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A Look at Safe, Quiet, Clean, Efficient Personal Travel by Air. Personal Air Vehicle Conference Burlingham, California May 23, 2007. by Paul B. MacCready Consultant; Chairman of AeroVironment, Inc. Monrovia, California maccready@avinc.com. Human Mobility. Land Air Water.
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A Look at Safe, Quiet, Clean, Efficient Personal Travel by Air Personal Air Vehicle Conference Burlingham, California May 23, 2007 by Paul B. MacCready Consultant; Chairman of AeroVironment, Inc. Monrovia, California maccready@avinc.com AeroVironment, Inc. May, 2007 www.avinc.com
Human Mobility LandAirWater Walk, run, jog Gliders, sailplanes Swimming Skate (ice or roller) Sailplane with rechargeable Wave powered, wind Snowshoes, skis batteries powered, sun powered. Scooter, bikes Sailplanes with fueled Surface or underwater. Electric bikes auxiliary motor, Powered: gasoline, battery Sand sailer reciprocating or FC Hydrofoil, powered 2-wheel, 3-wheel, Lightplane, gasoline, 2-6 place Yachts, powered by wind motorized travel Helicopter, autogyro or gasoline Trollies Dispense crop supplements, Tankers, ocean liners Cars – basic small load carrier SUVs, pickups Fighter, jet engine Trucks Cargo & transportation, Trains propellers or jet AeroVironment, Inc. May, 2007 www.avinc.com
AeroVironment, Inc. Planning Study for Circum-Global Airplane August 1984 Gross weight = 10,914 lbs; weight without fuel = 3684 lbs L/D = 32.8 lbs at CL = 1.0 Span = 82 ft; area = 360 ft; max. HP = 210 AeroVironment, Inc. May, 2007 www.avinc.com
Early AV Project Foldable, powered (gasoline), one-person airplane. About 1985. (Dropable from airplane. Person on ground unpacks the small package, assembles it by pulling on one cable, takes off and guides it to remote destination, even if he/she has never piloted an airplane before.) AeroVironment, Inc. May, 2007 www.avinc.com
Passenger Pigeon 4 billion in NE US in 1800; zero in 1900 (Humans had cut forests for fields, and also killed birds for fun or profit.) AeroVironment, Inc. May, 2007 www.avinc.com
Future Manned Airplanes AeroVironment, Inc. May, 2007 www.avinc.com
Achieving a desirable future world will depend strongly on the minds and actions of proactive persons who, among other talents, • can sort out fact from fiction • accept rapid change • comprehend connections between civilization and nature • use the rapid advance of computer/information technologies • communicate internationally with both scientists and lay people • have continuing connection to education AeroVironment, Inc. May, 2007 www.avinc.com
Sunraycer, PV cell powered Helios (75 m) Altitude record 29,531 m) 2005 Global Observer Charger, battery assist IMPACT battery powered Puma (2.8 m) Raven (1.3 m) Black Widow (15.2 cm) All powered by lithium batteries, equipped with one or several video cameras, duration 30 minutes to 4 hours. Dragon Eye (1.2 m) Wasp (35.6 cm) AeroVironment, Inc. May, 2007 www.avinc.com
Over billions of years, on a unique sphere, chance has painted a thin covering of life -- complex, improbable, wonderful and fragile. Suddenly we humans (a recently arrived species no longer subject to the checks and balances inherent in nature), have grown in population, technology, and intelligence to a position of terrible power: we now wield the paintbrush. AeroVironment, Inc. May, 2007 www.avinc.com