SoloTrek FAQ:
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What is the cost of SoloTrek XFV?
The first markets for SoloTrek XFV will be the military and paramilitary, however pricing has not been established at this time. Once mass production has been achieved, the civilian consumer pricing for SoloTrek XFV should be similar to that of a very high-end sports car.
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Won't a pilot get tired standing in SoloTrek for up to an hour and a half?
Early in the development of SoloTrek XFV, we performed a number of ergonomic tests to determine just that. We learned that a pilot can indeed maintain a comfortable standing position for that timeframe. Part of the reason is that while the pilot is standing, he is also strapped into the aircraft. Although none of the machine's weight is transferred to the pilot, the pilot has a sense of the machine securely holding him in place...like when a person standing behind you gives you a bear hug. This comforting feeling, combined with the thrill of operating the machine, is all that the pilot is aware of.
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What happens if the engine quits?
SoloTrek XFV’s systems, including the engine, have been designed and engineered to be ultra-reliable. Additionally, all life-critical components have several early warning sensors to provide the pilot with immediate information on any anomaly. SoloTrek XFV’s typical mission is operation just above tree top level, i.e., fifty to one hundred feet above the ground. This means that if the pilot’s head’s-up helmet display indicates any potential problem, a safe landing is literally ‘seconds’ away! In the event of a life-threatening emergency, an integral ballistically-deployed pilot extraction system provides safe egress from the aircraft, like an ejection seat, at any altitude or airspeed.
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Why does SoloTrek XFV use ducted fans instead of free propellers?
Ducted fans have the ability to produce thrust about 40% more efficiently than free propellers with the same diameter. Additionally, the ducts reduce some of the fan noise and protect damage to (and from) the rotating fan blades.
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Fundamentally, what makes SoloTrek XFV ultra-reliable?
Reliability has been designed into SoloTrek XFV from the ground up. Forces, loads, stresses, operating speeds, temperatures, etc., are all kept well below their design limits. As an example, the engine operates at only 60% - 70% power during take-off, landing, and routine flight. This feature maximizes the longevity of the engine components while minimizing the likelihood of any engine problems.
In addition, SoloTrek XFV closely monitors the status of all life-critical systems and components. It looks for early indications of operating parameters outside of nominal limits. As an example, built-in sensors provide advance notification of any developing danger signs associated with over-heating, increasing vibration, or diminished oil quality. Thus these events, which could otherwise lead to component failure, are brought to the immediate attention of the operator. He or she then has time to land the aircraft safely and analyze the problem.
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What kind of inspections and maintenance does SoloTrek XFV require?
SoloTrek XFV has been designed and engineered to require only minimal routine inspections and maintenance. With normal operation, the time between overhaul is estimated to be 1000 hours, or about 1000 flight sorties assuming an average sortie of about one hour in length.
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How does SoloTrek XFV protect against an operator's mistakes?
As with other high-performance machinery, operators must be properly trained for their, and the machine's, safety. Since operators are human, the poential for mistakes is always present. Accordingly, SoloTrek XFV has been designed to help prevent the operator from endangering themselves or others — whether on purpose or by accident. The following safety features are being designed into SoloTrek XFV:
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