Volocopter - Safest Aircraft in the World

kburkhard

kburkhard

Filing Flight Plan
Joined
Feb 27, 2016
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Location
Germany
Display Name
Kilo-Bravo
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Bensheim/Germany
System Components control flying - the Pilot just commands direction!
With those simple words, the management of the e-volo GmbH in Karlsruhe/Germany, circumscribe their futuristic development-target to build the "safest aircraft in the world". Unlike any other aircraft their Volocopter VC200 is steered solely by a single joystick, which makes the handling extremely easy. Levers for flaps, air-brakes, landing gear or even rudder-pedals? Not to be found in the cockpit of the VC200, as they are completely obsolete. Flying the craft with a single joystick only, the German Volocopter VC200 will be the first and only aircraft in the world, which could quite easily be flown and handled by disabled pilots. Without prior extensive and costly modifications. Compared to any other type of aircraft, handling the 18-engine Volocopter is extremely simple.
Aircraft can be seen, once again at the AERO 2016 in Friedrichsfafen/Germany, April 20th-23th, 2016.

Read the complete story at: http://ul-segelflug.de/f-a-e.html

Best regards from Germany

Klaus
 
Very interesting article,would be great ,if you don't have to get the helicopter rating to fly it. Needs its own rating.
 
I may have to read them "circumscribe their futuristic development-target" after it is translated by someone who actually speaks English.

Not ready to trust my life to any software package, completely giving up control of the aircraft to a computer. This approach is much riskier than the pilotless planes being talked about as possible airliners, cause at least if everything goes in the fritz they will still glide.

What happens to a volocopter if the software hangs? If the Blue Screen of Death appears, it will be the death of everyone aboard, as there are no flight controls for the "pilot.". Nope, not for me . . .
 
Hank S said:
I may have to read them "circumscribe their futuristic development-target" after it is translated by someone who actually speaks English.

Not ready to trust my life to any software package, completely giving up control of the aircraft to a computer. This approach is much riskier than the pilotless planes being talked about as possible airliners, cause at least if everything goes in the fritz they will still glide.

What happens to a volocopter if the software hangs? If the Blue Screen of Death appears, it will be the death of everyone aboard, as there are no flight controls for the "pilot.". Nope, not for me . . .
Click to expand...

Hank, you are correct.
There always is a final situation, when nothing can avoid you crashing an airplane. If what you describe does happen in a modern airliner with the Fly By Wire technologie? There always is a worst case scenario, but in this case, the Ballistic Rescue System can be deployed, which already has saved many lifes in Ultralight Airplanes during the last few years. Whithout this device, pilots would have been dead.

Best regards from Germany

Klaus
 
SCCutler said:
Klaus:

It would be very interesting to hear more about your new aircraft control technology - please feeel free to share as much as you can!
Click to expand...

Hi Spike,
I'll meet the people of e-volo next time for a longer interview at the coming AERO in Friedrichshafen. Thereafter I can present new and actual informations, also about the redundancy of the software and flight-management system.

@frfly172
Yes, this kind of vehicle needs a new licenze. But as the Volocopter is rated as Ultralight Sports Vehicle, it will sure be a German Ultralight Licenze, similar to the one as for a Gyrocopter, which is relativly easy to get.
Also for this subject, I hope to get actual informations at the AERO.

Klaus
 
Speed & range on a charge?

I'd imagine, even with BRS, a power failure below a few hundred feet isn't going to turn out well???
 
If it didn't take levers, knobs, pedals and gauges along with some specific skills to fly, I wouldn't want to do it.
 
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Velocity173 said:
Speed & range on a charge?

I'd imagine, even with BRS, a power failure below a few hundred feet isn't going to turn out well???
Click to expand...

Of course, somewhere near the ground is also a limit for a BRS. But it still reduces your vertical speed, also when deployed in 100 ft, that your craft might be badly damaged, but the crew will survive. We already had several good examples during the last few years with Ultralights.
Good example is the one you can find via the link next, An Ultralight plane crashed sideways into a Ka8 in short final and low altitude. As the Ultralight got stuck in the fuselage of the Ka8, both aircraft glided to the ground with the aid of the BRS of the UL. Both aircraft badly damaged, but all three occupants walked out of the wrackage nearly unharmed with few scratches only.
http://www.rhein-zeitung.de/region/...-sorgen-sich-um-Sicherheit-_arid,1204088.html

Other good example:
80 t0 100 m AGL and above a forest, just about few hundred meters short of the field, the pilot of an Ultralight-Glider (Banjo MH) tryed to keep his hight to reach the field, when suddnly the glider went into spin. He activated the BRS and came to a nose-down stop at the bottom of the forest. Glider was partly damaged, but pilot was not only alife, but unhurt. Same accident with a common glider and pilot with personal chute - result would have been much different.
http://www.frankenpost.de/fotos/nachrichten/Flugzeugabsturz-bei-Kulmbach-IMG_0386-JPG;cme467709,2624008

I feel quite comfortable with my BRS in the back of my seat in my Ultralight glider, instead of a personal-chute on my back.
So everything speeks for a BRS in my opinion.

I´m not a Helicopter-pilot, but as far as I know from a Copper-Pilot friend, to autorotate a Helicopter in a sudden powerloss or engine failure, you also need a good hight and a good and forward-speed. Otherwise the chopper falls out of the sky loke a stone. Is this correct or am I mistaken?

Best regards from Germany
Klaus
 
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