... I did not want to introduce thread drift in another thread so I am introducing this separately...

I am wondering…. about the light helicopter landscape....and...

It is 2016 and early days yet, but looking towards the horizon, maybe the “practical” future of personal and BCP type “light helicopters” lies with the emergence of drone technology. The mere unwashed peasants with pitch forks like me really can't afford an R22/R44, much less the additional necessary insurance and maintenance.

The Germans and the Chinese are really active in the area of drone and battery technology. Here is a 2016 video of the Chinese EHang 184. It is no Robinson R22 or R44 by any means, but you can’t help but sense the future here. Imagine watching on a sand dune in North Carolina in 1903 some silly gadget barely flying for <60 seconds and just a couple hundred feet. Yeah, not much. But technology evolved, and we know how that video continues on. Likewise here.

Video of Ehang 184 from CES Show 2016




Maybe I’ll look back at this post in 2026 and smile.

I just hope the many electric aircraft by then, including "light helicopters" won’t be all German and Chinese. I think we will see new kit manufacturers emerge for the experimental crowd. As an early example, Chip Erwin in Florida with his Company AeroMarine is already flying an electric Zigolo Ultra-Light and has plans to soon power their LSA Merlin PSA "mini Cessna 150" with an electric motor as well.
Link: http://aeromarine-lsa.com/electriflying-chip-erwins-zigolo-cover-psf-magazine/


The future of practical-powered light rotorcraft/helicopters just might lie in the hands of folks like Elan Musk and the many folks displaying at CES. Maybe I am simply drinking too much Diet Mountain Dew these days. Not trying to introduce thread drift here, but I thought introducing a discussion of the potential for electric power light helicopters deserved consideration.

The future just maybe maybe maybe is predicted in this silly little musical piece by Marcia Griffiths ……

“ It’s Electric ”


/Mountain Dew

Vertical Magazine just did a write-up on the Volta Electric Helo.

Here's a link to the article.

http://www.verticalmag.com/news/flight-testing-volta-electric-helo-full-swing/

Here is an interesting wrinkle. Maybe the next electric light helicopter won’t really be a helicopter as we know it, but an electric vehicle with helicopter like properties. Whatever works eh.



Excerpts:

....“ Two workers at DK Turbines, which is based at the Hollister (California) Municipal Airport, told the Herald they saw the airplane hovering above the runway during two short flights in recent weeks, at a height of about 25 feet off the ground. “

… a test vehicle apparently under development by Zee Aero, a secretive company reportedly financed by Google founder Larry Page, which is working to develop a VTOL design …

More details at this recent recent Link at Avweb.com :
http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/news/A-Glimpse-Of-Zee-Aeros-Flying-Car-227187-1.html

Everything old is new again...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ryan_XV-5_Vertifan


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