The TriFan 600 is a 2015 Popular Science “Best of What’s New” Award Winner in the aerospace category.
Popular Science annually selects the 100 greatest innovations of the year, each representing a significant step forward in their respective categories. The TriFan 600 and other honorees are celebrated in the magazine’s December issue, on newsstands now.
Developed by XTI Aircraft Company, the TriFan 600 is a six-seat fixed-wing airplane with the speed and range of a business jet, and the ability to takeoff and land like a helicopter. It will be the first commercially certified high-speed, long-range vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) airplane, according to officials with the Denver-based company.
“The Best of What’s New awards honor the innovations that surprise and amaze us — those that challenge our view of what’s possible in the future,” said Cliff Ransom, editor-in-chief of Popular Science. “The award is Popular Science’s top prize, and the 100 winners — chosen from among thousands of nominees — are each a revolution in their respective fields.”
“This is gratifying news and an honor for XTI and our supporters,” said David Brody, founder and chairman of XTI Aircraft Company. “After working on the engineering and analyzing the market for the TriFan for three years, this award is further validation that TriFan 600 will be a true game-changer.”
XTI recently filed an application with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to qualify the company’s equity crowdfunding campaign. When approved, that campaign will allow the general public to buy shares in XTI. The campaign is approaching $15 million in expressed interest from people who want to invest in the company.
XTI expects qualification from the SEC early next year to convert that interest into actual shares in the company.
The artist’s renderings are exceptional, I certainly agree in that regard.
And 400 mph sounds a lot better than the 10 hr drive home for a holiday.
But really, could you imagine the sound of this aircraft with 2 turboshaft engines sitting down in the driveway ?
More than likely the wind damage to surrounding structures would be phenomenal.
It would probably blow the windows out of your house, lol.
Initially I thought the engines might be electric or some such but nope.
And no new environmental technology either …
Hmmmm. That nose gear looks like it came from a Lego set.
The engine nacelles are also quite interesting.
How exactly would the “turboshaft engines” connect to the props ?
This problem was solved on the Osprey by tilting the engines with the props.
This is one reason it’s so unstable and has killed so many serviceman.
XTI is starting to look like a straight up fraud or RIO as someone else said.
Oh well.
So sad to read the comments posted here.
I dreamed last night of building a “roadable” aircraft.
Alas, it’s true, historically few of these projects make it off the napkin.
At least this one is to the internet – and I pledged 10K to support it over at startengine.com.
I’d really like to hear Burt Rutan’s thoughts on this one.
Blue sky and tailwinds my friends.
-=Marc
Too bad I invested all that money on the Moller Sky Car, I could have blown it on this way cooler fantasy flying car!
Leading candidate for the 2016 RIO Award. What’s the RIO Award, you ask…
Why that’s an award for the most slick, yet outlandish, aviation concept of the year, whose only true design criteria is to draw large amounts of cash from gullible suckers allowing the “designer” to retire lavishly in Rio de Janeiro.
Such “dream machine” schemes are a timed honored aviation tradition, condemned to remain forever just a bit more time and money from getting off the ground. As we’d expect, the aerodynamic implausibility is obvious, but the “artist’s renderings” have certainly improved ! Best of luck to the eager investors 🙂
I canceled my subscription to this mag years ago after they refused to change their name to “Superficial Science.” Another ridiculous aviation concoction just waiting to suck the bottom out of someone’s wallet.