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Roadable helicopter

There are enough flying cars and roadable planes, but this one really stands out

(+2)

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Take a one person helicopter and put front wheels on it. The main blades can be folded up and stacked away in the tail. [picture 1]. So far so good, but we don't have a roadable chopper yet. We want a real PAV for the 21st century. PAV = Personal Air Vehicle Yea!

Now the secret of my brilliant idea is in the tailrotor. Instead of merely making it a rotor, we actually make an entire light-weight wheel out of it [see picture 2]. The spokes are the tail rotor blades!! (When using the chopper on the road, a simple lid closes off the wheel, so that the rotor blades do not tilt the car side-wards.) For a new generation of light-weight wheels that might come in handy as an inspiration here, see the tweel [link].

So When in road-mode, the chopper becomes a trike, with front- and rear-wheel propulsion.

That's the basic idea. I know, I know, I should patent this.

I am truly convinced that people who want a PAVYea want one that looks sexy and cool. Not like a folded up airplane [see link, see link]. That's plain ugly. My PAVYea is really many times more intense and hot!!!

—	django, Aug 07 2006

Blades stacked away http://i3.photobuck...ablecopterfront.jpg
Personal Air Vehicle looks ok [django, Aug 07 2006]

The secret: tail rotor wheel!! http://i3.photobuck...ablecopterwheel.jpg
It is not merely a rotor, it is a real wheel!! [django, Aug 07 2006]

The latest ordinary Ugly Flying Car http://www.gizmag.co.uk/go/5910/
It will not sell, it is not hot, it is boring. [django, Aug 07 2006]

Another Ugly Flying Car http://www.roadable.../fletcherscane3.jpg
Ugliness knows no limits here. [django, Aug 07 2006]

This PAV looks better Kinaesthetically_20...nal_20Air_20Vehicle
Check the last two links on that page: It's moderately sexy because it was designed by the best PAV designer around [django, Aug 07 2006]

Tweel http://www.gizmag.co.uk/go/3603/
New wheel concept [django, Aug 07 2006]

Helicopter rotor http://en.wikipedia...r_rotor#Tail_rotors
[BJS, Aug 09 2006]

[link]

Link 1 looks like a cross between a cordless mouse and a plesiosaur.

—	angel, Aug 08 2006

I think it would be better to change the angle of the tail blades, rather than covering them up.

—	BJS, Aug 08 2006

[BJS], good idea, but then you have a very delicate and complex wheel, which would dramatically increase costs. The blades would have to be movable and then you should have a very strong system of holding them in their position when they do the pushing when airborne. Mmm, it would be elegant, but seriously costly, I think.

—	django, Aug 09 2006

I was just thinking that since it is how most current helicopters work.

—	BJS, Aug 09 2006

Well BJS thanks for the laugh, I didn't have a clue!

But you would still agree though that one can make a wheel out of it? Inside the blades sits a "spoke". The blade can move around it.

Or maybe it would be even better to simply have a wheel that does not move while airborne; but when ready to be driven on the road gets activated by hooking it up with the chain (or whatever normally drives the blades), or by trapping it with a pin or something (tsss... I don't know any of the technical terms in English). Do you understand what I'm trying to say, more or less? :-)

—	django, Aug 10 2006

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