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Trek Aerospace FlyKart 3 (prototype)

FlyKart 3 one passenger eVTOL prototype personal flying device multicopter

(Photo credit: Trek Aerospace)

FlyKart 3 (prototype)
Trek Aerospace, Inc.
Folsom, California, USA
www.trekaero.com

Trek Aerospace, Inc. is a small engineering company based in Folsom, California, USA. Founded on March 18, 1996 as “Millennium Jet, Inc.”, the company changed their name to Trek Aerospace on July 3, 2002 because people thought the company was building jets. To clarify, SoloTrek was a name for certain models of Trek Aerospace's aircraft. SoloTrek was never the name of the company. The company is dedicated to understanding and improving shrouded propeller performance and efficiency. In the process, they developed their own proprietary CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) software, TASPA (Trek Aerospace Shrouded Propeller Analysis).

The company has stated all of their aircraft designs are very flexible when it comes to scalability, electric motors used, propeller types and the type of power source used. That is, all previous conventionally powered aircraft the company has created can be converted to eVTOL aircraft and can be updated with the latest in avionics, electronics, propellers and electric (all batteries or hybrid-electric) power sources. All of the company's aircraft have been designed for advanced air mobility (AAM).

The company has designed and made multiple vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft including its exoskeleton backpack "helicopters" using shrouded propellers in the airframe design. Some articles refer to the exoskeleton backpack helicopter as a jetpack, even though there are no jet engines involved in the backpack aircraft. The company has also designed and made watercraft. Trek Aerospace also assists and teams with other companies, large and small, in the design, fabrication, and licensing of projects involving shrouded propellers and/or autonomous control systems. For example, Trek Aerospace built XTI Aircraft Company's TriFan subscale proof of concept (POC) aircraft.

Trek Aerospace Shrouded Propeller Analysis
Testing at NASA and university wind tunnels has validated the accuracy of the Trek Aerospace Shrouded Propeller Analysis (TASPA). Flight testing of both crewed and uncrewed vehicles has further verified the real-world applications of Trek’s technology. The company states their core technology has the highest specific thrust (lb/kW) in the industry. Aircraft designed by Trek define the efficiency curve used in the UBER Elevate white paper.

This efficiency allows aircraft to carry more weight in a smaller footprint. According to the company, their shrouded propellers require less power, use fewer batteries, have a greater payload and have a farther range than other battery powered aircraft. Furthermore, the company states their shrouded propellers have outperformed similar free propellers to airspeeds in excess of 230 mph (371 km/h), negating much of the drag penalty associated with ducted propellers.

FlyKart 3 one passenger eVTOL prototype personal flying device multicopter
The FlyKart 3 is a one passenger eVTOL prototype multicopter aircraft. The FlyKart 3 is a result of the break in the GoFly competition due to Covid-19 pandemic of 2020. The break in the competition allowed Trek Aerospace to test the FlyKart 2.4 more thoroughly. The FlyKart 2.4 was struggling to meet the GoFly competition's speed and endurance requirements. Because of this, the FlyKart was redesigned to meet the GoFly's competition requirements. FlyKart 3's new design has many of the features of the older FlyKart models while reducing the number of ducted propellers and also making the ducted propellers more efficient. The construction of the FlyKart 3 has been delayed because of unavailable parts due to the Covid pandemic.

The FlyKart 3's pilot sits on seat in approximately the middle of the aircraft with an open cockpit and the seat has a 4-point safety harness. The prototype has an estimated cruise speed of 83 km/h (45 kt) and has a flight time 59 minutes. The aircraft has six ducted propellers, six electric motors and is powered by battery packs. The propellers are 24 inches (610 mm) in diameter. The electric motors are 13.8 kW motors and have a power source of 10.3 kWh battery packs. The fuselage is made from carbon fiber composite to give the aircraft a high strength to low weight ratio.

The empty weight of the aircraft is 111 kg (244 lb), has a maximum payload weight of 90 kg (200 lb) and has a maximum takeoff weight of 201 kg (444 lb). The aircraft has fixed front wheeled landing gear with a tail skid.

The aircraft has many types of use for advanced air mobility (AAM) from recreational flying, tourism, on-demand air taxi service, private use aircraft, search and rescue, government and even military air transport applications.

GoFly Prize and GoAero Prize Competition and Information
Trek Aerospace entered the GoFly Prize competition and with the FlyKart 2, was awarded as one of Phase 1 and Phase 2 winning teams. The Phase 1 winning teams were announced in June 14, 2018 and as a Phase 1 winning team, Trek Aerospace was awarded $20,000.00 USD. On March 26, 2019 GoFly Prize announced that Trek Aerospace completed Phase II of the GoFly challenge and will receive $50,000.00 USD in prizes.

While the team had planned to participate in the February 2020 GoFly Fly Off, an electronic speed controller fire rendered FlyKart 2.3 inoperable. The team was still present at Moffet Field with the FlyKart 2.4. Trek Aerospace has a new FlyKart 3 eVTOL prototype. For the final GoFly fly-off event, one team will receive $1 million (USD). However, it has been reported that the GoFly Final Flyoff was cancelled and the million dollar prize was rolled over into Boeing's new aircraft contest called the GoAero Prize that will have over $2 million USD in prize money. 

Specifications:

  • Aircraft type: Passenger eVTOL hoverbike multicopter prototype aircraft
  • Piloting: 1 pilot
  • Cruise speed: 83 km/h (45 kt)
  • Flight time: 59 minutes
  • Empty weight: 111 kg (244 lb)
  • Maximum payload weight: 90 kg (200 lb)
  • Maximum takeoff weight: 201 kg (444 lb)
  • Propellers: 6 ducted propellers
  • Electric motors: 6 electric motors
  • Power source: Battery packs
  • Fuselage: Carbon fiber composite
  • Width: 2.54 m (8.33 ft)
  • Length: 1.92 m (6.28 ft)
  • Height: 1.30 m (4.28 ft)
  • Cockpit: Open cockpit
  • Landing gear: Fixed wheeled main landing gear with a tail skid
  • Safety features: Distributed Electric Propulsion (DEP) uses multiple propellers or electric ducted fans, each powered by electric motors, to increase safety through redundancy. There a multiple battery packs to added redundancy. If one or more components fail, the remaining ones can still ensure a safe landing. There are also redundancies of critical components in the sub-systems of the aircraft providing safety through redundancy. The aircraft has an auto-pilot and a 4-point safety harness. The propellers are covered with screens. Having multiple redundant systems on any aircraft decreases having any single point of failure.

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