Originally Posted by
Mechta
The size together with the production & maintenance requirement appear to contradict the price bracket. For example, have a look at the new cost of a 53 seater coach (Euro 300k+).
The problem with quadcopter-type drones when scaled up, is the velocity and noise of the downwash. When V-22 Ospreys were sent to help after the Nepal earthquake, they were rapidly withdrawn when it was found their downwash just added to the destruction.
Downwash at takeoff and landing would not be a problem in normal operation if you use dedicated hard surface landing spots as suggested, and else fly high enough. And there is a lot of expensive stuff on a coach that would not be needed on a drone, like transmission, brakes and wheels.
In all you would want to keep most gadgets to a minimum to keep weight down, meaning carbon chassie and chairs, cheaper and lighter weight per kw petrol engines, and natural draft aircon.
The lidar, radar and laser stuff will soon be cheap enough to fit on most new cars so that won't be a moneypit either. Just need some additional programming to make it suitable in the air. If I can have radar on my boat for less than 2 grand, why not on my buss.