GLENAIR
Wingless Multirotor Wingless eVTOL aircraft have multiple rotors which handle all aspects of the aircraft operation, including vertical liftoff and landing, forward cruising, and flight control. Flight control is managed by both vectoring the rotors and by modulating rotor speed and torque. The EHang 116, manufactured in China, is the poster child for this design and stands out as one of the farthest along in actual aircraft production and deployment. Unlike the Lilium and the Beta Technologies Alia, the EHang 116 is optimized for short-distance flights only. The massive energy cost to power its 16 rotors limits the duration of flights to just intra-city destinations in which a significant portion of flight time is consumed by liftoff and landing. EHang aircraft are likewise limited in passenger capacity. The 116 version is optimized for autonomous (pilotless) flight with a single passenger. Readers interested in the EHang success story should check out their partnership with the Dubai RTA that is already implementing a forward-thinking air taxi program based around the EHang 116 and 184 wingless multirotor aircraft.
Top: The EHang 216 AAV on a trial flight in Japan. Middle: conceptual art of an Eco-sustainable Vertiport Bottom: EH216 conducting passenger-carrying trial flights at the Digital China summit Images courtesy EHang
QwikConnect • July 2021
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