Dear MEL Topic Readers,
First ever civilian helicopter-plane hybrid
is coming next year
Helicopters can take off and land vertically,
hover, and fly forward, backward, and even laterally. Since they need no runway
to take off and land, they are used for many purposes, such as rescue, transport,
and surveillance missions. However, they cannot fly as long as or as fast as
aircraft.
Propeller driven aircraft can fly two to
three times as fast as an ordinary helicopter does and as long as over 2,000 kilometers.
When an aircraft cabin is pressurized, it can fly higher than most clouds to
avoid bad weather. However, it requires a runway to take off and land.
So, is there a hybrid heli-plane that can
take off and land without a runway and can fly as fast as an airplane? Yes, there
is. It’s called tilt-rotor aircraft, which change the angle of the propeller
engines for vertical take-off and landing and horizontal flying. The first of
its kind is the US military’s V-22 Osprey that can fly as long as 500 km just in an
hour. Now, a civilian model is about to debut, called the AW 609 by Italian
aerospace company Leonardo. Since the tilt-rotor aircraft has a pressurized
cabin, it can be used not only for search, rescue or cargo transport missions but
also for passenger transport. Who do you think will buy one?
Enjoy reading the article and watch the demo video
about this hybrid aircraft.
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