This is pretty good, but also very silly, kind of ly a flying Segwey. Theoretically, flying higher would be safer, as the spinning blades should allow for a controlled plummet in the event of engine failure.

I wonder what the maximum forward speed is.

Anyone else humming the inspector gadget music here?

Pretty amazing but seems kinda difficult to control, definitely interested in the top speed though......any ideas??

@CURTISWALKER
Unfortunately, a motor that small won't allow for this machine to "auto-rotate" safely to the ground in the event of engine failure. It would need an array of planetary gears to allow the rotors enough momentum to slowly wind down. You would definitely drop like a stone. Splat!!! ;)

Moxxnizz, autorotation has nothing to do with the size of the rotor, (what you meant to type right?), even the space shuttle can glide which is the fixed wing comparison. This thing looks like fun but I still want my personal jet pack like the one in James Bond film Thunderball (over FORTY years ago!) - that idea worked too but never 'got off the ground' in all these years.

Looks pretty good, if needing a blade guard, but it apparently works OK. I know that there is a regulation in the US prohibiting any non-licensed aircraft from going above 10 feet. I had seen an article in Popular Science magazine as a kit where a guy had developed a personal aircraft that looked a bit flying saucer-ish, using a similar turbo prop inside the body of the craft instead of outside like a helicopter, but he could not get approved by the FAA, and couldn't take his craft above 10 feet. Supposedly his would have gone to about 5000 feet.

I'm not sure I would be willing to put my noggin that close to 2 spinning blades going at that speed w/o some sort of canopy between them and I.

Auto-rotate would not be possible with this craft. It has counter-rotating, fixed-pitch blades. The collective in a helicopter allows the blades to turn on the way down without lift to maintain energy. Then, about 10-20 feet from the ground, blade pitch is changed to slow decent. With counter-rotating blades, engine rpm determines the amount of lift.
FAA regs state that any machine weighing less than 254 lbs. may be flown without a license or registration. Altitude limit is 17,999 feet. This machine has been around for at least 4 years. I believe it weighs either 89 or 139 lbs. It was invented by a man from Japan. There were plans to attach a ballistic parachute to the top of the mast, but I never heard the outcome of that.

Anyone ever heard of ultralight aircraft? They require no license of any kind.

hell that looks like fun i would get one just for a laugh,be easier cutting the top of high hedges with that.anyone know if theres plans going around

Tymlaird : "I know that there is a regulation in the US prohibiting any non-licensed aircraft from going above 10 feet."

You'll be happy to know that this only applies if the weight of the unmanned craft is in excess of somewhere around 400lbs. Above that weight, licensure and air traffic control are issues, and ... it just isn't any fun anymore.

You can fly as high as you damned well please in a 200lb aircraft (in the US at least).

This isn't real flying. It's ground effect.

If you push air against the ground to make yourself go up, you don't need a lot of force.

If you push air against other air to make yourself go up, you need a good deal more force. The reason he's flying so low in the video is that he can't get higher.

THIS WAS INVENTED IN GERMANY BECAUSE AMERICANS ARE TOO FAT AND NEED A SKYCRANE.

I would imagine that ear protection would be a requirement when flying this thing. Otherwise, the noise from the engine would eventually cause some serious hearing loss.

dude its like a scientific brake through

I am 58 years old,and would love more info about how to build one! older,wiser or older and crazyer?

The is the opening of the floodgate of personal commuter aircraft......How long after the wright bro's first flight did aircraft pop up all over?