The flying machine looks something like a helicopter but it is quite
different and is intended to be a future answer to the greening of noisy,
vibration-heavy helicopters as we have known them.
A two-seater prototype of the Volocopter, by the company e-volo, made
its maiden voyage earlier this month in Karlsruhe, Germany. The team used a
prototype of the two-person VC200. Based on this model, it will be prepared for
series production. Billed by its makers as "the world's first green
helicopter," the emission-free Volocopter is a vertical take-off and
landing manned aircraft, with features that set it apart from conventional
aircraft. For one, the machine, instead of being kitted out with one combustion
engine, carries eighteen electrically driven rotors to propel it. Through the
propellers, the Volocopter can take off and land vertically just as does a
helicopter. The team responsible for the machine said the 18 rotors present a
considerable advantage, apart from the simple construction not requiring
complex mechanics. The advantage is said to be in the redundancy of drives.
This enables the safe landing of the Volocopter even if some drives fail.
During the first flights of the prototype in November, the team
made note that the device had a lower noise level than conventional
helicopters, confirmation of no noticeable vibrations in flight, and an
efficient spring strut landing gear. Speaking about vibrations, e-volo's
Stephan Wolf said that vibrations in the structure of a plane have been
problems for normal helicopters, and that vibrations together with the high noise level have led
to passenger discomfort but their "green" version resolves such
issues. Wolf and Alexander Zosel, CEO, stated that "not even the HD video
cameras secured to the exterior carbon ring of the rotor plane captured the
least vibrations."
The VC200 two-seater Volocopter plans involve the following
characteristics: a cruising speed of at least 54 kn (100 km/h); a flight
altitude of up to 6500 ft; maximum take-off weight of 450 kg; and more than one
hour of flight time. (At present, a battery flight time of 20 minutes is
possible, according to the company site, but in the near future this will be
extended to one hour or more.) E volo was the winner of the 2012 Lindbergh
Prize for Innovation. "We believe that the development of the Volocopter
holds significant promise to radically change short distance
transportation," said Erik Lindbergh. "It has a long development path
ahead, but if this innovative design reaches the commercial market it will
dramatically change the way we move about the planet."
As for safety, the team notes that an integral part of the safety
of the Volocopter is the redundancy of its components, such that the Volocopter
is safe to fly even if several drive units fail. (Even if the range extender
fails, a safe landing is ensured by additional batteries.) The Volocopters are
fitted with a parachute that lets the entire aircraft sink to the ground in the
case of an emergency.
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