{"id":11590,"date":"2017-09-20T14:13:02","date_gmt":"2017-09-20T21:13:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/cafe.foundation\/blog\/?p=11590"},"modified":"2017-09-20T14:13:02","modified_gmt":"2017-09-20T21:13:02","slug":"hopflyt-channels-the-custer-channel-wing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/cafe.foundation\/blog\/hopflyt-channels-the-custer-channel-wing\/","title":{"rendered":"HopFlyt Channels the Custer Channel Wing"},"content":{"rendered":"

HopFlyt <\/a>is an enthusiastic young organization devoted to renewing the Custer Channel Wing, a lost remnant of attempts to create extremely short takeoff and landing (STOL) airplanes starting over 70 years ago.\u00a0 Their web site explains their primary goal, which includes adding electrically-powered vertical takeoffs and landings to the channel wing\u2019s repertoire. \u201cHopFlyt is an aviation technology startup company [whose] main priority is to develop technology and ultimately build a sustainable electric Vertical Takeoff & Landing (eVTOL) aircraft. The goal of this aircraft is to help you beat the jam of traffic and reduce pollution in major urban centers around the world. We want to change your 2 hours of traffic into a short 20 minutes of flying.\u201d<\/p>\n

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HopFlyt is an electrified extension of Willard Custer’s ideas, with eight semi-circular ducts channeling airflow for enhanced performance<\/p><\/div>\n

Willard Custer\u2019s Frustrated Search for High Lift<\/strong><\/p>\n

Willard Custer designed several approaches to using his unique ducts to channel air around the rotating propeller.\u00a0 These are covered in at least 27 patents granted to him between 1929 and 1974<\/a>.\u00a0 He built and flew three aircraft, CCW 1, CCW 2, and CCW 5 all of which were twin engine, from 1940 into the mid-1950\u2019s.<\/p>\n

Early demonstrations for the military showed his semi-circle wing surrounding a propeller could draw enough air through the \u201cchannel\u201d to pull the airplane off the ground with no forward motion of the airplane (not mentioning the wind speed during the test).\u00a0 A French <\/a>web site devoted to the channel wing describes this test.\u00a0 \u201cWillard decides one day to demonstrate the vertical flight of his device.\u00a0 Attached to a rope stretched between two masts, the machine is indeed rising … naturally, hardly the engines set in motion.\u201d\u00a0 Custer claimed flight at speeds as low as eight to 11 mph with this CCW-2.<\/p>\n