Feedback requested on minimum performance of a VTOL aircraft.

[Jim Logajan]

Suppose there was a safe easy to fly VTOL aircraft for sale that was also affordable. Something like a helicopter, but cheaper and much safer due to few failure modes short of structural failure (engine failure is not an issue.) A two person version with a max weight of an LSA (~600 kg, 1320 lbs) might require about 2300 sqft landing/takeoff area. So could take off and land in large enough backyard. (It isn't a quad or multi-rotor aircraft. Nor a lighter-than-air aircraft.)

What is the minimum acceptable horizontal speed and range you'd want to see before considering such an aircraft?
What is the most you'd be seriously willing to spend on an aircraft that meets your criteria.

Asking for a friend.

 

[MuseChaser]

Sounds like an excellent way to get from home TO a plane hangared elsewhere for those of us who don't have a strip on our property or live more than a few minutes by car from our planes, not to mention the fun aspect of being able to go for short, spontaneous recreational flights. The catch is it would be difficult to justify spending more for this kind of aircraft (because it would be new) than a typical (meaning, those of us budget-limited to flying, say, planes under $100K) private pilot spends on an older used typical four place plane.

If an easy quick-build kit, say 500 hours of time or less, is feasible for the design and it would substantially save on the purchase price, that would be an appealing option for me.

 

[Jim Logajan]

My own minimum speed would be around 100 mph and minimum 2 hours (bladder range could be 3 but for establishing minimum requirements I say 2.) So with half hour reserve about a 250 mile range.
Being cheap, my absolute max price would be around $40k for a kit. Flying from the backyard makes those minimum speed and range tolerable. By comparison, the venerable Bell 47 helicopter has a cruising speed of 84 mph (max speed 105 mph) and a range of 246 miles. Used ones seem to be priced in the $100k range.

 

[MuseChaser]

If such a beast ever becomes available with those numbers, Jim, I'd be on it immediately. Going up to $50K-$60K wouldn't be out of the question if increased speed/range were possible. I have a 40 minute drive to the airport. It'd be a LOT more fun to make it a 15-20 minute flight! Required training would factor into the appeal. Can you describe more what your friend has in mind? Finding it hard to reconcile VTOL with "not a helicopter, quad, or multi-rotor." Some form of directionally-ducted propulsion?

 

[Jim Logajan]

Since the idea may be patentable, can't describe anymore. Design and building a small prototype is still underway.

 

[MuseChaser]

Understood. Thanks for the reply.

 

[PeterNSteinmetz]

Design and building a small prototype is still underway.

Whew. At first I thought we might have to add anonymous posting to the Flight Following section.

I agree that about $50k to get rid of long drives to the airport seems about right. That would be very cool.