picture courtesy of E-Volo
Ok as far as gadgets goes, this one is exceptionally large, but I couldn’t pass up an opportunity to share this one. According to an article by Sebastian Anthony at ExtremeTech the German company E-Volo has developed a prototype flying machine code-named Volocopter (VC-1) which is similar to the toy remote control multi-blade copters that have become popular lately. The primary difference being that this one actually carries a human around and has sixteen propellers.
Watching the video it’s easy to get excited about the prospect this provides for the average joe to go flying around in the air. Anthony writes that E-Volo is also working on a two-seater version. Based on the basic construction and off the shelf components the cost for the final version of this should be in the acceptable range, but no price has been hinted at by the manufacturer.
Of course I want one but the primary question in my mind is does this qualify as a lightweight aircraft and as such not require a pilots license? This one item could be a show stopper for mass sales to the general public.
Watch the video provided below and let me know what you think.
Update: I heard back from Alex Zosel and he confirmed that the E-Volo will indeed be a light aircraft. Here is an excerpt from the documentation Alex sent:
The e-volo measures approximately five by five metres, has four jibs (with 4 propellers each), a basic weight of about 80 kg (including batteries). So it is an ultra light aircraft, which already as a prototype allows for a payload of about 80 kg. 16 propellers provide it with the necessary uplift and at the same time guarantee the required security, because beside the impressively easy construction without a complex mechanism the aircraft can be landed safely even with a malfunction of up to four engines.