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Watch an 18-rotor electric helicopter take its first manned flight
E-Volo has been talking about the prospect of using many-rotor electric helicopters (aka multicopters) as semi-affordable personal transport for years, and it now looks like this isn't just a far-fetched dream. The company recently completed the first manned test flight of the first certified multicopter, the Volocopter VC200, and documented the whole affair on camera. It wasn't the most ambitious flight, as you'll see in the clips below, but it shows exactly what the extremely stable, drone-like vehicle can do. You don't need to constantly monitor the controls to keep the VC200 airborne, making it perfect for newcomers.
Watch this 18-rotor electric helicopter take its maiden voyage (video)
If you've ever wondered what would happen if someone made one of Parrot's AR.Drones big enough to sit in, then heads-up, E-Volo's Volocopter VC200 is, broadly speaking, just that. The craft, which the company hopes you won't call a helicopter, packs 18 electrically driven rotors on a circular frame, and has just completed its first test flight in Germany. While it can currently only hover for 20 minutes, there are plans to get it traveling at 54 knots for more than an hour at a time. If you're curious to see it in action, head on past the break, but just be warned that it's not quite ready to shorten our commutes just yet.
First manned multicopter takes flight, brave human sits amidst blades (video)
What could have ended in human chop suey, instead resulted in victory for German engineers at e-volo as they successfully completed the first manned flight of an electric multicopter. The human death trap multicopter uses multiple mini helicopters to lift the passenger upwards -- who's snuggled in the center of the carnage, firmly strapped to a squishy exercise ball. Like an UAV, the hovering device is controlled via radio control from the ground -- talk about trusting. The passenger was able to hold on for one minute and 30-second of flight victory, causing raucous celebrations from the Wright brothers in aviation heaven. Click past the break for the video.
