Tue, Jan 18, 2011
'Personal Air Vehicle' Under Development Refining Flight
Control System
A new "Personal Air Vehicle" (PAV) being developed by Wichita
Falls, TX-based Carter Aviation Technologies (Carter) has completed
its first milestone in flight-testing. The PAV is Carter's second
generation, proof-of-concept aircraft set to demonstrate their
revolutionary SR/CTM technology - a combination of rotorcraft and
fixed-wing aerodynamics. The milestone flight designation is
outlined in an economic development incentive agreement that Carter
has with the city of Wichita Falls. Completion of a 30-minute
flight constitutes the first, flight-based milestone of eight
funding milestones under the agreement. On January 5, 2011 the PAV
completed a 36-minute flight while testing the installation of new
sensors on the aircraft.
Carter PAV
"Our first aircraft proved the viability of our technology. This
aircraft translates that technology into a viable consumer
product," said company president Jay Carter Jr. in announcing the
flight. "Each of these milestones moves us one step closer to our
final goal by providing the funding to refine our technology for
commercialization."
The PAV incorporates several significant advances developed
during the testing of Carter's original proof-of-concept aircraft.
Most systems have been automated with new computer controls,
greatly reducing the pilot workload. Test pilot, Larry Neal, sums
it up with a simple statement after completing the 36-minute
flight, "This aircraft is unbelievably fun to fly."
The PAV is completing Phase I of its flight-test regimen which
refines the flight control systems of the gyro performance segment
including the vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) capability of
the PAV. For Phase II of the test plan Carter will add the 45-foot
wing section to the aircraft and begin flight-tests to refine the
Slowed Rotor/Compound flight aspects that define their SR/CTM
technology.
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