'Personal Air Vehicle' Under Development Refining Flight Control System

A new "Personal Air Vehicle" (PAV) being developed by Wichita Falls, TX-based Carter Aviation Technologies (Carter) has completed its first milestone in flight-testing. The PAV is Carter's second generation, proof-of-concept aircraft set to demonstrate their revolutionary SR/CTM technology - a combination of rotorcraft and fixed-wing aerodynamics. The milestone flight designation is outlined in an economic development incentive agreement that Carter has with the city of Wichita Falls. Completion of a 30-minute flight constitutes the first, flight-based milestone of eight funding milestones under the agreement. On January 5, 2011 the PAV completed a 36-minute flight while testing the installation of new sensors on the aircraft.

Carter PAV

"Our first aircraft proved the viability of our technology. This aircraft translates that technology into a viable consumer product," said company president Jay Carter Jr. in announcing the flight. "Each of these milestones moves us one step closer to our final goal by providing the funding to refine our technology for commercialization."

The PAV incorporates several significant advances developed during the testing of Carter's original proof-of-concept aircraft. Most systems have been automated with new computer controls, greatly reducing the pilot workload. Test pilot, Larry Neal, sums it up with a simple statement after completing the 36-minute flight, "This aircraft is unbelievably fun to fly."

The PAV is completing Phase I of its flight-test regimen which refines the flight control systems of the gyro performance segment including the vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) capability of the PAV. For Phase II of the test plan Carter will add the 45-foot wing section to the aircraft and begin flight-tests to refine the Slowed Rotor/Compound flight aspects that define their SR/CTM technology.

FMI: www.CarterAviationTechnologies.com