Centurion, South Africa
Led by engineers Johannes V. Coert and Kistan-Naidoo Prevani, Phractyl has designed a unique concept aircraft that resembles a bird and is named after a mammal in a quest to bring sustainable mobility to Africa.
The startup Phractyl (PHRontier for Agile Complex Technology sYstem evoLution) says it’s serious about the concept.
Based in South Africa, the engineers are bringing a disruptive attitude to the already disruptive eVTOL industry.
Named the “Macrobat,” at departure time, both the body and wings tilt back to allow for what Phractylcalls near-vertical takeoff, which will make eVTOL a first.
The personal hybrid plane is “inspired by nature,” and is unlike anything that the industry has created before.
The concept vehicle, which can be piloted by a person or operated remotely as a drone, is planned to operate with 100 percent electric power.
The proposed craft is a one-seater with a bulbous body and twin propellers.
The engineers have designed a wing that generates lift at low speeds, however added details cannot be revealed because the design is patent-pending.
The avian-looking legs then retract during flight.
This design allows the Macroboat to take off and land on uneven surfaces.
The tracked feet introduce a degree of multi-terrain capabilities while the larger surface area allows for more balance than a pair of wheels.
The legs are able to bend with joints resembling hips, knees, and ankles so that the plane can rise and lower, and tilt backward upon lift-off.
A battery bank will power a pair of large propellers that push the Macrobat to 110 mph with a 90-mile range and a 330-pound carrying capacity.
A pilot can either fly it or a ground operator can work it remotely as a drone in order to deliver passengers or cargo. The bases of the legs are tracks, like those you might find on a tank.
That gives it some mobility but limits its ability to taxi around the ground.
With these qualities, Phractyl’s “personal aerial vehicles” seek to expand mobility across Africa without introducing new infrastructure that would harm the environment.
It is envisioned the aircraft would be used not just in recreational flying, but also in agriculture, property inspection, and emergency deliveries.
“The aircraft ensures the timely delivery of blood, blood samples, essential medical supplies, and critical personnel, to rural areas.”
It is still early days, but the company says testing has started.
“Our focus up to now has been towards developing the two most important elements of the aircraft; namely, the wing, and the propulsion concepts,” states Phractyl.
“With the testing of the wing and propulsion concepts ongoing, we are currently working towards building a scale model prototype of the Macrobat to demonstrate the flight performance.”
“Successful execution of this will allow us to commence with the full-scale engineering development.”
The ability to land off-road aligns with Macrobat’s larger mission.
Despite the company’s glib messaging, it’s a noble one: “To address Africa’s most critical transportation challenges,” which includes “the mobility of people and stuff to areas that are not easily accessible by land-based transport. Just a good, old-fashioned (non-alphanumeric, no special characters) aircraft name,” continues Phractyl.
“Incidentally, bats are the only mammals that can fly and the Macrobat facilitates the flight of another type of mammal (badum-tish).”
Project: Macrobat
Designers: Phractyl
Manufacturer: Phractyl