I received an email of a new concept in personal/civil aviation called the Cartercopter from Carter Aviation Technology. Prototypes are flying since 2006 and technology may be scaled up to B767 size aircraft. I am unable to link to email received.
Website - http://www.cartercopters.com/
I saw that a couple of days ago. Makes the Bell / Boeing V-22 Osprey design look to be a questionable choice for a VTOL aircraft.
Carter’s website has a lot of very good engineering and technical information. They include both their successes and failures. Refreshing in concept and honesty. My engineering partner and I were discussing applications yesterday. It is very impressive.
Happy RRing,
Jerry
Jerry,
at first I thought that it was simply a rehash of the old gyrocopter concept, but it also has ‘heliplane’ variants of each model, with reduced payloads due heavier equipment required to power the tilt head.
And here I thought someone found the home movies of my sister and I flying to Hawaii with Rosalynn and Amy back when Jimmy was in the White House. I’m pretty certain that’s the last time a sitting first family ever flew commercial. (That was also the last time we ever got bumped to 1st class.)
That was the only reel of film that got “lost” by the processors. Still have the letter Amy wrote us when she got back.
(Cool birds on that website!)
Later,
K
Similar concept I’ve been following: http://www.thebutterflyllc.com/
In the 1960s we were expected to be flying everywhere by year 2000.
David,
the gyrocopter technology has been around for years, since the late 1920’s. While the Carter still does have gyrocopter technology on its model range, the part that impresses me is the combination of linear thrust and a ‘powered’ tilt head. The ‘heliplane’ is simple to fly as collective pitch is automatic. The heliplane is able to actually hover, something a gyrocopter is unable to do as it requires forward speed to ‘activate’ the rotors. The downside of this is the reduced payload on the rotor head-powered model. I am suprised that it took so long for the technology to combine. Also interesting is the variable rate landing gear, taking into account onboard weight and descent rate to factor in the premium cushion/absorption for the landing.
Automatic pitch AND roll at the swash plate? Power assist? In a personal heli? That is way kwel! How is the torque compensated without a tail rotor or dual rotors?
David,
I read something about biassed thrust from the linear thrust motor to counteract torque and on the gas turbine models, vectored thrust.
I’ll have to go back and read the details in the article. I want to see where the vectoring is generated, and the effect of the slow rotation rotary wings.
David,
from the CHT-100 version -
Quote: “In the heliplane version, the jet exhaust will be vectored to counter rotor torque, and the aircraft will have the ability to hover with a fully armored Stryker vehicle.”
Yeah I read about the low coefficient of drag of the slow rotation rotor blades and how they achieved it, as well as the concept of why this system works. I’m no aeronautical engineer, a bit of heli training in the Army, but I think I get it, and it is amazing.
Gee, you guys can play nice! 
Steve Featherkile said:Just do not discuss religion or politics. Right?
Gee, you guys can play nice! :D
David Hill said:David:Steve Featherkile said:Just do not discuss religion or politics. Right?
Gee, you guys can play nice! :D
Now you get it!
Happy RRing,
Jerry
Hear hear Jerry.