German aircraft company e-volo has created the world's first manned flight of an electric multicopter. It has multiple motors so that the craft can keep flying should one or two engines fail. This electrically driven system is clean and economically cost efficient. Thomas Senkel, physicist and designer/builder of the multicopter, piloted the aircraft at an airstrip in southwest Germany, which lasted one and a half minutes.
According to e-volo, the construction and mechanics of the multicopter is simpler than a helicopter, and safer. Apparently, it can land even if four of it's motors fail during flight and it's propellers experience much less wear. Flight times range from 10 to 30 minutes, depending on payload and battery capacity. According to e-Volo, a gas/electric hybrid model could increase flight time to at least an hour.
"Simple flight for the average person would be a dream come to reality for us. In the next few years we would like to make more of these simple to fly devices available at an affordable price. The flyability of this device, the simple and straight forward piloting making the possibility of flight available to the average person is a goal that we strive towards", says e-Volo.
To watch the multicopter in action on Youtube video, click Here
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| Thomas Senkel who piloted the e-Volo Electric Multicopter |
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| Stephen Wolf (left), Thomas Senkel, Alexander Zosel - Multicopter team |
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