Volocopter flies tethered

E-Volo Flies, Unmanned And Tethered

By Mary Grady

The one-of-a-kind E-Volo volocopter came outside for its first flight tests recently, the company announced in a news release today. The volocopter was controlled remotely, and the crew tested for automatic altitude control and position hold, and automatic landing. Weights of about 265 pounds were placed in the cockpit to test for payload capacity. The tests were completed in Karlsruhe, Germany. “In the process, the company’s CEO Alex Zosel remotely flew the Volocopter for the first time – single-handed and only with a joystick,” the company said. “Zosel himself is extremely impressed by how easily and intuitively the VC200 is operated.” Zosel said, “For years, we have claimed that the Volocopter is super-easy to fly, now we’ve proven it in a very impressive way. I did not have any experience flying the VC200 before the flight. Nevertheless, it was extremely easy to control and land from the ground. This is a revolution in the history of helicopters. I thank our fantastic development team, which made this possible.” The flight-test program so far has already comprised “multiple unmanned flights” during the month of November, the company said, using an airfield adjacent to the company workshop. The aircraft’s automatic altitude control, position hold and landing systems enable it to hold position accurately and automatically, even in turbulence or crosswinds, the company said. To land, the pilot only needs to operate the altitude control. The Volocopter will descend toward the ground, automatically slowing when close, until it touches down softly. “As soon as all requirements of the responsible aviation authorities are fulfilled, first manned flights will follow shortly,” the company said. view on YouTube