NASA Puffin VTOL

[Triton]

Video of NASA Puffin VTOL all-electric personal flight vehicle.

Description:

Conceptual design focusing on the ability of a redundant electric propulsion system to provide new capabilities for Vertical Takeoff and Landing aircraft. Specifically utilizing electric motor variable rpm to accomplish a low tipspeed prop-rotor (400 ft/sec tip speed at hover and 200 ft/sec at cruise) to accomplish an order of magnitude reduction in community noise for close proximity operations (30-40 db reduction). The variable rpm capability also achieves a 25% improvement in prop-rotor efficiency through operation at optimal advance ratios.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhpPhvWvLgk


For additional information

Choi, Charles Q. "Electric Icarus: NASA Designs a One-Man Stealth Plane" Scientific American January 19, 2010
URL: http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=nasa-one-man-stealth-plane

 

[Triton]

Artist's impression of NASA Puffin concept.

Note: Image size reduced.

Source: Trimble, Steve. "NASA unveils new ... (wait for it) ... tailsitter!!! [Updated w/video]" The DEW Line http://www.flightglobal.com/blogs/the-dewline/2010/01/nasa-unveils-new-tailsitter.html

 

[shedofdread]

Hmmmm.......all very interesting but unless there is a very sophisticated FCS to assist with transitional flight AND battery technology (in respect of energy density) the like of which we don't see at the moment, then I'm afraid the coffin shaped fuselage will be all too convenient.

However, if the above can be cracked, sign me up!

S

PS with disc loadings as high as they would be in that configuration, I'm suprised they didn't duct the fans for the extra lift that would allow you to extract from the system.

 

[OM]

...20 years ago, this would have been the "gimmick" for a Bond flick, back when Bond flicks had nifty scene stealers like this.

 

[dragon72]

A lot of research was done in the late 40's - early 50's to do with pilot positions and while laying prone is great in an engineering sense after half an hour it's a real pain for the pilot. The only use these things will get is the weekly visit to the chiropractor.

 

[Stargazer]

This sure looks like the illegitimate son of the Pond Racer and the Flying Ram... ;D

 

[hesham]

Hi,

http://research.nianet.org/~shenjw/webpage/sf10.pdf

 

[AeroFranz]

This is Mark Moore's electric-powered Puffin. Isn't there a thread for that already?

 

[SAustin16]

They really needed to be able to talk to Fish Salmon (Lockheed test pilot, now deceased) regarding vertically landing an aircraft on it's tail...EXTREMELY difficult to see and get proper perspective.

 

[Sundog]

They really needed to be able to talk to Fish Salmon (Lockheed test pilot, now deceased) regarding vertically landing an aircraft on it's tail...EXTREMELY difficult to see and get proper perspective.

Fortunately for us, we have much better systems than they had fifty five years ago. At this point, it's really just an engineering problem regarding what information to provide the pilot and how to provide it to him/her and implement the control systems. Then again, landing might just be automatic; use an electronic mark on a video/gps map of where you want to land it and the systems take over. I don't know what they'll adopt for that portion of the envelope, but chances are they solved this problem some time ago.