하늘을 나는 공중 구급차 입니다 이스라엘 제품

[시사랑사람들]

공중 구급차

미래의 어느 대도시. 하늘을 찌를 듯 높이 솟은 빌딩 꼭대기에서 연기가 피어오른다

어디선가 나타난 공중 부양 자동차, 복잡한 빌딩숲을 헤치고 재빨리 인명을 구조

공상과학(SF) 영화에서나 나올 법한 장면이 곧 현실이 된다.

AP통신은 이스라엘의 ‘어번 에어로노틱스’사가 수직 이착륙이 가능하고 최고 시속 250㎞까지 비행할 수 있는 자동차 ‘엑스 호크’를 개발 중이라고 1일 보도했어요. 지금까지는 1m 높이까지 부양하는 데 성공했다네요. ‘엑스 호크’는 프로펠러로 작동하는 헬리콥터와 달리 차체 뒤쪽에 달린 두 개의 송풍기로 작동하기 때문에 전깃줄에 걸릴 염려도 적고 고층 건물 벽에 밀착하거나 낮게 뜬 채 구조작업을 펼 수도 있어요.제작사측은 2인용과 10인용을 각각 제작 중인데, 2∼3년 안에 시제품을 선보인 뒤 5∼8년 안에 시판하는 것이 목표라고 하네요. 전문가들은 이 제품이 상용화될 경우 엄청난 시장가치가 있을 것으로 예상하고 있어요.[다음뉴스]

하늘을 나는 자동차

꽉 막힌 도로에서 오도 가도 못할 때 누구나 한번쯤 해봤음 직한 상상이다. 이 상상이 잘하면 2010년쯤엔 현실이 될 수도 있을 것 같다. AP통신은 이스라엘 중부 야브네에서 ‘어번 에어로노틱스’(Urban Aeronautics·도심 항공)사를 운영하는 라피 요엘리가 ‘헬리콥터처럼 수직 이착륙이 가능하고 최대 고도 3600m, 최고 시속 250㎞까지 날 수 있으며 2시간까지 떠 있을 수 있는 ‘하늘을 나는 차’를 개발 중”이라고 소개했다. 10명을 태울 수 있는 비행차 ‘X-호크’와 2인 구조용 ‘뮬’을 개발 중이며 현재 기본 모델을 1m 높이로 공중부양하는 데까지 성공했다. X-호크의 강점은 헬리콥터와 달리 회전 날개 대신 두 개의 팬이 뒤쪽에 가려져 있어 도심에서의 안전성과 안정성, 기민성이 높다는 것. 헬리콥터보다 조용한 것은 물론이다. 요엘리가 공개한 디자인은 미래의 우주차를 연상시키는 날씬하고 세련된 모습이다. 현재 미국의 트렉 에어로스페이스사와 몰러 인터내셔널이 ‘하늘차’(SKYCAR)를 연구·개발 중인데, 사용목적은 ‘개인 용도’다. 하지만 X-호크는 화염이 치솟는 사고·테러 현장의 부상자, 적진에 고립된 군인, 산악에서 조난한 사람을 구조하기 위한 공익용이란 점에서 차이가 난다. 김수정기자 crystal@seoul.co.kr

김수정기자 crystal@seoul.co.kr

 

X-Hawk
By
Jan 25, 2005, 12:48

Courtesy the EMS House of DeFrance http://www.defrance.org

Ever wish you could fly over city traffic? So have more than a few soldiers and ambulance drivers bogged down in the urban jungle, and now there's a craft designed for such desperate situations.

An aviation vehicle is currently being developed in Israel that can fly amid skyscrapers and park inside buildings. Its purpose is not to find that elusive parking place in New York City, but rather to become the most effective life-saving rescue feature since the ambulance.

Called the X-Hawk, the vehicle is a "rotorless vertical take off and landing" (VTOL) vehicle. Unlike a helicopter, the X-Hawk's propellers are not extended, but incorporated into the body of the aircraft, enabling it to pull up close to the windows of tall buildings without danger of collision.

Those unique characteristics make the X-Hawk perfect for rescue and law enforcement work: evacuating injured people from high-rise buildings, high speed pursuit and other daring police activities. The X-Hawk is expected to be able to achieve a maximum speed of 200 KPH and to remain airborne for up to an hour and a half (like small helicopters).

Dr. Raffi Yoeli is the driving force behind the X-Hawk. Yoeli served in the Israeli Air Force as an engineer and received his PhD in artificial intelligence from Haifa's Technion Institute of Technology. He began his civilian career at Israel Aircraft Industries where he was one of the heads of the aborted Lavi fighter plane project.

Yoeli established the Urban Aerodynamics company in 2001 for the purpose of developing an urban aerial vehicle designed specifically for an urban environment.

"In a regular helicopter, if you want to move left, you have to first tilt to the left. Then you have to correct the movement by tilting to the right in order to straighten out. We eliminate those movements - a very important point when you're working in constricted air space like an urban environment," explained Janina Frankel-Yoeli, Urban Aerodynamics Vice President of Marketing, and Raffi Yoeli's wife.

The X-Hawk is based on all proven, off-the-shelf certified technology, meaning the engines are already Federal Aviation Agency (FAA) certified, and have been up and running in other helicopters.

"What we've done is integrate the existing technology together with a patented control system. It's a vane control system, there's rows of vanes on the top and bottom of the panel - each of the ducts looks and works like a Venetian blind. They can either turn in unison or in a few degrees in one direction or the other," she explained.

With its ability to go where no helicopter has gone before, the X-Hawk can be a windfall for emergency rescue workers - whether they're involved in rescue efforts from buildings, city streets, or even open highways.

"The X-Hawk can dock on the side of a building; it can be of vital use in medical response teams. Until now, you can't use an air ambulance in the middle of a city.  If there's an accident in downtown Manhattan, the only option is ground police, and you know what traffic there can be like," said Frankel-Yoeli.

"Even in a situation in which there is more open space, like on a large highway, you never have aerial responders being the first to arrive. There's always a ground crew first. They have to make sure the area is clear of wires, debris and other obstacles for landing. With the X-Hawk, the aerial medical response team can be first, saving precious minutes in which lives can be saved."

But where the X-Hawk has really dazzled the U.S. rescue professionals who have learned about the vehicle is in its potential to rescue people from buildings.

"We have amazing potential to save people from buildings, an area that has received tremendous focus since 9/11. We had the fire chief from Washington D.C. visit us recently, and he said, 'that's great, but what's more important is to get my people in to the top floors of the building.'

"He said it takes on average one minute per story for a firefighter or rescue professional to get up with equipment. If we're talking about 40 stories, that means the X-Hawk would be saving 40 minutes. That's a lot of lives that can be saved in 40 minutes," said Frankel-Yoeli.

Urban Aerodynamics has produced one concept demonstrator of the new aircraft - called the City Hawk. It has completed 10 hover tests, at a height of two to three meters, with a pilot, and has registered a U.S. patent for the control system. The company is now moving forward with the development of our X-Hawk prototype vehicles.

Urban Aeronautics says two nations have expressed interest in the X-Hawk's military potential. The next step is certification by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration. Israel's Herzliya Medical Center has already placed the first order for the $2.2 million craft. Urban Aeronautics founder Rafi Yoeli predicts the X-Hawk will have as big an impact on aviation as the original helicopter, and inspire "a real big change in the way rescue operations are done." By air, anywhere.

According to Hebrew paper Yediot Aharonot, an American company that deals with aerial medical evacuations has asked to be included in the project. The X-Hawk recently showed its abilities at a conference held by the American Law Enforcement Association, including representatives from airborne police units.

"We're in the design stages for the X-Hawk, and in the process of raising $10 million for a civil demonstrator. At the same time, we're approaching the U.S. government and U.S. companies to become partners with us in developing the X-Hawk for military purposes," said Frankel-Yoeli.
 
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ISRAEL21c is a nonpolitical, nonprofit organization that informs Americans about 21st century Israel, its people, its institutions and its contributions to global society.

[시사랑사람들]

미래의 어느 대도시. 하늘을 찌를 듯 높이 솟은 빌딩 꼭대기에서 연기가 피어오른다. 어디선가 나타난 공중 부양 자동차, 복잡한 빌딩숲을 헤치고 재빨리 인명을 구조한다….’ 공상과학(SF) 영화에서나 나올 법한 이런 장면이 곧 현실이 된답니다.

[시사랑사람들]

미래의 어느 대도시. 하늘을 찌를 듯 높이 솟은 빌딩 꼭대기에서 연기가 피어오른다. 어디선가 나타난 공중 부양 자동차, 복잡한 빌딩숲을 헤치고 재빨리 인명을 구조한다….’ 공상과학(SF) 영화에서나 나올 법한 이런 장면이 곧 현실이 된답니다.