Rotor X Dragon (prototype)

Dragon (prototype)
Rotor X Aircraft Manufacturing Company
Chandler, Arizona, USA
www.rotorxdragon.com
www.rotorxaircraft.com

Based in Arizona (USA), Rotor X Aircraft Manufacturing Company (RX) are makers of the two passenger Rotor X Phoenix A600 kit turbo helicopter. In 2021, Rotor X Aircraft purchased the kit helicopter company, RotorWay International. RotorWay was founded by B.J. Schrammin in 1961 and the kit helicopter company was originally named the RotorWay Helicopter Manufacturing Company. Rotor X Aircraft Manufacturing Company has a heritage of manufacturing the most produced  (over 2,500 as of December 2022) 2-seat kit helicopters in the world.

On June 29, 2021, Rotor X Aircraft Manufacturing Company announced it is entering the electric air taxi market with an electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) quad-rotor helicopter for advanced aerial mobility (AAM). Rotor X Aircraft is working in collaboration with its partner company, Advanced Tactics Inc. of Torrance, California (USA). Advanced Tactics has over 10 years experience in developing multi-rotor prototype aircraft and Rotor X Aircraft and will be using this experience to help develop the electric quad-rotor helicopter.

During December 2021, Advanced Tactics Inc. secretly started developing an eVTOL ultralight kit passenger aircraft named the Dragon. Eventually, Advanced Tactics teamed up with Rotor X in the development and manufacturing of the aircraft.

The Dragon prototype is a one passenger utralight kit eVTOL multicopter being used for flight testing validating the aircraft's aerodynamics, components, emergency procedures and more. Building a full scale prototype also helps the company to determine the manufacturing process that will need to happen to make serial production possible and profitable.

The kit production model will meet the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) rules of the aircraft weighing under 254 lb (113 lb). The production aircraft will carry one pilot who is over 6’6” (198 cm) and weighs up to 250 pounds (113 kg). The production muliticopter can fly for up to 20 minutes depending on the weight of the pilot and the air density where the aircraft is flying.

As the aircraft is a kit aircraft, the company will also have builder assist and pilot training facilities in several locations in the USA including California, Arizona, Texas and Georgia. The Dragon kit production model is expected to take only a week or two weeks to assemble and requires only a few hours of training that includes following FAA Part 103 flight regulations for ultralight aircraft. No pilots license is required. The company plans on making a two seat version of the Drago aircraft in 2023 for pilot training.

More information about the Dragon ultralight kit production multicopter is here online.

Specifications:

• Aircraft type: eVTOL prototype multicopter
• Piloting: Remote controlled
• Maximum speed: 63 mph (101 km/h)
• Flight time: 20 minutes
• Empty weight: <254 lb (115 kg)
• Maximum payload: 250 pounds (113 kg)
• Propellers: 8 propellers
• Electric motors: 8 electric motors
• Power source: Batteries
• Fuselage: Carbon fiber composite
• Cockpit: Open cockpit
• Landing gear: Fixed skid 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 in the sub-systems of the aircraft. The aircraft has an emergency ballistic parachute.

Resources:

• Rotor X Dragon website
• Rotor X Aircraft Manufacturing Co. website
• Rotor X Aircraft Manufacturing Company Facebook
• Rotor X Aircraft Manufacturing Company Twitter
• Rotor X Dragon YouTube Channel
• Rotor X Dragon Instagram
• Rotor X Aircraft Manufacturing Company LinkedIn
• Video: Dragon Personal Air Vehicle - No pilot's license required, Rotor X Dragon, Dec. 6, 2022
• Article: RotorX opens pre-orders on its kit-build ultralight personal eVTOL, New Atlas, Dec. 7, 2022
• Article: Rotor X Aircraft unveils the DRAGON Ultralight eVTOL personal air vehicle kit that is now ready for order, sUSA News, Dec. 7, 2022