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Is a combination motorcycle and helicopter currently under development by Dezso Molnar and his team. The initial prototype, the Molnari GT, first flew in 2006.
Molnari GT flight tests in 2006. 50 Horsepower single-cylinder engine; 650cc. Flew on the first attempt. 30+ flights were made. No crashes or damage. Aircraft now resides in the Florida Air Museum. Street legal road performance is ~ 100 MPH and 50 miles per gallon.
The second
prototype, the GT2, has been street tested and is now being prepared for flight operations. The GT2 was on display at last weekend’s Maker Faire.
Abstract
A vehicle that can operate as either a motorcycle or an autogiro, said vehicle having a flight mode and a motorcycle mode, said vehicle comprising: a frame having a front part and a rear part; a center-line that passes from the front of said vehicle to the rear of said vehicle through the center of said vehicle such that said vehicle's weight is distributed nearly equally to either side of said center-line; a propeller mounted to a propeller barrel that is rotatably mounted to said frame such that the junction where said frame's front part meets said frame's rear part is located within said propeller barrel; an engine mounted to the rear part of said frame, wherein said engine powers said propeller in said flight mode; a cockpit fixedly mounted to the front part of said frame, said cockpit comprising means for controlling said vehicle; at least one aircraft lift means comprising: at least one rotor that is rotatably mounted to said frame when said vehicle is in said flight mode; a front wheel steerably and rotatably mounted to the front part of said frame along the said vehicle's center-line; and a rear wheel that is rotatably mounted to the rear part of said frame along said vehicle's center-line and is powered by said engine in said motorcycle mode.
What is claimed is:
1. A vehicle that can operate as either a motorcycle or an autogiro, said vehicle having a flight mode and a motorcycle mode, said vehicle comprising: a frame having a front part and a rear part; a center-line that passes from the front of said vehicle to the rear of said vehicle through the center of said vehicle such that said vehicle's weight is distributed nearly equally to either side of said center-line; at least one propeller mounted to a propeller barrel that is rotatably mounted to said vehicle's frame at the junction where said frame's front part fixedly connects to said frame's rear part; an engine mounted to the rear part of said frame, wherein said engine powers said propeller in said flight mode; a cockpit fixedly mounted to the front part of said frame, said cockpit comprising means for controlling said vehicle; at least one aircraft lift means comprising: at least one rotor that is rotatably mounted to said frame when said vehicle is in said flight mode; a front wheel steerably and rotatably mounted to the front part of said frame along the said vehicle's center-line; and a rear wheel that is is rotatably mounted to the rear part of said frame along said vehicle's center-line and is powered by said engine in said motorcycle mode.
2. The vehicle as in claim 1; wherein said vehicle has side wheels retractably and rotatably mounted to said frame and said side wheels act as landing gear in said flight mode and prevent said vehicle from tipping over at low speeds in said motorcycle mode.
3. The vehicle as in claim 1; wherein: said cockpit is enclosed in a monocoque shell that is attached to or incorporates the front part of said frame and said engine is enclosed in a monocoque shell that is attached to or incorporates the rear part of said frame.
4. The vehicle as in claim 1; wherein said vehicle is also a water craft having a water mode and a means of aquatic propulsion and one or more flotation means attached to said frame.
5. The vehicle as in claim 1; wherein said rotor comprises removable rotor blades that are stowable along the sides of said vehicle when said vehicle is not in said flight mode.
6. The vehicle as in claim 1; wherein said rotor comprises foldable rotor blades that are folded when said vehicle is not in said flight mode.
7. The vehicle as in claim 1; wherein said rotor comprises extendable rotor blades that are retracted when said vehicle is not in said flight mode.
8. The vehicle as in claim 1; wherein said propeller comprises foldable propeller blades that are folded when said vehicle is not in said flight mode.
9. The vehicle as in claim 1; wherein said engine powers said rotor to provide for shortened or vertical takeoff.
10. The vehicle as in claim 1; wherein an external power source connects to an external coupling mounted to said rotor and powers said rotor to provide for shortened or vertical takeoff.
11. The vehicle as in claim 1; wherein at least one rudder and at least one horizontal stabilizer are affixed to the rear part of said frame.
12. The vehicle as in claim 1; wherein said engine is adjustably mounted to the rear part of said frame so that said engine can be raised and lowered vertically relative to the rear part of said frame, thereby switching the supply of mechanical power back and forth from said propeller to said rear wheel by slackening and loosing one or more drive belts or meshing and unmeshing gears.
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