AVCEN Jetpod

{{Short description|Quiet STOL aircraft proposal}} {{EngvarB|date=May 2017}} {{Use dmy dates|date=May 2017}} The '''AVCEN''' '''Jetpod''' was a design proposal for a very quiet aircraft that could take off and land in short distances (STOL), developed by Avcen Limited, a company incorporated on 18 October 1988 which became a subsidiary of the Hong Kong–based company, Profit Sky Group Ltd.<ref>{{cite news|title=Avcen Limited on Duedil|url=https://www.duedil.com/company/02306499/avcen-limited}}</ref>

A number of applications were proposed, including as a military transport, an executive transport, and as a short to medium-range air taxi. Avcen Limited was the British-based headquarters while Avcen Limited Malaysia was based at Patimas Technology Centre, Technology Park, Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur.<ref name="The Star 2">[https://web.archive.org/web/20090818173458/http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=%2F2009%2F8%2F17%2Fnation%2F4533356&sec=nation Inventor killed in Jetpod crash], ''The Star'', 17 August 2009. Retrieved: 18 October 2009</ref> According to Avcen's publicity materials, the Jetpod's maximum speed was designed to be {{convert|550|km/h|mph kn|abbr=on}}. It would need only {{convert|125|m|yd|abbr=off}} to take-off or land, allowing runways to be constructed close to the center of major cities, and would be sufficiently quiet to not be noticeable above city traffic.{{Citation needed|date=July 2019}}

At 12:30 p.m. on 16 August 2009,<ref>{{cite web | url=https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=20090816-0 | title=Accident Avcen Jetpod -, Sunday 16 August 2009 }}</ref> a just-completed prototype Jetpod crashed, killing the founder of Avcen, Michael Robert Dacre, who was the sole occupant. Dacre had attempted to take off three times and on the fourth successfully lifted off and climbed to 200 meters. then the aircraft became uncontrollable and crashed.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=20090816-0 | title=Accident Avcen Jetpod -, Sunday 16 August 2009 }}</ref><ref name="Timesonline">[http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article6798198.ece British aviation pioneer dies after prototype crashes in Malaysia]{{dead link|date=September 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}, ''The Times'', 17 August 2009. Retrieved: 18 October 2009</ref><ref name="The Star 1">[https://web.archive.org/web/20090818183507/http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=%2F2009%2F8%2F16%2Fnation%2F20090816162347&sec=nation Flying taxi crashes on test flight, killing its UK inventor (Update 2)], ''The Star'', 16 August 2009. Retrieved: 18 October 2009</ref> According to Taiping deputy police chief Syed A. Wahab Syed A. Majid, the company had not obtained permission from the Royal Malaysian Air Force to conduct the flight tests.<ref name="Utusan">[http://utusan.com.my/utusan/info.asp?y=2009&dt=0817&pub=utusan_malaysia&sec=Dalam_Negeri&pg=dn_18.htm&arc=hive Pesawat terhempas, juruterbang maut] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120224154514/http://utusan.com.my/utusan/info.asp?y=2009&dt=0817&pub=utusan_malaysia&sec=Dalam_Negeri&pg=dn_18.htm&arc=hive |date=24 February 2012 }}, ''Utusan Malaysia'' (In Malay), 17 August 2009. Retrieved: 18 October 2009</ref>

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== *[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_z30jMSbOgk Video of the crash showing what craft looked like before takeoff] *[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VapC_CxzQlw Another video of the crash from a different angle] *[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yqvxtZ7HjpE Video of the crash aftermath] *[https://www.gizmag.com.au/go/3695/ Gizmag article on the jetpod] *[http://www.avcen.com Avcen Limited's website] *[https://web.archive.org/web/20110710220301/http://www.fahad.com/pics/avcen_jetpod_lrg.png CAD Images of the "jet pod"]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Avcen Jetpod}} Category:Proposed aircraft of the United Kingdom Category:Aircraft flown once