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originally posted by: TruthxIsxInxThexMist
a reply to: 0bserver1
It's just a bloody helicopter with wheels ffs. And they'd sell a load more if it was cheaper! I don't see the logic in pricing something out of most peoples range. If it was cheaper, more people would buy it... meaning you'd make your cash anyway.
Sell 100 of these at 500,000 = 50 mil. Sell 5000 at 10,000 = 50 mil. which way would you get your 50 mil quicker?
originally posted by: Mandroid7
a reply to: 0bserver1
If you are flying a plane that goes 80 into a 90 mph headwind, you will fly backwards across the ground at 10 mph.
Likewise, if you fly at 80 and your stall speed is 50, a 30 mph tailwind will stall the plane.
It wouldn't "autorotate from prop wash" It would yaw from torque without an anti-torque tail rotor or rudder application. Ad it has a 200 hp engine, not 100. And if they are selling it for regular use it would need Part 23 Certification, which means it would have to have a certificated aircraft engine, like a Lycoming IO-360 or Continental O-470, both of which are 4 cycle and have been used in tens of thousands of aircraft. If you need 300 hp to be a safe pilot, your flight instructor should be taken out and shot. There are no civilian trainers with 300 hp. The original Piper Cub had 40 hp. The Aeronca Champ had 65, as did the Taylorcraft BC-12D. The Cessna 150 (the most used trainer in the world had 100. The PT-17 Stearman, which trained thousands off military pilots had 220 hp. If you need 300 hp to get your butt out of a situation that you should never have gotten in, you should take up bowling.
originally posted by: Mandroid7
a reply to: 0bserver1
Yeah, It's as unsafe as you can get. It basically uses rudder to keep it from auto rotating from the prop wash.
The design would work and be much more safe with the right kind of powerplant.
This thing only has 100 hp, which I am guessing, without looking, has a Rotax 989, or similar ultralight powerplant.
If it had a turbine engine like most commercial helicopters, I would feel better about it.
Ultralight engines, are basically a snowmobile engine, they can't handle the temp changes that dedicated piston light aircraft engines are designed for. They are usually 2 strokes, because they have issues supplying oil to the right parts in zero, or negative g situations, that slosh the crankcase oil to the wrong places.
Problem with turbines is they start at about 500k for the engine only.
I am not a pilot, my old man is, but am working on my PPL right now.
I have flown a Piper Saratoga2 and a Piper Meridian m500 turbine.
All of these dual designs I have seen so far tend to give up safety and performance, in exchange for dual functions. In other words they end up being unsafe, and bad at both.
From what I hear, power is safety, and you don't really want anything under 300 hp. At that thrust level(in planes)
you can power out of most situations, such as minor icing, or unexpected tailwinds at takeoff.
If you are flying a plane that goes 80 into a 90 mph headwind, you will fly backwards across the ground at 10 mph.
Likewise, if you fly at 80 and your stall speed is 50, a 30 mph tailwind will stall the plane.
So, in other words, these low horsepower flying dream cars, ultralights, piston choppers and Gyros are dangerous as heck.
I wouldn't fly in it.
These concept plane are way overpriced, especially this one.
You can get into a pressurized single piper with de-ice boots and older avionics, over 200knt cruise, and a 1500lb useful load, for 250k if you hunt em down.