Originally Posted by
Bell_ringer
40ft wide and deep. 6000 lbs, turbine powered.
That's bigger and heavier than a 407 but fewer pax.
Doesnt look inexpensive
Perhaps the answer is just to make existing helicopters a bit cheaper to operate?
A helicopter is too loud and obnoxious to fit the "air taxi" theme these companies are trying to sell. They think it's a brand new market, but they're going to run into the same noise abatement and potential FOD property damage issues that non-emergency helicopter flights have to deal with. Maybe even worse, if the ducted fans have a higher-pitched whine.
That is, unless someone at Bell has discovered quiet anti-gravity engines. Or Flubber.