{"id":4702,"date":"2013-09-28T18:38:41","date_gmt":"2013-09-28T18:38:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=4702"},"modified":"2013-09-28T18:38:41","modified_gmt":"2013-09-28T18:38:41","slug":"sci-tech-carter-aviation-makes-progress-on-high-speed-long-distance-vtolstol-aircraft","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=4702","title":{"rendered":"Sci-Tech: Carter Aviation makes progress on high speed, long distance VTOL\/STOL aircraft"},"content":{"rendered":"

I’ve been following Carter Aviation Technologies<\/a> for years as they developed their\u00a0Slowed-Rotor\/Compound<\/a> (“SR\/C\u2122”) Technology, which<\/p>\n

couples the speed, range and efficiency of an airplane with the vertical takeoff and landing (“VTOL”) capability of a helicopter and is scalable in size from very small unmanned aerial vehicles (“UAVs”) to large transport aircraft the size of a Boeing 767 equivalent. Whether incorporated into a non-powered rotor (transient hover capable) or a powered rotor (continuous \/ sustained hover capable) configuration, SR\/C Technology offers the same extraordinary benefits during cruise flight in terms of dramatically enhanced speed and range performance.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The tips of their rotors have lead or tungsten weights that keep the rotors stiff as they are slowed down in horizontal flight. Slowing the rotors greatly improves the horizontal flight efficiency and the vehicles can go much faster than helicopters. The weighted tips prevent the rotors from flopping around and causing instabilities.<\/p>\n

Here is a video of recent test flights of their Personal Air Vehicle prototype<\/a> plus some animations of larger vehicles based on the same technologies:<\/p>\n