get my hands on one.
Thanks, that was a useful responce. Someone should moderate that up to +5.
Really..... I'd like to know if something like this might be an option for getting around, especially short distances during the day. I'm fairly confident my eyesight is adequate for it (and if it wasn't, I'd quit using it REALLY quick).
I suppose you have to have perfect vision to use one of these things, right? Or maybe not...
My corrected vision is 20/100, which is good enough for just about everything but not good enough to drive. I'd *KILL* to be able to use one of these things!
It seems as though the biggest problem with me driving would be reading road signs and such (I can't do it until we're basically at them, and then it's too late.) But while flying low I can see and recognize buildings and other landmarks (providing I know them). So if I limited it to day use, why couldn't I use one?
The site said those were in "future development". Nice. :-)
I imagine this copter would auto-rotate if it ran out of fuel, just like any other. You would fall, but not like a brick, more like a leaf.
Great! Now all those idiots that can't drive a car will be wanting one of those. Plus all the idiots who can't drive AND talk on the phone! Imagine that! "could you hold on a sec, I need to get out of this spin" or "bla bla bla CRASH!" I fear what will happen with those who tailgate in a car! That will be very scary! So now you'll have the impact of the inital crash, plus the spinning blades, AND the fall to the ground...
;-)
Sounds great! Were do I signup?
since the state of virginia suspended my driving privledge for hitting small children in a fit of rage i desperately need one so i can kill more ki....i mean....get to work.
-=+ neonmatrix +=-
"who are you? who slips into my robot body and whispers to my ghost?"
Global warming is good for you!
Read the specs, 60mph is only cruising speed. It gives VNE (velocity never exceed) at 120mph! More than that and things start to fall off.
Anyone done a Flight Sim 2000 model of it yet?
Baz
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I have been corrected by an AC. News at 11.
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http://fudge.org
So, let me get this straight... if I run out of fuel or have engine problems I just go straight down? No possible way to bring 'er in in a deserted field (which as we all know litter the sides of bustling highways) or on a dusty side road? No furicking way would you catch anyone in one of these. Now, a commercial helicopter that has over engineered failover and redundant systems is one thing... but this toy is another. I will wait until somewhat stable VTOLs come out that have some semblance of safety features. Otherwise I will take my chances with a semi plowing me into the great beyond vs. getting a bad batch of gas at the local convenience store.
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Drunk drivers of the sky, teens throwing empty cans through the rotors of other fliers, halfblind grandpas landing into others' rotors then suing the manufacturers for the loss of their legs... Now there's a brave new future I can do without.
Trust the Computer. The Computer is your friend.
Traffic queues in the air...
If crashing drunk drivers aren't enough for you, try in at 60 mph at 500 feet above ground
First Flight!
I think, therefore thoughts exist. Ego is just an impression.
Easiest place, except for scyscrapers
I'll include this stuff too into an exoskeleton short story I'm working on - anyone in USA willing to host it for
I think, therefore thoughts exist. Ego is just an impression.
Well, perhaps that's better, though, since you are guaranteed death, and a quick one. Better than being paralyzed for life, which is what often happens in a car accident
Please enlighten me, is this called positive or negative thinking?^)
I think, therefore thoughts exist. Ego is just an impression.
http://wire.ap.org/APnews/center_story.html?FRONT
I'm on the team that manages the AP's news site (wire.ap.org). The truth is, you can't go directly to the URL that was posted here. The Wire is designed such that you need to enter a member's co-branded site, but as a non-profit orginization, we don't promote ourselves. Sorry!
(I don't make the rules; I just carry them out technically. The opinions here are mine alone and not my employers'.)
- Richie
That's strange. I went to high school with that guy.
--
10Brett-T
Oh, bother.
There are many proven techniques fot parachutes. On the ultralight I flew (many many moons ago) the prop was wood (birch, I believe) and the parachute had a metal chain that would foul the prop and snap it off. Obviously, you couldn't take off again with replacing the propeller, which was a wee bit harder to come by than 5 gallons of 93 octane
... perils of doing too much, too early, I guess
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There are parachutes that deploy 'explosively' much like an airbag, and where the guy lines lead to a single pivot chain (like the one you use on a spinner lure when fishing). It's not much like sjy diving - there's no control over where you land.
I've seen parachutes that were post-mounted (above/away from the airframe) and and center mounted (above the rotor shaft) but I don't know how common each o these designs were, nor have I observed a deployment
I'm way out of date on this. I went to a skydiving airport a couple of years ago, and I was stunned to see everyone using what we would have called 'flying wings' 15-20 years ago. (back then, we all used round silk chutes, and debated if PIADs (Parachute Inflation Assist Devices - semi-stiff plastic flaps that scooped air into your depolying canopy to help it inflate) really worked. The US military wasn't much better off (though they were using PIADs in 1980)
Dang... 20 years ago... I'm only 37
My new
If you can go to bed, knowing you did a valuable thing today, you're very lucky. If you can't... it's not bedtime
It's still in development, so it might only be vapour.
And I thought it sucked driving to work in the winter NOW. Brr...
some quick thoughts:
- eventually they would force people to get licenses
- where would all the parking lots (helipads) be?
i recently looked into how much and how long getting a pilot's license (1year and $10K) takes, and given that helicopters are the automobiles of the future, wouldn't there be a great opportunity to make money teaching people how to be copter pilots?
i suppose the helicopters will all run on gnu/linux software right 8)
SoloTrek
is the best one of these personal VTOLs I've seen. It fits in nicely with the ones you mentioned.
And they all kick this little helicopter's butt.
IANAL, but I play one on
You're right, and 12mpg is much worse.
IANAL, but I play one on
Urban airspace: yes and no. In many circumstances you would fly below ATCs airspace.
Licensing: no. This would qualiy as an ultralight under FAR Part 103 (FAR = Federal Aviation Regulations, for you non-pilot types). So you can fly it (legally, in class G airspace) with zero experience. Now, that may not be very wise...
"The simplest solution is to ignore your dead children."
For those who didn't go to the company's site, it has four 10Hp engines. (10 horsepower is ~7.5 kW for you metric types) Each engine has it's own clutch and they claim it can hover on three, and descend safely on two.
And I agree you'd want a helmet - with a good strong visor.
"The simplest solution is to ignore your dead children."
30000 doesn't sound like a lot of money - this thing would be deadly cool provided you live in an open enough area (not a packed Euro city).
There was a story about a guy who lived in the boonies of Minnesota, who had his own Rotorway exec he took off from his backyard to his workplace.
His neighbors were screaming "but what about the kids?" and were trying very hard to prohibit him from using it in his yard, fearing the kids would be diced up. (uh, no).
I've seen the plans for the Rotorway Exec, and it looks like a REAL helicopter. No top monuted yoke(*my biggest complaint about autogyros and 1-man helicopters).
I've also seen those $10 plans you see for ultralight helicopters, and there seems to be MANY unansewred questions to it, and no indicators, or real controls. One helicopter plan I saw(which looks like it was drafted by an 8-year old) was controlled by bending your body forwards/backwards instead of a standard yoke. Gack. I could build something better out of $400 worth of Technic lego.
If neither chewing nor swallowing are neccessary, I don't think it qualifies as food...
Intolerant people should be shot.
It's mounted *above* the blades on the center mast. The pilot stays with the aircraft and the chute is used to land the *whole* thing (pilot and aircraft). The BRS site has video of deploying such a system on a light plane (some model of Cessna I think...)
>That is why it is sold as a kit. Who are you >going to sue, when you are the person that made >it?
The designer, or the people who produce the kit. The homebuilt aircraft market is anything but immune to the lawsuits. Rotary Air Force, Vans Aircraft, and Team all have been sued recently. While they all won their respective lawsuits, Team still went under from the huge legal fees.
Not in the US, anyways. Some other countries have more relaxed standards for their ultralights.
> ... I think the military will be heavily involved if these suckers get built! hehehe
It'll be a surprise, like the machine-gun equipped dune buggies used in Desert Storm.
Lamboghini used to make a single man chopper. Looked kinda neat too. Almost as expensive as their loud, heavy, unreliable cars also. Although I guess not as heavy and hopefully I bit more reliable. :)
War crimes, torture, lies, illegal spying... Would someone give Bush a blowjob, already, so he can be impeached?
One aspect on which the site was silent was how much noise these things make. Ultralights are noisy beasts, and with four high revving unsilenced 2 stroke engines this one will be evil.
I would guess that one ot the main risks in flying one of these things is being shot out of the sky just to stop the noise
LOL!
You, good person, have just made my day!
Thanks for the laugh!
"Don't mind me cutting myself on Occam's Razor"
This thing looks like the one of the advertisments in the back of Popular Science. You send $24.95 for a set of plans.
yea...
That is why it is sold as a kit. Who are you going to sue, when you are the person that made it?
Bullshit!
Loud pipes do not contribute at all to motorcycle safety.
You're right, it's not just to piss people off. It also says "Hey, look at me! I can ride a bike!" and "Hey, I can pretend to be a badass too!"
Admit it, it's an ego thing, and nothing more.
BTW, "real bikes" don't have to be trailered everywhere they go.
--
NetInfo connection failed for server 127.0.0.1/local
sure it's not 5 gal/hr PER engine, which would make is 3mpg? I find it hard to believe that it would be as efficient as 12mpg.
Real Men use real bikes. The kind where you provide the energy. Any dumbass can ride a motorcycle.
The flights of our two-passenger experimental M200X in the early 1990's gave my staff and I great personal satisfaction. As the pilot, I really felt like a hummingbird moving up, down, forward and backward at will. Flying on a magic carpet was another apt description. This first year in the new millennium will see us achieving another significant goal with the flight of the 4-passenger M400 Skycar. The M400 is a production configuration, meaning that it is essentially the same as what you will use in the very near future. Right now our team is busily testing the components which will, working together, give our society an alternative to the automobile for personal transportation. No more hours spent sitting on the congested highways adding pollutants to our environment. Facing unsafe drivers, poor driving conditions and overcrowded roads will become a thing of the past.
Today's vices may be tomorrow's virtues.
...of refueling this beast at almost $2.00 per gallon for unleaded gas.
BTW: Bets are these things will be more hated by Al Gore than SUV's. What is its emissions level? Woohoo.
========================
63,000 bugs in the code, 63,000 bugs,
ya get 1 whacked with a service pack,
--- Grow a pair, liberals... stop letting the Republicans bully you!
Lower tech got us to the moon. I have yet to see high tech do that.
The cool thing about vertical takeoff and landing is that it doesnt really require air traffic control for landing, takeoffs, etc.
You can land most of these things in your back yard - you dont need 10,000 feet to slow down:)
There'd definitely be some problems when there're a thousand people flying around at 350mph, but you can't exactly slam on your brakes in the air, so as long as there's some sort of set directional control, it wouldnt be that difficult to manage;)
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Just put a fog generator around the Hummingbird and you have Lakitu's cloud from the Mario games.
The personal chopper from the article has also appeared in a video game: try XEvil ($20 shareware for Win9x and X11).
Will I retire or break 10K?
This thing has about a 45 mile max range. That's going at max speed. So you think you can hop from gas station to gas station?
You just solved the problem of air traffic control. When these things become popular, people will tend to create their own "roads" in the air between established filling stations.
It can make an emergency landing with just 2 engines, but what happens when all 4 engines run out of gas?
Parachutes were the first air bags.
--Damian
Will I retire or break 10K?
If this parachute were integrated into the system, they could almost call it an air bag :-)
Will I retire or break 10K?
would we, as a normally "free thinking, free acting" people relent to such auto-control?
Of course we would. Leaving the driving to the vehicle (in something like the Fifth Element knockoff) would free up more time for getting news for nerds on our cellphones. Now this is stuff that matters.
--
You know you want it. So go downloadDamian
Will I retire or break 10K?
Server doesn't allow remote image loading. The comment should have linked to the page the image was on.
However, if you go to Fort Wayne Newspapers, an AP affiliate, and then paste in the image's URL, the image shows up fine and dandy.
You know you really want to downloadWill I retire or break 10K?
It seems like a dangerous idea to have people using these things without a license requirement. How much of a negative effect to the helicopter's operation would be produced by putting a metal cage around the blade part (like some fans have)?
...had classified ads in the back for these things at least since the 80s. This has to be some kind of record for Slashdot posting old news.
For all intensive purposes, "whom" is no longer a word. That begs the question, "who cares"?
Sure, they have a security page, but i think i'll wait until i hear more about it (the skycar). But i do want one.
They that quote Benjamin Franklin on liberty and safety deserve neither.
Anyone remember the ones in the movie: "You Only Live Twice"??
...
Talk about peak hour traffic...I think the military will be heavily involved if these suckers get built! hehehe
I wonder what people with the $$$ get...
Power steering, alloy flippers, stealth
Only in the driver's seat.
cat
Stay underneath the overlying controlled airspace. 700' for most of the country (US) 1200' away from airfields and up to 10,000' for out West (where Class E begins.) The uncontrolled (Class G) airspace is made for weekend pilots who fly VFR/VMC only. Even if you're in controlled airspace, you would still come under the "no electronics, no radio" rules of gliders and ultralights. Stay the heck away from larger airfields (Class B) though. The larger the airfield the more likely there's a VFR procedure just so the ATC people do not have to talk to you. Stay in your lane and it's a piece of cake.
Cav Pilot's Reference Page
UNIX - Not just for Vestal Virgins anymore
When I read the "No Sue-um" law, admittedly a few years ago, it was only for structures that have been in production for over 20 years. This has been on the drawing board since about DaVinci's time but this actual production would not be covered by that.
Cav Pilot's Reference Page
UNIX - Not just for Vestal Virgins anymore
Air Traffic Control - who would assign flight-paths, landing patterns, schedules, etc? Sounds like a complicated task. Its bad enough when they all run on timetables like scheduled flights, but imagine what would happen to the ATC stress-level if even only a few hundred of these went up and about in a major city - heart attack imminent!
Game dev and music blog
the fact the a nimrod lives in yon leafy suburb and can't bank his pipes is probably a personal issue, but it's not just to piss people off.
;-). Spinning your tires and leaving half your rubber at an intersection is not my idea of responsible.   I can imagine what might happen with these skyriders buzzin' around the damn place... ;-)
Don't live in a "leafy suburb" but in a big city, and in a high-rise even... and it's the kids doin' it.   Loud pipes are one thing - you gotta get where you need to go and most cyclists, IMHO, are not only responsible dudes but pretty cool to talk to.   But going up and down a main strip - over and over and over is what I'm talking about...
-- Win2k: "It's not so much that it's only 65,000 bugs, it's just that they stopped at 65,535 to prevent an overflow."
Actually, I don't think this qualifies as an ultra-light because it exceeds the maximum horsepower and speed limits.
Here is the pertinent FAA Reg concerning Ultralight Aircraft. Click here for webpage.
FAR Part 103 Ultralight Vehicles SOURCE: Docket No. 21631, 47 FR 38776, Sept. 2, 1982, unless otherwise noted.
Subpart A - General 103.1 Applicability. This part prescribes rules governing the operation of ultralight vehicles in the United States. For the purposes of this part, an ultralight vehicle is a vehicle that:
(a) is used or intended to be used for manned operation in the air by a single occupant; (b) Is used or intended to be used for recreation or sport purposes only; (c) Does not have any U.S. or foreign airworthiness certificate; and (d) If unpowered, weighs less than 155 pounds; or (e) If powered:
Weighs less than 254 pounds empty weight, excluding floats and safety devices which are intended for deployment in a potentially catastrophic situation; Has a fuel capacity not exceeding 5 U5. gallons; Is not capable of more than 55 knots calibrated airspeed at full power in level flight; and Has a power-off stall speed which does not exceed 24 knots calibrated airspeed.
103.3 Inspection requirements. (a) Any person operating an ultralight vehicle under this part shall upon request, allow the Administrator or his designee, to inspect the vehicle to determine the applicability of this part. (b) The pilot or operator of an ultralight must, upon request of the Administrator, furnish satisfactory evidence that the vehicle is subject only to the provisions of this part.
103.5 Waivers. No person may conduct operations that require a deviation from this part except under a written waiver issued by the Administrator.
103.7 Certification and registration. (a) Notwithstanding any other section pertaining to certification of aircraft or their parts or equipment, ultralight vehicles and their component parts and equipment are not required to meet the airworthiness certification standards specified for aircraft or to have certificates of airworthiness. (b) Notwithstanding any other section pertaining to airman certification operators of ultralight vehicles are not required to meet any aeronautical knowledge, age, or experience requirements to operate those vehicles or to have airman or medical certificates. (c) Notwithstanding any other section pertaining to registration and marking of aircraft, ultralight vehicles are not required to be registered or to bear markings of any type.
Subpart B - Operating Rules 103.9 Hazardous operations. (a) No person may operate any ultralight vehicle in a manner that creates a hazard to other persons or property. (b) No person may allow an object to be dropped from an ultralight vehicle if such action creates a hazard to other persons or property.
103.11 Daylight operations. (a) No person may operate an ultralight vehicle except between the hours of sunrise and sunset. (b) Notwithstanding paragraph (a) of this section, ultralight vehicles may be operated during the twilight periods 30 minutes before official sunrise and 30 minutes after official sunset or, in Alaska, during the period of civil twilight as defined in the Air Almanac, if: (1) The vehicle is equipped with an operating anticollision light visible for at least 3 statute miles; and (2) All operations are conducted in uncontrolled airspace.
103.13 Operation near aircraft right-of-way rules. (a) Each person operating an ultralight vehicle shall maintain vigilance so as to see and avoid aircraft and shall yield the right-of-way to all aircraft. (b) No person may operate an ultralight vehicle in a manner that creates a collision hazard with respect to any aircraft. (c) Powered ultralights shall yield the right-of-way to unpowered ultralights.
103.15 Operations over congested areas. No person may operate an ultralight vehicle over any congested area of a city, town or settlement, or over any open air assembly of persons.
103.17 Operations in certain airspace. No person may operate an ultralight vehicle within an airport traffic area, control zone, airport radar service area, terminal control area, or positive control area unless that person has prior authorization from the air traffic control facility having jurisdiction over that airspace. [Doc. No. 23708, 50 FR 9259, Mar. 6, 1985] EFFECTIVE DATE NOTE: By Amdt. 103-4, 56 FR 65662, Dec. 17 1991 103.17 was revised, effective September 16, 1993. For the convenience of the user, the revised text follows.
103.17 Operations in certain airspace. No person may operate an ultralight vehicle within Class A, Class B, Class C, or Class D airspace or within the lateral boundaries of the surface area of Class E airspace designated for an airport unless that person has prior authorization from the ATC facility having jurisdiction over that airspace. [Doc. No 24456, 56 FR 65662, Dec. 17 1991]
103.19 Operations in prohibited/restricted areas. No person may operate an ultralight vehicle in prohibited or restricted areas unless that person has permission from the using or controlling agency, as appropriate.
103.20 Flight restrictions in the proximity of certain areas designated by notice to airmen. No person may operate an ultralight vehicle in areas designated in a Notice to Airmen under 91.143 or 91.141 of this chapter unless authorized by ATC. [Doc. No. 24454, 50 FR 4969, Feb. 5 1985, as amended by Amdt. 103-3, 54 FR 343311, Aug. 18, 1989]
103.21 Visual reference with the surface. No person may operate an ultralight except by visual reference with the surface.
103.23 Flight visibility and cloud clearance requirements. No person may operate an ultralight vehicle when the flight visibility or distance from clouds is less than that in the table found below. All operations in Class A, Class B, Class C, and Class D airspace or Class E airspace designated for an airport must receive prior ATC authorization as required in 103.17 of this part.
Airspace..........Flight Visibility...........Distance from clouds
Class A (18,000' MSL & up) Not Applicable Not Applicable
Class B (former TCA) 3 statute miles Clear of Clouds.
Class C (former ARSN) 3 statute miles 500 feet below. 1,000 feet above. 2,000 feet horizontal.
Class D (radio controlled tower) 3 statute miles 500 feet below. 1,000 feet above. 2,000 feet horizontal.
Class E: (open airspace) 3 statute miles 500 feet below. Less than 10,000 feet MSL 1,000 feet above. 2,000 feet horizontal At or above 10,000 feet MSL 5 statute miles 1,000 feet below. 1,000 feet above. 1 statute mile horizontal
Class G: (open airspace) 1 statute mile Clear of clouds.
1,200 feet or less above the surface (regardless of MSL altitude) More than 1,200 feet above the surface but less than 10,000 feet MSL. 1 statute mile 500 feet below. 1,000 feet above. 2,000 feet horizontal.
More than 1,200 feet above the surface and at or above 10,000 feet MSL 5 statute miles 1,000 feet below. 1,000 feet above. 1 statute mile horizontal
"Open code, in other words, can be a check on state power." -Lawrence Lessig
Url for the webpage is here. Sorry about that, knew I forgot something (sheepish grin).
"Open code, in other words, can be a check on state power." -Lawrence Lessig
Also, aside from the prohibitive cost of purchase it takes a great deal of fuel to fly which means high ongoing costs as well; especially with today's gasoline prices.
It's the exceptions handling that takes so long to code.
--
Socrates was asked where he was from. He replied not "Athens," but "The world."
nt=no text
I found an image of the chopper here . I don't know about you, but I'll wait for the Family Model that can tote 10 of my friends.
Fortunately, it comes with an emergency parachute. But you have to wonder what happens when you eject and you fall onto another chopper...
No the lawyers figured out a new way to kill aviation. They don't sue aviation manufacturers, they sue subsystem manufacturers. You have to hide the fact a Generator, power regulator or instrument is going into a GA aircraft now. the courts just won't follow the law.
Just one little question : Will these have airbags?
This thing has about a 45 mile max range. That's going at max speed.
So you think you can hop from gas station to gas station? (btw, 4.5mpg is not bad).
It can make an emergency landing with just 2 engines, but what happens when all 4 engines run out of gas?
There marketing this as an RV though, not a commuter vehicle, so I guess they thought of all this. Still is pretty cheap.
humm...
non-pitchable blades (no autorotations)
ultralight catagory (no flight over populated ares)
engines designed for RCs (engine failure RSN)
...yeah, that's the kind of thing I'd strap my ass in to fly to work.
(just because you think your smart doesn't mean you're not really stupid in the grand scheme of things)
Is there ANY room at all for payloads? Like even a small box or sack of something? Without that its usefullness would be pretty severely limiting.
:)
It also looks like there's no seat. You see this guy sitting in the middle of the air. Looks uncomfortable...
As long as you didn't run into power lines and passenger jets, this would be the answer to many traffic conjestion problems and chronic gas shortages. At $30,000 it's cheaper a car but how reliable is it? The landing gear, gearbox, and gimballing mechanism look really flimsy. How efficient will it be when a parachute and life jacket are added?
Expect to get 50 hours with an instructor before you can start using this thing. Oh and that's only flying Day VFR.
(35 hours ASEL)
The Cure of the ills of Democracy is more Democracy.
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I'd like to see how a parachute on a helicopter can actually work. Imagine the ultimate failure. No problem, just use the parachute. One problem. There are what is left of the rotating blades above. Never mind you were chicken to fly very high. You bail with the parachute and the helicopter chases you to the ground, yet the parachute does indeed open. Whew! Uh oh... Shwoosh, rip, tear, *thud* and its no longer the aircraft that is in pieces.
Now where is this neat video of a parachute that works with a helicopter?
David E. Weekly
David E. Weekly
Code / Think / Teach / Learn
h4x0r for
I honestly think Inspector Gadget was the motivation for this invention... :)
Finkployd
My early graduate work was with autonomous helicopters, and I saw quite a few one man helicopters. Most of them were built from kits and customized for a variety of missions/flight profiles. We worked with models (much smaller and cheaper), but some people liked these because they could have a pilot and transistion between computer control and pilot.
The problems though were cost and reliablity. These things aren't cheap (the 60" models were around $3000), they need a LOT of maintanence, and invariably crash easily. This model looks much simplier, but I'm not sure you can do things like autorotate with it. If you can't, it's a flying death trap. Ballistic shouts aren't going to work well either if the blades are still rotating. How do you prevent a fatal tangle.
Try ultralites, they are much safer.
They plan a parachute, but I don't see how it will work in more than a handful of cases. You've got a lot of energy stored in those blades (yes, helicopters store LOTS of energy in the blade flexing), and the parachute works under the assumption of dead weight pulling against the deployment. In an airplane the prop doesn't effect it much, but in a helicopter the blades are going to want to beat the air to disipate that energy. The risk of intanglement is huge. How do you mount the parachute so the ballistic deployment doesn't cause more problems?
I'll say it again, ultralite's are safer. In general you can glide down, and if you lose your lift surface then a parachute is useful. Of course just telecommuting solves almost all the problems.
If the blades are whirring above you, you don't need to worry about the chute being chopped up as you are still flying - it's when they stop whirring that you want the chute. So, no troubles...
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
http://www.prismz.com/g1/index.html
It's the anscestor to these, they are a little klunky, run on large japanese motorcycle engines, and are available as plans (evidentally it costs about $8000 plus engine to get all the machining done for the rotors and the strange bearings that control blade pitch...)
One of these days when i have both money and garage space at once...
---
Play Six Pack Man. I
Q : Can it auto-rotate?
A : No.
there is no provision on this model for simplicity sake. A ballistic chute will be provided for future models
What you are talking about is (I think)
1)the way the engine gets rid of the torque created by the spinning motor (usually solved with a tail rotor)
2)is used for steering purposes
As for the electric motor you mentioned, I didn't see that anywhere. They do have gas engines on it, though, that burn 5 gal/hr, which at 60mph is only 20 mpg. I'll take my car thank you.
I'm sorry, as an aeronautical engineering student, I'll have to agree with the first AC. This thing looks totally unsafe. I wonder how hard it would be to bank it into the ground or do something totally stupid like that.
If you want something totally cool, try the SoloTrek (tm).
Discussed in this slashdot story, it has the same basic concept, but it has been developed with safety and ergonomics in mind. I can't wait to get one of those. I'll pass on this one, though.
IANAL, but I play one on
I don't know about other people, but I don't want to be a "tester" for a helicoptor. I can just see it now. As the FAA are picking through the wreckage, the Gen H-4 people arrive and start picking through the wreckage and taking TONS of pictures with their cameras...
*shrug* I guess I'm funny in that I care about my life. The phrase "something left to be studied" just really gives me that creepy feeling... the same one I get everytime I see a Macintosh.
Steve
While I agree that the lack of autorotation is a problem with this vehicle, it *does* have a ballistic parachute system. This is a quick deployment parachute that is found on some other ultralight aircraft and hang gliders. Do a quick search on google for "ballistic parachute" and you can find some neat video of the device in action.
These things fall under the category of Ultra-Light Aircraft and are regulated by the FAA.
Only in the U.S.
If memory serves, they must weigh in at less than 750lbs, gas supply is limited to only 4galons, can fly onl...
In short, they must carry one person only, weigh less than 254 lbs empty, carry no more than 5 gallons of fuel, cannot be capable of flight in excess of 55 knots, and has to stall at more tnan 24 knots. In addition to some various other things.
Autogyros can't take off and land vertically, they require forward speed to takeoff and land.
Some gyros, such as the Air and Space 18a, can takeoff vertically. Landing rollouts are very short.
Autogyros have the ability to autorotate the blade if you run out of gas or lose power to the blade.
The main rotor in an autogyro is unpowered. They autorotate all the time in flight.
The blade pitch is critical in getting the blades to autorotate, that is why parachutes are required.
Blade pitch in the vast majority of autogyros is fixed. Parachutes are NOT required.
The coolest ultralight I've seen is actually a rectangular ram-air parachute attached to a motorized frame
Agreed... Great fun, and relatively cheap to fly.
Oh yeah, this is what we need, to add the gift of gravity to all those out of control drivers out there. What is terminal velocity again? too fast for the roof of my apartment!
can I get the James Bond option pack (as seen You Only Live Twice)?? The flamethrower option is nice, but for maximum effect I want the air to air missles!
First, IANAHP (I am not a helicopter pilot) but many of my friends are.
Autorotation is a technique where the angle of attack of the blades is reduced upon an engine failure so the air flowing through the descending rotor blades increases the rotational velocity of the blades. Since the angle of attack of the blades on this craft cannot be adjusted, it cannot autorotate. It even says this on the FAQ page. The FAQ also states that a ballistic chute will be provided on future models to address this shortcoming.
Autorotation ability is a necessity among full size helicopters and helicopter pilots so that an engine failure does not automatically result in death of the crew.
Or http://partners .nytimes.com/aponline/i/AP-Japan-Compact-Copter.ht ml
The replace-"www"-with-"partners" trick should let you bypass registration for any article.
Finaly i can ware that action man suit i got for christmas!
There's a reason why I took 8 months and $8000.00 to become a licensed pilot! It wasn't because it took me that long to learn how to control the aircraft. After only a few hours in the air I could do a decent job of that.
What really takes time in learning how to fly is making sure you know the laws perfectly. Making sure that you know how a given meteorological phenomenon will affect flight. Making sure that you drill yourself with emergency procedures so much and so often that you wake up dreaming about them. Making sure that you're comfortable enough that you can handle yourself properly in all situations.
Learning to fly involves more than just being able to control the aircraft. Certainly someone who knows how to make a few takeoffs and landings isn't necessarily someone who knows how to fly. I could just see the hordes of people who buy these helicopters under the assumption that if they've spent several hours in front of Microsoft Flight Simulator, that they know how to fly. To have people flying these things around with no license is idiotic.
- In Capitalist America, law violates YOU!
this is at AP's website:N TID=TECHNOLOGY&STORYID=APIS73DP9A00
http://wire.ap.org/APnews/center_story.html?FRO
Corollary to Moore's Law: The IQ of new computer owners is declining.
After a quick search, I found the other flavor I had forgotten: It's called SoloTrek and looks like it'd be fun to fly:)
Personally, I want me one of the SkyCar's. Forget muscle cars, I can't think of a better chick magnet than these. One leisurely stroll across the rockies and they're yours forever;)
What's neat about all of these VTOL's is that most of them run on either Diesel and/or Unleaded Gas, so you can refuel them anywhere. Although thinking about it again, that may not be so great:) Personal Aircraft would be a good motivation to move away from petroleum:)
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- James
Just think, protien at 60mph. Fast food?
Fight Spammers!
Fight Spammers!
These things fall under the category of Ultra-Light Aircraft and are regulated by the FAA. If memory serves, they must weigh in at less than 750lbs, gas supply is limited to only 4galons, can fly only during daylight VFR (visual) conditions, I believe a parachute (for the aaircraft) is also required, and must not have a passenger (fly solo) to be unlicensed. Note howerer that most people that fly them are licensed pilots. Most companies provide instruction to newbies, at least enough to get you off the ground safely! Most of the designs people refer to as helicopters aren't helicopters at all, but are autogyros. Autogyros can't take off and land vertically, they require forward speed to takeoff and land. Autogyros have the ability to autorotate the blade if you run out of gas or lose power to the blade. The blade pitch is critical in getting the blades to autorotate, that is why parachutes are required. also licensed pilots can fly these things with passengers, more gas etc.
/. of the experimental and ultra-light aircraft community. The annual EAA fly-in makes the airport in Oshkosh the busiest airport in the world for one week. Ironically Oshkosh has trouble getting a commercial carrier to service Wittman airport with commercial flights.
The coolest ultralight I've seen is actually a rectangular ram-air parachute attached to a motorized frame. Forward speed fills the parachute and off you go. Steering is accomplished by pulling down on the risers (cords attached to the side of the parachute), it has a top speed of about 40 knots, it must be the safest ultra-light around, it is afterall a parachute.
Every year the EAA Experimental aircraft Association has its annual fyl-in at Oshkosh, Wisconsin, the last week in July, for more info click here.The EAA is the
"Open code, in other words, can be a check on state power." -Lawrence Lessig
What if you get caught out in the rain, or worse yet a thunderstorm?
Not to mention that these things are so small its very likely that if you strayed into the wrong airspace a larger aircraft wouldn't see you until you wound up on their windshield! (ouch)
The only thing any of these companies are selling are videotapes, brochures for investors, and simulation software. Exactly two of the three that claim to have a product have exactly one prototype apiece, each of which have flown a few hundred feet, and they won't make one for you at any price.
If you don't want any of this prime swampland I'm selling in New Jersey, I hear the Brooklyn Bridge is for sale.
from what I understand the lawyers killed the personal aviation market due to lawsuits. a friend from work who is very serious about flying tells me that a law(s) have passed that make this much more difficult.
you do have to wonder if something like this (no pun intended) takes off. will we really see the end of these law suits?
-Jon
this is my sig.
There are many different flavors of personal vertical takeoff and landing devices. A neat one that is more of a hovering-design called Hummingbird can be found here.
A company called Moller makes this EXREMELY cool looking model: Sky Car
There's another one I can't rememberr now - I submitted it to slashdot a week ago or so, but sadly, it was declined:)
Cheers,
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- James
Dammit!   It's noisy enough with mufflerless cars and purposely modded motorcycles that hotrod up and down straight-a-ways.  Let alone the noise coming from a regular helicopter.   All I can imagine is yet another thing to add noise pollution to my environment (and I'm not an obsessive environmental freak, by the way).
Any engineers out there have an idea as to what a "swarm" of these things would do, db-wise?   Just curious.   And interestingly, US$30,000 is pretty cheap considering it's right there in the price range of the average SUV.
-- Win2k: "It's not so much that it's only 65,000 bugs, it's just that they stopped at 65,535 to prevent an overflow."
Ooh. Another thought. What would the towing charge be on a parachuted copter when you might land your sorry ass somewhere without road access?
Clearly, this flying car invention is another which belongs on the very short, "It Would Much Cooler If I Was The Only Person To Own One," category.
Oddly, there's only about three other inventions I'd like to see in this list. For your reference they include. . .
Guns,
Nukes,
Bicycles,
--Come on. If you were the only guy with a bicycle, you could do the Letterman show and be a real live circus side show attraction. And who wouldn't want to run away with the circus? Or is that very last century? (What's today's equivalent? Can you even run away in this world and not end up a squeegie kid? Too bad. Squeegie kids don't get pet monkeys, or fall in love with the beautiful 18 year old daughter of the Amazing Flying Petrov family.)
Garund
---After all the fuss and bother, it turned out that most of the population was only good for ripping off and building pyramids. How very sad.---
2) Equip the thing with some paint-ball guns and wage war with news-copter 9
3) Tie a bungie rope to it with some of that sticky rodent tape on the end and try to airlift as many of the zoo's furry animals into the ocean
4) Airlift a pissed-off hive of killer bees onto an outdoor mall
5) shut up, I'm not done yet
5) Fly close to the ground near a parade of beutiful women in dresses
6) Drop rats on McDonalds when they're promoting 39cent hamburgers
7) Pull some chest hair offa yo' moma's legs
8) Fly over a nunnery and advertize free condoms
9) Fly over a water-based theme park with some onions, exlax, and plenty of beer
10) Crash that peice of shit with wings into your corvette and collect on insurance
without prejudice
Given that if you had to wait too long you'd fall like a brick, I'm not sure "interesting" is the word I'd use.
Traffic Guy: You'd better not head over to the West Side unless you've got a lot of fuel, because...well, shit, there goes one now.
- Hummingbird flying platform
- The Moller
- Hiller Flying platform
- SkyRider
For more information why ducted fans are a good idea for reasons other than safety see this article.----
Stop worrying about the risks of nuclear power and start worrying about the risks of not using nuclear power.
Someone already mentioned the lack of autorotational capability. Dual engines would almost be mandatory. Retreating blade stall would be a non-issue with 6' blades and a top speed of 60mph. Counter rotating blades have proven themselves already in a few designs out there. Nice "toy" but I wouldn't want to depend on it for my living. I'd much prefer a cage of some kind for minor things like birds and bugs (ever stuck your head out a car window @60 mph and gotten a bug in the eye or mouth?) The good thing it that it's MUCH cheaper than a Bell 206. I wonder how long it will take before it's regulated to death "for our own safety." Big ol' knobby tires might make roll-on landings more interesting as hovering takes a LOT of gas. "Honey?? All the other guys have one..."
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