Here is a short news article with the science correspondent and host of NPR and WKSU, Jeff St Clair. In it he certifies that this ion propelled invention really flies and has attained self-contained ion powered/propelled flight:
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I wanted to add to the title the first heavier that air ion propelled craft to lift its power supply against Earth's gravity. It was exciting to see it go up into the air with nothing above it!
The above footage is a very old HD video of the craft. At about 25 seconds into the video the receiver light can be seen blinking, it's located a few centimeters below the batteries. There are over 30 flight footage videos of prototypes of the craft on this YouTube channel. There is also a 2017 flight shown that lasted almost 2 minutes flying continuously. This series of solely ion propelled heavier than air aircrafts are the first ones to lift their power supplies onboard. They are still the first and only proven solely ion propelled aircrafts with onboard power. This is the most efficient ion thruster and also the most powerful by weight by a large amount.
The craft is called the Self-Contained Ion Powered (propelled) Aircraft, or Ion Propelled Vehicle, United States Patent Numbers 10,119,527 and 11,161,631. The patents since 2014 specifically cover any ion propelled craft that lifts its power supply against Earth's gravity. The patents also cover many methods of increasing the thrust per watt of ion thrusters.
As already alluded to, many earlier versions of this device were also built and tested hanging from postal or hanging scales. This is the first one with legs on the corners, that was not connected to such a scale. In other words, there are no safety tethers above this device, or any other source of lift besides onboard ion propulsion.
Ion propelled aircrafts are a fairly common hobbyist project however, they previously all required large heavy external power supplies tethered to the crafts or could only be used in space. Common "ion lifters." take a lot more power and are quite different in construction as well as in their operation than this device. This one has also been demonstrated flying with optional propellant tanks. The thrust to weight ratio had to be increased by orders of magnitude beyond what most people thought was possible for it to lift its power supply.
Here is a MythBusters episode that shows a somewhat similar but lower tech device, with external power, called an "ion lifter," for those that aren't familiar with EAD technology. It demonstrates that electrostatic ion propelled aircrafts do work. At around 17 minutes into the video the hosts of the program are amazed to see the craft in flight:
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Additionally, here is a 40-minute interview that explains the physics of our craft in detail:
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This craft has been independently verified by a large number of qualified officials to carry its power supply onboard. Contact information is provided on our website for everyone that is still with us.
The physics of why this device works should be pretty clear to most anyone with a science background and are clearly explained in the patents, on the website, and under the videos. Being familiar with this type of propulsion also helps to make it clear how it works. Many changes had to be made to the technology, to reduce power consumption and increase thrust to weight ratio of the ion propulsion system.
This UAV craft has been in development since the year 2000. The first momentary hop with onboard power was done verifiably in 2006 while it was hanging from a postal scale.
Despite a couple incorrect journal articles online and a few other troubling online claims, this series of crafts are still indisputably the first and only solely ion propelled crafts with onboard power. They are also the most efficient ion thrusters.
On this YouTube channel the longest continuous flight is for just under 2 minutes. That will soon be increased. In a couple later versions of the craft, it's shown with improved onboard steering systems. Upgrades to the control system are still being worked on.
Here is our company website for further information:
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Thanks for sharing an interest!!
