| Clipped from: A different 'spin' on flying cars | Emerging Technology Trends | ZDNet.com |
A different 'spin' on flying cars
A company in Australia is developing a flight technology that allows for compact Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL) using a type of fan system to move air that is commonly found in central heating/cooling systems.Entecho's Hoverpod
Entecho is using a proprietary centrifugal fan that allows for the creation of an extremely compact craft with VTOL capabilities and high lifting efficiencies. The company currently has two VTOL platforms; the Hoverpod, a manned Personal Aerial Vehicle (PAV) and the Mupod, a micro Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV).
| Clipped from: Entecho - Compact Aerial Vehicle, CAV, Hoverpod, Mupod, VTOL, Rotorcraft, Recreational Vehicle, Personal Aerial Vehicle, PAV, UAV - Perth Western Australia |
Entecho's revolutionary flight technology is a solution to the demand for an entirely new type of aircraft: The Compact Aerial Vehicle or CAV. The CAV represents a unique way of flying and has many advantages over conventional aircraft such as aeroplanes and helicopters.Entecho is currently developing prototypes of two types of CAV; the Hoverpod and the Mupod.
The central features of the CAV are listed below:
Small Footprint
[...]
VTOL Capability
[...]
Enclosed Rotor
[...]
Low Blade Speeds
[...]
Mechanical Simplicity
[...]
Stability and Control
[...]
Intuitive Operation
[...]
| Clipped from: Entecho - Hoverpod, Personal Flight Platform, Compact Aerial Vehicle, CAV, Rotorcraft, Recreational Vehicle, Personal Aerial Vehicle, PAV, VTOL - Perth Western Australia |
Personal Flight
The Hoverpod is Entecho's personal flight CAV and employs our patented radial drum fan lifting system. With its small footprint and vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) ability, it is easily transported, can be launched from anywhere and fly over any surface; be it snow, water, sand or wetland.
| Clipped from: Entecho - Advanced Flight Technology, Aerodynamics, CFD, Flight Control, Mechanical, Structural, Engineering, Composites - Perth Western Australia |
Technology
Entecho has developed a unique aerodynamic lifting process, and with it, an entirely new type of aerial craft called the CAV, or Compact Aerial Vehicle. Entecho is now working on two CAV applications, the Hoverpod and the Mupod, using the latest technology in areas such as composites, flight control, and computational fluid dynamics, or CFD.
A Revolutionary Lifting Process
Entecho has overcome the key challenge of generating lift within a small vehicle envelope by employing a novel rotor fan and a unique combination of lifting surfaces. Unlike conventional fans which draw air from one side to the other, Entecho's centrifugal fan moves air radially from the center to its outside. Lift is generated as the radial flow from the fan is directed downward by the skirt. The skirt refers to the airtight flexible membrane which wraps circularly around the body of the craft and is located downstream of the rotor.
Unique Control Techniques
The skirt is a flow vectoring nozzle that can generate high levels of control power. This skirt accesses the entire moving air stream, so by simply controlling the movement of the skirt, we can develop very desirable response characteristics both in translation and rotation.
Sources:
- A different 'spin' on flying cars | Emerging Technology Trends | ZDNet.com
- Entecho - Compact Aerial Vehicle, CAV, Hoverpod, Mupod, VTOL, Rotorcraft, Recreational Vehicle, Personal Aerial Vehicle, PAV, UAV - Perth Western Australia
- Entecho - Hoverpod, Personal Flight Platform, Compact Aerial Vehicle, CAV, Rotorcraft, Recreational Vehicle, Personal Aerial Vehicle, PAV, VTOL - Perth Western Australia
- Entecho - Advanced Flight Technology, Aerodynamics, CFD, Flight Control, Mechanical, Structural, Engineering, Composites - Perth Western Australia
Related:
- Entecho - Advanced Flight Technology, Hoverpod, Mupod, Aerodynamics, Innovation, Compact Aerial Vehicle, CAV, Rotorcraft, Recreational Vehicle, Personal Aerial Vehicle, PAV, UAV, Composites, VTOL - Perth Western Australia
- Entecho's Hoverpod: the 3-seat, skirt-steered, 75mph VTOL flying saucer
- Entecho Hoverpod - Entecho Flying Saucer Prototype
- DSTO > Collaboration > Working with Entecho
- Next Big Future: Australia's Entecho has UAVs and Hoverpod
