easy-to-fly, concept VTOL 'mad bat' cruises fast in air with quad propellers & high-lift airfoil

VTOL Mad Bat from hovering to cruise mode

The conceptual VTOL Mad Bat takes off, flies, and lands fast like an airplane or flying car, thanks to its aerodynamics and four propellers. The team behind the concept uses the same engines for take-off and landing to avoid deadweight. The team adds that Mad Bat has superfast transitions from hovering to cruise speed multimode for both take-off and landing and that its plane mode is easy to fly. From the test video, the cockpit remains vertical regardless of the direction the aircraft breezes since the joint between the cockpit and the wings is connected to prevent it from swinging. It also adjusts according to the flight regime, making it stable while flying in the air.

images courtesy of The Mad Bat

mad bat uses the same engines throughout

The airfoil of VTOL Mad Bat allows large angles of gliding Its boundary layers remain attached at angles that can exceed 60 degrees, which means that the lift force generated by the wings keeps the aircraft in the air from very low speeds. For all the flight modes, the Mad Bat uses the same engines, so it does not carry any redundant weight, allowing maximum flight-weight allowance. ‘The concept shown in the video is a basic concept that uses classic propellers, but in the future, the Mad Bat will use smaller, safer, more efficient, and quieter propeller units driven by electric motors or hybrid systems,’ the team shares.

the conceptual VTOL Mad Bat takes off, flies, and lands fast like an airplane or flying car

Size adapted to narrow and crowded spaces

VTOL Mad Bat can also act as a classic drone used for surveillance, mapping, and delivery. The Mad Bat team plans to also turn it into a personal transport and taxi that can carry up to five people, including the pilot. So far, the VTOL Mad Bat can only fly at short and medium distances, but on the bright side, it can glide through urban and suburban areas, adapted for narrow and crowded spaces. It can also double as a cargo transport from small to heavy payloads, and the team is looking into the capacity range of the aircraft. It seems that the team is also flirting with the idea of making Mad Bat available for military use.

VTOL Mad Bat uses the same engines for take-off and landing to avoid deadweight