Personal air landing vehicle gyrocopter - GIF

[Altair]

Personal Air Landing Vehicle or PAL-V gyrocopter.




Previously:

1950s Bensen B-8B Hydro-Boat autogyro boat - GIF
Folding portable helicopter - photos
Ultralight mosquito helicopter - GIF

[Frank S]

OH sure pre order a thing that has zero actual FAA flight testing. They will probably be asking for a huge deposit and a Performa commitment contract no possibility of getting a return on your deposit should the company fail to deliver.
Yep I'm quite sure everyone who has the means will rush right out and buy one today.

[greyhoundollie]

Calling all SUCKERS! $400.000.00 to $600,000.00 Please line up and toss your money into this money pit.

[Frank S]

What I would like to see is the mechanism and lock that controls the unfolding of the rotor blades not the elevating of the spindle tower that would be simple hydraulics.
in the computer generated simulation at .56 it shows the blades being automatically unfolded to become something like 14 ft long blades. even real helicopter blades are not very thick at mid point of their blades, leastwise not thick enough to have a hinge and lock strong enough to withstand all of the forces the blades must withstand let alone contain the required mechanical devices to automatically unfold and lock them in the open position

[greyhoundollie]

I am with you Frank on the folding blade thing and lock mechanism. Located approximately 7 feet from the center axis, it is traveling a fairly large distance during each revolution. That means as you increase the mass of that hinge assembly you are really affecting everything a lot everywhere on the entire system. Increase the rotation rate and the blade try's to maintain its previous speed beginning at the hing and traveling outward to the outside end of the blade. It try's to swing backward in relation to the blade direction. Try to slow the revolutions and the blade try's to travel in the opposite direction, forward, beginning at the same hinge. Adding mass when you try to make the hinge stronger will make the entire blade try to separate from the center axle connection Something is going to snap with 7' of leverage.