Better than a flying car: Doraemon's 'Takekoputa'

[Taro Toporific]

Odd things from Japan / Curiosidades de Japan:
Personal Chopper
GEN Corporation developed GEN-H4, a compact single-seat helicopter. Equipped with a miniature engine of 125cc (8 horse power) and two propellers, it can reach a flying speed of 90 km (56 miles) per hour. At the moment GEN sells it at 3.6 million yen....more...

[Tsuru]

I doubt it is very safe... have they got any videos of the thing when it's actually in use?

Autorotation when the engine quits on such a contraption should be wonderful, judging from the rotor size.
Expect to see people getting slammed into buildings every time they turn a corner in the city due to the sudden change in wind velocity between high-rise buildings, and people getting caught in powerlines in the countryside.

Still, it's a pretty cool idea for people with too much money and time on their hands

[Taro Toporific]

I doubt it is very safe... have they got any videos of the thing when it's actually in use?

Demo video by GEN Corp, (.wmv file, 2.6MB)

[Tsuru]

Cool, thanks!

[emperor]

I doubt it is very safe... have they got any videos of the thing when it's actually in use?

[Tsuru]

That's an autogyro

[Kuang_Grade]

That's an autogyro

Tsuru...It's been a while since I've thought about this...an autogyro uses the rotary wing solely for lift (like a fixed wing aircraft) and thrust and control is applied via the prop and rudders on the back while a helicopter uses the rotors for both lift and trust/control, right?

[Tsuru]

That's an autogyro

Tsuru...It's been a while since I've thought about this...an autogyro uses the rotary wing solely for lift (like a fixed wing aircraft) and thrust and control is applied via the prop and rudders on the back while a helicopter uses the rotors for both lift and trust/control, right?

Correct. Although roll/pitch are still controlled via the main rotor, the thrust and yaw control come from the prop and the rudder.

You could say an autogyro is in constant autorotation; in case of engine failure the craft would simply glide to earth and the pilot will remain in full control of his or her destiny.

With something like the H-4 you have no aerodynamic surfaces beside the main rotors, and when the engine quits it's more a case of hard luck rather than skill whether the pilot ends up as his own crumplezone. You can autorotate something like this, but the glide angle is very very steep and you have to land it like an airplane, most likely at landing speeds that topple the craft and seriously maim the occupant when you do it on an unprepared surface; something that usually happens to choppers minus engine power.

Sorry about the lecture, planes are my thing