is it a bird is it a plane No, it's a car

Look at the sky: Dr. Rafi Yoeli's flying car will soon pass there. After two years of working in the living room of his apartment in Tel Aviv, he is ready to launch the "City Hawk", a personal urban aircraft. No, this is not a joke either

 
 By: Anat Balint, Haaretz * 
 
 
 
Photo: Nir Kafri
Rafi Yoeli with the "City Hawk". I have wanted to take off vertically for as long as I can remember
Children playing in the Dubnov garden in central Tel Aviv should be supervised
Keep your eyes peeled for the next few weeks and follow what is happening above their heads.
They may witness a rare spectacle based in the apartment on the second floor
of a building next to the garden, an apartment whose large window and its iron railing had been removed
removed, so that the living room space remains visible to all. If all goes well
A vehicle the size of a car will slide out of the apartment, on a special ramp
small, with four wheels, except that on both sides there are compartments for two pilots,
Just like in a fighter plane. There are two circles in the front and back
large, covered with a system of wings that reminds a little of the "thrissols"
The sellers, and the whole body is smooth, without wings or a propeller, and its color
Greenish-mint. Next to the vessel, a giant toy supplier, a jeep supplier from another planet,
A man will stand not tall and thin, bald with round glasses, and his face will express
Great excitement mixed with worry. If a boy is found brave enough to dare to approach
the man and ask him "what is this?" He will answer him with a smile: "This? It's a car
flying".

Yueli in "City Hawk". Need to do meaningful things
The expected retrieval of the flying car from the house on Dubnov Street, on its way
For the experimental site, it is a landmark in what has been a project in recent years
The life of Dr. Rafi Yoali. She indicates the completion of the construction of the model
The technology of the car, known as "City Hawk",
and taking it to the first flight tests. This is a dramatic step in the long road ahead
is expected of Yoali, until he manages to prove that his occupation in the development of the car
The flying is not a hallucination of a developmentally delayed adult, but a project
A technology that has a chance to go down in the history of aviation.

It would be easy to classify Yoeli, 51, as a crazy inventor, if he didn't possess
On a respected list of credits in the field of aeronautical engineering. He started the
He started his career at the Faculty of Aeronautical Engineering at the Technion and worked for many years
in the aerospace industry in the development of new aircraft. Among other things, he was involved in development
Parts of the Helia plane and in the development of drones and executive planes. At the end of the years
The 70th went to Seattle for two years, where he worked for the Boeing company in a pioneering field
At the same time - the development of composite materials, light and very hard, which are used
For building body parts of many modern aircraft, including ships
space. After the death of the Halvea project he returned to the Technion and in his doctoral thesis,
who dealt with artificial intelligence, studied the computer's ability to imitate decision processes
Human.

The aviation craze has accompanied him since he was a child and his son is an aviator. He was in the army
Arrives at the airport in Herzliya at any free time to receive the flight lessons
His first in civil aviation. Since then he has flown almost every possible aircraft -
Light aircraft, helicopters, air gliders, paragliders and gliders. in '89
Founded with a partner, Israel Gutesman, the AD&D company located in the park
the industrial in Rehovot and specializes in the development of aviation solutions and prototypes
for aircraft for military and civilian bodies. The company provides solutions
When ordering external entities, such as a facility for washing high voltage lines from
The air for an electricity company, and also initiates its own projects, according to my needs
The market, such as an unmanned vessel (still under development). Setting up a company
His own made it possible for Yeoli to come closer to realizing his life's dream: developing a car
A flying machine that will finally become a personal means of transportation, easy to drive, capable of flying
at a low altitude within the city and take off and land vertically, without a runway
the mirror.

"I've been thinking about these tools obsessively for many years," he said
says "I've wanted to take off vertically for as long as I can remember. That's basically it
Everyone's dream, right? Every child dreams of this car waiting for him next door
the house and he enters it and takes off. You see it in movies and read about it
in the books".

The first steps towards realizing his flying vision were made back in AD&D
When he developed the ","Hummingbird a one-person hovering platform
above the ground. He formally promoted the project to the aviation market
The sportswoman, "because I had the feeling that there was enough of the existing tools,
Air gliders, paragliders, etc., and people are looking for something new." But
that in fact "Hummingbird" was just a warm-up for the real thing,
the car, and allowed him to develop and initially test the systems
which prove the technological feasibility of the mirror vertically and floating above the surface
the ground. He managed to reach the stage of experiments, which he carried out himself and floated a few
meters above the ground, but in the meantime the project was frozen due to lack of budget
And the model he built lands in the company's warehouse.

Two years ago he decided the time had come to realize his dream. He announced
To his partner and employees that he is leaving the job in the company as a manager, an initiator
projects and engineer and remains in the status of co-owner only. "I found myself
Runs the company full time, but misses the creative work. I felt
which the size of the company and its need to continue to exist do not allow to do
The kind of bold move I aspired to make. This is a private company that is limited in capacity
Its to take a risk and break forward. I decided not to risk the workplace
of 25 people and I took the risk on myself. I wanted to devote myself to work on
The project to eventually come up with a product that meets all the standards, is possible
For sale in the civilian market and that it will make a very big revolution in the field of aviation."

His place of work for the past year and a half is the living room of the apartment where he lived until then
Recently with his son. "I informed my son that the salon was canceled and I heard he would host you
The friends in the room. I promised that the living room will be back soon." On the ceramic floor he is
Spread out the tools and the various parts and start building the "Cityhawk"
The first from scratch. In the meantime he remarried and moved to another apartment and his son enlisted
to the army Anyone who enters the apartment today will find a television and a seating system
Weird green colored vehicle salon.
"In our fantasy we want to develop what we see in 'The Fifth Element'
and in 'Blade Runner'. You see cars there that take off vertically and fly inside
city, but no technological explanation is given in the film. These tools probably
Flying on secret electric powder. Today there is no practical ability to do what
that are shown there, but this is the tool we want to make a reality."

Maximum profit, minimum price

The term "flying car" (flying car) was not driven by me for the first time
Yoali and he is also not the first to try to implement it. the flying car
Belongs to a family of aircraft called VTOL (take off
and landing vertical), meaning aircraft capable of taking off
and land vertically, without a runway. The helicopter also belongs to the same family
And so are personal rockets, of the kind seen at the Los Angeles Olympics in
1984 (and also in the movie "On Her Majesty's Service" by James Bond), the abilities
To bring a single person to levitate above the ground for a short time, about 20 seconds, up to
that the fuel in the tank runs out.

The essential difference between a helicopter and a flying car is the ability to be a tool
Aviation is equal to every soul. The helicopter remains, even today, limited in its capabilities,
Because its upper propeller (the main rotor) and the rear one (rotor
the tail) are exposed, and do not allow him to land anywhere and move freely
In narrow passages, in densely populated areas and at low altitudes. accidents
Many are caused by the propellers hitting trees or high voltage lines at the time
the flight, and because people do not notice the fast action of the propellers
Ascending and descending from the helicopter. The flying car, however, is intended
To be a small means of transport to be transported in an urban area, without wings and without
Propellers are exposed so that "even if, in the worst case", Yoeli promises, "it
Crawling in some corner of a building nothing bad will happen, not to the building
And certainly not for the car."

The first attempts to build a modern flying car began in
The 50th in the USA funded by NASA and the US Army, along with development
the helicopter The Piaski company built three models of the neighborhood "Jeeps
flying"; two of them even showed success in the flight tests. But the needs
The military tipped the scales in favor of the helicopter, while the idea of ​​developing a tool
A vehicle takes off vertically, without an exposed propeller, almost completely abandoned. Yoali:
"It was the time of the Vietnam War, and the helicopter proved to be a good aircraft
for military missions in open areas and became the focus of development.
It was then tried for the first time on the battlefield and was considered a revolution, and that seems to be enough
Definitely for that time. The investment in development was influenced by the military needs, as
which happened in many other cases". It should also be remembered that these were the times
others and in a different reality, he comments.

"Overcrowding in the cities was low, there were no problems of terrorism, and apparently
Technologically, there were no advanced materials as we have today. There was no
Electronics and flight control systems that exist today and make it possible to build a tool
It should be easy for ordinary people to operate. A lot has been done in the field of VTOL
Experiments with helicopters and a few attempts to develop aviation vehicles are sure to be there
for general use. We are now trying to close the gap. somebody needs
Take the research reports funded by NASA in the 50s and shake them off
The dust, read them and understand what gaps need to be closed between what was done then
and the technology that exists today. That's what I'm trying to do." experience
Later it was done by the Hiller company, also with the assistance of NASA and the army
the American, but also these personal drones, similar to the "Hummingbird"
of Yoali, which showed success in first flight tests, remained as technology
experimental and finally abandoned.

Ham Yueli discovered new aerodynamic principles that allow him
Accomplish today what failed in the past? Definitely not. Although he submitted three
Applications for registering a patent for its development (for the general concept and for two
specific systems in the vessel), the main development is based on the classical principles
of aerodynamics, while utilizing control and control systems
advances and the use of composite materials to build many parts of the body of the vessel.
Yoali does not pretend to reinvent the plane or the principles of aviation,
but tries to exhaust the current knowledge in the development of aviation tools to create
New application. "In designing a tool like this, every step has profit and loss. I try
To find the ideal balance, with very sophisticated and efficient engineering, that will bring
For maximum profit in the capabilities of the tool with minimum payment in other capabilities
his".

for example?

"For example, a helicopter has a very large main rotor, which is what makes it possible to carry a load
Big with a relatively small energy investment. As you reduce your arms
The rotor, the ability to generate thrust that will make it rise above the ground
small Therefore, if someone claims to produce a vertical takeoff vehicle with a rotor
Let it be so small that it enters the body of the vessel - it is in serious trouble. he
You need to generate enough lifting force to be able to carry the vessel and what is inside it.
The matter of the weight of the tool in relation to the size of the rotor becomes, therefore,
Critical, and it is also necessary to use highly efficient motors
Very energy efficient. If you want to pick up two people with enough fuel
For an hour of flight in a small craft, you have to put in a lot of effort and use advanced engineering
To achieve high efficiency - maximum weight that receives lift from a small propeller
With the help of very efficient engines. That's what I'm trying to do with the Cityhawk,
And so I made every effort to make his body underweight
most".

The Cityhawk does excel in low weight, only 550 kg including two passengers
and a full fuel tank, the weight is less than the weight of a small car (about 800 kg)
and similar to that of light aircraft. But the matter of weight was only the first
In the series of problems that Yoali is required to solve during construction. he should have
to engineer an aircraft that will be stable in the air despite its small dimensions; will contain
inside it the rotors that create the lifting force; will allow continued flight
safe in case one of the engines stops working; and will have a control system
which allows the vehicle to be maneuvered in the air accurately and without any difficulty. "nothing
Here is a big secret, but many small secrets that concern the bringing of
Existing technologies for maximum efficiency and their suitability for execution
The tasks I assign to this tool."

For example, he placed the propellers ("these are actually 'fans'") in the front part
and the rear of the vessel and both are driven by four engines, two
in front and two in the back. In the event that one of the engines stops working, it will be able to
The Cityhawk continues to fly with only three engines.

The control and steering system of the tool is particularly interesting, and he submitted one
from the patent applications. Above the fans that give the Cityhawk lift and make it possible
In order to hover, he created a system of wings, about 300 in number (the ones that mention
the "thrisols"), which are connected to the axis and controlled by the pilot using
A "fly by wire" system, i.e. not by connecting
mechanical of cables and rods, but through a computerized system that translates the operation
The pilot for the movement of the instrument helmsman. The wings are what enable the driver
Maneuver the tool to the right and left and tilt it to the sides. the drive of the vehicle
Forward is done as it is done in a helicopter - raising the tail while tilting
The forward lift force to create thrust in the desired direction of flight.

Despite the simplicity of the idea, this is not, of course, a simple system. The control of the tool
It is largely computerized, and relies on advanced control and control systems
in which familiar aircraft were used, for example F-16. The final result -
If the first flight attempts go well - it will be a size aircraft
A car with 300 horse power (three times that of a normal vehicle), capable of taking off
From the place, rise up to a height of two kilometers, fly at a speed of
More than 100 km/h with two passengers and a fuel tank sufficient for an hour, and to hover
in place for a long time in urban and dense terrain with the ability to maneuver in tight spaces.

But proof of the Cityhawk's ability to lift off and fly safely will be,
As far as Yoeli is concerned, only a first victory. After proving that the idea is possible
technologically and will arouse the enthusiasm of sufficiently large investors, he
plans to take off on the development of his dream vehicle, which bears the name
"Turbohawk". The main difference between him and the Cityhawk will be his ability
carry seven passengers instead of two. When it comes to a flying car, the ability
Carrying seven passengers successfully will be the real breakthrough.

He sees the Turbohawk as a vehicle that will serve, in the first instance, rescue forces of
army and police. "After the twin attack you could see dozens of helicopters
hovering above the disaster area, but none of them could descend
of the towers or approach the buildings. This is exactly the example that illustrates the
The limitations of helicopters and the need for a flying rescue vehicle that is able to move
freely within the city. Since September 11 the focus of the business community
And also the US government's rescue tool sharpened. The need for an efficient and quick tool
Rescue and rescue missions are needed all over the world, and here it is also possible
to meet the needs of the fight against terrorism. There are many densely populated areas
that entry and exit from them in hits can be easily made possible by using
in such a tool. This will make it possible to take care of terrorist hot spots and leave the place
quickly while avoiding harming innocents and risking people's lives
security forces".

But the introduction of the turbohawk is still a long way off. He is currently busy finishing the installation of everything
The computerized systems on the Cityhawk in preparation for its first tests,
on a website that he keeps secret. "95% of the work on the Cityhawk already
Completed and I am currently busy fitting the last wings to the instrument.
The test process in the field will continue for a few more months before we get to the actual flight,
And of course there will be glitches along the way. It is a very complex tool - it has four
Different systems of electricity, four different systems of fuel, for each system
There is a backup system for safety purposes, and all of this will have to be tested
on the ground before we even try to take off. When everything works flawlessly,
Let's start floating. Initially, the tool will be tied to a safety cable, to prevent
His escape, and when I have enough confidence, I will start free flights."

How much do you risk yourself as a test pilot?

"Anything new has a risk, but I must say that in the 12 years
Recently I have been developing new manned and unmanned aviation vehicles,
And in terms of taking risks in the first stages of the experiment, I am quite
conservative. You can definitely get into trouble with this tool, get into dangerous situations.
The trick is to do it in stages. Don't start one step until the next
Not tried and successfully paid."

positive crazy

Towards the beginning of the trials of the Cityhawk Yoeli brought in a first partner
For the project, Ari Gutesman, 31 years old, who deals with the establishment and development of companies
Start-up and was one of the founders of the start-up company Nomad IQ, which developed a system
Location-based tracking services for cell phones and sold
to the American company Omnisky for 40 million dollars. Gottesman is in charge
Now about the business development of the Cityhawk.

Up until now Yoeli has financed all the work out of his own pocket, in the amount of about one million dollars,
And only now is he turning to recruiting more investors. "This is a huge financial investment
And I'm not a rich man, but I decided it should be done sometime. this
my life's work I put a lot into it, but I tried not to get into it
into huge debts because of this."

A shot of encouragement came recently from the American company LogoVTOL which represents
The project in front of the US Ministry of Defense. "The US Department of Defense received
Since September 11, there has been a flood of different proposals for tools for warfare
in terror We contacted them earlier, but it will be a few more months
Until we get an official answer. The last report I received from the people who represent
It was me in front of them that they liked."

The Cityhawk arouses interest among professionals as well (see frame). Yet
It is clear to Yoeli that, along with the professional respect that is pouring in for him, some of his colleagues
Surely they think - positively - that he is a little crazy. "I'm crazy
And obsessive, I know. It's not acceptable to do things like that, of course not
Today. People laugh when they hear what I do. They tell me it's over
The era of the Wright brothers, and it is true. In this respect I am quite unusual. I am
I take on a serious task and take a high risk. I certainly don't
Completely sane, but at least I do it professionally."

What drives the obsession?

"I have a desire that exists in many engineers, a deep need to do things
Significant, new, difficult. I take my profession very seriously.
I am not a person who gets up in the morning, goes to routine work and comes back from it in the evening to
He will have free time for other things. You can't separate me from
My work, that's one thing." *

The competitor

Yoeli may be "crazy", but not a lonely lunatic. There are other people
And companies in the world that are engaged in the development of tools are taking off vertically. his competitor
The most serious is Dr. Paul Muller, a Canadian engineer who loves California
and has been engaged in realizing the vision of the flying car for almost 40 years. Like Yoali
Müller also dreams from his childhood about developing an aircraft that will be able to imitate the
The flight of the hummingbird, capable of hovering in place for a long time. as a teenager
He built a racing car, then he built a helicopter himself and from '64 he devoted himself
for the realization of the flying car project through the company he founded,
Moller Internatioanal in which he has already invested millions of dollars in construction
Different models and development of special systems. Its latest model is called M400
and looks like a racing car with four big propellers attached to it,
two on each side.

Muller is also now in the final stages of development, before the flight tests
the first ones "I appreciate Muller," Yoali says, "he is a serious man
And a good engineer and we share the same dream. It is in very advanced stages
And it is possible that he will be able to fly his instrument in front of us, but it is not certain that he will
will be technologically successful in the end. Muller sets a high bar for the tool's capabilities
And that will get him in trouble, I think. He, for example, claims a flight speed of
300 km/h. That's much faster than our tool. Other than that, the focus
Ours is different. His tool does not have the same toughness and ability to answer
Safety standards I plan for mine. He focuses on motivating people
And I designate my tool for police and military rescue and rescue missions."

From a slightly different direction, the company SoloTrek of the American Michael Moshier is developing
A personal hovering device that works with two propellers and should allow
to carry him on his back to float in the air for an hour. Yoali: "They are very proud
in their product, but in my opinion they are not serious. It's a project that gets a lot
Advertising and public relations, but unlike Muller, the company has no knowledge and experience
provide To me, this is more of a gimmick than a serious development. The coming year will be
Muller's and my year. One of us will get there first."
 *The knowledge website was during this period part of the IOL portal from the Haaretz group