A one-man, VTOL (Vertical Takeoff & Landing) flight vehicle was designed, constructed and flight tested as a proof of concept and demonstration prototype. The vehicle, named 'Hummingbird', is eventually intended for recreational purposes, although military applications are being considered. The vehicle configuration and size are based to a great extent on similar vehicles built and tested in the 50's in the U.S. by the Hiller company, but in terms of the vehicle's innards, a completely new design was required. Following preliminary analysis and simulation, a prototype vehicle was sized and detail designed. The vehicle uses a counter rotating rotor powered by four reciprocating engines as its main and sole source of power. A centrally mounted gearbox converts the shaft inputs from the four engines to a pair of concentric shafts, powering the rotor. A circular duct, approx. 6 feet in diameter surrounds the rotor, protects the rotor blades from inadvertent contact with surrounding objects & people, and provides an additional 30% thrust augmentation in hover. Analysis of engine- out flight conditions were performed, and a shock absorbing landing gear was designed and built. The first takeoff of the 'Hummingbird' took place in August 1997, followed by tethered hovers which proved the ease of control as well as the reliability of the mechanical systems. First untethered flight was performed in October 1998, and the vehicle has been in flight testing ever since.
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