Dale Kramer proposed a kickstarter funder VTOL aircraft a couple of years ago (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1553012513/vlazair-model-of-230mph-3hr-flight-vertical-takeof) that I had a number of serious concerns over. While the kickstarter was unsuccessful, it is worth noting that such an aircraft has being successfully developed in China:

https://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/news/Ehang-Announces-VTOL-Passenger-Flights-230280-1.html

Their idea of "long range" is only 6 miles!

Tom

On Thu, 08 Feb 2018 20:39:21 -0800, 2G wrote:

> Dale Kramer proposed a kickstarter funder VTOL aircraft a couple of
> years ago
> (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1553012513/vlazair-model-
of-230mph-3hr-flight-vertical-takeof)
> that I had a number of serious concerns over. While the kickstarter was
> unsuccessful, it is worth noting that such an aircraft has being
> successfully developed in China:
>
> https://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/news/Ehang-Announces-VTOL-Passenger-
Flights-230280-1.html
>
> Their idea of "long range" is only 6 miles!
>
That thing scares me silly - not so much in the air, but the thought of
mixing people's legs with those knee-level, unguarded rotors just looks
like an accident waiting to happen.

At least with Dale Kramer's VTO thing you didn't have to walk through the
rotors to get into it.


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On Friday, February 9, 2018 at 3:46:09 AM UTC-8, Kiwi User wrote:
> On Thu, 08 Feb 2018 20:39:21 -0800, 2G wrote:
>
> > Dale Kramer proposed a kickstarter funder VTOL aircraft a couple of
> > years ago
> > (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1553012513/vlazair-model-
> of-230mph-3hr-flight-vertical-takeof)
> > that I had a number of serious concerns over. While the kickstarter was
> > unsuccessful, it is worth noting that such an aircraft has being
> > successfully developed in China:
> >
> > https://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/news/Ehang-Announces-VTOL-Passenger-
> Flights-230280-1.html
> >
> > Their idea of "long range" is only 6 miles!
> >
> That thing scares me silly - not so much in the air, but the thought of
> mixing people's legs with those knee-level, unguarded rotors just looks
> like an accident waiting to happen.
>
> At least with Dale Kramer's VTO thing you didn't have to walk through the
> rotors to get into it.
>
>
> --

Have you ever been around power planes? They do have propellers that you can walk into, and people have.

Kramer's idea was a pipe dream that never got off the drawing board - this is a real, working full scale product.

Tom

On Fri, 09 Feb 2018 22:43:14 -0800, 2G wrote:

> Have you ever been around power planes? They do have propellers that you
> can walk into, and people have.
>
Of course - and I've been able to get into all of them, except the SF-25,
without having to walk in front of the wing. On the Chinese thing we have
a set of knee-level unguarded rotor and a way to the cabin that requires
passengers to walk between unguarded rotors along an access part looks to
be 1m wide at the most.

I said and meant 'passengers', i.e. people who are not trained in airside
hazards, because the thing is intended for autonomous operation as well
as being manually flown. These people are likely to unknowingly stand
within the rotor arcs, especially if they are being met or seen off by
third parties.


--

Wouldn't easy solution be to just shut off the motors when unloading and offloading passengers? Or put them up high like the "flying taxi" volocopter: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qArZGwtRINg

How about a VTOL lightweight glider to use at all those para-glider and hang-glider sites?

On Sat, 10 Feb 2018 06:55:48 -0800, Whiskey Charlie wrote:

> Wouldn't easy solution be to just shut off the motors when unloading and
> offloading passengers? Or put them up high like the "flying taxi"
> volocopter: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qArZGwtRINg
>
They are off but the walkway is pretty narrow - would yo walk up to the
cabin and get in, knowing that fully charged batteries are connected to
the rotor motors?

And, as you say, why didn't they put the rotors above the cabin like the
volocopter? Apart from anything, that would save wear and abrasion on
motors and rotors when operating from dusty or sandy ground.

I want the inflatable glider suit worn by Kath Two in the final part of
"Seveneves".


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