It's official: Jay Carter, who's unique compound helicopter/aircraft designs for the general aviation market have been a fixture at Oshkosh events for years but never quite ready for prime time, has gained a whole lotta clout.
Carter is now tightly coupled to the future of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) giant AAI, a subsidiary of Textron Systems. AAI builds the Shadow UAV and other systems for the US military. The single-engine Shadow family has accumulated more than 450,000 flght hours for a variety of military operators.
The two signed an agreement on Monday giving AAI the rights to Carter's slowed rotor / compound (SR/C) intellectual property for UAVs, and Carter gets Textron (which includes AAI and Bell Helicopter) expertise in designing, building and testing a four-place civilian version of the gyrocopter / aircraft hybrid which has a rotor that slows down as speed builds up, cutting drag while the aircraft's fixed wing does the anti-gravity work..
A prototype of the four-place version / UAV will be flying by early next year, says AAI.
Here's an AeroTVnetwork video from Oshkosh this summer showing flight in an earlier prototype.
on November 21, 2009 6:14 AM | Reply
I doubt any branch of the US military would qualify an aircraft (unmanned or not) that could not abort or alter the take-off or landing procedure that might be required in a combat environment. The Cartercopter has basically a one-shot, jump type take-off for vertical operation. It also can't hover, or maneuver quickly to land after an aborted take-off. And it can't hover prior to/during a landing. Which means it can't be used if there is no STOL landing pad available, or if a slung cargo must be delivered without landing.
In short, it's no more beneficial than a CH47 with an autopilot would be. And the unmanned CH47 would be cheaper to operate, carry more payload, be ready for service sooner, and have much better overall performance. So what's the benefit of the Cartercopter that AAI sees?
on November 21, 2009 6:15 AM | Reply
I doubt any branch of the US military would qualify an aircraft (unmanned or not) that could not abort or alter the take-off or landing procedure that might be required in a combat environment. The Cartercopter has basically a one-shot, jump type take-off for vertical operation. It also can't hover, or maneuver quickly to land after an aborted take-off. And it can't hover prior to/during a landing. Which means it can't be used if there is no STOL landing pad available, or if a slung cargo must be delivered without landing.
In short, it's no more beneficial than a CH47 with an autopilot would be. And the unmanned CH47 would be cheaper to operate, carry more payload, be ready for service sooner, and have much better overall performance. So what's the benefit of the Cartercopter that AAI sees?
on November 21, 2009 6:16 AM | Reply
I doubt any branch of the US military would qualify an aircraft (unmanned or not) that could not abort or alter the take-off or landing procedure that might be required in a combat environment. The Cartercopter has basically a one-shot, jump type take-off for vertical operation. It also can't hover, or maneuver quickly to land after an aborted take-off. And it can't hover prior to/during a landing. Which means it can't be used if there is no STOL landing pad available, or if a slung cargo must be delivered without landing.
In short, it's no more beneficial than a CH47 with an autopilot would be. And the unmanned CH47 would be cheaper to operate, carry more payload, be ready for service sooner, and have much better overall performance. So what's the benefit of the Cartercopter that AAI sees?
on November 21, 2009 6:17 AM | Reply
I doubt any branch of the US military would qualify an aircraft (unmanned or not) that could not abort or alter the take-off or landing procedure that might be required in a combat environment. The Cartercopter has basically a one-shot, jump type take-off for vertical operation. It also can't hover, or maneuver quickly to land after an aborted take-off. And it can't hover prior to/during a landing. Which means it can't be used if there is no STOL landing pad available, or if a slung cargo must be delivered without landing.
In short, it's no more beneficial than a CH47 with an autopilot would be. And the unmanned CH47 would be cheaper to operate, carry more payload, be ready for service sooner, and have much better overall performance. So what's the benefit of the Cartercopter that AAI sees?
on November 21, 2009 6:33 AM | Reply
I doubt any branch of the US military would qualify an aircraft (unmanned or not) that could not abort or alter the take-off or landing procedure that might be required in a combat environment. The Cartercopter has basically a one-shot, jump type take-off for vertical operation. It also can't hover, or maneuver quickly to land after an aborted take-off. And it can't hover prior to/during a landing. Which means it can't be used if there is no STOL landing pad available, or if a slung cargo must be delivered without landing.
In short, it's no more beneficial than a CH47 with an autopilot would be. And the unmanned CH47 would be cheaper to operate, carry more payload, be ready for service sooner, and have much better overall performance. So what's the benefit of the Cartercopter that AAI sees?