Multifunction aircraft

After natural disasters such as the typhoon Haiyan ravaging the Philippines, relief work on affected areas is often difficult due to the infrastructure being damaged. Therefore, the European Commission has commissioned scientists to hurryly design a multi-purpose aircraft. It was an airplane that could land and take off in a very short runway, which could operate as a helicopter and as a seaplane to land on the surface of a river; Even act like a balloon.

The project, called ESTOLAS, has designed a small aircraft with a propeller mounted on the rear to help it operate as a helicopter. The helium body is made of composite material and can be injected with helium gas to light it up, while raising the height, which can be stored or landed on short runways. Under the belly of the aircraft is equipped with airbags such as sliding wheels, so it can land in areas such as swamps, lakes or snow.

The project team is testing four ESTOLAS models with four sizes ranging from small, medium to heavy weight, ranging from 3.3 tons to 440 tons. Gizmag quoted project coordinator Alexander Gamaleyev from the University of Riga as saying that the super-heavy ESTOLAS aircraft needed only a 175m runway, while the smaller version needed only 75m. Alexander Gamaleyev also said that the load ratio would be 1.5-2 times higher than conventional jets or propellers, but with less fuel, costing just as much as rail. Besides, this little aircraft CO ₂ emissions should be environmentally friendly.

In addition to the disaster relief activities, the team also outlined the direction of using ESTOLAS for a variety of applications including defense, business, tourism, oil and gas exploration. Complete of ESTOLAS will be completed within the next 24 months, they are also looking for industrial partners.