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| Be among the first in the world to see the 18-motor multicopter, e-volo’s VC2, in the Innovations Hangar in Oshkosh. |
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| Concept design of the two-place VC Evolution 2P. |
German company e-volo announced this week it will make the world debut of its VC2 Volocopter at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2012. VC2 is the successor of the 16-motor VC1 - which achieved the first manned flight with a purely electric-powered, VTOL aircraft on October 21, 2011. AirVenture visitors can see the VC2 rotorcraft in the Innovation Hangar - South.
Like the VC1, the VC2 is made of aluminum, but is much stronger and lighter, according to e-volo. It's powered by 18 electric motors, each turning two-blade propellers, mounted to an aluminum framework with three inflatable balls serving as the landing gear.
e-volo also announced a rigorous flight-test program to start in September this year. "We will extensively test all the developments in the field of safety techniques, electric motors, steering controls, and BMU (battery management unit)," the company stated.
The technology features several separate and mutually monitoring onboard computers controlling precise rotation speed of each motor for attitude and directional control. The custom, German-made electric motors produce 2 kilowatts each.
Together with its partners in research and industry, e-volo said it will press ahead developing the technology for the Volocopter in the coming years. The goal is to create a two-seat Volocopter based on the concept study of the VC Evolution 2P with the following specifications:
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Speed of more than 54 knots (62 mph)
- Flying to an altitude of at least 6,500 feet
- Takeoff weight of 993 pounds
- More than one hour flight time
For the development phase, the company envisions a two-year flight testing program in collaboration with the LBA (German Federal Aviation Office) and the DULV (German Ultralight Aircraft Association). An aeronautical classification "Volocopter" is also in the pipeline, according to the company. Part of the test flight regimen will be autonomous flights over uninhabited areas for days on end to test and demonstrate reliability of the electronic steering and the diverse safety concepts in an uninterrupted flight.
AirVenture visitors can see the VC2 rotorcraft in Innovation Hangar - South, located across the flightline from Aircraft Spruce & Specialty Homebuilders Headquarters.
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