highlandboy
So all these claims and graphs, including supersonic profiles and they can generate that from a slow wind tunnel and a rudimentary small scale operational model. Major airlines are going to go broke if they don’t get these skills. Why spend millions in testing and product development when you can do it as simple as these guys.
minivini
Highlandboy - the cost for testing and prototype building at their current stage is very inexpensive and low risk. The real cost comes during certification of prototypes with government agencies, larger scale craft, pilot testing, software and avionics integration, and a litany of airframe component testing that won’t be built of fiberglass in a garage.
It’s also not clear that the vectored thrusters are fully operational or the lateral and vertical nozzles.
While this is a very cool and exciting concept, it is potentially one of the most expensive aircraft yet to actually make airworthiness certification due to its completely unique design. Certification bodies will literally have to invent new methods of testing to get this thing into production, and quite probably develop new metrics by which they can measure safety/performance parameters.
This thing will take years and unimaginable capital to ever see anything beyond UAV use, and even then it’ll cost a fortune to develop for any use other than hobbyist model flight.
BrianK56
I could see this at 120 feet in diameter. It will most likely be the transportation of the future.
Glenn™
And when you have a failure it will drop like a rock. Safety parachute? I'd still rather have glide capabilities to ensure a safe landing.
Cryptonoetic
The only limit to maneuverability is my imagination? I'm afraid the limits of my imagination greatly exceed the limits of my physiology.
mediabeing
At this point, I'm laughing. I hope my laughter will, someday, be turned to awe and respect. Right now, I think it's mainly poop.
Fast Eddie
Supersonic? Maybe dropping from 50,000 meters to 25,000 meters, but otherwise....ya gotta be kidding.
guzmanchinky
Aliens have been doing this since the 60's. I know, I've been to the museum in Rockwell... :) But seriously, just when you think you've seen it all in aviation, something radical comes along. Kudos to the dreamers!
Grunchy
I guess "all direction flying object" could describe a helicopter. Sudden yaw change, sudden lateral movement - those sound like uncomfortable and undesirable maneuvers. Supersonic - I think I'd prefer that description prefaced with "safe", but this article hadn't mentioned anything at all about safety. I'm trying to think of what advantage or capability this form provides, like maybe it has improved efficiency, but it doesn't really seem to have any advantage of any kind!
I'd say if you want to design something new you might start "well here's some disadvantages we want to improve, or some new capabilities we want to provide" and then figure out what new technology can do that. This is an example of putting the cart before the horse, perhaps?
windykites
This will give rise to a new crop of UFO sightings. Well done to the designers! Comments here are not encouraging. Remember what early planes looked like. This is streets ahead of anything else.