ElytronAircrafttoDisplayProofofConceptDemonstratoratHAIHeliExpo

2015
ElytronAircraft,LLCwillbedisplayingthecompletedairframeofits2seat
technologydemonstrator,atastaticboothatHAIHeliExpoinOrlando,
FloridaonMarch35,2015.
Hayward,CA,March01,2015ElytronAircraft,LLCwillbedisplayingthe
completedairframeofits2seattechnologydemonstrator,atastaticboothatHAI
HeliExpoinOrlando,FloridaonMarch35,2015(booths#10and,acrosstheaisle,#
3375).
Sincedisplayingthe28wingspanaircraftattheExperimentalAviationAssociation
Oshkosh2014eventlastAugust,thefollowingitemshavebeencompleted:
Allcarbonfiberworkforthefuselageaswellasthejoinedwings.
Thepatentedcenterwing,nowfittedwiththetiltingmechanismandverticalflight
controlsurfaces.
Allsystemsrequiredforgroundmovement(taxiing.)
Installationandrunupoftheturbocharged450sHPengine.
AvionicsincludingADSBin/out.
Withthesesystemsinplace,thefinalemptyweightisclosetothe1,100pounddesign
goal.The2seatmaidenflightisscheduledformid2015,withafulltransitioninand
outofVTOLbytheendoftheyear.
Elytronwillalsorevealitsnewdesignfora4seatexecutivetransportandairtaxi
aircraft.Thisdesignisbasedona1,075sHPturbopropengineandwillbecapableof
cruisespeedsupto316mph.Elytrons10seatdesignhasbeenreconfiguredforoil&
gasoffshoretransportservice,andcannowcarry10passengersouttoadeepwater
platformatcruisespeedsof414mph,whichismorethantwiceasefficientasexisting
helicopterbasedsolutions.The10seataircraftwillhaveadualturboshaft
configurationforatotalof4,000sHPandarangeof1,295nauticalmiles.Elytronis
alsoevaluatingthefeasibilityofusingexistingairframestobuildinitialprototypesfor
the10seataircraftasameansofacceleratingdevelopment,andextendingitsdesign
concepttoincludeunmannedplatforms(drones).
Elytronwasfoundedin2013toprovideafaster,safer,andalongerrangealternative
tohelicoptersfortheoil&gas,emergencymedicalservicesandairtaximarkets.The
conceptforthedesignhasevolvedovera10yearR&Dperiodduringwhich
experimentswereconductedwith1/4thscaleconvertiplanesmodels,aswellasfull
sizeairframemodeling,extendedflight,andCFDsimulations.Thepopular
Verticopterflyingwingdesignwithinwingpropulsionwasthemostsuccessfulof
theseprototypesbutstillhadaerodynamiclimitations.In2012,thenewand
optimizedwingconfigurationwasinventedtoaddressalloftheearlierdesign
limitations.

TheElytronaircraftarchitecturecombinesthreesetsofwings:onepairofrotary
wingscalled"proprotors",mountedalongasingletiltwinginacentralposition,and
twojoinedpairsoffixedwings.Theplanehassuperiorglideratiosandlowstall
speedsbecauseofthislowwingloadingdesign,andalsodisplaysexcellentShort
TakeoffandLanding(STOL)capabilities.
Elytronaircraftwillbecapableofachievingairspeedstwotothreetimesthoseof
equivalentlypoweredhelicopters.Theairframehasalsobeenoptimizedforlowdrag
atthehigherairspeedsduetoitsuniquedistributionacross3setsofwings.Stall
performanceisverysafeasitborrowsfromairframesusingafrontwingwithcanard
typestallresponse.Fixedwingplanesarealsofarmorefuelefficientthanrotarywing
aircraft,reducingoperationalcostsandincreasingrange.Thecombinationofthe
speedofafixedwingplaneandtheverticaltakeoffofahelicopterwillallowfor
applicationssuchasairtaxifromcitycentertocitycenter.
TheElytronmechanismforcontrollingtheplaneduringverticalflightwillhavefar
fewerpartsthanhelicopterswashplates.Elytronsdesignhasnocomplexhubbut
insteaddistributesthepartsacrossthetiltwingmakingthemlighterandeasierto
inspectandmaintain.Allofthetiltwingactuatorshaveredundantcontrol.Inthe
caseofenginefailure,theairframe'ssuperiorglideratiowilleliminatetheneedfor
autorotation,whichisarequirementinanyhelicopter.
ElytronAircraft,LLCisaHaywardCAbasedcompany.Seehttp://elytron.aeroandon
Twitter@_ELYTRONforupdatesoremailinfo@elytron.aero.

Above is a photo of the actual 2-seat demonstration vehicle, taken on Feb. 25, 2015.

Below are renditions of the 4-seat and 10-seat Elytron aircraft, respectively in conventional flight
mode (CTOL) and in vertical flight mode (VTOL) :

ForMoreInformation:OliverGarrow,info@elytron.aero,6506697324