First Manned Multicopter Flight: Impressive, Terrifying

[Earnest Cavalli]

First Manned Multicopter Flight: Impressive, Terrifying


Its creators say the e-volo multicopter "could be the future of flight." Until it purees a pilot, anyway.

That clip embedded at right is video documentation of the world's first manned electric multicopter flight, according to its creators. The official website for the German e-volo team offers the following:

At the end of October 2011, Thomas Senkel of e-volo had completed a series of unmanned tests and was ready for the first manned flight on an airstrip in the southwest of Germany. The flight lasted one minute and 30 seconds, after which the constructor and test pilot stated:

"The flight characteristics are good natured. Without any steering input it would just hover there on the spot".

This could be the future of flight, piloting a device as simple as a car.

Having successfully completed a manned flight, the e-volo team is now working on a commercial model of the multicopter that they hope to have ready in the next few years.

As far as how the commercial model might differ from this prototype is unknown, but presumably the greatest hurdle facing the designers is how to keep the machine's operators from falling into a painful death via spinning metal blades and/or sudden, sharp impact with the ground. The pilot in the clip is equipped with what appears to be a simple lapbelt and motorcycle helmet for protection against the whirling steel dervish around him, but it should be remembered that he is both a paid professional and impervious to conventional weaponry due to a centuries-old blood pact with an unknowable Eldritch horror.

Source: e-volo [http://gizmodo.com/5855349/amazing-multicopter-could-be-your-ticket-to-the-heavens]

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[kayisking]

The words "tempting fate" don't even begin to describe this.

 

[CounterAttack]

Screw tempting fate, I want one! In my mind, that could be much less dangerous than a car, once some form of cockpit is built around the central chair. And it'd certainly be easier than walking around my area...

 

[Raven's Nest]

It's all fun and games until one crashes into a schoolyard at breaktime...

 

[Mrsoupcup]

Does it come in black?

 

[Jandau]

What exactly is the point of this? We already have helicopters, why would this be better? If anything, this seems inferior to current 'copter designs, being more complex and achieving seemingly less of an effect. So why bother?

Now, if this was a bunch of dudes just doing it for the lulz and to test their engineering skills, I'd say more power to them, but I fail to see how this would have any commercial application...

 

[Awexsome]

It's perfect! It even comes with the spinning blades of death for failing right there surrounding you everywhere on the machine itself! Sounds perfect for a videogame type stakes in real life!

 

[Fayathon]

What exactly is the point of this? We already have helicopters, why would this be better? If anything, this seems inferior to current 'copter designs, being more complex and achieving seemingly less of an effect. So why bother?

Now, if this was a bunch of dudes just doing it for the lulz and to test their engineering skills, I'd say more power to them, but I fail to see how this would have any commercial application...

Even though I sit firmly in the "This is a bad thing waiting to happen to someone" side of the fence, I think this thing is electrically powered, and quite a bit lighter than standard helicopters, and from the looks of it, it has a much simpler control interface.

That said, I think the Painkiller is a much less dangerous apparatus than this monstrosity is, regardless of its cool factor.

 

[Sonicron]

"Hey guys, I think the belt clasp is a bit loo--"BZZZZZZZZZZLLRCH

Fun little gizmo. Heh. What crazy contraption are we going to think up next, I wonder?

 

[Rawne1980]

Well that has to be the most pointless thing i've ever seen.

I mean what use could that possibly have...

I didn't see a single cup holder or cd player .... try harder.

 

[RipRoaringWaterfowl]

What exactly is the point of this? We already have helicopters, why would this be better? If anything, this seems inferior to current 'copter designs, being more complex and achieving seemingly less of an effect. So why bother?

Now, if this was a bunch of dudes just doing it for the lulz and to test their engineering skills, I'd say more power to them, but I fail to see how this would have any commercial application...

I've seen far smaller models that would be good for military and security purposes. Think of a multicopter the size of, say, two PS3s, maybe a little smaller, and that could be outfitted with a camera and/or weapons. These models I've seen go up to a fourth story window, so it could work.

I think an advantage of the multicopter for these purposes is that it can fly, while most other comparable automated or radio controlled combat vehicles of the caliber cannot, plus symmetry in weapons/cameras/equipment appears less necessary, as the rotors are spread out in such a way.

 

[GWarface]

This does kinda look like the copter that chinese farmer made from scrap..
I wonder if thats where they got the idea..

 

[blipblop]

how long will the battery last, dont want to run out of juice in mid air

 

[Samurai Silhouette]

Looks like big AOE damage potential to me.

 

[Whateveralot]

You silly germans. Who would need such a thing. No way you're just going to fly to the supermarket with this.

 

[Atheist.]

Why not put the seat below the blades, so you wouldn't fall into a meat grinder, and instead fall to your death below?

 

[Jandau]

Because you don't need to be a pilot to fly one of these things. As he said, "Without any steering it'd just sit there and hover." That's the benefit.

You will need to be a pilot to fly anything. No matter how simple a flying machine might get, there's no way regular people will be handed the controls. Ever. The potential for disaster is huge. We can't manage vehicular movement in two dimensions without killing each other on a regular basis. Full 3D movement without a ton of training would just be irresponsible. And by the time you get trained to the level that you can pilot a craft without being a danger to yourself and others, you might as well have just learned to pilot a helicopter.

I've seen far smaller models that would be good for military and security purposes. Think of a multicopter the size of, say, two PS3s, maybe a little smaller, and that could be outfitted with a camera and/or weapons. These models I've seen go up to a fourth story window, so it could work.

I think an advantage of the multicopter for these purposes is that it can fly, while most other comparable automated or radio controlled combat vehicles of the caliber cannot, plus symmetry in weapons/cameras/equipment appears less necessary, as the rotors are spread out in such a way.

Yeah, I suppose drones would benefit from this. But this particular direction of design seems to be aimed more at manned flight than drones, hence my comment.

Even though I sit firmly in the "This is a bad thing waiting to happen to someone" side of the fence, I think this thing is electrically powered, and quite a bit lighter than standard helicopters, and from the looks of it, it has a much simpler control interface.

That said, I think the Painkiller is a much less dangerous apparatus than this monstrosity is, regardless of its cool factor.

There's no reason why you couldn't make a helicopter powered by electricity and if you were to strip it down to its base parts (no hull, no electronics, etc., like this thing is) it would weigh roughly the same.

 

[LorienvArden]

Even though I sit firmly in the "This is a bad thing waiting to happen to someone" side of the fence, I think this thing is electrically powered, and quite a bit lighter than standard helicopters, and from the looks of it, it has a much simpler control interface.

This version neither has any capacity to transport something nor could it reach any significant heights or speeds. It is, in every respect, a pointless experiment.

It runs on electricity. Electricity needs to be generated. If you paid any attention to your electricity bills lately, you might have noticed a freaking rise in costs there.

Add some gyroscopic stabiliser to a helicopter and you could let a 14 year old fly it.