Take to the skies in your personal multicopter

Published May 2, 2012 | By Tim Hornyak

E-volo’s Volocopter: And you thought economy class was uncomfortable.

(Credit:
e-velo)

You might think aviation experts would dismiss this eccentric aircraft, which has no fewer than 16 propellers, but some are taking the Volocopter very seriously.

Built by Germany’s E-volo, the unclassifiable thing recently received the Lindbergh Prize for Innovation at the Aero-Friedrichshafen 2012 airshow.

The Volocopter is a 175-pound, electrically powered vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) craft that has redundant propellers for safety. E-volo says it’s very easy to control, with simple joystick steering. Could this be the personal transport of the future?

“We believe that the development of the Volocopter holds significant promise to radically change short distance transportation,” said Erik Lindbergh, grandson of Charles Lindbergh. “It has a long development path ahead, but if this innovative design reaches the commercial market it will dramatically change the way we move about the planet.”