You could call it the Rolls-Royce of hybrid electric aircraft. Because it kind of is. Or at least it might be. The concept EVTOL (electric vertical take-off and landing) vehicle was designed by Rolls-Royce (the aviation and naval power systems maker, not the BMW-owned maker of the car) so they could show the world what they could do in the air using knowledge gained from their production of hybrid electric propulsion for trains and naval vessels.
The concept craft uses an M250 gas turbine to power six, low-noise electric propellers, four of which are on wings that can rotate ninety degrees to enable VTO (vertical take-off). Once at cruising altitude, the wing propellers fold away, lowering cabin noise-levels and leaving the craft to rely on its rear propellers for thrust.
As designed, this Rolls of the sky can hold four to five people, zipping them through the clouds at speeds of 250 miles an hour for about 500 miles. Recharging isn’t an issue, thanks to the gas turbine providing the electricity. The vertical take-off and landing opens up areas of use. They think the EVTOL concept could become reality as soon as the early 2020s and see it getting applied to commercial passenger, cargo, and military applications, as well as our favorite: personal air mobility. Start building that rooftop helipad now. – Learn More
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