- Title: Huge two-seater "drone" aims to reinvent the helicopter
- Date: 21st June 2017
- Summary: PARIS, FRANCE (JUNE 20, 2017) (REUTERS) SUREFLY ON DISPLAY AT PARIS AIR SHOW PAN OF PROPELLER ARMS WIDE OF SUREFLY / CEO & FOUNDER STEPHEN BURNS BEING INTERVIEWED CLOSE OF BURNS BEING INTERVIEWED (SOUNDBITE) (English) STEPHEN BURNS, FOUNDER & CEO OF WORKHORSE, SAYING: "What we're trying to do here is reinvent the helicopter, bring the helicopter down to where more of an average person can use it. So it's designed to be super safe, it has a gasoline generator that generates electricity for eight electric motors directly coupled to the props. But should that generator fail, we have five minutes of lithium batteries to get you down safely. And on top of that, if everything else fails, we have a ballistic parachute right in the middle." WIDE OF SUREFLY / PAN TO DISPLAY SIGN CLOSE OF SIGN READING: "SUREFLY, PERSONAL HELICOPTER, AFTER 78 YEARS, THE HELICOPTER HAS BEEN REINVENTED" (SOUNDBITE) (English) STEPHEN BURNS, FOUNDER & CEO OF WORKHORSE, SAYING: "It's basically a massive drone. It flies like a drone. Everything's fixed, so no transitional parts, no moving parts so when it gets up it tilts like this (GESTURE WITH HAND) and moves forward, like a drone." BURNS AND COLLEAGUE DEMONSTRATING HOW PROPELLER ARMS FOLD DOWN CLOSE OF PROPELLER ARMS IN FOLDED DOWN POSITION BURNS OPENING HATCH TO SUREFLY ENGINE CLOSE OF ENGINE (SOUNDBITE) (English) STEPHEN BURNS, FOUNDER & CEO OF WORKHORSE, SAYING: "It will go about 70 miles on a tank of gas. After that, if you want to go further, just refill the tank and off you go again. It travels at about 70 or 75 miles-per-hour, that's its top speed. Its maximum height ceiling that we anticipate, altitude is about 4,000 ft. It can go higher but we think most people will want to stay there. It weighs 1,100 pounds (lb.) empty, and it can hold 400 pounds of people and cargo. So it might be instead of two people in there; a pilot and a passenger, it might be a pilot and a farmer with 200 pounds of fertiliser, it might be an emergency responder trying to get there before the ambulance gets there, it might be military. But it might be a commuter, might be an air taxi - many uses for this type of vehicle." SUREFLY ON DISPLAY PEOPLE LOOKING INSIDE COCKPIT OF SUREFLY (SOUNDBITE) (English) STEPHEN BURNS, FOUNDER & CEO OF WORKHORSE, SAYING: "The main thing is safety, right, price point and safety are the main difference between this and any helicopter. Although generally it's classified as a helicopter because it vertically lifts. It has eight props, it can fly even if four of those fail. Again, a generator, a battery back-up and a parachute. The normal pilot training for a helicopter, it's a complex machine to fly, it takes about 1,500 hours of training before you can even start; that's a tough barrier for most people to get through. And here, again, we're hoping to get certified as a light sport aircraft - 20 hours of training, and if you can fly a drone, you can fly this." VARIOUS OF BURNS GETTING INTO COCKPIT OF SUREFLY (SOUNDBITE) (English) STEPHEN BURNS, FOUNDER & CEO OF WORKHORSE, SITTING IN SUREFLY'S COCKPIT SAYING: "We built it to be super easy to fly that was the main design element we went for. It's very much like a drone. It's complete fly-by-wire, it has a joystick for directional control. A forward push of this angles the vehicle, all automatically the computer does everything, keeps you balanced and drives you forward. Left-right (DEMONSTRATES JOYSTICK), and then for up and down there's a button for changing your altitude." CLOSE OF BURNS DEMONSTRATING JOYSTICK CONTROL WIDE OF BURNS IN SUREFLY COCKPIT CLOSE OF PROPELLER WITH WORKHORSE LOGO VARIOUS WIDES OF SUREFLY (SOUNDBITE) (English) STEPHEN BURNS, FOUNDER & CEO OF WORKHORSE, SAYING: "So, the first version is piloted. But we are building it with the intent of being autonomous when the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) will permit. But to get approval it's just a lot easier being a piloted vehicle." VARIOUS OF SUREFLY WIDE OF PARIS AIR SHOW / PAN TO SUREFLY ON DISPLAY
- Embargoed: 5th July 2017 11:21
- Keywords: Paris Air Show SureFly Workhorse drone octocopter helicopter VTOL
- Location: APRIS, FRANCE / FILE LOCATION
- City: APRIS, FRANCE / FILE LOCATION
- Country: France
- Topics: Science
- Reuters ID: LVA0026M81OWR
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Ohio-based electric vehicle manufacturer Workhorse has unveiled ambitious plans to reinvent personal transportation with the SureFly octocopter. Making its public debut at the Paris Air Show ahead of piloted test flights later this year, Workhorse founder Stephen Burns told Reuters: "It's basically a massive drone."
The two-seater SureFly does indeed resemble a much larger version of a traditional unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). It has two propellers on each of its four arms, with a gasoline piston engine driving dual generators to provide power to the prop motors. In case of engine failure it contains a battery pack with enough power to help it land safely, as well as a parachute should all other options fail. The four propeller arms are retractable to minimise the footprint of the craft to roughly the same as a large car.
"What we're trying to do here is reinvent the helicopter, bring the helicopter down to where an average person can use it," Burns told Reuters at the Paris Air Show.
"It's designed to be super safe; it has a gasoline generator that generates electricity for eight electric motors directly coupled to the props. But should that generator fail, we have five minutes of lithium batteries to get you down safely. And on top of that, if everything else fails, we have a ballistic parachute."
The hybrid aircraft is designed for 'short hop' journeys, with an estimated maximum range of 70 miles on a single tank of fuel. It has a top speed of about 70 miles-per-hour (112 kph) and will reach altitudes of about 4,000 ft.
While Workhorse sees it potential as a personal vehicle for everyday use, Burns said interest is likely to come from farmers, as well as emergency responders who need a quick, agile craft without the training required to pilot a helicopter.
"It can hold 400 pounds of people and cargo. So it might be instead of a pilot and a passenger, it might be a pilot and a farmer with 200 pounds of fertiliser, it might be an emergency responder trying to get there before the ambulance gets there, it might be military. But it might be a commuter, it might be an air taxi; there's many uses for this type of vehicle," said Burns.
One key issue remains: the SureFly is yet to get airborne. But Workhorse says the craft is scheduled to makes its first test flights later this year, with the company confident of approval from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
"We're hoping to get certified as a light sport aircraft (that can be used with) 20 hours of training," said Burns. "If you can fly a drone, you can fly this."
Workhorse is currently taking pre-orders for the SureFly. Pending successful testing and FAA approval, the firm says it will be on the market in 2019 with a target price of $200,000 USD. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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