The overall design resembles a quadcopter
E-volo recently celebrated the maiden launch of its electric two-passenger, 18-rotor VC200 “Volocopter,” touting the vehicle’s safety and simplicity after an indoor flight inside the dm-arena in Karlsruhe, Germany on November 17. While the copter is similar in form to both quadcopters and helicopters, the company resists the helicopter label, pointing out the numerous radically different safety and design choices that set the vehicle apart.
Following on from earlier prototypes, the overall design resembles a quadcopter – or, more aptly with its 18 separate rotors, an octodecacopter. On the Volocopter, six arms extending from the central part of the rotor ring split into twelve more arms, with rotors placed at each juncture.
For power, six battery blocks power the rotor drives for about twenty minutes of emission-free flight time, with an hour anticipated in the future. Additionally, range extenders are envisioned for the final design. The team is aiming for a cruising speed of at least 54 knots (62 mph / 100 km/h) and a flight altitude of 6,500 ft for the production version.
E-volo emphasizes the redundancies in the battery system. Each rotor arm is powered by three batteries, so two nonadjacent batteries could fail and the Volocopter could still land safely. In even more dire straits, a ballistic separation system deploys a parachute.
These measures are a part of e-volo’s larger goal that the “Volocopter must become the world’s safest piece of air sport equipment.” Pointing out that most helicopter emergencies stem from pilot behavior, e-volo designed the Volocopter with onboard computers sensors that assume the role of determining and compensating for flight conditions, while the pilot “merely” controls the direction. Because of this design decision, the Volocopter is also easy to fly and pilot training is simpler.
The Latest Google Headlines on:
Volocopter
[google_news title=”” keyword=”Volocopter” num_posts=”10″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]
The Latest Bing News on:
Volocopter
- Volocopter’s Loan Guarantee Hopes Dashed, Seeks Alternative Fundingon April 27, 2024 at 3:36 am
German electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) developer Volocopter is facing a serious financial crisis. The company has warned that they may be forced to consider insolvency in the near ...
- Xpeng’s flying car affiliate AeroHT closes in on airworthiness certification as Chinese EV maker targets fourth-quarter presaleson April 26, 2024 at 11:38 pm
AeroHT, an affiliate of Chinese electric vehicle maker Xpeng, has started the countdown for the commercialisation of its flying car and plans to start taking pre-orders in the fourth quarter of this ...
- German Politicians Stall eVTOL Loan Guarantee Approvalson April 26, 2024 at 8:46 am
The refusal of the Bavarian state government to back loan guarantees for German eVTOL start-ups Volocopter and Lilium has stalled federal funding.
- US-based Joby Aviation Will Launch Flying Taxis in Abu Dhabi, Promising Faster Travel Timeon April 26, 2024 at 12:40 am
Joby Aviation, a California-based electric aircraft maker, has signed initial agreements with several government entities in Abu Dhabi to introduce air taxi services in the emirate. This development ...
- Volocopter May Have To Consider Insolvency In ‘Foreseeable Future’on April 25, 2024 at 3:50 pm
Volocopter May Have To Consider Insolvency In ‘Foreseeable Future’ is published in Advanced Air Mobility Report, an Aviation Week Intelligence Network (AWIN) Market Briefing and is included with your ...
- Planes pollute the planet, but new technology could clean up the aviation industryon April 23, 2024 at 3:23 pm
A nonstop flight from Los Angeles to New York spews about 1,300 pounds of planet-warming carbon into the air — per passenger.
- Boeing wants to have flying cars by 2030on April 18, 2024 at 7:57 pm
Boeing invested in $450 million with Wisk, a company working on a flying car. The next year, it fully absorbed Wisk. By 2030, it hopes to have Wisk’s autonomous flying taxis operating in Asia. Boeing ...
- Boeing, which keeps making ‘defective planes,' now wants to enter the flying car marketon April 18, 2024 at 6:23 pm
We’ve all seen the terrifying social media videos from passengers who were on Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 earlier this year. The aftermath of a panel … The post Boeing, which keeps making ‘defective ...
- Success OF JAL eVTOL Demo Tied To Regulators’ OK, Official Sayson April 18, 2024 at 10:02 am
TOKYO–The success of Japan Airlines’ (JAL) electric vertical-takeoff-and-landing vehicle (eVTOL) demonstration at the Osaka 2025 Expo lies in the certification of Volocopter’s VoloCity urban air taxi ...
- Is Urban Air Mobility Ready for the Paris Olympics? From the Floor of Amsterdam Drone Weekon April 16, 2024 at 6:04 am
The program at Amsterdam Drone Week is all about uban air mobility (UAM) and eVTOL – with a global focus on the opportunities and the challenges. With many of the discussions still at a high le ...
The Latest Google Headlines on:
Quadcopter
[google_news title=”” keyword=”quadcopter” num_posts=”10″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]
The Latest Bing News on:
Quadcopter
- What We Know About Claims That Israel Lured and Shot Palestinians Using Drones Playing Recordings of Crying Infantson April 26, 2024 at 4:48 pm
Israeli quadcopters are employing a "bizarre" new tactic of playing audio recordings of crying infants and women in order to lure Palestinians to locations where they can be targe ...
- Mass Graves in Khan Yunis Reveal Unspeakable Horror of US-Backed Gaza Invasionon April 26, 2024 at 9:30 am
Emboldened by unconditional military and diplomatic support from the US, Israel continues to act with impunity in Gaza.
- Duel In The Dark: Russian Snipers Battle Baba Yaga Droneson April 26, 2024 at 5:38 am
Russia's is deploying snipers with thermal imaging sights to tackle Baba Yaga night bombing drones — but the drones have a new trick up their sleeve.
- Russia files hundreds of drone patents as ‘global arms race’ ramps upon April 26, 2024 at 1:29 am
Russia filed 342 patents between 2022 and 2024. Ukraine only filed 4 patents over the same period, according to the World Intellectual Property Office. Up to 82 per cent of all global drone patents ...
- DJI is about to launch a new droneon April 25, 2024 at 6:45 pm
DJI is about to launch the Mini 4K quadcopter, described by the company as the ideal 4K mini camera drone for beginners.The Latest Tech News, Delivered to Your Inbox ...
- Ultra-thin, flexible solar cells demonstrate their promise in a commercial quadcopter droneon April 24, 2024 at 9:27 am
Ultra-thin and flexible solar cells made from a new material called "perovskite" are proving to be an efficient and lightweight solution to facilitate self-sufficient energy generation over extended ...
- Why Is Russia Losing The FPV Drone War?on April 24, 2024 at 7:16 am
Both sides are making armies of FPVs, but Russia’s battlefield drone strikes have faltered as Ukraine’s have surged. The reason appears to be a failure to adapt.
- New Ukrainian Silent Attack Drones Put Russians On The Defensiveon April 23, 2024 at 2:15 pm
Russian forces in southern Ukraine are adopting a new defensive strategy to deal with "silent" updated versions of Ukraine's heavy-duty attack drones, according to the former head of Moscow's space ...
- Iran's Air Defense Purchase From Russia Backfireson April 22, 2024 at 5:49 am
Iran and Israel have exchanged strikes that deepened fears of escalating violence after years of rumbling tensions.
- DJI’s pint-sized Mini 3 is on sale with a DJI RC controller for its best price yeton April 20, 2024 at 12:07 pm
Happy Saturday, dear readers! The big news on the drone beat this month was the official launch of DJI’s Avata 2, a new FPV drone that’s slicker, more stable, and longer-lasting than the original ...
