Bartini Flying Car
Bartini Flying Car
Bartini
Zhukovski, Russia
www.bartini.aero
Startup Bartini unveiled its eVTOL concept in July 2017, announcing that it is working on two variants — a 2-seater and 4-seater — with the intention of providing an air taxi service. The company is named for the Italian-Soviet aircraft designer Robert Bartini who discovered the "Bartini Effect" — which is the increase in thrust created by mounting co-axial counter-rotating thrusters within a nacelle.
The company has built an unmanned 50% prototype to prove that rotating ducted thrusters, in conjunction with the aircraft's aerodynamic shaping, reduces power consumption in cruise; the model is expected to fly in 2018.
In addition, Bartini plans to launch the aircraft with a demonstration flight with the 2-seat version by the end of 2018, followed by a possible 4-seater in 2020. The company is also considering hydrogen fuel-cells for the future, which would give it a 4x range increase.
According to the Bartini White Paper: "Technology and configuration (coaxial variable pitch propellers in a quad copter convertiplane with aerodynamics of the carrying wing, patented) decrease power consumption up to seven times and ensure long-distance flights at altitudes comparable to small helicopters or airplanes. Expected market price may stay within [$120k, per Bartini] due to the absence of complex components, wings, ailerons, chassis, moving airframe parts, as well as simple assembly processes. High degree of body-shape variability within the aerodynamic solution, no need for takeoff/landing infrastructure, safety due to 8 motors and coaxial propellers in 4 engine groups and human-factor reduction, noise-levels within urban regulation."
The startup was founded in 2015, and is currently represented by a Delaware, US corporation Bartini, Inc. Its research and development (R&D) center is based in Zhukovskiy, an aviation engineers’ city on the southern outskirts of Moscow, Russia. The initial funding has come from angel investors; it is part of the Blockchain.aero consortium.
The Blockchain.aero consortium is the union of 10 companies (and growing) united by the goal to provide technology solutions to the emerging market of city air taxi. It is also a Technology unit for McFly.aero Technology and Business Incubator for air taxi and mass urban aviation, whose task is to incubate developers of air taxi engaged in designing eVTOLs, automation of charging, maintenance and parking of flying cars. It aims at facilitating businesses that sell urban passenger transportation, as well as related products, technologies and services along the end-to-end supply chain: starting with R&D for aerial vehicles components and ending at “retail outlets” — landing pads and mobile apps.
Bartini Characteristics (updated August 2017):
| Seats | 4 | |
| Width overall | 14.8 ft | 4.5 m |
| Length overall | 17.1 ft | 5.2 m |
| Height overall | 5.6 ft | 1.7 m |
| Range | ~93 miles | 150 km (up to 550 km)* |
| Payload | 882 lb | 400 kg |
| Take-off weight | 2425 lb | 1,100 kg |
| Max altitude above ground | 3300 ft | 1000 m |
| Cruising speed | ~186 mph | 300 km/h |
| Disc loading | 26.9 lb/ft2 | 146 kg/m2 |
| Battery weight | 705 lb | 320 kg |
| Battery density | 200 Wh/kg (up to 700 Wh/kg)* | |
| Battery capacity | 64 kWh (up to 224 kWh)* | |
| Power output | 320 kW | |
| Thrusters | 8 @ 40 kW each | |
| Energy used per flight | 51 kWh | |
| -- 1 min in hover | 5.3 kWh | |
| -- 30 min in cruise | 45.9 kWh | |
| Reserve energy | 13 kWh | |
| Energy consumption per 1 km | 0.34 kWh | |
| -- per 1 km in cruise | 0.30 kWh/m | |
| -- per 1 min in cruise | 1.5 kWh/min | |
| Flight time | 30 minutes | |
| Lift-to-drag ratio | 4-5 | |
*projected performance with hydrogen fuel cells
Resources:
- Website: Bartini.aero
- Website: Blockchain.aero
- Facebook: McFly.aero
- YouTube: Blockchain.aero
- Patent application: Patent RU 163 412, Application Dec. 4, 2014, granted July 20, 2016
- Article: Russian startup showed a flying taxi on Blockchain, Inc., July 19, 2017 [Russian]
- Article: Russian company Bartini has developed a virtual prototype of a flying electric vehicle, Vedomosti.ru, July 20, 2017
- Article: Flying cars ready to take to Moscow’s skies, SK.ru, Aug. 3, 2017
- Bartini White Paper, Aug. 5, 2017
- Video: Bartini 2020, Blockchain.aero, August 24, 2017
- Video: Bartini Production Teaser, McFly.aero, April 18, 2018
- Video: Bartini Scaled Functional Prototype, McFly.aero, May 5, 2018
