|
Well, it certainly looks like one and almost behaves like any real UFO -- except we have identified it.
We are talking about an exciting development at Entecho here in Australia where they are working on the Hoverpod, a manned aerial vehicle that not only can hover but also fly up to 3000 m at speeds up to 120 km an hour.
It is billed as the ultimate recreational vehicle which can negotiate any terrain. It not only promises to be safe (which it better be if everyone's gonna fly it) but also very easy to fly.
Have a look at some of the details here.
From their website at entecho.com.au we learn the following:
Entecho's revolutionary flight technology is a solution to the demand for an entirely new type of aircraft: The Compact Aerial Vehicle or CAV. The CAV represents a unique way of flying and has many advantages over conventional aircraft such as aeroplanes and helicopters.
Entecho is currently developing prototypes of two types of CAV; the Hoverpod and the Mupod.
The central features of the CAV are listed below:
Small Footprint
Unlike helicopters or aeroplanes, which require significant structures beyond the main fuselage, the CAV is extremely compact. Its skirt extends only a short distance from the main body.
VTOL Capability
Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL) is a commonly sought after capability, as it allows greater operational flexibility than conventional fixed-wings. Without requiring take-off and landing infrastructure such as runways, catapults, or nets. A VTOL craft can be launched and landed almost anywhere.
Enclosed Rotor
Unlike conventional, coaxial, tandem and quad rotor helicopters, CAV does not have any dangerously exposed rotors, making the CAV safer than helicopters or aeroplanes in this respect. Furthermore, the inflated ducting creates a protective barrier in the event of contact with obstacles. Therefore the CAV could potentially operate safely near infrastructure, within urban environments and even indoors.
Low Blade Speeds
Low blade speeds (approximately one fifth of conventional rotorcraft) further enhance the safety of the CAV. In the event that a blade is broken, the detached blade would not have sufficient energy to penetrate the skirt, by virtue of the low blade mass and relatively low operation speeds. The low blade speeds reduce Blade-Vortex Interaction (BVI) noise and reduce the take-off and landing signature, which refers to noise and environmental impact on the landing site.
Mechanical Simplicity
As opposed to the mechanically complicated cyclic swash-plate and mechanically coupled tail rotor found in a conventional helicopter, the CAV implements a single rotor, combined with skirt and vane deflections for control. This system uses fewer and simpler parts than a conventional helicopter, which should ultimately make it less expensive to manufacture and maintain.
Stability and Control
The CAVs skirt is a lightweight, low-cost, high authority, omni-directional attitude actuator. Combined with the angular momentum bias generated by rotor, the CAV possesses some passive attitude damping and resistance to external torque disturbances such as wind gusts and load shifts.
Intuitive Operation
The CAV can be intuitively operated with simple joystick controls.
|