VTOL
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Like bladeless Dyson fans on steroids, Jetoptera's unique aircraft propulsion systems look like pure sci-fi. But they're beginning to demonstrate some fascinating capabilities in testing, and the next step will be a super-fast VTOL aircraft design.
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It goes without saying that the heavier a load an aircraft can carry, the more useful that aircraft becomes. Well, the RG-1-A Alpha has reportedly just broken a record, by "dead-lifting" more weight than any autonomous VTOL has previously managed.
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This wonderfully odd idea appears to have genuine potential to radically improve the power, speed, efficiency, payload capacity, range, endurance and ground footprint of a wide range of VTOL aircraft and drones. We've never seen anything quite like it.
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VTOL (vertical take-off and landing) aircraft are a popular choice for passenger-carrying "air taxis," but it's easy to forget that they also make for quite versatile consumer drones. One such beast, the Swan Voyageur, could be yours for US$1,299.
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Jetpack Aviation has debuted a flight-ready prototype of its P2 Speeder, a sleek carbon fiber "Motorcycle of the Sky" that can carry first responders over hundreds of miles and hit speeds of up to 500 mph in autonomous mode.
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Reno-based Valkyrie Systems Aerospace has received a research grant from the US Air Force to further develop its remarkable HoverJet Guardian concept, which combines electric VTOL and high-speed jet cruise with amphibious and hovercraft capabilities.
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San Francisco's Elroy Air has revealed its pre-production Chaparral C1, an autonomous VTOL lift & cruise cargo drone running on a hybrid-electric system that allows it to transport loads up to 500 lb over distances up to 300 miles.
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JPA's Speeder is a highly modular Air Utility Vehicle, a transition-capable drone platform running on insanely powerful jet turbines. It can be configured as a manned flying motorcycle or high-speed cargo drone, and prototype P1.5 is now in testing.
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Although fixed-wing drones can fly farther and faster than multicopters, they typically require runways to take off and land. The Vetal flying-wing drone addresses that compromise, with a rather striking "tail-sitter" design.
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Two years ago we first heard about the AB5 JetQuad, a jet-powered VTOL (vertical take-off and landing) drone. Well, it's time to meet its new-and-improved successor, the AB6. Among other things, it has an estimated top speed of 250 mph.
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The fascinating CycloTech eVTOL prototype has taken its first flight tests, running its paddle steamer-style "Cyclogiro" propulsion system, which offers some interesting advantages over typical multirotor-style designs.
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In 2018, we heard how UK startup Volerian was planning to build a VTOL aircraft with a flapping-wing propulsion system. Although we've yet to see a working model, the company has now incorporated the tech into what it claims is a better room fan.
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