| Aviation Missions |
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Vertical Takeoff and Landing (VTOL) |
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The statically-operating ramjet is ideal for VTOL applications. The capability of delivering
high thrust with low weight during takeoff and landing and then converting to low thrust for
conventional cruise is what has been dreamed of by futurists and engineers for nearly a century.
See Products for a detailed explanation.
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As foreseen by futurists, the obvious missions for a practical VTOL vehicle include:
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- City sky-scraper rescue platform
- City air ambulance
- City air taxi/limosine
- City police patrol and interception
- City small package delivery
- Military battlefield utility and reconnaissance
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Given the potential for accidental damage to the world's tallest buildings as well as intentional
damage in an era of terrorist attacks , it is tragic that no means is available today for approaching
a building's windows from the outside to reach trapped occupants. A rotorcraft (helicopter) cannot
bring its fuselage in contact with a building's windows since the rotary wing would strike the building
with catastrophic consequences. A wingless VTOL platform could climb to any specific window of a
building, punch through the glass, deliver survival equipment, and/or remove survivors in a matter of
minutes. Such platforms could be positioned at the base of every tall building in storage awaiting
emergency use. The cost of such simple wingless vehicles would be so low as to be economically
practical.
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For more generalized winged missions, the initial technology limits the range to around 35 miles. This capability
is sufficient to provide valued service within congested cities or cities with obstacles such as water
or other natural topology. Obvious pairs of destinations are accident location to hospital,
intra-downtown roof-top landing pads, downtown to commercial airport, downtown to industrial
parks, downtown to suburban residences, etcetera.
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Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) |
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A growing category of military vehicle is the UAV. UAVs are employed in high-risk situations
where manned vehicles are unwarranted or unavailable. The generalized missions are:
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- Military battlefield reconnaissance
- Military infrared maneuvering decoy
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Note that with a shift to urban warfare, manned vehicles become impractical and small UAVs
become the only viable means to place sensors in advantageous locations. A ramjet-propelled
miniature vehicle could loft a sensor with accuracy and be simply hand-launched by any soldier.
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Another technical issue involves the counter threats to manned and unmanned vehicles. Manned
and larger unmanned vehicles require continuously upgraded defenses. The use of optically-tuned
flares as decoys to defeat infrared-seeking missiles may be at the end of their usefulness. A flare
that simply drops down away from the aircraft is not as effective as a miniature vehicle that can
perform maneuvers before exhausting its fuel. Only a ramjet-powered decoy is both low-cost and
of sufficient duration and performance to be a viable maneuvering decoy.
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Sport Aviation |
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The sport aviation segment continues to grow and enjoy widespread support. Amateur-built
aircraft are the fastest growing aircraft category. The designers and builders of these aircraft are
continuously innovating in propulsion and would welcome a lightweight and reliable engine. See
NASA's General Aviation Propulsion Program
for more details about government-sponsored
development projects. The Grossi Aerospace ramjet can be applied to these missions:
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- Airplane propulsion
- Glider booster
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| Marine Missions |
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The smallest of recreational boats also known as personal watercraft have attracted an enormous
consumer market focused on high-performance propulsion. Impeller-driven water jets are meant as
a fantasy surrogate for a gas jet engine. The Grossi Aerospace ramjet can easily be that gas jet engine.
Due to fuel consumption rates, a ramjet-equipped boat would have high top speed, especially if a hydrofoil,
but have short duration. The optimum water mission is:
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- Personal watercraft sprint racing
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| Model Aviation Missions |
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The world of model aviation has a complex and deeply integral relationship with full-scale aviation.
High-performance model aircraft employ all the same advanced technologies as in full-scale but without
the high manufacturing costs (generally) and without the government regulatory costs. This market is
focused on education, recreation, and fantasy. A ramjet engine is highly desired despite the short flight
duration for these various missions:
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- Model airplane propulsion
- Model glider booster
- Model rocket booster
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Propulsion Technology |
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