Robathan VEL eVTOL

VEL eVTOL
Fenton Robathan, Industrial Designer
FeralGods Design Company
London, England, United Kingdom
www.feralgods.com

In 2019, Fenton Robathan founded FeralGods Design Company in London which is a design, engineering and fabrication company to develop both electric ground vehicles and electric aircraft, from concept to prototype. Robathan is a 2019 Royal College of Art (London, England) Industrial Design graduate with a Master of Arts (MA) in Intelligent Mobility. While at the university, Fenton succeeded in competitions with companies including Toyota Logistics, Hankook, Nissan, IBDC, Hyundai Kia, the Royal College of Art and also had a sponsorship from Jaguar Land Rover. He is actively looking for funding and can be contacted through his business Contact web page.

Robathan has a strong interest in quiet, compact, modern, functional, visually appealing and clean battery-powered powertrains for electric vehicles due to the technological advances in electric motor technology, battery technology, solar panel technology and also due to the low cost of controllers needed for stabilized flight of electric aircraft. Robathan's goal is to help shape the future of electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft for Urban Air Mobility (UAM) as well as designing electric aircraft for other applications such as air racing, vacation and adventure trips.

The meaning behind the name, FeralGods Design Company, refers to how our ancient ancestors thought that flight could only be accomplished by the gods. Since the eVTOL industry is only in its infancy and because we don't actually know all the incredible ways eVTOL aircraft will flown by pilots or by artificial intelligence (AI), or the vast types of missions they will be used for, Robathan equates the future abilities of eVTOL aircraft and their pilots, to be similar to wild gods.

The VEL eVTOL is a one passenger high-performance extremely manoeuvrable concept aircraft specifically created for aerobatics and air racing. The aircraft has a blended delta-wing body design which provides a more efficient forward flight that ultimately reduces energy consumption and extends its range. The futuristic design is reminiscent of high-speed race cars and certain military fighter aircraft, and combines both beauty and function in this practical purpose-made electric aircraft.

The aircraft uses four protected ducted propellers on each corner of the aircraft which is why it has high manoeuvrability. The ducted propellers are protected with honeycomb grills to prevent objects from entering the propeller duct and also keeps people from being harmed by the propellers on the ground. The struts holding the ducted propellers in place, look as if they have aerodynamic qualities providing some additional lift for forward flight. Its landing gear is retractable allowing for a more streamlined and efficient flight.

The aircraft design also includes a very thin pointed nose cone which could be for aerodynamic purposes and certainly will give the aircraft a retro-look reminiscent of a 1950s military jet. The inspiration for the aircraft came from small racing quadcopters and the designer hopes this aircraft and his other eVTOL models will help shape the future how eVTOL aircraft will look.

Specifications:

• Aircraft type: eVTOL air racing aircraft
• Piloting: Autonomous or partially autonomous
• Capacity: 1 person
• Cruise speed: Unknown
• Range: Unknown
• Propellers: Unknown. However, there are four ducted propeller housings.
• Electric Motors: The number of electric motors? Unknown.
• Power source: Batteries
• Fuselage: Carbon fiber
• Windows: Panoramic windows with wrap around window design allowing forward, left, right and top visibility, for spectacular views
• Windows: Panoramic windows with wrap around window design allowing forward, left, and right visibility, for spectacular views, with a solid roof above the passenger compartment
• Wings: Blended wing (low wing) body. Each ducted fan has struts which have aerodynamic lifting qualities.
• Landing gear: Retractable landing gear
• Safety Features: Distributed Electric Propulsion (DEP), provides safety through redundancy for its passengers and/or cargo. DEP means having multiple propellers and motors on the aircraft so if one or more motors or propellers fail, the other working motors and propellers can safely land the aircraft.

Resources:

• FeralGods Design website  
• FeralGods Design Facebook    
• FeralGods Design Instagram 
• FeralGods Design LinkedIn     
• Fenton Robathan Behance website    
• Fenton Robathan Twitter   
• Fenton Robathan LinkedIn  
• Article: Regional Single-Passenger Aircrafts, Trend Hunter, Aug. 23, 2019
• Article: SAI Tailsitter eVTOL Concept by Fenton Robathon, Tuvie, Aug. 23, 2019