{{After ten years of research and development, the S2 aircraft concept is almost ready to take to the skies}}
{{Helicopters and aeroplanes}}
Helicopters and aeroplanes both have their own set of advantages: planes can fly faster and higher, while helicopters have the flexibility of being able to take off and land in tight spots.
For many years, engineers have grappled with the problem of combining the power of a plane with the versatility of a chopper, but only one design — the Boeing V-22 Osprey currently deployed by the US military — has ever become a reality.
Now there’s a new tiltrotor aircraft in town, and unlike the V-22 it’s aimed at the civilian and commercial markets.
The Elytron 2S has a striking box wing design and is intended to finally bring together both high-powered performance and vertical take-off and landing capabilities — it’s been ten years in the making, but it might just be the aeroplane/helicopter hybrid that the world has been waiting for.
From emergency rescues to air taxis
Elytron’s solution provides greater safety, speed, and simplicity of operation over any existing class of vertical take-off aircraft which makes it suitable for emergency medical services, search and rescue teams, air taxi operations and oil exploration projects, among other uses.
According to Elytron, based in Mountain View, California, the rather unconventional design gives the S2 the ability to switch between horizontal and vertical flight very effectively.
The Elytron company has been formed specifically to produce the S2, which is the cumulation of 10 years of work and research.
Quarter-scale models, extended flight simulations and a series of prototypes have been used to get to this stage and bring the Elytron 2S close to becoming a reality.
Earlier versions of the design involved ducted fans places inside the wings rather than the box wing approach that has now been adopted.
{{Three sets of wings}}
There are three sets of wings that make up the design of the Elytron 2S. The first are the rotary wings, called proprotors, which look like smaller versions of conventional airplane wings and which can tilt to provide horizontal or vertical propulsion.
The second and third set of wings — one to the front and one to the rear — are joined together to create the box effect. This unique design avoids any interference with the proprotors and gives the S2 both the stability and flexibility that it needs.
All of this clever engineering work means that the Elytron 2S offers superior glide ratios, low stall speeds, enhanced performance when in aeroplane mode and better fuel efficiency over longer distances.
While the 2S has some of the same manoeuvrability as a helicopter, it uses fewer parts and a simplified rotor system that again helps to cut down on costs and makes mechanical maintenance more straightforward.
Elytron has also worked in a number of safety features into the 2S design.
{{Greater safety and speed}}
The company hopes to bring to market both a two-pilot and larger seven-seater model of the Elytron 2S. “The Elytron family of aircraft is designed to provide the vertical take-off and landing capability of helicopters combined with the speed and efficiency advantages of fixed wing aircraft,” says the firm.
“Elytron’s solution provides greater safety, speed, and simplicity of operation over any existing class of vertical take-off aircraft which makes it ideally suited for various uses.”
“The new and optimised wing configuration addresses all of the earlier design shortcomings,” continues the promotional blurb written by the designers of the S2.
“Because the proprotors are tilted forward during normal flight, the Elytron design does not suffer the performance penalty that helicopters do with the retreating blade. Therefore, Elytron aircraft will be capable of achieving airspeeds two to three times those of equivalently powered helicopters.”
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