science

SoloTrek XFV

SoloTrek XFV is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand SoloTrek XFV rather than just read about it. In short: The SoloTrek XFV (Exo-skeletal Flying Vehicle) was a single-person VTOL aircraft. It was first flown in December 2001 by Millennium Jet Inc, a private company run by Michael Moshier.

Key takeaways

SoloTrek XFV belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect SoloTrek XFV to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of SoloTrek XFV from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The SoloTrek XFV (Exo-skeletal Flying Vehicle) was a single-person VTOL aircraft. It was first flown in December 2001 by Millennium Jet Inc, a private company run by Michael Moshier. Millennium Jet subsequently changed its name to Trek Aerospace Inc. The SoloTrek pilot maintained a standing position and was propelled by two ducted fans located above and on either side of the user, leading some to class it as a type of backpack helicopter. It ran for around 2 hours on gasoline fuel. According to Michael Moshier, its inventor and designer, SoloTrek was capable of hovering for up to two hours, flying at 100 km/h and travelling more than 200 km. One such model is featured in the 2003 movie Agent Cody Banks, though it is shown to be 'flying' only by the use of special effects. Early renderings of the SoloTrek were produced by Marc Ericksen, a Silicon Valley commercial artist and illustrator. Michael Moshier had commissioned Mark Ericksen to produce these renderings to help the company raise funding for the aircraft's development. Subsequently, the company was successful in receiving over $5 million of development funding from DARPA. SoloTrek remains an extremely unusual design; to apply the name 'jet pack' is incorrect; the pilot was strapped into the exoskeleton frame which took the weight of the machine whilst landed, though it performed the same aim. In numerous trials at Trek Aerospace's facilities in Sunnyvale, California, the machine "appeared to perform perfectly". During early flights, for safety reasons, the SoloTrek was 'tethered' to a crane during test flights, to prevent uncontrolled ascent or travel. The tethers were designed to retract during lift-off to avoid being sucked into the exposed ducted fans at the top of the machine, but during a flight shortly after a rain shower in December 2002, the tether failed to retract and became tangled in the propeller blades, which disintegrated. Pilot and machine dropped to the ground. The pilot walked away unharmed. Unable to stick to the tight development schedule that its backers demanded, Trek Aerospace lost funding, forcing reorganization in 2003. After reorganization, Trek Aerospace extensively redesigned the aircraft, creating the Springtail EFV. This machine first flew in October 2003, and went on to successfully complete its DARPA contract in 2005. Trek Aerospace continues to develop ducted fan vehicles. The original SoloTrek XFV is on display at the Hiller Aviation Museum in San Carlos, California.

See also Martin Jetpack Backpack helicopter NASA Puffin

References

External links SoloTrek XFV Ducted Rotor Test http://www.unrealaircraft.com/qbranch/solotrek_xfv.php http://www.trekaero.com/

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with SoloTrek XFV

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what SoloTrek XFV claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to SoloTrek XFV before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about SoloTrek XFV ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of SoloTrek XFV

In research: SoloTrek XFV appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses SoloTrek XFV in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: SoloTrek XFV is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 2000s United States experimental aircraft, Ducted fan-powered aircraft, Trek Aerospace aircraft, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for SoloTrek XFV outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study SoloTrek XFV in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what SoloTrek XFV means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain SoloTrek XFV out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is SoloTrek XFV in simple terms?

The SoloTrek XFV (Exo-skeletal Flying Vehicle) was a single-person VTOL aircraft. It was first flown in December 2001 by Millennium Jet Inc, a private company run by Michael Moshier.

Why does SoloTrek XFV matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study SoloTrek XFV?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on SoloTrek XFV.