Not a Jet, Not a Helicopter, It’s the TriFan 600 Vertical Takeoff Plane [News]

trifan 600 trifan600 vertical take off airplane xti aircraft
TriFan 600 Concept by XTI Aircraft

What if a helicopter is not fast enough and cannot travel as far as you need? What if there is not a runway for a small jet plane to take off? Enter the concept by XTI Aircraft – the TriFan 600. It claims to revolutionize the industry and you can be a part of it as an investor.

The TriFan 600 concept is a vertical take off and landing (VTOL) airplane. It uses three ducted fans to enable vertical lift. After just second of flight, the two wing-mounted fans can rotate 90 degrees to provide for forward propulsion. The six person plane (hence the “600” in the name) is calculated to reach maximum speed of 340 knots or 400 MPH in 90 seconds. Depending on take off configuration, the TriFan 600 has a range between 800 – 1,200 miles. Vertical configuration burns more fuel, but the concept is capable of short runway take offs as well to save some fuel and increase range. It can also take off in a conventional configuration, using a longer runway. The flight ceiling is over 30,000 feet.

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How does it compare to a small private jet plane? Eclipse 550 is capable of speeds up to 375 knots and maximum range of 1,294 miles. So, the TriFan 600 concept is very close to the speed and range capability of a private jet.

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How about a luxury helicopter? A seven-person AW109 Power helicopter can reach speed of up to 154 knots and has a cruising range of 589 miles. The maximum service ceiling is about 19,600 feet. So, a helicopter of comparable capacity can travel about half as fast and half the distance as the TriFan 600 concept.

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How about a direct competitor like the AW609 TiltRotor? It can travel at speeds up to 275 knots and range of 805 miles. Its flight ceiling is around 25,000 feet. So, the TriFan 600 is able to go a little faster, further, and at a higher elevation.

Many businesses and high net-worth individuals own both a private jet and a helicopter. The helicopter is for traveling within the city, and the jet for traveling between cities.

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XTI Aircraft says that the TriFan 600 will be able to do a job of two aircraft in one. This type of plane can take off from any of the existing helipads, or a paved flat surface about the size of a helipad. In theory, you can take off from your driveway.

What about timeline and cost? XTI Aircraft is not content with innovating and pushing the boundaries of technology, the company also plans to use a new method of funding. Equity crowd funding is part of their investment strategy that also includes venture capital and high net-worth individuals.

Anybody can become an investor in the company according to the new SEC regulations. You can express interest in investing at this StartEngine Crowd Funding link.

If this concept is funded within a year, it will take up to another seven years to fully develop and certify the new aircraft. So, it will not be available right away.

The projected cost of the TriFan 600 will be close to $10,000,000. This is a lot of money, especially when considering that the Eclipse 550 private jet starts at around $3,000,000. However, the additional VTOL versatility of the TriFan can bring additional value.

Here is a promotional video of the TriFan 600 by XTI Aircraft.