NASA's Puffin Personal Aircraft

Clipped from: YouTube - NASA's Puffin: Your Personal Aircraft?

NASA's Puffin: Your Personal Aircraft?

DiscoveryNetworks — February 02, 2010

Engineers from the NASA Langley Research Center unveiled plans to build a personal flying machine that would run on a set of electric motors. Jorge Ribas reports on the aptly named Puffin, which is still in the early stages of development.

Clipped from: NASA - The Puffin: A Passion for Personal Flight

The Puffin: A Passion for Personal Flight

Even the technical details were pretty interesting. If ever built the proposed aircraft would be small and very lightweight -- about 300 pounds (136 kg) empty weight plus another 100 pounds (45 kg) of battery and 200 pounds (91 kg) for the pilot or payload. The design would be powered by a total of 60 horsepower through electric motors, which are designed to be able to fail any two powertrain components on either side and still produce the required power to hover. It has a cruising speed of 150 mph (241 kph), but cruises more efficiently at lower speeds The range with current battery technology would be about 50 miles (80 km).

Clipped from: YouTube - NASA Puffin Low Noise, Electric VTOL Personal Air Vehicle

Clipped from: NASA develops one-man personal rocket concept | News | TechRadar UK

NASA develops one-man personal rocket concept

Personal aircrafts are the vehicles of the future

NASA developing Puffin one-man personal aircraft design, test flights planned soon

Test flights planned

Moore came up with the design as part of his doctoral degree, which he then sold on to NASA.
 
The Puffin would have a top speed of 150mph (241kph), but could easily cruise at lower speeds, with a range of around 50 miles.

The US National Institute of Aerospace is set to trial a remote control one-third size model of Moore's concept aircraft to test out whether or not the theories can possible be made into reality.

Sources:

1. YouTube - NASA's Puffin: Your Personal Aircraft?
2. NASA - The Puffin: A Passion for Personal Flight
3. YouTube - NASA Puffin Low Noise, Electric VTOL Personal Air Vehicle
4. NASA develops one-man personal rocket concept | News | TechRadar UK

Related:

1. NASA Puffin personal electric aircraft concept
2. NASA’s Puffin Is Way Cooler Than a Jetpack | Autopia | Wired.com
3. Electric Icarus: NASA Designs a One-Man Stealth Plane: Scientific American
4. NASA's Puffin Is a Stealthy, Personal Tilt-Rotor Aircraft | Popular Science
5. NASA's Puffin is the latest personal flying machine that will never be produced (video) -- Engadget