NASA Puffin


The Puffin is an American proposed hover-capable, electric-powered, low-noise, personal vertical takeoff and landing technology-concept proprotor aircraft. The concept design was projected to be capable of flying a single person at a speed of 150 miles per hour, with range expected to be less than 50 miles with 2010-vintage Lithium-iron-phosphate battery technology. The design specified a 13.5 foot wingspan, standing 12 feet tall on the ground in its take-off or landing configuration.

Development

, NASA expected to achieve the first flight of a one-third scale, hover-capable Puffin demonstrator by March 2010. By mid-summer 2010, they hoped to "begin investigating how well it transitions from cruise to hover flight".
, the one-third scale model of the Puffin was briefly on display at the NASA Langley campus for the filming of the Discovery network series Dean of Invention. The Puffin simulator was also demonstrated. The Puffin was slated to appear in the eighth and final episode of the show.

Specifications (expected)