Never mind the flying car. It's all about slowed-rotor/compound, according to Carter Aviation Technologies. SR/C is what the Texas company considers the key to a practical, personal transportation aircraft. And from the looks of its new, second-generation aircraft, Carter might be on to something.
The company's latest flight test aircraft is a proof-of-concept version of a four-seat autogyro capable of vertical takeoff and landing. Carter has been flight-testing the aircraft and earlier this month completed a 36 minute flight, its longest yet. In addition to the size, the new aircraft reduces pilot workload by using automated systems and computer controls similar to many new aircraft.
Using the SR/C technology, the Carter autogyro can cruise more efficiently than a helicopter by using the slowed rotor and wings during level flight. Although it can't hover like a helicopter, the ability to take off and land vertically does allow it to fly in and out of tight spots. A pusher propeller at the rear provides the thrust.
Carter's new aircraft is a four-place version of its prototype that became the first aircraft to achieve mu-1. And the ability to fly with a μ value of 1, which means reduced drag for the autogyro, is the key to Carter's vision for personal aircraft.
The mu ratio for a rotary wing aircraft is the ratio between the forward speed of the aircraft itself and the forward speed of the tip of the rotor. To reduce drag, the goal is to slow the rotor down enough to achieve a μ value of 1, something Carter did for the first time with its first prototype.
If the new craft is successful, there is the potential of a simpler version of what the military is trying to achieve with its tilt-rotor V-22 Osprey, the ability to take off and land like a helicopter and fly like a normal fixed-wing aircraft. In fact the military is looking at Carter's SR/C technology as a possible way to transport troops.
During the first phase of flight testing, Carter test pilots are evaluating the flight-control systems of the gyro and plan to perform vertical takeoffs and landings. During the next phase of testing the company will add the 45-foot wing to the aircraft and refine slowed-rotor aspects of the flight envelope.
The company has not announced any plans for production at this point, but says it may partner with another company to produce a version of its autogyro aircraft.
Images: Carter Aviation Technologies
