I would have to assume that the landings must be somewhat assisted via a fly-by-wire system of some sort. Given the size of the rotors vs the lightness of the airframe this thing would be very very touchy to land so some sort of intermediate computer translation of the pilot input would be a given.
Unless I flubbed the numbers, the thing runs out of batteries after about 20 minutes (at 140 MPH). That's a lot less strainful than, say, archaeological excavation.
My sense is that the Osprey is pretty complex due to it's VTOL features. I don't quite see how this is any less complicated, I wonder how reliably this could be made to operate.
The entire rotor assembly on the Osprey pivots. On the Puffin it is fixed and the entire craft changes its orientation between takeoff, flight, and landing. Whether that makes it more reliable or easier to operate, I have no idea.
I would freak the hell out if I were soloing this sucker for the first time. I imagine the tandem trainer version would be extremely uncomfortable, as well.
Not a fan of the head-first approach. Crashes and the aforementioned neck strain.
On the other hand, I would imagine it would be possible to construct an L-shape sitting cockpit that could rotate in relation to the engines so that the pilot would be head-up in both takeoff/landing and flight.
If you think every schmuck will be able to handle one of these, forget it. This is what I always think of when I see a "lol flying car!" story.
Lacking door-to-door autopilot, you'll still have to take all the usual pilot's training. Remember that idiot who nearly ran into you today because he/she was texting and trying to drink from a Starbucks cup? People have a hard enough time handling two dimensions--but when you screw up piloting your Puffin, you don't get a fender bender, you get two 1,000 lb objects dropping from 4,000 feet into my back yard.
24 comments
[ 3.1 ms ] story [ 61.8 ms ] threadBut the real questions is: how do you see the ground while you're landing, if you're facing up?
I guess you look down. The windshield looks transparent in that direction.
http://astrogeology.usgs.gov/Projects/RPIF/beta/
Free protein!
On the other hand, I would imagine it would be possible to construct an L-shape sitting cockpit that could rotate in relation to the engines so that the pilot would be head-up in both takeoff/landing and flight.
Lacking door-to-door autopilot, you'll still have to take all the usual pilot's training. Remember that idiot who nearly ran into you today because he/she was texting and trying to drink from a Starbucks cup? People have a hard enough time handling two dimensions--but when you screw up piloting your Puffin, you don't get a fender bender, you get two 1,000 lb objects dropping from 4,000 feet into my back yard.