Harmony Takeoff in Your Personal Flying Machine

The Harmony - Not Your Average Flying Machine

Forget the jetpack.  The future of personal flying machines looks quite different, as in Texas A&M's The Harmony pictured above.  This flying machine is one of ten winners in Boeing's GoFly international competition.  It's cleared for take-off in Phase 2 of the competition. The Texans will be turning the concept into a working prototype.

The Harmony's Winning Music
The all-electric vehicle was created by Texas A&M engineers.  It's distinctive to say the least.  It's egg-shaped and looks a bit like a lectern. The engineers call it a personal rotorcraft.  The pilot sits above the open coaxial rotors.  The creators say the configuration maximizes hover and forward flight flexibility, pilot safety and reliability.  The Texans says it's practical, safe, green and efficient.  The next step is to take their winning technical specifications and design and build a prototype to fly.

Boeing's GoFly
160 teams of international innovators created models on how personal flight might evolve over the next ten years.  For the 10 winners just selected, Phase 2 is now underway.  They have to build working prototypes of their designs.  Winners will be announced in March 2019.  There are several important thresholds they have to clear:
  • Vertical take-off and landings
  • Fly a minimum distance of 20 miles without stopping for fuel or to recharge batteries
  • Minimum noise levels
  • Vehicle less than 8.5 feet
For personal flying machines of the future, those thresholds will likely be standard.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

New Electric Surfboard from Sweden

Extreme Electric Surfboard

Electric, New MG Cyberster Sports Car