Terrafugia TF-X

[Seth]

http://www.terrafugia.com/tfx-vision

 

Check it out and watch the video.

 

I met the co-founder of Terrafugia yesterday in Cape Cod at the Heritage Museum (went with my older brother for a quick weekend trip to see my uncle - love the Mooney).  Carl Dietrich is the CEO and co-founder - he was giving a talk at the Hertiage museum yesterday and I just stumbled upon it.  They had a display of concept cars, and on display was the proof-of-conept Transition, not the one that they're working on now which once finished will be the basisi for the production version.

 

They are still 2-3 years out from full production, and the biggest issue now is to safely get the plane into production so thaty can start delivering their 250 or so desposits.

 

In the meantime, since the plane for the most part is designed, and they've got a great engineering team, they've launched their next project - the TF-X. 

 

-200 MPH

-Certified aircraft - 4 seats

-IFR capable

-Hybrid power drive - 16 electric motors (8 on each wing) and one ducted fan for forwrad propulsion. 

-VTOL

-Fly by wire

-BRS Full Aircraft Parachute

 

 

The idea is to give someone 5 hours training on how to operate the auto pilot, and let the plane fly.  Scary, but if you look at accient stats, #1 pilot LOC, #2 flight into terrain, #3 engine failure.  You remove all three with the fly by wire system and electric redundance engines.  Last but not least, should all fail, like the cirrus, you pull the chute.

 

Click the video on the website.  It has tiltrotors at the end of the wing that are battery powered.  They 16 electric motors provide redundancy so that if one fails, you simply lose a little lift, the other 7 on that wing keep things going.  To get airborne an electric motor can provide more power than a jet for a short period of time (not for long periods of time).  Once airport and accelerating to cruise a ducted fan takes over.  Upon landing, the recharged batteries bring it down safely.

 

If the system finds that the pilot is non-responsive, it will declare and emergency, fly to the nearest towered airport, and land.  In 10 years, the earliest they could even see a prototype flying, ADS-B and other systems will allow for navigation around other traffic.  If drones can land on their own, the fly by wire software can allow for that too. 

 

Now, I don't want a computer doing my flying, but it's a heck of a concept - and a great safety feature.

 

-Seth

[1964-M20E]

Neat I'll take one

 

Although the aerodynamics just do not look like they would work during level flight but that is a non-aeronautical engineering perspective.

[NotarPilot]

I shall believe it when I see it.  Until then I will not believe it.

[Z W]

There may someday be a personal vehicle that can take off vertically like this and fly.  It will look nothing like the TF-X.

 

This is just somebody's pipe dream.  It's like a miniature Osprey on wheels, with magic 600-HP electric engines that run on pixie dust.  Not even all that imaginative, in my opinion.

 

By the way, on my bucket list: Fly an Osprey.  I need to figure out how to make that happen...

[aviatoreb]

There may someday be a personal vehicle that can take off vertically like this and fly.  It will look nothing like the TF-X.

 

This is just somebody's pipe dream.  It's like a miniature Osprey on wheels, with magic 600-HP electric engines that run on pixie dust.  Not even all that imaginative, in my opinion.

 

By the way, on my bucket list: Fly an Osprey.  I need to figure out how to make that happen...

 

Well - how about a nice Harrier jump jet?  Nothing but a few dollars between you and flying this baby.

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Sea-Harrier-FA2-Jump-Jet-/281126520805?pt=Motors_Aircraft&hash=item41747247e5

[Z W]

I wish.  From the ad:

 

"Built in 1986, converted to the latest FA2 standard in 1997 and last flown in 2001, this aircraft will require several parts before it can be flown again and is being sold as not airworthy – for display purposes only."

 

Pretty cool though.  I saw one last fall on the deck of the USS Intrepid in New York City.  It looked airworthy, but I remember thinking, it's a miracle if that thing can actually do VTOL.  It looks like it would just tip over when you turned on the thrusters.  Very impressive feat of engineering.

[aviatoreb]

I wish.  From the ad:

 

"Built in 1986, converted to the latest FA2 standard in 1997 and last flown in 2001, this aircraft will require several parts before it can be flown again and is being sold as not airworthy – for display purposes only."

 

Pretty cool though.  I saw one last fall on the deck of the USS Intrepid in New York City.  It looked airworthy, but I remember thinking, it's a miracle if that thing can actually do VTOL.  It looks like it would just tip over when you turned on the thrusters.  Very impressive feat of engineering.

 

Airworthy Shmairworthy.  You aren't going to let that from getting between you and one really cool lawn ornament?  I know it would look good on my front lawn.  Or maybe in my hangar?

 

Wow - can you imagine how much it would cost to fix that thing up to airworthy condition and then how much to operate on an annual basis?  Me thinks a gulfstream would be cheaper.

[Hank]

Yeah, but Harriers are cool! They fly pretty nicely and are as quiet as an F-4.

[aviatoreb]

Yeah, but Harriers are cool! They fly pretty nicely and are as quiet as an F-4.

 

They are cool!  Let's go in on it together as partners. I will need it on Tu-Thur and you can have it for weekends.