M-Prop is a new concept.

Here it is. On the left, you can see it in the vertical position used for taking of and landing, and on the right in the horizontal position used for cruising.

 

It which came out while watching a ConvairXFY Pogo( visible on Wikipedia), a plane that was designed in the early fifties!

The POGO name comes from "pogo-stick" funny gear illustrated on the right. A video of this aircraft, the Convair POGO, is visible on YouTube.

The main advantages

  1. Higher efficiency
    It enables to switch between two modes:
    • Helicopter mode : it takes off and land like a helicopter, with even smaller propeller blades (because they are used only for take off and landing, and because there are two of them)
    • Airplane mode : it’s a real airplane with all the advantages of a high lift to drag ratio, making it possible to fly over long distances at high speed, which is not possible with a helicopter

  2. Versatility:
    It can take off and land vertically on land, but also on water, which adds considerable security to the supply of oil platforms.
     
  3. Security
    In case of engine failure, a helicopter has to land where the failure happened, while this type of plane may glide until it finds an appropriate place, open a parachute housed in the cap of the aircraft and land safely.
     
  4. Simplicity and low manufacturing and maintenance costs
    This is certainly a difference with helicopters which shall have a strong effect on the market share of these aircrafts.

We are convinced that the M-PROP concept, proven by the POGO story, is now the right solution to replace most helicopters.

This new concept enables to switch modes from vertical takeoff like a helicopter to a perfectly smooth flight mode with the high quality propeller of an efficient and economical classical airplane.

The plane can take off and land both on water and on land. It takes off and lands like a helicopter, without any mechanical complication and fragility, but then is as good a plane and may fly very fast!

It may be used to make round trips to oil platforms, where it will be more reasonable and faster than what exists. Another advantage is that, in case of engine failure, it can glide to a suitable landing site, and then open a parachute housed in the cap to land safely.

European legislation has banned flights over cities with single-engine helicopters! This is an important argument for renewing the principle of helicopters that are very expensive to manufacture and to maintain.

On top of that, we bring two important patent pending innovations:

The first difference with the Pogo is the fact that the counter-rotating propellers may be partially or totally retracted in the horizontal flight: one of them may even be completely retracted, while the other goes from a high power configuration with a large diameter and a low pitch, to a high speed configuration with small diameter and a high pitch.

 

To view a short animation, click here.

The second innovation is that we propose to add "canards", because when landing or taking of, these flaps make it easier to pilot the aircraft, as the air flow is maximum close to the propellers.

Our project

Our goal is to find a team that would like to begin with the study of a small drone, which can then lead to toys, to civilian drones (for example for the transfer of organs ) or military applications.

In a second step, we might move also to one-person transportation (a person lying in the fuselage on the belly, flying duck wings with his arms and a tail rudder with his feet) and helicopters for work and transport applications.

The feasibility is acquired

There is indeed no doubt as to the feasibility since the Pogo already existed in real size and has proven its functioning.

The IP should be strong

This technology is pending . The search report leads us to think we will enjoy a very strong IP protection.