The Jetpod gives vision to the future of flight

The Jetpod is a Very Quiet Short Take-Off and Landing (VQSTOL) light twin-jet aircraft, can cruise at 300 knots (350 mph, 550 kmh) and requires just 125 metres to take-off or land using a combination of horizontal and vertical thrust. The Jetpod takes off then reconfigures from a VQSTOL jet and into a fast-jet in few seconds, then accelerates to 350 mph in just a few seconds more. If the Jetpod due for flight testing in 16 months, it will be a significant advancement in aircraft design. The aircraft will sell for less than US$1,000,000 and might be available to the military as early as 2009. Certification of the civil passenger version will be 4-5 years from first application, which is not planned for at least another 16 months - the time scheduled to complete the building of the first proof-of-concept. The flight trial phase will follow.

In addition to being nimble and quiet, the Jetpod is also big - it has a wide-bodied fuselage with a high cabin ceiling and wide rear clamshell doors with a walk/run-in foot-ramp.

There are extra-large passenger windows for viewing and increased ambient light.

There's room for eight people including the pilot. The cabin height is 1.82 metres throughout, and the cabin width of 1.55m also extends throughout.

Though the Jetpod seems ideal for a host of medium range door-to-door trips, commercial and private are likely to come behind a long queue of army, navy, police, emergency, rescue, ambulance and coast guard keen to make use of its unique capabilities, namely very fast point-to-point times over medium distances.

The biggest hurdle to overcome for an inner-city commuer taxi is noise - UK-based Jetpod developer Avcen's silencing technologies for the jet engines are the key to the Jetpod. The company claims that it will not be heard above the routine noise of street traffic.

Avcen claims its noise attenuation technologies will reduce the noise output of any existing engine manufacturer's relevant sized 3500 lb thrust jet engine by up to two recognised Stages or Chapters of jet noise, enabling jet noise to be reduced by as much as 50%.

The company believes its "in-house developed technologies are capable of going much further toward eradicating jet noise altogether."

Private & Commercial Use

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