Personal Helicopter Available For $30,000

gsfprez writes "The question was recently asked on /., "will personal flight ever be viable?". The answer is "if you have $30,000 today, yes". They are looking to work with Americans who will be willing to help them with testing a few final steps of their GEN H-4 Personal Helicopter, such as ballistic parachutes. $30,000 to beta test a helicopter I can park in the garage? Honey, pass me 5 credit cards!"

Comments

5 cards?

[tenman]

Credit cards with limits as high as 6 grand? wow, that kinda makes my $200 limit seem less important... :(

ObHelicopterJoke

[Violet Null]

They want people...to test parachutes...in a helicopter.

Let me think about that one.

talk about uptime!

[fiftyLou]

From the faq:
Q : Does it fly?
A : Yes, This particular prototype has been flown continuously since 1999.


I pity the poor SOB who's been stuck flying that thing for 3 "continuous" years.

Some choice quotes from the site

[JUSTONEMORELATTE]

(from the "Hot News" link on the left panel:)

7th-13th Apr-02
GEN H-4 flighted in Sun 'n Fun 2002 airshow at Lakeland, Florida.
This pilot was Jon Plummer. His flight-tech is very nice and fantastic.

His what is what?

22-Mar-02
Can you see someone controls GEN H-4??
Of cource, it is a radio controlled model. As you know, we can't several tests of GEN H-4 by manned in Japan. Because of Japanese reguration isn't suitable to develop new airplane. Therefore we developed the radio controlled model. The porpose pf this model is not only tests but also an aerial film and such.

I'm not trying to mock someone for communication skills in a second language. (My japanese is horrid, for example) but my earnest fear is that some critical safety information would be lost in the translation. ("Oh, so sorry. I meant to say DON'T press that button while in flight!")
--

Range

[Strange Ranger]

Okay, so if you're quite a bit less fat than I am you can fly this thing at 55mph (top speed) for an hour. Let's be slightly conservative and call it a 25 mile range for a round trip for a skinny person. In rain or high winds forget it. So what are its practical uses?

1. Getting to that remote fishing hole the lazy way.
2. Getting home from the bar with no chance of being pulled over.
3. Getting that aerial shot of your neighbor's wife sunbathing.
4. ????
5. Profit???


Well maybe getting home from the bar + fun factor = worth it.

Re:But you can already...

[glitch_]

As a friend of mine once said "Helicopters don't fly. They beat themselves into submission." Since I heard that, I don't really want to ride in one.

Not for some geeks.... *sigh*

[Sherloqq]

From the FAQ:
Q : How much weight can it carry?
A : Currently with 40 horse power the max. pilot weight is about 190 lbs.
Larger engines are in the works.

"Honey, get off the treadmill, I have 50lbs to lose!"
Oh, wait, been there, done that, got a (X-large) T-shirt...
Aw, hell, I'll just wait for the bigger engine.

Maybe I could use that GM 3.8L engine from the car... 200hp should do the trick.

Canadian Air Force

[macdaddy357]

Maybe the Canadian Air Force could replace their antiquated fleet of Sea Kings with these choppers.

From the article

[n-baxley]

Q : How much weight can it carry?
A : Currently with 40 horse power the max. pilot weight is about 190 lbs.

Unfortunatly, a large portion of the /. audience won't be able to ride. Get it... large.

Ha ha ha ha.
*ducks and runs*