Nasa Puffin: One Cool Personal Aircraft

I must apologize as I usually try to keep this blog full of RC Heli stuff as I am personally into RC for the thrill of flying and help keep the little engineer in me happy, but I could not resist sharing NASA’s just unveiled Puffin aircraft design.

What's cooler than a hover-capable, electric-powered, super-quiet personal VTOL (vertical takeoff and landing) aircraft? If you answered "absolutely nothing," then check this out, because NASA is preparing to oblige you.

The Puffin is something of a personal V-22 Osprey, complete with vertical-takeoff and landing capability (but minus the squad of Marines). But rather than tilting the rotors forward for horizontal flight, the whole craft -- cockpit and all -- pitches forward, meaning the pilot flies from a prone position. During takeoff and landing the tail splits into four legs that serve as landing gear, and flaps on the wings deploy to keep the aircraft stable as it lifts and descends.

It's 12-foot height and 13.5-foot wingspan mean it's big, but of manageable stature. In theory it can cruise at 150 miles per hour and sprint at more like 300 miles per hour.

When the first production vehicle going to be released? Only God and NASA really knows. I just hope something like this makes it to production before I am too old to use it. ;-)