Brief Technical Overview
| Vehicles known as "Flying Jeeps" that looked very much like X-Hawk were built and flown by the Piasecki Company and the U.S. Army and Navy in the early 60's. These vehicles proved the basic viability of a ducted, dual-fan configuration but had limitations in controllability and payload capacity that had no technological solutions at the time. |  The Piasecki Flying Jeep (VZ-8) |
Since the 60's, computerized flight control technology known as "fly-by-wire" has evolved to a level where aircraft ranging from jumbo passenger jets, to fighter jets and helicopters are largely controlled by on-board computers that simplify the complexity of piloting aircraft. In addition, "fly-by-wire" technology significantly reduces the weight of aircraft by replacing heavy mechanics with electronic controls.
Technological advances that have contributed to "upgrading" the flying jeep concept include advanced composite materials that make this aircraft lighter and stronger, and modern turbine engines that are significantly lighter and more powerful than those available in the 60's.
 Vane Control System (U.S. Patent #6,464,166) |
In addition to incorporating all of these technologies, X-Hawk is equipped with UrbanAero's unique, patented vane control system (U.S Patent #6,464,166 with worldwide patents pending). This vane control system, which is comprised of a cascade of vanes at the inlet of the duct and a cascade at the outlet, gives this aircraft unique maneuverability options. The vane cascades--each situated equidistant from the aircraft's center of gravity--generate pure lateral forces that allow the aircraft to move sideways without the need to roll. Never before has an aerial vehicle been capable of completely separating its translational movement (forward, backward and side to side) from its angular motion (roll, pitch and yaw). Additionally, the vane system generates control power significantly greater than what this aircraft requires for simple maneuverability. This excess of control power is what we believe will enable the X-Hawk to remain stable in spite of rapid load shifts (i.e. people jumping in or out while the aircraft hovers) or strong wind gusts that are typical of urban environments. Finally, the vane control system replaces the need for extremely complicated and expensive cyclic rotorheads. This significantly reduces both the purchase and maintainance cost of this aircraft. |
The vane system which enables X-Hawk to maneuver laterally without the need to roll, is essential when the mission necessitates hovering directly in contact with the side of a building or at other locations. (For a more detailed explanation of how the vanes function, please visit our Film and Downloads page and download the Technical Document).
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