CARTER AUTOGYRO UNVEILED

27 Jul 2009

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Jay Carter and the new four-place Carter PAV autogyro.

THE first prototype of a new range of two and four-place Personal Air Vehicles (PAV) using a combination of autogyro and fixed-wing aircraft technology was unveiled at the EAA AirVenture today (Sunday, 26 July). The Carter PAV is claimed to combine vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) with efficient, high-speed flight.

Company boss Jay Carter told LOOP that the PAV has a two-blade main rotor with 77lb titanium-weighted rotor tips which give tremendous inertia. "We power the main rotor up to about 400rpm, release the pre-rotator clutch, centre the stick and the system automatically selects the right rotor blade pitch for takeoff. It can 'jump takeoff' to 300ft and then transition to forward flight before the rotor blades start to slow down to normal rpm."

The four-place PAV Carter unveiled at the AirVenture will have VTOL capability with speeds up to 140mp at 7500ft with a range of 600 miles. The aircraft will have its first flight later this year, Jay Carter told LOOP. After the first series of flight tests, this aircraft will then have 37 feet of wing extensions added giving total wingspan of 45ft to convert the aircraft to a true gyroplane "with remarkable capabilities". The projected speed is 223mph at 12,500ft with a range of 768 miles while retaining VTOL.

Five flying pre-production aircraft will be built over the next year and these will be used in a worldwide marketing campaign, said Jay Carter. The PAV is expected to appeal in countries where the aviation infrastructure is minimal and the VTOL capabilities will be useful, as well as in more built-up areas.

The Carter PAV will be offered as a kit initially, costing around $350,000, but Carter hopes it will become a factory-built certified aircraft.

A video interview with Jay Carter will be uploaded to LOOP TV soon.

W: www.carteraviationtechnologies.com/pav

 

 

 

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