Jetcopter VTOL Technologies SDR-500

SDR-500
Jetcopter VTOL Technologies
Wyoming, USA
www.jet-copter.com

Founded in January 2019 by Don Skulski, who has been self-employed since 1994, Jetcopter's purpose is to provide a better aircraft for all types of missions from civilian to military. Skulski's reason for Jetcopter's multiple new concept designs is to create and manufacture a better, safer, faster, more efficient and more affordable aircraft for Urban Air Mobility (UAM) and for Rural Air Mobility. The inventor has said that his aircraft are part airplane and part helicopter and are all of his designs are modular in design. Skulski is a prolific aircraft designer where we have counted at least 19 different aircraft models listed on his website as of October 2021. The company has already requested funding from investors and is continuing looking for investors.

Skulski's designs include hybrid-electric vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft, electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, short takeoff and landing (STOL) aircraft and conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL). Each of his aircraft have a flexible power source and can be outfitted with petroleum engines, fuel cells or all batteries. In 2021, the company has stated they have been developing VTOL aircraft for European military.

The Skulski suggests due to using electric motors with propellers, drone-type technology and modern/novel manufacturing materials and techniques, that the production cost for his aircraft will be twice as low as conventional aircraft made today. In addition, the inventor foresees their manufacturing production times will be two to three times shorter than today's conventional aircraft manufacturer's production times.

Several of Jetcopter VTOL Technologies's concept designs are modular. The modules include the propulsion system, the engine compartment and then the fuselage. This way, any module can be manufactured either in the same production facility or in separate production facilities and assembled each aircraft at a designated factory. When the aircraft is designed like this, this allows the customer to not only make maintenance easier but allows the customer to reconfigure the aircraft from a passenger aircraft to a cargo aircraft.

The SDR-500 aircraft is VTOL aircraft which very much resembles a conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) executive airplane. However, when looking at the aircraft from the top, one sees there are two ducted fans in the center of the aircraft's fuselage for VTOL flight. The aircraft can hold between 5-9 passengers (or more), has an approximate cruise speed of 300 mph (483 km/h), has an estimated range of 600 miles (965 km) and has a flight time around one hour. As battery and hybrid-electric technology increases, the range of this aircraft will probably increase proportionately.

The aircraft can takeoff and land as a VTOL aircraft or can takeoff and land as a conventional aircraft. The ability to takeoff and land with or without an airport will greatly decrease the amount of time people need when traveling to work or when on vacation.

The aircraft can be outfitted with multiple power sources to accommodate a hybrid-electric power source (such as a piston or turbine petroleum powered engine, or fuel cells) or powered by batteries. The power source is determined by customer requirements. This means the aircraft will be ready for future cleaner power sources when they become available.

The company has not set a timeline for when subscale models or full scale models will be made. The company foresees their aircraft used for personal air transportation, for Urban Air Mobility, for Rural Air Mobility, for air cargo, police, fire, medevac services, for homeland security and in every branch in any military.

Specifications:

• Aircraft type: Hybrid-electric VTOL or eVTOL passenger aircraft
• Piloting: Unknown
• Capacity: 5-9 passengers (or more)
• Cruise speed: 300 mph (483 km/h)
• Range: 600 miles (965 km)
• Flight Time: 1 hour
• Propellers: 2 forward propellers, 2 ducted VTOL propellers
• Electric Motors: 4 electric motors
• Power source: Batteries, hybrid-electric or fuel cells
• Fuselage: Carbon fiber composite
• Windows: Larger windows than normally found in general aviation airplanes
• Wings: 1 high main wing
• Tail: Horizontal stabilizer tail
• Landing gear: Retractable tricycle wheeled 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. The aircraft will also have ballistic parachutes for an added level of safety.

Resources:

• Jetcopter VTOL Technologies website
• Jetcopter VTOL Technologies YouTube Channel
• Jetcopter VTOL Technologies Don Skulski LinkedIn
• Article: JETcopter is a VTOL That Could Land in a Parking Lot, Robb Report, Sept. 19, 2018
• Article: Jetcopter VTOL Aircraft, Aerospace Technology, Date unknown (possibly spring 2019)
• Article: Jetcopter VTOL to be Revealed at Aero 2019, Aviation Today, Mar. 26, 2019
• Video: Here's How Jetcopter Works, Jetcopter, Mar. 19, 2019
• Article: Jetcopter targets funding for innovative VTOL design, Flight Global, Sept. 10, 2019
• Video: Jetcopter production, Jetcopter, Jan. 30, 2020
• Video: Jetcopter - flying taxi, Jetcopter, Apr. 3, 2020
• Video: SkyEpress - safe, fast, affordable airplane, that won't need a runway, Jetcopter, Feb. 25, 2021
• Video: SkyExpress take off, Jetcopter, Mar. 14, 2021