Seattle-based startup Jetoptera is designing propellerless vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) vehicles that will make the future of urban aviation quieter, safer and faster. What’s more, the US Air Force is very curious.
The proportion of the world’s population living in cities is expected to rise from the current 50 per cent to nearly 70 per cent by 2050, meaning that already crowded city streets are likely to become even more congested. To free people from traffic, dozens of companies are planning VTOL vehicles that could quickly fly passengers through cities like an airborne Uber.
Rethinking the drive
Like helicopters, most VTOLs under development still use propellers to generate the thrust needed to fly. Although the rotating blades of VTOL variants are generally smaller and quieter than the single large blade of helicopters, they still generate noise that can be disturbing.
The Jetoptera takes a different approach, replacing traditional rotating propellers with a propulsion system called a “Fluidic Propulsion System” (FPS), which it describes rather plastically as “a bladeless fan on steroids”, Big Think wrote.
According to Jetoptera’s description, this system sends small amounts of compressed air through rearward-facing vents inside a ring-shaped engine. The Coanda effect causes this air to create negative pressure, which sucks ambient air into the front of the engine.
As a result, the amount of air discharged at the rear of the thruster is up to 15 times more than the compressor pumps. The engines can be positioned so that this air pressurises the ground during take-off and then rotates during level flight to propel the VTOL forward.
Based on research funded by the US Department of Defense, Jetoptera’s system is “the quietest propulsion method in the sky,” the company claims. “In places like New York, Los Angeles and London, you wouldn’t hear our aircraft until it approached from a distance of about 200 feet (60 metres),” Jetoptera CEO and chief technology officer Andrei Evulet told Future Flight trade portal earlier.
We need a better battery
Unlike many VTOL startups, Jetoptera has not committed to making its flying cars electric-powered. Current plans are to rely on gas turbine generators, meaning the vehicles might one day ease ground traffic, but they wouldn’t help solve the climate crisis.
“We are dubious about the energy source. Although batteries are one promising source, battery technology is simply not advanced enough at this stage. We don’t want to become winged batteries. We need to be able to transport cargo and eventually people. So if we want an electric-powered aircraft, somebody has to invent a better battery,” Evulet explained to My Edmonds News last year.
Jetoptera is currently developing several vehicles equipped with its FPS, including a two-seat commuter VTOL, the J-2000. A quarter-scale model of this aircraft has already flown in 2019, reaching a top speed of 144 km/h. They expect the full-size version to have a range of 320 kilometres, a top speed of 320 km/h and a payload capacity of between 200 and 360 kg.
Jetoptera is also developing a VTOL for the US Air Force, which is expected to reach speeds of around Mach 0.8 (982 km/h), which is about as fast as a commercial jet airliner. A small-scale model of this design is undergoing wind tunnel testing, and Jetoptera expects to have a flight-ready demonstrator by 2025. The project is well under way, with aerospace and defence giant Northrop Grumman (which developed the B-21 Raider stealth superbomber, for example) also on board.
“These working models will allow us to test airframe and propulsion system designs. We hope to have more prototypes capable of carrying people by 2026,” said Evulet.
Source: BigThink
Recent article
Air taxi News & Articles
Autonomous Air Traffic Control Systems
Drones News & Articles
The Promise of Airborne Wind Energy (AWE) Systems Powered Drones
Drones News & Articles
Swarm Technology for Drones
EVTOL & VTOL News & Articles
The Global Race for Air Mobility Supremacy: Who Are the Leading Players and Innovators ?
News & Articles Propulsion-Fuel
The Environmental Impact of Electric Aviation: Beyond Zero Emissions
EVTOL & VTOL News & Articles
What Role Will Public Perception and Community Engagement Play in the Adoption of Urban Air Mobility ?
News & Articles Propulsion-Fuel
Stratolaunch’s hypersonic vehicle launched for the first time
News & Articles Propulsion-Fuel
How are emerging technologies like blockchain and IoT being leveraged to enhance the safety, efficiency, and user experience of urban air mobility services ?
News & Articles Propulsion-Fuel
Centuries-old technology could revolutionise aviation
Air taxi News & Articles
Economic Viability: Are Flying Cars and eVTOLs Economically Viable for Mass Adoption ?
Electric airplane News & Articles
The Environmental Impact of Electric Planes: Are They Truly the Greener Alternative ?
EVTOL & VTOL News & Articles
How Airbus’ CityAirbus NextGen Aims to Revolutionize Urban Mobility ?
Flying Cars News & Articles
Alef’s flying car preparing for take-off
EVTOL & VTOL News & Articles
Beyond the Prototype: The Economic Viability of Electric Aircraft
News & Articles Points of interest
Achieving Market Dominance in the eVTOL and Flying Car Industry
EVTOL & VTOL News & Articles
Enhancing Emergency Response with eVTOL Technology
News & Articles Points of interest
The first large-scale rocket backpack competition was organised
Drones News & Articles
Red Bull has created the world’s fastest drone
Flying Cars News & Articles
Alef Aeronautics’ Model A could be in production in 2025
EVTOL & VTOL News & Articles
CycloTech Raises 20 Million Euros for Revolutionary Aviation Propulsion System
Flying Cars News & Articles
The Switchblade Flying Car: A Milestone in Personal Air Travel Featured in Pioneering Publication
News & Articles Propulsion-Fuel
What are/will be the impacts of Evtol and flying cars on infrastructure ?
News & Articles Propulsion-Fuel
Unveiling the Energy Dynamics of eVTOLs
Flying Cars News & Articles
Evolving Skies: The Surge in eVTOL and Flying Car Production
News & Articles Propulsion-Fuel
What are the requirements for building a vertiport ?
Drones News & Articles
The role and future of military drones in wars
Flying Cars News & Articles
What are the safety concerns about flying cars and Evtol ?
Flying Cars News & Articles
What percentage of people may use flying cars and Evtols in the future ?
Flying Cars News & Articles
How Will Flying Car Technology Evolve in the Next Decade ?
EVTOL & VTOL News & Articles
Satellite Communications in the Age of eVTOLs
News & Articles Propulsion-Fuel
eVTOLs: Revolutionizing Urban Mobility with Electric Propulsion
Drones News & Articles
A drone airliner lands at Abu Dhabi airport
Air taxi News & Articles
The cost of China’s Ehang unmanned air taxi revealed
News & Articles Propulsion-Fuel
The Role of Electric Motors in eVTOL Efficiency and Feasibility
News & Articles Propulsion-Fuel
Evtols and the current state of self-direction
Air taxi News & Articles
Autonomous air mobility with EHang
Flying Cars News & Articles
New jobs in the eVTOL and flying car era
Air taxi News & Articles
The Future of Air Traffic Management in Urban Air Mobility
EVTOL & VTOL News & Articles
FAA’s Path to eVTOL Certification
Drones News & Articles
WaveAerospace’s hybrid-electric Huntress turbojet unveiled
More articles you may be interested in...
News & Articles Points of interest
Achieving Market Dominance in the eVTOL and Flying Car Industry
EVTOL & VTOL News & Articles
Enhancing Emergency Response with eVTOL Technology
News & Articles Points of interest
The first large-scale rocket backpack competition was organised
Drones News & Articles
Red Bull has created the world’s fastest drone
EVTOL & VTOL News & Articles
Satellite Communications in the Age of eVTOLs
The integration of satellite communication technology into the operation and navigation of eVTOLs (Electric Vertical.......... READ MORE
News & Articles Propulsion-Fuel
eVTOLs: Revolutionizing Urban Mobility with Electric Propulsion
Electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing (eVTOL) vehicles represent a cutting-edge frontier in the quest for.......... READ MORE
Drones News & Articles
A drone airliner lands at Abu Dhabi airport
In an age where innovation intersects with tradition, drone light shows have emerged as the.......... READ MORE
Air taxi News & Articles
The cost of China’s Ehang unmanned air taxi revealed
In a groundbreaking move that heralds a new era in urban transportation, China's Ehang has.......... READ MORE
News & Articles Propulsion-Fuel
The Role of Electric Motors in eVTOL Efficiency and Feasibility
The emergence of electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) vehicles and flying cars represents a.......... READ MORE
News & Articles Propulsion-Fuel
Evtols and the current state of self-direction
The current state of self-direction, or autonomous navigation, in eVTOLs is a fascinating convergence of.......... READ MORE
Air taxi News & Articles
Autonomous air mobility with EHang
In an era marked by rapid technological advances, the concept of urban mobility is undergoing.......... READ MORE
Flying Cars News & Articles
New jobs in the eVTOL and flying car era
As the eVTOL (electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing) and flying car industry edges closer from.......... READ MORE