An aircraft for a world full of obstacles.
The world is covered with buildings, trees, and obstacles of myriad kinds. There is no way that conventional aircraft can operate safely except from very special sites.
Electronics, sensors, software and autonomy can help to avoid obstacles, but cannot compensate for inadequate aerodynamic agility. Birds demonstrate what is possible with excellent command, control, and aerodynamic agility of an altogether higher order.
Conventional aircraft will therefore never provide ubiquitous personal mobility.
This project aims at a solution of this problem, together with inherent safety in the event power failure, and low-cost electric power.
To exploit new possibilities of electrically powered aircraft, many are being developed (see a short list), but none to date support our objectives.
To begin, we are building a model drone capable of precision dynamic-positioning even in difficult weather.
The model drone may suit specialised applications such as building, servicing and maintaining structures at very close proximity, even in unfavourable weather.
We want a personal aircraft:
- Capable of landing and taking-off safely from confined, unprepared sites in any weather short of bad visibility or a storm.
- That descends safely in the event of power failure. Parachutes are not safe in high winds or at low altitudes.
- That is exciting to fly. Superhuman responsiveness near the ground so that the machine feels like an extension of the pilots mind. This is also an essential part of safety requirement (1).
- That we can afford. A low maintenance aircraft.
An aircraft is always a compromise, so to achieve these goals we are willing to sacrifice other conventional design objectives as necessary. This is a different kind of aircraft.
Safety statistics of personal electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft are not yet available. But statistics for light helicopters are sobering. See “Examining the most accident-prone sector within commercial aviation“. We believe an exceptionally agile aircraft is needed to compensate for the behaviour of inevitably inexperienced pilots. One good look at the natural world of flying birds and insects will convince you that their agility is far better than any helicopter. Birds do not crash into trees in windy weather. But helicopters are dangerous for pilots of limited skill and training.
The RingWing is an eVTOL aircraft designed to meet objectives 1,2,3 & 4.
Don