Urban Aeronautics X-Hawk

X-Hawk
An artist's rendition of the X-Hawk
Role Flying car (aircraft)
Manufacturer Metro Skyways Ltd.
Designer Rafi Yoeli
First flight None
Status Under development
Unit cost
$3.2 million USD (estimated)

The Urban Aeronautics X-Hawk is a design for a flying car which is being developed by Rafi Yoeli in Yavne, Israel. It is planned to be built by Metro Skyways Ltd., a subsidiary of Urban Aeronautics. Yoeli and his privately held company, Urban Aeronautics, claim to have flown the car to a height of 90 cm (3 ft), though they say that greater heights are possible.[1] It will be about the size of a large van. The X-Hawk and its smaller unmanned version, the AirMule, would be used in search and rescue operations where a helicopter would be useless or at least very dangerous, such as evacuating people from the upper stories of burning buildings, or delivering and extracting police and soldiers while very close to structures, narrow streets, and confined spaces.

Background

Urban Aeronautics Ltd. has patented its design as Fancraft.[2] The Fancraft technologies are supported by 37 registered (granted) patents and 12 additional are in-process.[3]

Metro Skyways Ltd. (MSL), as a subsidiary of Urban Aeronautics Ltd. has an exclusive license for use predominantly in the manned air-taxi (civil), air-rescue, and medical evacuation markets. MSL has taken the lead in the development of the X-Hawk. Tactical Robotics Ltd. (TRL), as a subsidiary of Urban Aeronautics Ltd. has an exclusive license for use mostly in the unmanned military and homeland security markets. TRL has taken the lead in the development of the AirMule. [4]

Development

In 2004, the development and the proof-of-concept vehicle CityHawk completed more than 10 hours of hover testing near Ben Gurion Airport in Israel.[5][6] Its success encouraged the development of the X-Hawk and the Mule.[7] Shortly after the X-Hawk LE concept was published by Urban Aeronautics.[8] Development is being done in parallel to the primary effort put into the Urban Aeronautics AirMule.

Urban Aeronautics should begin testing its CityHawk eVTOL in 2021.[9]

Design

The X-Hawk is a vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft with no exposed rotors, configured as a tandem-fan, turbine-powered vehicle. Pilots will use a fly-by-wire multi-channel flight control system, with an automatic stabilization feature to help control the aircraft and maintain level flight. The ducted fan design allows the car to achieve the speed and maneuverability of a helicopter.[10]

Variants

  • CityHawk prototype can carry two people, stay aloft for close to one hour, maximum ceiling estimated to be 8,000 ft (2,400 m), with flight speeds of 150–170 km/h (80–90 kn). Merely 2.2 m × 4.7 m (7.2 ft × 15.4 ft) in size.
  • X-Hawk LE is a more powerful version for law enforcement, 1 pilot + 3 officers, 3 h plus reserve at 259 km/h (140 kn).
  • X-Hawk EMS is for emergency medical services.

Partners

Urban Aeronautics is in contact with the United States Army and the militaries of other nations, including India and Italy, for possible sale of the AirMule.[11]

Specifications (CityHawk)

Data from Metro Skyways[14]

General characteristics

  • Crew: 1
  • Capacity: 4
  • Length: 7.55 m (24 ft 9 in)
  • Wingspan: 2.5 m (8 ft 2 in)
  • Width: 2.5 m (8 ft 2 in)
  • Height: 2.35 m (7 ft 9 in)
  • Empty weight: 1,170 kg (2,579 lb)
  • Max takeoff weight: 1,930 kg (4,255 lb)
  • Fuel capacity: 800l (211 US Gal)
  • Powerplant: 2 × Safran Arriel 2N turboshaft, 735 kW (985 hp) each uninstalled T/O power at SL, ISA
  • Main rotor diameter: 2× 2.30 m (7 ft 7 in)
  • Main rotor area: 8.3 m2 (89 sq ft)

Performance

  • Maximum speed: 270 km/h (168 mph; 146 kn)
  • Cruise speed: 234 km/h (145 mph; 126 kn)
  • Range: 150 km (93 mi; 81 nmi) Pilot + 4, 20 min reserves
  • Ferry range: 360 km (224 mi; 194 nmi) Pilot only, 20 min reserves
  • Endurance: min fuel flow: 280 kg/h (610 lb/h) at 60 kn (111 km/h)
  • Disk loading: 232.3 kg/m2 (47.6 lb/sq ft)
  • Fuel consumption: 1.68 kg/km (6.0 lb/mi) at 130 kn (241 km/h)
  • Power/mass: 0.76 kW/kg (0.46 hp/lb)
  • Estimated noise @ 150 ft (46 m): 76 dBA

See also

References

  1. ↑ FOXNews.com - Israeli Company Working on Flying Car for Military, Rescue - Science News | Science & Technology | Technology News
  2. ↑ Urban Aeronautics
  3. ↑ Israeli AirMule UAV Passes Major Milestone Demonstrating Fully Autonomous Flight, Defense Update, December 19, 2013
  4. ↑ About, Urban Aeronautics
  5. ↑ PAV projects in progress, Flight Global, February 8, 2005
  6. ↑ X-Hawk developers to build policing model, Flight Global, September 21, 2004
  7. ↑ The CityHawk Flying Car, Roadable Times, 2004
  8. ↑ X-Hawk developers to build policing model (PDF), Flight International, September 21–27, 2004
  9. ↑ Michael Bruno (Aug 24, 2018). "Aerospace Sector Could See Overhaul From Electric Propulsion". Aviation Week & Space Technology.
  10. ↑ X-Hawk Flying Car
  11. 1 2 The "Air Mule" Takes off, Israel Defense, August 4, 2011
  12. ↑ Paul Derby (July 18, 2006). "Bell Helicopter joins Urban Aero to launch X-Hawk flying car using fancraft technology for emergency services and special missions" (PDF). Flight International. p. 33.
  13. ↑ Flying car could come to your rescue, NBC News, January 31, 2007
  14. ↑ "CityHawk". Metro Skyways. 2017.
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