GEN H-4 personal helicopter is for realz and for sale

Remember that personal helicopter we peeped last year which some of you didn't think was real? Well, we tracked down the manufacturer and yeah, you guessed it, dug out the price. Ok, it's not exactly the Bell Rocket Belt we were promised back in the 60's when Engadget was an upstart think-tank focusing on emerging technology for the US military. Still, the Japanese built GEN H-4 co-axial helicopter features a 125cc, horizontally opposed 2 cylinder engine capable of launching your ass some 1,000-meters (about half a mile) high at a max speed of 90km/hour, or a bit more than a Sammy Hagar. While it would appear to lessen the risk of setting fire to your nether regions, any margin of safety gained is likely offset by the threat from decapitation. For as the machine translation states: the H-4 is not a finished product, yet is "probably" possible to self-assemble. Oh, ok then, can we just PayPal the ¥3,780,000 (about $32,500) or will a personal check suffice? Yet judging by the photo, it's safe enough for children to operate so let's not go all pansy just yet.

[Via Impress]

[david yoon @ Aug 25th 2006 10:17AM]

Hey, that's Yokohama they're buzzing around in the second picture! Woo hoo! Also, first post!

[m-p{3} @ Aug 25th 2006 10:38AM]

Looks cool, but a bit too expensive for me :o

[Mike @ Aug 25th 2006 10:46AM]

Here's some more information from the U.S. distributor. Looks to be about $29,000 and an "easy" 30-40 hour DIY kit project.

http://www.acecraftusa.com/

[aeo @ Aug 25th 2006 10:47AM]

Man.. I just can't get excited about one of these until they come up with a ballistic recovery system that's light enough to allow a person to not simply plummet to the the ground if the engine dies (but haven't we been taking the risk with helicopters for decades?). The cool factor is way high though. Since it states the ceiling is half a mile, I would assume that this is only useful for lower elevations and not.. say.. Denver or Aspen.

[Chewedtoothpick @ May 2nd 2008 2:46PM]

Funny thing is, Helicopters simply aren't that unsafe. If the engine dies (and you are properly trained) it is very easy to keep or regain control of the helicopter.

[Gareth @ Aug 25th 2006 11:10AM]

aeo

Helicopters dont just plummet to the floor as soon as the engine stops, they lose height as the rotors slow down- so you get quite close to the floor before you reach terminal velocity.

I really want one of these, hope they bring them to the UK for a reasonable amount of money. It could make my journey to work/uni a lot more fun and quicker too!

heres hoping!

G

[macona @ Aug 25th 2006 11:11AM]

Helicopter dont just fall out of the sky if their engine dies. They will autogyro and you can have a reasonably controlled landing. I see no reason this "toy" should not do the same.

[Larriveejp @ Aug 25th 2006 11:13AM]

Good thing they are wearing those helmets. Nothing like ensuring yourself an extra millisecond of blinding pain when you are being decaptiated by a homebrew helicopter.

[rich @ Aug 25th 2006 11:16AM]

Normal helicopters can land safely with no engine power, it's called autorotating.

But this from the linked sites FAQ:

Q : Can it auto-rotate? (descend safely in the case of engine failure)
A : No.
In order to keep the helicopter simple and easy to fly the pitch in the rotors is fixed making auto-rotation impossible. A balistic parachute will be provided in case of multiple engine failure.

[Biggsaw @ Aug 25th 2006 11:17AM]

I for one welcome our new hybrid human/helicopter overlords.

[teo @ Aug 25th 2006 11:37AM]

aeo,
In addition to the stated parachute, it has "Four independent engines for redundancy".
Are you an insurance risk assesment agent? How much saftey do you need to have a little fun?

[flink @ Aug 25th 2006 12:01PM]

LOUD! Did I mention this thing is probably LOUD. As in real LOUD...deafeningly LOUD. Blast your eardrums out LOUD!!!

[Bond, James Bond @ Aug 25th 2006 12:04PM]

"Little Nelly got a hot reception. Four big shots made improper advances toward her, but she defended her honor with great success."

[aeo @ Aug 25th 2006 12:04PM]

Sorry I hadn't read the FAQ. 4 engines and a BRS are definately reasonable safety measures. Looks like a fun machine but I wonder why the web site hasn't been updated since 1999 (news and events pages)? Seems like a machine like this would have generated more interest in the past 8 years.

[Gustad Mody @ Aug 25th 2006 12:14PM]

where is the the counter roaters, like on the tail of a normal helicopter... thats what stops the person and base from spinning.

[alex @ Oct 9th 2007 5:26PM]

None required since the MAIN BLADES (stacked) counter-rotate, just like the old Russian Hind military copters....and the original Sikorsky design.

[flink @ Aug 25th 2006 12:17PM]

Just checked the US sales distributor site - this thing has been promised for a long time like before 2000 theye were talking prototype, etc, etc.
http://www.acecraftusa.com/
Available for $29,000 do it yourself kit - give 29 grand and wait 6 months for delivery of the kit.
Funny they don´t show any that have been bought and built....last photos from 2002....

[AlanAudio @ Aug 25th 2006 12:41PM]

"where is the the counter roaters, like on the tail of a normal helicopter... thats what stops the person and base from spinning."

The first picture shows two sets of rotors. I would expect them to contra-rotate, so it won't spin around.

[Arthur @ Aug 25th 2006 12:49PM]

This thing is awesome, INSPECTOR GADGET would approve.

"where is the the counter roaters, like on the tail of a normal helicopter... thats what stops the person and base from spinning."

well the two propellers one on top of the other would counter rotate thus canceling out any spinning.

[Stephen @ Aug 25th 2006 2:16PM]

A couple notes from a helicopter professional:

- Gustad, most helicopters have one main rotor, and a tail rotor to resist the main rotors torque. This craft has two main rotos turning in opposite directions, so their torques cancel each other out. No tail rotor needed.

- Autorotation:Macona, the rotor of an autogyro autorotates because the blades a set at a low pitch to take air in from below the rotor disk. The blades of a helicopter under power are set to a high pitch to draw air from above the disk and push it downwards. In case of an engine failure, the pilot lowers the blade pitch to enter autorotation mode. If the pitch is not lowered, the blades will stop spinning and the craft will fall. That is what will happen to this craft with its fixed pitch blades.

- Ballistic parachute: this will work OK at altitude. At 40 feet (high enough to kill you) it would be useless. A true helicopter can autorotate from a low altitude hover.

Hope this is useful info.

[Colin K @ Aug 25th 2006 2:28PM]

As a fixed-wing pilot this thing strikes me as a death trap. There are 4 engines which is great, but only one drivetrain, right? Something in there goes kaput and you are going to come down real fast. A BRS is not going to save you at the low altitudes this would presumably spend most of its time flying in.

Now, make this so you have two transmissions, one driving each rotor, two engines connected to each, and you now have a lot more redundancy when it matters. Anytime you leave the ground you need to have a Plan B.

[aeo @ Aug 25th 2006 4:45PM]

Just a FYI for possible hope in the event of a low-altitude failure. An ultralight pilot demonstrated a successful BRS deployment for a QuickSilver MX ultralight at an altitude of 75' AGL: http://www.ultralightnews.ca/brs/brs_story.htm

[Gio - NYC @ Aug 25th 2006 4:48PM]

Can u picture drunks plowing into your cable & Powerlines in your neighborhood.?

[C Summers @ Aug 25th 2006 6:54PM]

Not a chance. That's never going to get approval to fly in any sort of airspace around residential areas. And even if you HAD two transmissions, if one failed you start spinning. Sounds like a lot of fun for about four seconds.

[enzo @ Aug 26th 2006 4:40PM]

If it's within federal regulations, It would definately be awsome to commute with one of these and land on top of your office building...

[navstar @ Aug 27th 2006 12:57AM]

Yea! A portable decapitation machine!

[Adam Jaskiewicz @ Aug 27th 2006 10:52PM]

Looks like something out of Sleeper.

[jose @ Sep 10th 2007 8:14AM]

just 30 years ago, having your personal flying machine was just a dream. Today, thanks to those people who didn't lose their childhood dreams, have continued dreaming and have come to make them come true, as well as other people's dream. Thanks!!!!!!!!

[Darren Scarlett @ Jan 3rd 2008 10:21AM]

anybody with any updates on this machine. are there guys out there flying them, any accidents to date, has the cost changed, is the manufacturer still around ?