Trek Aerospace SoloTrek XFVC (concept design)

SoloTrek XFVC one passenger VTOL concept design personal flying device

(Image credit: Trek Aerospace)

SoloTrek XFVC (concept design)
Trek Aerospace, Inc.
Folsom, California, USA
www.trekaero.com

Trek Aerospace, Inc. is a small engineering company based in Folsom, California, USA. Founded on March 18, 1996 as “Millennium Jet, Inc.”, the company changed their name to Trek Aerospace on July 3, 2002 because people thought the company was building jets. To clarify, SoloTrek was a name for certain models of Trek Aerospace's aircraft. SoloTrek was never the name of the company. The company is dedicated to understanding and improving shrouded propeller performance and efficiency. In the process, they developed their own proprietary CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) software, TASPA (Trek Aerospace Shrouded Propeller Analysis).

The company has stated all of their aircraft designs are very flexible when it comes to scalability, electric motors used, propeller types and the type of power source used. That is, all previous conventionally powered aircraft the company has created can be converted to eVTOL aircraft and can be updated with the latest in avionics, electronics, propellers and electric (all batteries or hybrid-electric) power sources. All of the company's aircraft have been designed for advanced air mobility (AAM).

The company has designed and made multiple vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft including its exoskeleton backpack "helicopters" using shrouded propellers in the airframe design. Some articles refer to the exoskeleton backpack helicopter as a jetpack, even though there are no jet engines involved in the backpack aircraft. The company has also designed and made watercraft. Trek Aerospace also assists and teams with other companies, large and small, in the design, fabrication, and licensing of projects involving shrouded propellers and/or autonomous control systems. For example, Trek Aerospace built XTI Aircraft Company's TriFan subscale proof of concept (POC) aircraft.

Trek Aerospace Shrouded Propeller Analysis
Testing at NASA and university wind tunnels has validated the accuracy of the Trek Aerospace Shrouded Propeller Analysis (TASPA). Flight testing of both crewed and uncrewed vehicles has further verified the real-world applications of Trek’s technology. The company states their core technology has the highest specific thrust (lb/kW) in the industry. Aircraft designed by Trek define the efficiency curve used in the UBER Elevate white paper.

This efficiency allows aircraft to carry more weight in a smaller footprint. According to the company, their shrouded propellers require less power, use fewer batteries, have a greater payload and have a farther range than other battery powered aircraft. Furthermore, the company states their shrouded propellers have outperformed similar free propellers to airspeeds in excess of 230 mph (371 km/h), negating much of the drag penalty associated with ducted propellers.

SoloTrek XFVC one passenger VTOL concept design backpack helicopter aircraft
The SoloTrek XFVC (Exoskeleton Flying Vehicle - Civilian) is a one passenger VTOL concept design backpack "helicopter" aircraft. The original concept design was to be powered by a rotary engine and had drive shafts and gear boxes to turn the ducted variable-pitch propellers. However, the company has stated this aircraft could be converted to an all electric eVTOL or a hybrid-electric VTOL aircraft.

The original estimated top speed of the backpack aircraft is 113 mph (180 kph) with a range of 184 miles (295 km). The empty weight of the aircraft was estimated at 375 lb (170 km) and would be able to carry an anticipated payload of 358 lb (162 km). The maximum take off weight of the aircraft was originally calculated to be 834 lb (378 km). Two counter-rotating ducted variable-pitch propellers are located at the top of the fuselage on either side of the pilot which were originally to be powered by a 118 hp rotary engine. Counter-rotating propellers eliminates the torque of the variable-pitch blades.

The pilot's controls are two joysticks, one joystick is for direction and the other joystick to gain or lower the altitude. The aircraft would be controlled by a fly-by-wire computer system that can tilt each fan individually to control pitch and yaw.

Some of the safety features include shoulder straps and a waist strap to secure the pilot to the fuselage. Two foot rests are located on the aircraft's fixed strut-type landing gear. There is an emergency ballistic whole aircraft parachute that is fitted at the top of the airframe between the two ducted fans.

The SoloTrek XFV was first flown on December 18, 2001 when the company was called Millennium Jet Inc. The concept design was never made into a prototype aircraft.

Specifications:

Aircraft type: One person VTOL, eVTOL or hybrid-electric VTOL concept design backpack aircraft
Piloting: 1 pilot
Cruise speed: 113 mph (180 kp/h)
Range: 184 miles (295 km)
Flight Time: 2 hours
Empty weight: 375 lb (170 km)
Maximum payload: 358 lb (162 km)
Maximum takeoff weight: 834 lb (378 km)
Propellers: 2 ducted variable-pitch propellers
Electric Motors: 2 electric motors
Power source: Conventional power source, or all electric power source or a hybrid-electric power source
Fuselage: Carbon fiber composite
Landing gear: Fixed strut-type landing gear
Safety feature: Emergency ballistic parachute