It just so happens that hovering in mid-air is a pretty energy-intensive process. It's this fact that helps explain why helicopters — notorious for being energy-hogging little buggers — have yet to make an appearance in the recent wave of electric vehicles.
But now, by replacing the most energy-intensive components with ultralight alternatives, aerospace engineer Pascal Chretien has designed the world's very first e-copter.
According to inhabitat's Tafline Laylin:
Instead of a tail-rotor, which exacts a heavy load on the helicopter's battery, Chretien's helicopter uses a coaxial design with 2 counter-rotating rotors on top. This is a torque-balanced program that only requires a simple lightweight tail in the back in order to maintain its balance. Further reducing the load, Chretien created a new weight-shifting system that replaces cyclic control and variable blade tilting with a big set of handlebars!
While the very first untethered, crewed flight of the helicopter lasted just two minutes, 10 seconds, and reached a dizzying cruising altitude of one meter, Chretien believes his work could have huge implications for hybrid power systems that could increase the safety of helicopter flight dramatically.
According to gizmag, helicopter flight is nearly 40 times as dangerous as airplane flight, and engine failure accounts for almost half of all helicopter crashes. Chretien says a hybrid power system could offer 3-4 minutes of battery-powered flight in the event of engine failure — time that would prove invaluable when trying to land the aircraft safely.
You can see more pictures of Chretien's electronic helicopter, and read more about the project, over at gizmag.