VTOL AVIATION

20202020
innovation in
aviation20202020aviation2020
Design & Illustration by Richard Garvin Feb. 2015 Vertical Take Off and Landing Aircraft
VTOL Commercial
Applications
VTOL Technology Converted for Urban Flight Applications
Military Technology Adapted for Civilian Uses
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Commercial - Rescue - Corporate - Utility

innovation in aviation Design & Illustration by Richard Garvin Feb. 2015 Vertical Take Off and Landing Aircraft
What is a VTOL? Vertical Take Off & Landing
VTOL aircraft have been utilized by the military as troop carriers and
fighter jets for the past 25 years. More recently the technology has
increased in more variations because of it’s amazing flexibility for military
aircraft mission flexibility.
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The requirement for large airfields and runways are reduced. The aircraft’s
tactical deployment is immediate which is an important advantage in todays
security deployment and ability for moving troops, defines and first strike
capability.
In civilian applications, VTOL technology has evolved into remote control
drones as recently as 5 to 7 years ago. Advances in more powerful, light weight
battery life and real time video has made these drones exceptionally popular.
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Companies such as Amazon, FedEx, DHL and UBS are all testing modified small
drones for delivery purposes. It’s questionable how effective these drones will be
as a delivery platform for small products.
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However these drones have incredible capability to capture high resolution video
or still photos. It’s my opinion small drones will not be used to carry product,
rather they will be utilized to capture visual information. Todays drone carry high
resolution 720 to 1080 P resolution. The next steps will be zoom capability,
infrared night vision, thermography and other advanced sensory options. Audio
recording will become an option depending on the drone’s intended function.
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What is a UAV? Unmanned Aerial Vehicle
Beyond the military applications of UAVs with which "drones" became most
associated, numerous civil aviation uses have been developed, including aerial
surveying of crops, acrobatic aerial footage in filmmaking, search and rescue operations
inspecting power lines and pipelines counting wildlife, delivering medical supplies to
remote or otherwise inaccessible regions with some manufacturers rebranding the
technology as "unmanned aerial systems" (UASs) in preference over the military term
drones.
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Further uses include reconnaissance operations,border patrol missions, forest fire
detection, surveillance, coordinating humanitarian aid, search & rescue missions,
detection of illegal hunting, land surveying, fire and large-accident investigation,
landslide measurement, illegal landfill detection and crowd monitoring.
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• Search and Rescue
• Conservation
• Animal Rights (monitor hunters, fishing areas & factory farms)
• Maritime Patrol
• Forest Fire Protection
• Surveying and Areal Photography

UAV / Autonomous Vehicle Trend Future Potential

Autonomous Vehicles Current Opportunity
Solar-powered atmospheric satellites ("atmosats") designed for operating at
altitudes exceeding 20 km (12 miles, or 60,000 feet) for as long as five years can
perform duties more economically and with more versatility than low earth orbit
satellites.
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Likely applications include weather monitoring, disaster recovery, earth imaging,
and communications. In 2014, a company called Sensepost demonstrated at a
security conference in Singapore a quadricopter UAV with software which could
steal data from smartphones in the vicinity - such as identities, passwords and
banking data. The software attacked smartphones with WIFI switched on by
impersonating a previously used network.
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Google revealed in August 2014 it had been testing unmanned aerial vehicles in
Australia for two years. The Google X program known as "project wing" aims to
produce drones that can deliver not only products sold via e-commerce, but larger
delivery items. The FAA as recently as this week has ruled these drones are not
allowed to share the skies with other air traffic.
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In December 2013, the DHL parcel
service subsidiary of Deutsche
Post AG tested a "microdrones
md4-1000" for delivery of
medicine.
Small drones will continue to be active collecting, photographing information but its
future as a delivery platform is limited to stopped.
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The autonomous technology largely created by the military for tactical surveillance and
combat purposes could be re-purposed into a new category of flying manned aircraft.
It could be utilized with current technologies and serve as an alternative to traditional
higher cost fixed wing or traditional helicopters.
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Enter the City VTOL, a new category of flying machine that can operate
autonomously or piloted like current aircraft.
Amazon is planning rapid delivery of lightweight commercial
products using UAVs was met with skepticism, with perceived
obstacles including federal and state regulatory approval,
public safety, reliability, individual privacy, operator training
and certification, security (hacking), payload thievery, and
logistical challenges.
Amazon was working on its 8th and 9th drone
prototypes, some that could fly 50 miles per hour and
carry 5-pound packages, and had applied to the FAA to
test them.

City VTOL An Urban Multi Role Platform
This concept craft has been modelled as a delivery platform for commercial goods
or serve as fast response search and rescue alternative to traditional helicopters.
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Why the City VTOL? It’s smaller foot print and sensing technology can land more
precisely within urbane landscapes such as city streets, driveways, parking lots and
other shared spaces. Unlike a traditional helicopter, its lifting rotors are captured
within housings and fuselage which create safer operating conditions.
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Its powered by two turbo prop engines connected to a differential gearbox that
enables two double layer lift rotor blades for lift in addition to a rear rotor for
added thrust and lifting capacity.
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Upon landing the main engines cease operation. The rear wheels have
independent drive so the aircraft can use less energy, create less noise on the
ground and taxi itself into position within a limited ground space.
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Initial designs question how large is this aircraft. How much storage capacity? This
model estimates the equivalent of a modern mini van with aprox. 50 cubic feet of
storage. No rear rotor.

Further study is required to determine the ideal size to power plant ratio to create an
ideal “right sized” craft for multi roles.
After turning off the main rotors the rear wheels are self powered to
taxi the aircraft within a limited distance for pick-up and delivery.

ideal “right sized” craft for multi roles.ideal “right sized” craft for multi roles.

Autonomous Vehicles Right Sizing

This model has aprox. 100 cubic feet of storage, the equivalent of a small panel
truck. Retractable landing gear creates better flight dynamics at the expense of
added cost.

Thank You
Industry subject matter expert consultations and feed back.
Next Steps:

VTOL AVIATION

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