Flyt Aerospace Troop Transporter FT-2 (concept design)

Troop Transporter FT-2 (concept design)
Flyt Aerospace
Cupertino, California, USA
www.flytaerospace.com

Flyt Aerospace was founded in June 2013 in Cupertino, California, USA by Ansel Misfeldt. In ninth grade, Misfeldt dreamed he could fly to school each morning so he could sleep in longer in the mornings. He studied at the University of Southern California (Los Angeles, California, USA) obtaining a business degree in 2010 while taking courses in mechanical engineering and in material science at the same time. He also studied some aerospace engineering on his own time while at the university. All the while, he continued his dream of creating a small one person flying machine and had made hundreds of drawings and sketches of aircraft up to 2013. The company is currently seeking investors. (Image credits: Ansel Misfeldt)

Misfeldt quit his job in early 2013, started his own aerospace company and has focused on building his own personal flying eVTOL aircraft and small drones since then. Misfeldt reveals that creating a personal flying machine is a very difficult and a complex problem. He has designed, manufactured and flown at least nine different prototypes. Two of his early prototypes were vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) multicopter aircraft powered by gasoline engines using mechanical gears, shafts and pulleys to transfer the power to the propellers. The remainder of his prototypes are electric VTOL (or eVTOL) multicopter aircraft made with the ultimate goal of creating a personal aircraft for advanced air mobility (AAM).

Flyt Aerospace is now in the business of selling a small eVTOL drone called the Defender X4E with a maximum payload of 5 lb (2.27 kg) with over one hour endurance that are sold to government entities and the military. The Defender X4E has been designed to allow it to have many options so the drone can be adapted to the customer's requirements. Recently, Misfledt has partnered with the Land Rotor, based in Florida, USA and is creating passenger eVTOL aircraft for Land Rotor, for advanced air mobility.

Troop Transporter FT-2 one passenger eVTOL concept design multicopter aircraft
The Troop Transporter FT-2 is a one passenger eVTOL concept design multicopter aircraft made specifically for military personnel on the battlefield. The aircraft has an open cockpit with motorcycle styled seating. The aircraft is a modular design made from carbon fiber composite, allowing the aircraft to be taken apart to reduce its size for storage purposes and to keep the aircraft as small as possible when transporting the multicopter. If part of the aircraft sustains damage, the part can be taken off and replaced by a spare. A motorcycle styled helmet would be recommended for all soldiers flying this aircraft.

The aircraft has eight propellers, eight electric motors and is powered by batteries. There are four propeller ducts on the four corners of the aircraft and each duct holds two stacked propellers. The propeller booms are stub wings giving the multicopter a slight advantage by extending the range of the aircraft more than a multicopter would have if it had no wings at all. The aircraft will accept charging from solar panels making it easy to charge the batteries in the battlefield where there is no powergrid to supply electricity.

A very important battlefield safety feature of the aircraft is that a kevlar blast shield has been designed into the bottom of the fuselage keeping military personnel safe from exploding IEDs or landmines. The aircraft has fixed strut landing gear.

Current Flyt Aerospace design and manufacturing capabilities
Flyt Aerospace is now in the business of selling a small eVTOL drone called the Defender X4E with a maximum payload of 5 lb (2.27 kg) with over one hour endurance that are sold to government entities and the military. The Defender X4E has been designed to allow it to have many options so the drone can be adapted to the customer's requirements. Recently, Misfledt has partnered with the Land Rotor, based in Florida, USA and is creating passenger eVTOL aircraft for Land Rotor, for advanced air mobility.

Specifications:

• Aircraft type: eVTOL passenger military concept design multicopter
• Piloting: 1 pilot
• Cruise speed: Unknown
• Propellers: 8 ducted propellers
• Electric motors: 8 electric motors
• Power source: Battery packs
• Fuselage: Carbon fiber composite with a lower kevlar blast shield to keep the military pilots safe from exploding IEDs or landmines
• Cockpit: Open cockpit with a motorcycle styled seat
• Landing gear: Fixed strut landing gear
• Safety features: Distributed Electric Propulsion (DEP), provides safety through redundancy for its passengers and/or cargo. DEP means having multiple propellers (or ducted fans) and motors on the aircraft so if one or more propellers (ducted fans) or motors fail, the other working propellers (or ducted fans) and motors can safely land the aircraft. There are also redundancies of critical components in the sub-systems of the aircraft.

Related Aircraft:

• Flyt Aerospace FlytCycle 16 (defunct)
• Flyt Aerospace FlytCycle V1 (defunct)
• Flyt Aerospace FlytCycle V1.5 (defunct)
• Flyt Aerospace FlytCycle V2 (defunct)
• Flyt Aerospace FlytCycle V3 (concept design)
• Flyt Aerospace Hoverboard (defunct)
• Flyt Aerospace Liberator (defunct)
• Flyt Aerospace Mark III (defunct)
• Flyt Aerospace Mark IV (defunct)
• Flyt Aerospace Medivac Drone (concept design)
• Flyt Aerospace Red Hummingbird (concept design)
• Flyt Aerospace Supply Drone (concept design)
• Land Rotor AAM Sportster (concept design)
• Land Rotor AAM Sportster (prototype)

Resources:

• Flyt Aerospace website
• Flyt Aerospace YouTube Channel
• Video: Flyt 16 miscellaneous flight tests, Flyt Aerospace, Sept. 27, 2016
• Video: Guy builds working hoverbike in garage, Flyt Aerospace, July 17, 2017