Aug 112022
 

Is it the final key form factor for most of eVTOL?

It is compatible with vertical take-off, vertical landing and fast cruise speed.

It stores the energy far from the cabin and it keeps the propellers above the embarking passengers.

The streamlined twin boom design, may be the answer, holding the lifting propellers and pushing propellers behind the fuselage.

This design is more and more adopted by companies with the most promising capabilities: Volocopter and Airbus in Germany, Beta Technologies in the USA and Autoflight in China.

VoloConnect (screenshot from manufacturer’s page)

CityAirbus NextGen (screenshot from manufacturer’s page)

Beta Technologies Alia-250c (screenshot from manufacturer’s page)
Autoflight Prosperity 1 (screenshot from manufacturer’s page)

Even Honda unveiled a similar design in artist’s view:

Honda eVTOL concept (screenshot from Youtube video)
Jun 292022
 

The Chinese company Autoflight released the full video of an automated flight including transition to cruise configuration.

The twin boom structure shows an elegant solution to the battery storage as well as streamlining the vertical-lift propellers during the cruise phase.

Despite the vibrations seen during transition, the design deserved to attract attention and is surely promised to a great future.

Sep 082017
 
H145M with heavy cannons

The latest combat aircraft from Airbus Helicopters flies in the german skies.

Following the version for special forces, the heavily armed helicopter is a proud little brother of the Tiger.

H145M with machine gun and rocket launcher

H145M with HMP400 machine gun and FZ231 rocket launcher (C) Airbus Helicopters

H145M enters the growing market of the light attack helicopters, joining the Bell 407, EC635, or MD530.

H145M with heavy cannons

H145M with heavy 20 mm NC621 cannons (C) Blueskyrotor.com

Continue reading »

Jul 232017
 
EAC Whisper

08th April 2017, Friedrichshafen

Friedrichshafen is home of the Zeppelin, on the side of the Constance lake. Every year, the AERO attracts its lot of light aircraft manufacturers and aviation passionates.

While many gliders, small airplanes, drones, and ultra lights were on display, we focused on the helicopters.

Outside display

Mi2 outside

Mi2 outside

Mi2

Mi2

Continue reading »

Jan 012017
 

Helicopters have always be designed and built for a mission. Bell Helicopters made it their motto (“One Bell. On a Mission”). The reason is obvious: their cost to buy and maintain have always limited purchases for recreational use. However, new designs such as the Ehang 184 or the Volocopter start changing the market into a more affordable pricing.

The most important change, though, might be one of the least noticed these days: Airbus Helicopters is being rebranded and will be called Airbus, just Airbus. Airbus Helicopters, formerly Eurocopter, is famous and acknowledged as the first civilian helicopter manufacturer in the world, designing and manufacturing reliable aircraft. Why, then, take the risk of losing the benefit of the history?

With the gigantic new market of autonomous drones, the technologies are becoming mature for new aircraft.

Airbus is taking the path of new airborne vehicles with rotary wings, and helicopters as we know them will only be a small part of it. It is all a matter of definition: while a helicopter has one main rotor and a tail rotor, or several main rotors, the use of push propellers or tilt rotors draws the designs closer to the limits of the definition. Furthermore, the use of fixed pitch propellers, in order to produce lift instead of propulsive thrust, confuses the difference between airplanes and helicopters.

Super Frelon rotor head

Super Frelon rotor head, variable pitch

DJI Phantom 2

DJI Phantom 2, fixed pitch rotors. Is it an airplane without wings and flying upward?

The diversity of missions that can be fulfilled by aircraft is overwhelming. Many companies around the entire world come with new ideas and answer problems that are not even existing yet: E-Volo, Zee.Aero, Joby Aviation, Ehang, Airbus Vahana, City Airbus…

All these new design will make the word “helicopter” obsolete. While the current “Sikorsky” configuration (main rotor and a tail rotor) will still be the best design for many missions, alternative solutions will emerge. Separable fuselage to load the cargo, modular engine pods, optionally piloted vehicles, variable number of engines, all these designs will only be limited by the imagination of engineers, for a safer, cleaner, and efficient future.

Urban mobility seen by Airbus (C) Airbus

Urban mobility seen by Airbus (C) Airbus

Apr 072016
 
VC200 Volocopter first manned flight

E-Volo performed their first flight in Bruchsal, Germany, 30th March 2016 with a pilot on board of their prototype of the Volocopter VC200 (callsign D-MYVC, also named “White Lady”).

The multirotor helicopter maintained a height of 20 to 25 meters above ground.

VC200 Volocopter first manned flight, from the ground

VC200 Volocopter first manned flight, from the ground

 

VC200 Volocopter first manned flight, cockpit view

VC200 Volocopter first manned flight, cockpit view

 

VC200 Volocopter first manned flight

VC200 Volocopter first manned flight

Sep 092015
 

AVIC_Harbin_Aircraft_Z-19E_export (1)

Harbin Aircraft Z-19 E, export version by AVIC

AVIC_Harbin_Aircraft_Z-19E_export (2)

The aircraft is displayed with a wide range of armament: KD-9 air-to-ground missiles, 57 mm rockets, TY-90 air-to-air missiles, and a 23 mm machine gun pod. 90 mm rockets are displayed on the side. However, considering the heavy rocket launcher, it may not be possible for the Z-19E to fly with both the 90 mm rockets and the anti-tank missile launcher.

AVIC_Harbin_Aircraft_Z-19E_export (3) Continue reading »

Jun 192015
 

Airbus Helicopters, Bell Helicopters, Turkish Aerospace, Russian Helicopters… The 2015 edition of the Paris Air Show was far from being dedicated to the sole helicopters, but several manufacturers were there on the display.

Paris Air Show: mostly planes

Don’t get the wrong idea, Paris Air Show is mostly for planes

The French Army is proud of the NH90 TTH, used in operation in Africa and middle east.

NH90 TTH, French Army (ALAT)

NH90 TTH, French Army (ALAT)

Continue reading »

Dec 222014
 
EC145 T2 ADAC rescue helicopters in flight, in the cabin

November 2014 –

After delivery in September this year, the German rescue company ADAC proceeded with their first rescue winch operations training on the EC145 T2. The training took place in the Alps, southern Bavaria. Several teams enjoyed the large cabin suitable for 10 crew members with their full rescue gear. The aircraft is equipped with a folding rescue winch over the cabin side door.

All ADAC helicopters come with a yellow livery and the callsign “Christoph”. They are famous throughout all Germany, and air traffic controllers do their best to provide them with the fastest and safest flight routes. Continue reading »