Ehang 'manned drone'
 

EHANG-EHANG184-Overview

Essentially a Quadcopter which flies itself with you inside. I think these guys are serious - good luck with the regulatory aspect...

Interesting handling if you took a seagull through one of those tiny rotors
And think you would be sitting there as an unwilling passenger :E with your fate in the hands of a box of electronics

Pace

Not a bad first try though, assuming it works as it looks like it is supposed to.
I'm sure there could be a bit more redundancy on the rotors.

A sign of things to come.

Ready to buy in Dubai by July this year apparently:

https://au.finance.yahoo.com/news/th...221659234.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IrPejpbz8RI

Other sites say it will be flying a single passenger, as an air taxi, by July. No pilot on board.
We will see!!

No thanks.

One thing I don't get about drones. Not much point in flying if I'm not allowed a shot at the controls.

How will it integrate with conventional traffic?

Nice idea, alas skeptical remain I. :suspect:

This was on display at CES. According to the young lady I spoke to, it's already flown with two people on board. And it can withstand loss of not one, but both propellers on the same corner. Apparently.

I bet they'd have a better chance of customer acceptance if it included a ballistic parachute, but then the weight/range allowance goes down.

I also wonder about the noise levels. If it does go into operation in Dubai as a "air taxi," what routes and landing areas can they use without noise complaints? This thing won't be quiet.

I think this technology will disrupt light aviation over the next 10 years.

Whatever the case, I can see regulation and other practical concerns stopping this in its tracks.


Not everyone shares enthusiasm for the headlong rush into pilotless aircraft, among other things, where I firmly believe humans should remain in control. Just my opinion though.

Those rotors look a bit menacing! 2 on each corner, unguarded - they wouldn't do any unsuspecting bystanders any good, I imagine. That implies that take-off and landing sites would need to be large enough and protected enough to prevent an unfortunate coming together of persons and blades. Not exactly go-anywhere.

Where will the charging infrastructure be located? You won't find 50 / 100A sockets (and the right cables & connectors) just anywhere. A flight to (say) 10% of battery capacity would have to terminate at a charging point (assuming that batteries aren't easily transported & swapped), so either the flights have to be from charging point to charging point or the range is cut in half, so that a flight would be charging point - destination - back to charging point (unless there's a charging point closer to the destination than the starting point).

Based on 25 minute endurance and given average cruising speed of 60Km/h, that would give a max range charging point - charging point of 20km (12miles), or 10km (6 miles) charging point - destination - back to charging point, allowing 5 min / 20% reserve.

Payload isn't great - 100Kg eliminates a significant proportion of the population. I'm not obese and I'm 102Kg, excluding clothing.

There's a lot more infrastructure to be put in place before this is "real", I suspect. Electric vehicle charging points and hydrogen fuel outlets are still desperately thin on the ground even now, and these vehicles have been around a lot longer.

FBW

How long does it take to drive e across a congested city? 12 miles across London would be quite a challenge at the wrong time of day. There's a market for you. Not cheap though.

Agree that driving in any of the cities I know reasonably well is awful, and not just at peak times.

However, most cities that are big enough to be so seriously congested tend to have some form of metro / tram / light rail system that is probably better and vastly cheaper than a drone for getting where you need in a reasonable time.

And there's always walking or cycling for the shorter trips! :) Non-polluting and good for you (apart from breathing in the fumes). :(

FBW

I'm going to book one for July 31st. Should be in service then according to the ballyhoo.
Think it will turn up on time?

So how does the landing area at destination become protected from people and pets?

The region does does have a history (alleged) of single seat aerial transport which doesn't rely on occupant control input:

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com...b2bb376b82.jpg

They will work, and they're going to be such a major development that the regulators will get their heads around them sooner or later - no country would want to have been the last one to allow trains, cars or conventional aircraft.

Will definitely happen, but not in the west due to (over) regulation. We used to be able to do things, but we have become too scared and too regulated. More likely China (country of origin) or Middle East.

Can see commuting to centre of city, and then drone heading to a central charging station. Or based at shopping mall as a way of attracting lucrative customers.

Cost will initially mean this technology confined to the more wealthy - which is exactly the demographic shopping malls want.

Business and first class are for a minority of pax. But that is where most airlines make their $$$.

If you think it won't happen...... have you seen a Blockbuster store recently? Or a music shop selling CDs?

Help

No doubt Dyson will soon be building them with his digital motors, digital bang seats and subject to digital certification. He has just bought Hullavington as his future flight test centre.

Wonder if he'll fix the runway and base his G650 there?