Could be they're looking for a new type of "news helicopter" or camera "drone" for film, yes. Or maybe to film drone racingFinis wrote: ↑09 Mar 2021, 14:52 Looks cooler in each new picture.
A camera drone! Just bigger and more expensive. Movie makers used to get aerial footage from helicopters with movie cameras mounted on them. If this copter can fly for 15 minutes then in some cases it could be better for filmmakers than a drone and cheaper than a regular helicopter + pilot.
Yeah I should change that, problem is there's not a lot of room in there for the pilot to move their legs since the client was adamant (for some unknown reason, god knows why) that they needed the stick and throttle to either side of the pilot instead of a more centered control layout with the stick between the pilots legs for example, which would have made more sense I think.
The way it is now I actually had to widen the fuselage to make room for the stick and throttle, which added a small amount of additional mass to the whole thing.
If they had asked for that type of hybrid engine, that would have made sense, yes. There is plenty of room to attach stuff at the back and in fact it probably would have helped offset the weight of the pilot. I would have added that or a hydrogen fuel cell at the back myself but the client only wanted a battery pack.Finis wrote: ↑09 Mar 2021, 14:52 The client no doubt plans total battery but: diesel-electric system, like trains, could be good for this. A small engine to drive a generator that powers the electric motors. That removes some of the mechanical complexity and increases range and maybe the weight it can carry. Noise. All electric might have a pleasant near-silent flying experience.