3 ms·
I also love the blurb they have: "Note: This technology is projected to be capable of flying through a flock of birds, volcanic ash, smoke, and sand without ski
by GravitasFailure 5y ago
I also love the blurb they have: "Note: This technology is projected to be capable of flying through a flock of birds, volcanic ash, smoke, and sand without skipping a beat, as well as the highest altitude flying capability that exists. Also does not require rotor seals at all. Tight tolerances and high RPMs solve that problem, not enough time for the air to leak when running!"
The Motor Trend article[0] they link has a video of it being used in a ducted fan configuration. They might be able to avoid particulate intake to the engine itself (just like every other reciprocating engine with a filter), but sandblasting the fans or smacking them with a bird is pretty guaranteed to cause damage to the prop or fan at a minimum, and still has a likelihood of torqueing the engine in a way that damages the seals and bearings.
It's cool, it's promising, but no prototype and high claims? I am extremely skeptical.
[0]https://www.motortrend.com/features/might-new-concept-rotary-range-extender-fly-technologue/ https://www.motortrend.com/features/might-new-concept-rotary...
edit: I just saw that their video has all of five seconds of an extreme close up of their prototype. I'm still not persuaded.