Future of Heliflying?

[Andreas1811]

Is this the Future?

:)

[ame]

[/ame]

[Aginor]

Perhaps not. But it sure looks cool! :)

[Sporg]

I read some article header saying that this would be much safer than helicopters.

 

My first thought was: How do you autorotate such a thing? :)

[KLR Rico]

You don't. You just hope all the built in redundancy makes it so you're never in a situation where you would.

[Cool Breeze]

I read some article header saying that this would be much safer than helicopters.

 

My first thought was: How do you autorotate such a thing? :)

I am of a similar mind on the autorotation... But as there are multiple engines I doubt it would be a problem. With the exception of a catastrophic failure of the the power source or a failure the main support mounts for the engines.

[Bushmanni]

I cruises at only about 100km/h so not so great for long distances but in a congested city it could be nifty.

[KLR Rico]

I am of a similar mind on the autorotation... But as there are multiple engines I doubt it would be a problem. With the exception of a catastrophic failure of the the power source or a failure the main support mounts for the engines.

 

I can pretty much guarantee there's at least double redundancy in the entire power and control system.

 

As far as a structural failure, you can say the same thing about any other aircraft. Regular helicopters are also hard to autorotate when the rotor comes off. :D

[Yurgon]

Also check the post in Military and Aviation News, it quotes a lot more details:

 

http://forums.eagle.ru/showpost.php?p=2740096&postcount=1218

 

On one hand, I'm fascinated by this, and I think it's a great accomplishment.

 

On the other hand: It doesn't seem like this is going to be a cool toy. It automates almost everything (good thing: takes a lot of the good old human error out of the equation), it can probably navigate autonomously/on autopilot, and as a means of transportation, it's probably going to remain so expensive that most of us won't ever sit in it except as passengers during a sightseeing flight.

 

If I had the cash, I'd definitely prefer one of these over an expensive car. Traffic jam? Not for me, losers! :D

 

But *if* I had the cash, I'd prefer a real helicopter and the pilot license to go along with it any day. Plus an expensive car on top of that. Well, one can dream. :pilotfly:

[Kev2go]

eh if thier estimated cost is going to be $340,000 for sale, they dont have much chance competiing with traditional helicopters, especially for those looking at affordable helicopters.

 

 

might as well just buy a regular helicopter.

 

sure gas is more expnensive, as with maintenance, but you can go much farther and faster.

 

i mean you have the Mosquito that can start as low as $ 41 thousand going up to $55 thousand for the best model.

 

http://rotorfx.com/aircraft_services/mosquito_helicopter_sales/

Edited April 13, 2016 by Kev2go

[MiG21bisFishbedL]

eh if thier estimated cost is going to be $340,000 for sale, they dont have much chance competiing with traditional helicopters, especially for those looking at affordable helicopters.

 

 

might as well just buy a regular helicopter.

 

sure gas is more expnensive, as with maintenance, but you can go much farther and faster.

 

i mean you have the Mosquito that can start as low as $ 41 thousand going up to $55 thousand for the best model.

 

http://rotorfx.com/aircraft_services/mosquito_helicopter_sales/

 

Or, you could not be a plebeian and fly fixed wing. :pilotfly:

[King_Hrothgar]

The advantage of that kind of setup is reduced cost. A traditional helicopter has a staggering number of moving parts that have to work just right for the rotor system to function. The fixed blade, multi rotor designs most cheap-ish drones use (quad copters being the favorite) are far simpler and easier to produce, thus cheaper too. They are also easier to maintain as a brushless electric motor with a fixed pitch blade requires basically 0 maintenance over its lifespan. Compare that to a traditional helicopter's transmission...

 

As for this one specifically, it's either a foolish design or made purely for marketing purposes. It's far too expensive and impractical to be commercially viable.

[zaelu]

Another advantage would be no need for pilot training. Once such drone is certified not to be able to put out of safe envelope... is bye bye tradition. There is a funny saying around some people somewhere (maybe every where)... "without papers... helicopters can't fly". Such drone might come with a certificate like a power tool one day. Plug and play.

 

All other shortcomings are just temporary. I find it amusing when people are pointing "flaws" in it but if we look at how fix and rotor wing flights started...

[Darkwolf]

Those are project i just don't understand. checked the FAA rules and those aren't going to get legal anywhere except some lost farm field in the middle of nowhere.

[Bushmanni]

Those are project i just don't understand. checked the FAA rules and those aren't going to get legal anywhere except some lost farm field in the middle of nowhere.

 

Could you elaborate why it couldn't be made legal? Rules can be changed and will be if there's enough reason for it. It's presumably safe and you probably can take it for a spin with much less hassle and quicker than a traditional plane or helicopter so it has its uses. Is there some technical flaw that makes it fundamentally unsafe?

[outlawal2]

Just because no provisions have been made for it yet... Does not mean they won't in the future...

[King_Hrothgar]

Another advantage would be no need for pilot training. Once such drone is certified not to be able to put out of safe envelope... is bye bye tradition. There is a funny saying around some people somewhere (maybe every where)... "without papers... helicopters can't fly". Such drone might come with a certificate like a power tool one day. Plug and play.

 

All other shortcomings are just temporary. I find it amusing when people are pointing "flaws" in it but if we look at how fix and rotor wing flights started...

 

That's the thing though, it will still require a pilot just as cars will continue to require a licensed driver. The whole fully autonomous thing is cool from a robotics standpoint, but from a pure liability standpoint, it is dead on arrival. It is impossible to turn a profit with such things as any company selling them will get sued into oblivion on the first fatality. And there is no viable defense other than admitting the company failed to take something into consideration and hoping for a merciful judge or settlement. The solution to that little problem is to make them mostly autonomous but still require a licensed user. That way, even if the machine screws up, you can still blame it on the operator and the company that made it is arguably not liable.

 

Additionally, the rotor design has absolutely nothing to do with automation. You can make a full manual control quad copter without a single microprocessor in it. I'm not aware of anyone doing so, but doing so wouldn't be difficult. You can also retrofit a 1960's UH-1 to be fully autonomous. The rotor design has nothing to do with it.

[KLR Rico]

You can make a full manual control quad copter without a single microprocessor in it.

 

I had a very early R/C quadcopter that used a mechanical gyroscope for positional feedback. If it got tilted over too far it'd go into gimbal lock, freak out, and smash into the ground. I wouldn't want to fly on one of those. :lol:

 

As far as automation, it's like this old joke:

The flight crew of the future is a man and a dog. The dog is there to bite the pilot if the man so tries to touch the controls; the pilot is there to feed the dog.

[King_Hrothgar]

That's not full manual control but pretty funny regardless. :D

 

As for the quote, maybe, but there will still be a pilot!

[Kev2go]

Or, you could not be a plebeian and fly fixed wing. :pilotfly:

 

lol

 

except fixed wings can only land on airstrips, a heli you can land just about anywhere, including rooftops.

 

i suppose fixed wing is viable if you have a second home or cottage within another state/province or in another country, fixed wing is more viable in my eyes., to be able t ocover those distances faster.

 

otherwise id just stick with a heli for local flying.