portacruise
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Is this design completely autonomous or remote control from a distance, by a remote operator using AI assist?
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"In both documents—'The Table of Prototypes and Models', as well as in 'The Short Explanatory Note', published on the topic, everything you want to understand is explained! Respectfully: Rabah"Is this design completely autonomous or remote control from a distance, by a remote operator using AI assist?
Do not worry about the surface area of the wings—the theoretical area of the trapezoidal wings and their total wingspan are specified in the documents on the topic. But besides the theoretical, there is also an actual area, because the trapezoidal wings are integrated into the ceiling of the fuselage as a common structure, resulting in sufficient lift, which is the basis for calculating all types of speeds indicated in the Table. Where does your concern come from that the aircraft will land at high speed on the water surface? There is no such scenario! On the contrary—first, the location of the victims must be localized, then the floats move completely away from the body of the fuselage to perform a landing as a trimaran floating structure. At the same time, the AI must ensure that the aircraft achieves a static trim by the stern, so that the movable nose of the fuselage can be opened without water entering the hull when loading and unloading operations begin.Hi, it appears to me that the surface area of the wings is small, and it will have to travel at high speeds to stay airborne. Landing near an incident with survivors at high speed could put them in further danger. Could it gain enough speed off of a poor sea state to become airborne, with say 300kg of desperate survivors on board, allowed or not. Stowaways.
Thank you for your detailed and critical feedback. You have pointed out the exact engineering and operational challenges that this design aims to address. Here is how these points relate to the current development of the KASTA 1 project:Here's what I think of your design so far:
1. Amphibious: usefulness limited to specific areas were airports are rare or expensive. Rescue operations by landing on the open sea and embarking surviors are not really feasible with this design, unless it's dead calm and the survivors are fit and uninjured.
2. Electric: at current battery technology the range limits are severe.
3. Blended wing design: good but compromized by the amphibious requirements, you need real testing to see if it translates into any range advantage vs. other designs.
Conclusion: as it stands the aircraft is useful for one thing only: dropping a liferaft onto a marked position (epirb, plb) inside half of its flying time, from coasts that are mountainous or to buildt up to have cheap airstrips. For that your project is to expensive, a simple one way drone with the same range can do the job cheaper.
If you actually want airborne rescue by landing on open water you need a craft equipped with a lifting device and capable of transporting a minimum of three crew plus a motorized inflatable boat. Go on some SAR trainings and see how difficult it is to get an injured person out of the water and into a boat. Maneuvering the seaplane right next to an injured or unconscious person without running him over is only possible if the sea is perfectly flat. Even then lifting such a victim into the aircraft is impossible without a winch and at least one person jumping into the water. This is why the standard operating procedure of rescue by seaplane is to land at a safe distance, launch a boat and drive to collect the victim and back. You can't overcome this limitations by AI, at least not until you make a robot that can do what a rescue swimmer does.
Thank you for the comments, but to clarify right away: KASTA 1 does NOT feature folding wings. It has a rigid, fixed structural design. The assumption about folding wings is entirely incorrect, so any concerns regarding their sturdiness or latch mechanisms do not apply to this craft.My humble thoughts are written within your last post. Sorry, I just don't see the advantage over a small or large helicopter converted to AI, depending on the emergency. But I may be missing something, and would love to be proven wrong, so go for it!
1. Range & Pure Electric Propulsion
2. Amphibious Limitations & Crew Capacity
- The Performance: As shown in the Prototypes and Models Table, the planned range is already calculated based on specific design targets
- The Propulsion: The propulsion will be pure electric. I agree that current battery density is a challenge, but this design looks slightly ahead toward next-generation solid-state battery technology to achieve the numbers in the table for regional SAR operations.
- PC: Battery Range can be lower by 50% of more than calculated at cold temperatures or if fighting a strong headwind at higher power draw (Peukert), Range should be stated as the minimum, not the typical maximum under ideal conditions.
The Mission Profile: The KASTA 1 is a compact platform with a length of 6.80 meters. It is not meant to replace heavy sea flying boats, but to act as a fast, zero-emission first responder.
PC: The design for rescue while storm conditions (which has a high probability to cause and continue to worsen the emergency) are in play does not inspire confidence. Folding wings may not be as sturdy as fixed and for landing/takeoff during strong winds and waves? The medical pro might perish and add to the body count. Waiting until the AI gives clear of weather hazards means help might be too late. Adding an inflatable boat and motor on board means a much larger craft and more battery weight will be needed to keep the same passenger capacity.
- Space Allocation: Due to its dimensions, the current design accommodates exactly 1 medical professional (who arrives with the aircraft) and up to 3 casualties. The AI and automation are meant to assist this small crew with precise piloting and positioning.
- Rescue Equipment: Regarding your excellent point about a motorized inflatable boat: I am actually considering allocating space in the aft (stern) section to fit a compact inflatable boat with a portable outboard motor as part of the standard rescue gear.
3. Blended Wing Body (BWB) vs. Hydrodynamics
PC: Yes, go for it, but I think if one does succeed, it will take a lot more time, energy, and monetary cost.
- The Compromise: Integrating a seaworthy hull into a compact 6.80m BWB shape is indeed the biggest aerodynamic and hydrodynamic challenge of this project. Extensive CFD simulations will be necessary to prove that the aerodynamic lift benefits outweigh the hydrodynamic drag during takeoff and landing.
Of course, the results of the sea trials of the finished, constructed aircraft will be of crucial importance, which will be conducted in a real body of water—a lake or sea—under meteorological conditions close to those allowed by the project and the legal requirements of the country owning the aircraft.
Conclusion & The Drone Comparison
PC: Rescues are already being done with military/ coast guard helicopters (essentially 2 spinning fan blade wings), which come in all sizes and the big ones can hover plus drop one or several rugged rough water motor boats with medics aboard if needed- or use winches in very rough weather to put victims in a large comfortable cabin.
- Why not a drone? A simple drone can drop a liferaft, but it cannot bring a medical professional directly to the scene, nor can it evacuate 3 injured survivors inside a sheltered cabin. This is the exact niche KASTA 1 is trying to fill.
And that's exactly the problem, you are extremely underestimating the practical difficulties of this mission. In theory the person is wearing a life west with multiple lifting points and has his leg straps closed. He's conscious and cooperative and all you have to do is drive the plane to him and extend a hand. The medical professional is going to give him a blanket and a cup of hot chocolate and all is well. You could just as well drop him a raft with a thermos and he waits for the rescue boat.
- but it cannot bring a medical professional directly to the scene, nor can it evacuate 3 injured survivors inside a sheltered cabin. This is the exact niche KASTA 1 is trying to fill.
I present for your consideration the preliminary design of KASTA 1:To address the operational, drainage, and recovery concerns, the KASTA 1 design relies on three strict principles:
The exact sizing of the bilge pumps and autonomous water evacuation systems will be calculated during the detailed engineering phase.
- Operational Limits: The craft will only land within strictly predefined Sea State and wind limits, evaluated prior to touchdown. It is designed for certified tactical operational windows, not extreme survival storms.
- Active Water Recovery: The mission profile strictly incorporates a minimum of two equipped rescue swimmers (Navy SEALs / SAR divers) already on-site. They do not wait inside the aircraft; they secure the victim in the water and transport them directly to the opening bow ramp, transferring them immediately onto the stretchers handled by the medical professional at the front section.
- Bilge Drainage: The V-shaped bottom configuration will be covered by a flat interior wooden floor. We are leaving a functional clearance gap between the floor and the fuselage sides. Any sea spray or water ingress from the bow ramp will immediately drain through these gaps into the bilge area. Furthermore, the wooden decking will be secured with an anti-slip finish to ensure crew safety.
Thank you for this detailed feedback and for sharing these interesting benchmarks. However, the operational concept and design of our KASTA amphibian aircraft already address these concerns through specific technical and tactical solutions:How committed are you to this shape? This looks to me like it puts a lot of flat surface quite close to the water. Taking casualties in through a bow ramp means taking them in at a point that moves a lot relative to the water surface when the craft inevitably pitches. The craft will usually be headed into the waves when you open that ramp, and in even a modest sea state you risk taking a wave crest right through that hatch.
For your requirements, I think you have several alternatives, which should at least serve as benchmarks, so that you can work out whether your proposal actually has a chance of doing better than designs already further along in development.
Roughly ordered from most to least orthodox:
Both Sikorsky and Airbus have designed helicopters with pusher props that would be faster than current designs:
Airbus Helicopters’ Racer is off to a flying start https://www.airbus.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2024-04-airbus-helicopters-racer-is-off-to-a-flying-start
Sikorsky S-97 Raider spins up coaxial rotors on maiden flight https://newatlas.com/sikorsky-s-97-raider-maiden-flight/37716/
The Seaglider looks like it would be very suitable for the use cases you describe, and could have a hatch on the side: REGENT | Viceroy Seaglider https://www.regentcraft.com/seagliders/viceroy
Electric propulsion gives you the option of blowing air over wing and flaps, giving high lift at slow speeds. Searching for more on the Electra 9, I found a remark that the test pilot had taken speed down to 22 knots without stalling. Such a plane might be able to hover by heading slowly enough into the wind when the sea is too rough to touch down. Electra and Surf Air Mobility Complete First Commercial Demonstrations of Ultra Short Aircraft at Virginia Tech ** VIDEO https://electra.aero/news/electra-and-surf-air-mobility-complete-first-commercial-demonstrations-of-ultra-short-aircraft-at-virginia-tech-video
You could combine blown lift with the Seaglider design.
Pterodynamics' Transwing design transitions smoothly from hover to airplane mode. It may be able, like a helicopter, to pick up people while hovering, if it scales up: PteroDynamics | VTOL Transwing UAV Aircraft / Drone https://pterodynamics.com/
Dear members of the Boat Design.net forum,Thank you for this detailed feedback and for sharing these interesting benchmarks. However, the operational concept and design of our KASTA amphibian aircraft already address these concerns through specific technical and tactical solutions:
Benchmark designs like the Racer or Seaglider are impressive, but the KASTA configuration is custom-tailored for these specific tactical and medical evacuation requirements. Thank you again for challenging the design—it helps us prove its viability!
- Operational Limits: The aircraft will strictly land within the limits specified by its longitudinal and transverse stability documentation, which will be a mandatory part of the flight operations manual. It will only land if sea conditions permit.
- Navy Coordination & Safe Boarding: The rescue zone will be managed by pre-deployed Naval forces. While lighter casualties can be evacuated via winches, critically injured survivors will be brought to the aircraft using inflatable motorized dinghies. The KASTA aircraft will land nearby in more sheltered or protected zones to minimize motion.
- Water Ingress & Safety: Transferring injured personnel over the fuselage sides actually carries a much higher risk than using a specialized bow ramp. To handle the inevitable water spray at the bow, our design utilizes a wedge-shaped lower hull underneath the floorboards. Water enters through scuppers near the sides and is continuously evacuated back into the sea via an integrated drainage system.
- Weight & Fleet Management: The aircraft will strictly adhere to maximum allowable payload limits and will never depart overloaded. If a disaster requires more capacity, the rescue teams will deploy multiple KASTA aircraft to the site instead of overloading a single craft.
Best Regards, Rabah