Manned electric "quadracopter" takes flight!

[gestalt]

[AussieJester]

Damn! theres some $$$'s in motors alone there....

KiM

[E-racer]

Damn! theres some $$$'s in motors alone there....

KiM

Yea I would have no problem trusting a couple Turnigy's to do the same thing.

[liveforphysics]

Compared with the cost of any other electric helicopter prototype, which start in the millions, buying 16 hobby motors and controllers is nothing.

Bargain price for your own electric helicopter. I bet the whole rig is under $25k.

[oatnet]

Wow, that is stunning! 16 props? I love the redundancy, and Welcome to the age of the flying car! I'd want a grab bar between me and those props though, hate to have the craft tip forward and get sushi'd on the props.

Love the exercise-ball landing gear too.

-JD

[whatever]

it would be interesting to find out what motors and propellers they are using, also what voltage and amps,
I wonder what is total power they need to get off the ground,
they look very much like rcplane motors/propellers, a few pics of motors at bottom of this page

http://www.e-volo.com/Prototype.html

[mauimart]

Does anyone recognize the manufacturer and/or have specs on the motors/props? Which Turnigy motor do you think would be equivalent? I'm trying to get an idea of how much thrust each motor/prop can provide. My guess is that the copter with pilot is under 400lbs. That makes 30lbs per motor to get the thing off the ground. I think with the right controller I can get 50lbs of thrust from my Turnigy 80-100 spinning a 30 inch prop. With 8 to 12 80-100's I could be in business. I may have to stop all work on my e-bikes and begin work on one of these. I must have one...

[kfong]

Too funny, been wondering when someone would put together a muti-copter setup big enough to carry more than cameras. Surprised they didn't use just the open source adruino drone software instead of starting from scratch. I would of designed it so the person sits below all that spinning mass. It would also make it easier to fly since the CG would not be top heavy. A bunch of the big can Turnigys would do it. I bet 6 is all you would need. I'm more interested in paramotors though, only 2 Turnigys needed.

[mauimart]

After some investigation my guess is the motor is a Hacker Q80-8M or Q80-7M. Bigger than I thought.

[E-racer]

I bet that thing has some serious power @ wide open throttle. I wounder what the max climb rate will be... I'm so jealous some one built one of these. Here is more info: http://www.suasnews.com/2011/11/9691/german-multicopter-makes-first-manned-flight/

[AussieJester]

Compared with the cost of any other electric helicopter prototype, which start in the millions, buying 16 hobby motors and controllers is nothing.

Bargain price for your own electric helicopter. I bet the whole rig is under $25k.

Too true Luke...any idea what motors they are using? They look
alot like the Plettenberg's Predator series motor to me? Chances are they may have
had them specially made you thinkz?

KiM

[E-racer]

any idea what motors they are using? They look
alot like the Plettenberg's Predator series motor to me? Chances are they may have
had them specially made you thinkz?

KiM

They are definitely Hackers http://www.aero-model.com/Hacker-Brushless-Q80-8M.aspx I'm not 100% on the model but the make is for sure Hacker.

[Samd]

The nice thing is that all the parts are accessible (cash pending of course). Aluminium from the hardware store, fitball from the mall, and parts from hobbystores. This is accessible to tinkerers amongst us.

[strantor]

http://www.eaa.org/news/2011/2011-11-02_evolo.asp

The custom, German-made electric motors produce 2 kilowatts each

That's pretty cool. I would fly it, but I would be worried about one of those props coming apart and taking out my kneecaps and/or groin.

[whatever]

from the eaa link:
16 motors at 2kw each = total power 32kw
can still fly if two motors fail: so 28kw to keep it in the air
can land if 4 motors fail: so 24kw probably around minimum power needed
batteries weight: 25kg

[bobc]

I'm looking at that thing and thinking "crane" or skyhook - is there a case for using this in the construction industry? it can clearly lift 100kg & costs a fraction of a helicopter to build & fly - I bet the running costs are comparable to a lightweight crane.....
It wouldn't take a lot of software to give it proper 3d (or 4d - rotation too) position control -

[Jay64]

Too funny, been wondering when someone would put together a muti-copter setup big enough to carry more than cameras. Surprised they didn't use just the open source adruino drone software instead of starting from scratch. I would of designed it so the person sits below all that spinning mass. It would also make it easier to fly since the CG would not be top heavy.

I was thinking along the same lines when I was watching the video, but reading the website, they did have a design goal for doing it this way.

In difference to other helicopters or multi-rotors, e-volo can use a safety parachute, as there are no propellers blocking the deployment area above.

Also, I was thinking you would have to have a cage around you to protect you from having the whole thing come crashing down on you in case of an emergency, which would add more weight. But I guess if I was going to be a safety pansy about it, I would probably want a cage around me even if I was sitting on top. Maybe at least a roll cage?
I don't know that much about the physics of props, but would there be a difference in effectiveness if the props were pushing up from under the support beams rather than pulling up from on top of the beams? That might give a little more distance, different plane, between the operator and the props.

[fechter]

That's pretty cool. I can imagine using some gyro chips to stabilize the flight like most RC helicopters. Not sure I would trust a RC transmitter for control, but I guess it works.

I wonder what the flight time would be?

[Jay64]

10-30 min depending on payload. But I guess they could alter that with putting some more lipo on there as well.

[Ludo91]

Really awesome! Tho I`d never like to be on the same plane as 16 spinning props Only reason I can see for them being below me is the ability of using a parachute in case of emergency at a decent height
I wonder too why don`t they use Ardupilot! It reached an INCREDIBLE level of developement

[Jay64]

Has anyone done any work with this drone type software?

[bzhwindtalker]

I built a tricopter with a hobbyking 24$ board and some motors and controllers. I'm now working on a quad with more lifting power and a fpv set-up
I had hard times making that tri fly well, because motors were held with zip ties and taht the angles were changing wile in fligth I made another one using an old t-rex 450 frame that flew way better! Now manned fligth is another leage for sure, but those are super fun to fly!


Awesome vid if you did not see it yet, thta's what its all about
now lets wait until someone does that with a full sise quad haha

[kiqnkf]

HAHAHAHA!!!

Looks like a quick way to deliver clean dried washing in a spectacular fashion!!! I love the exercise ball cobbled to the clothesline with occy straps!!!!

Dont fly over my back yard, my kids will be swinging straight off that, probably ending up with grass-stains on all that clean laundry!!!!

On a positive note, I was just perusing this looking to see how much power I would need to build myself a counter-rotating me-moving stand-in copter!!!

Looks like an option!!!!

[Dauntless]

There are helicopter builds that qualify as an Ultralight, no license required if you keep it in out of the way places, and people put them together for well under $10k. That's a single gas engine of simple design that serves multiple purposes, not sure they're truly suitable for helicopter duty. 16 motors? So if several suddenly blow out you have 10 or more easing you back to the ground? I think I might actually feel safer in that prototype.

A helicopter is not an aircraft, it's 2,000 moving parts flying in formation.

[slawek]

This looks like interesting concept. If I am not mistaken this is next take by the same folks from Germany.
I like this one much better, looks safer and more stable.

http://www.dvice.com/archives/2012/06/sixteen-rotor-p.php