

NASA Stealth Copter - techdog
http://3.ly/xqJZ

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apu
Can a mod change the URL on the submission to the non-shortened one?
[http://asserttrue.blogspot.com/2010/01/nasas-one-man-
stealth...](http://asserttrue.blogspot.com/2010/01/nasas-one-man-stealth-
plane.html)

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allenbrunson
most of the url shortening services are banned here. i'm sure this one will be
too, eventually.

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richcollins
How the hell do you get a single digit as a domain name?

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gojomo
Have/buy friends in the .LY registrar and/or Libyan government?

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z8000
Forget about scratching your knee if you have an in-flight itch! I get
claustrophobic just looking at that thing.

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danielh
There seems to be a company in Japan selling one person helicopters. Gasoline
powered though.

<http://en.gen-corp.jp/> <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wd99ziWFF7Q>

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papersmith
I don't think my neck can withstand that cruising position for very long. I
always thought if it wasn't for Clark Kent's super strength, he would have
developed neck problems.

Maybe hang glider pilots could provide more insight.

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jonnycowboy
This will never fly, in the current config. Too much danger from the
propellers which are level with your HEAD.

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Concours
Really awesome, I'll be willing to buy this if they build it...

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sailormoon
That is awesome, but what's the point in using batteries? It's just a sop to
the environment that drastically limits the device's potential. The fact is
that hydrocarbon fuel is still the best, highest density energy transport we
have. Batteries are still weak and, especially for flight, awfully heavy.

Keep the electric motors but ditch the batteries and replace it with a small
gas turbine generator. For the same weight, you could probably increase the
flight time by a factor of 10, well beyond the willingness of most people to
sit in that thing ...

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tjmc
Agreed. Legally, GA aircraft under visual flight rules must have at least 30
mins reserve so currently this thing wouldn't be allowed to fly!

Battery powered aircraft aren't completely impractical though. This Chinese
electric 2 seater has a 40KW brushless electric motor, 400lbs of payload and
up to 3 hours of endurance: [http://www.flyingmag.com/pilot-
reports/lsa/sport/electrics-e...](http://www.flyingmag.com/pilot-
reports/lsa/sport/electrics-emerge)

The downside is it's slow (60mph), but if the engineering challenges for
lithium-air batteries are ever solved you'd have a serious competitor to
piston aircraft. Not to mention that electric engines are far more reliable
than piston ICEs and you don't have to worry about fuel fires (just don't use
Sony batteries ;-)

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sailormoon
_electric engines are far more reliable than piston ICEs_

So are turbines, by a wide margin. Electric motors powered by a gas turbine
would be a pretty damn reliable system. I do not trust reciprocating engines
as far as I can throw them! I know the perverse regulatory environment that
has lead to the stagnation of technology in GA but still.

Not completely dead, though, it seems - thanks for that link. Most impressive.
$89k! Sheesh, that's almost regular-joe level!

