AN ELECTRICALLY POWERED GYROPLANE FOR URBAN AIR TRAFFIC

Abstract

This paper aims to compare the feasibility of two different drive systems in a new electric gyroplane with two electric motors for propulsion and one electric motor for pre-rotation. The aircraft will later be used in urban and regional air traffic. Two propulsion variants are considered and investigated with regard to their flight performance and potential noise emission to examine their differences. From this the appropriate use case for each variant could be derived. In variant 1, propulsion is provided by two large traction propellers, while variant 2 uses ducted propellers, which offer further potential for noise reduction. The static thrust for both variants has already been proven in bench tests to examine whether the two drive systems are gener-ating sufficient thrust for an unmanned gyrocopter demonstrator with a mass of about 450 kg. Additional analytical considerations also provide initial information about the expected behavior in flight. The data obtained can help to minimize the subsequent risks in flight tests and will serve as a data base for thrust model validation to be used in the flight simulation of the gyroplane. In addition, the test data can be used to make statements about the temperature management of the drives.