Volocopter VC Evolution 2P (defunct)
/Volocopter (e-volo) VC Evolution 2P/e-volo-now-Volocopter-VC-Evolution-2P-front-angle.jpg)
VC Evolution 2P (defunct)
Volocopter GmbH
Bruschal, Germany
www.volocopter.com
Volocopter GmbH was founded in 2011 in Karlsruhe, Germany by Alexander Zosel and Stephen Wolf with the intent of making an electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing (eVTOL) multicopter aircraft for fast and efficient urban travel.
In the 2012 time frame, the company (named "e-volo" at the time) created an eVTOL design concept for a two passengers called the VC Evolution 2P. This was an early eVTOL design concept which never made it to subscale or full scale prototype testing.
An extra pusher propeller was present on the rear of the aircraft to add extra forward speed. The VC Evolution 2P was being designed so that it could be disassembled during ground transportation. During 2012 and 2013, e-volo was considering a hybrid-electric VTOL aircraft so that longer ranges were possible but this idea was scrapped since battery technology started to advance over the years.
A major advantage of this eVTOL aircraft is that it is both lighter and more efficient than a helicopter. A lighter aircraft also increases the efficiency of the aircraft.
A helicopter has complicated gas engines, complicated transmissions, completed rotorblades and rotorhubs, oil, liquid fuel to name a few items. This also increases the cost of the helicopter. With the VC Evolution 2P, you have almost none of these complicated mechanical components and no oil or liquid fuel which translates into fewer mechanical parts, a less complicated aircraft, reduced production cost, more reliable components and quicker response time to pilot control input.
This makes the aircraft not only more affordable to fly but much safer than its petroleum fueled cousins. This aircraft can lose six propellers and can still land safely. Its use of small propellers and electric motors reduces the noise that the aircraft makes.
Several benefits of the concept aircraft:
- Easy to use with a joystick
- Automatic flying, no pilot skills
- Safe to fly
- Efficient
- Simple and reliable
- Affordable and almost maintenance-free
- Clean Aviation: No pollution, all electric
- Much quieter than a helicopter
The advantage of this eVTOL aircraft is not only being more efficient, using smaller propellers and electric motors but it is lighter than a helicopter which also increases the efficiency of the aircraft. It can lose six propellers and the aircraft can still land to safety. Complexity of the aircraft is reduced which increases its safety and reduces the weight of the aircraft. The other advantage of small propellers and electric motors is lower noise.
In the summer of 2012, the company was planning to have a production model for sale by 2015; however, this concept design never made it to a prototype model, as far as we know.
For more information on Volocopter's production aircraft, please see the following aircraft pages:
Specifications:
- Aircraft type: eVTOL design concept
- Capacity: 2 passengers
- Control: Joystick with intuitive fly-by-wire control
- Cruise speed: 100 km/h (62 mph)
- Cruise altitude: 1,981 m (6,500 ft)
- Maximum Takeoff weight: 450 kg (992 lb)
- Flight time: 20 minutes (one article has a 1 hour estimated flight time)
- Propellers: 19 propellers
- Propellers for vertical flight: 18 VTOL propellers
- Propeller for forward flight: 1 pusher propeller
- Electric motors: 19
- Landing gear: Skid type 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. The aircraft would also have a whole aircraft parachute.
Company Insights
Resources:
- Volocopter website
- Volocopter Facebook
- Volocopter Twitter
- Volocopter YouTube
- Volocopter Wikipedia
- Article: Manned maiden flight writes aviation history, Volocopter, Oct. 2011
- Video: E-Volo VC Evolution 1P and 2P (Volocopter), TechnologicVehicles, June 14, 2012
- Article: Future small helicopters, Flying, Sept. 26, 2012
- Article: Volocopter, Electric Vehicles Research, Electric Vehicle Research, Sept. 18, 2012
- Article: Volocopter Reinvents Flight, Grabcad Blog, Jan. 29, 2013
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