March 24, 1999

1. Reduce the aircraft accident rate by a factor of five within 10 years, and by a factor of 10 within 20 years.

The CC will be one of the safest aircraft ever built. CC's Safety features consist of the following:

A. In helicopters, there is a "dead man zone" wherein there is not enough altitude or airspeed for the helicopter to autorotate and cushion the landing in case of engine failure. In autogyros including the CarterCopter, there is no dead man zone, because the rotor is always in autorotation and sufficient energy is stored in the CC rotor to provide slow controlled descent in case of engine failure.

B. The high-inertia rotor of the CarterCopter provides a large amount of kinetic energy which can be useful in various emergency situations. With a dead engine there is enough stored energy in the rotor to hover for 5 seconds at 3000 pounds gross weight, or to touch down and immediately pull collective and jump 20 feet in the air and accelerate to 40 MPH while before establishing a glide path for a second landing.

C. Vertical landing ability allows emergency landings almost anywhere, in case of mechanical failure or deteriorating weather. Even emergency landings on water are possible. Water takeoff without floats is not possible with the current design because the prop will hit the water.

D. The center of thrust is through the C.G. of the CarterCopter, so that in a high thrust, zero "G" condition, the aircraft cannot do a forward snap roll, a hazard in some autogyros known as "bunting-over".

E. The CarterCopter will fly level at about 30 MPH. A gyroplane has no stall speed, but at speeds slower than 30 MPH, the aircraft will begin to sink even at full throttle due to the massive drag of the rotor at high angles of attack. However, at high angles of attack the rotor will also speed up, providing a reserve of kinetic energy that can be used to cushion descent before contacting the ground.

F. The aircraft is very maneuverable in both pitch and roll at low speeds, due to the high control power of the rotor.

G. The large horizontal tail volume reduces pilot induced oscillations and makes the aircraft very stable at high speed or under gusty conditions.

H. The large vertical tail volume results in very good weather-vaning characteristics which helps ensure that the aircraft always lands into the wind without crabbing. Crabbed landings can be dangerous in rotorcraft because the rotor is an omnidirectional wing. A wind from the side can tip over a rotorcraft more easily than it can tip over a fixed wing aircraft. In many gyroplanes, such an accident leads to the rotor hitting the ground, breaking the mast and potentially injuring the pilot. The CarterCopter mast is designed to break above the fuselage so that the pilot & passengers can be protected by the sturdy fuselage from any debris.

I. The landing gear on the CarterCopter is capable of absorbing a 20 foot per second sink rate at gross weight without damage to the aircraft or injury to the passengers. A 30 foot per second sink rate would probably still not injure the passengers. (See landing gear drop test pictures in the slide show located on our web site, "www.cartercopters.com"). The landing gear for military aircraft operated from aircraft carriers are designed for a maximum 24 feet per second sink rate.

2. Reduce emissions of future aircraft by a factor of three within 10 years, and by a factor of five within 20 years.

A. The CC will be designed to work with either the TCM turbo-diesel engine or two Williams FTX Jet engines. These NASA sponsored engines will feature reduced emissions.

B. The CC will have less parasitic drag than other GA aircraft due to it combining a rotor for take-off/landing and a long thin wing for high speed flight. Less parasitic drag coupled with the high altitudes and high speeds at which the CC will fly -- permits longer trips to be made quicker and with less fuel and emissions.

3. Reduce the perceived noise levels of future aircraft by a factor of two from today's subsonic aircraft within 10 years, and by a factor of four within 20 years.

A. Zero-roll takeoffs/landings and a high rate-of-climb will permit the CC to keep operational noises overtop of cities and neighborhoods to a minimum. Its long range capability means fewer takeoffs/landings when traveling long distances.

B. The Prop version CC is quieter than other prop driven aircraft due to its patented, high-efficiency prop design.

C. By its very nature, a gyroplane with a good muffler is much quieter than a helicopter. The CC operates at much lower rotor tip speeds than a helicopter; reducing the rotor noise.

4. While maintaining safety, triple the aviation system throughput, in all weather conditions, within 10 years.

A. The CC will fly above most weather and above all congested airspace at its normal operating altitude of 45-55,000 feet.

B. The CC, with its high transit speeds, long range and heavy payload capability, will permit more passenger miles per aircraft over shorter time periods, and with less congestion in airport traffic corridors.

C. The ability of the CC to operate from front door to front door, will help keep additional aircraft, cars, and passengers away from already crowded airports and terminals.

D. The CC versatility and low costs will open new aviation markets not presently considered.

5. Reduce the cost of air travel by 25% within 10 years, and by 50% within 20 years.

A. The CC uses no exotic construction techniques. For the same cost of a high performance fixed-wing, the CC will offer twice the speed and range at a much lower cost per passenger mile (mainly due to its ability to fly at high altitudes). I t will also negate the need for a car to get passengers to and from the airport.

B. The CC can replace 80% of helicopters being flown today - at less than half the initial cost per aircraft and with a dramatic reduction in maintenance expenses as compared to helicopters.

6. Reduce the travel time to the Far East and Europe by 50 percent within 20 years, and do so at today's subsonic ticket prices.

This goal is not applicable to a subsonic aircraft like the CarterCopter or other rotorcraft.

7. Invigorate the general aviation industry, delivering 10,000 aircraft annually within 10 years and 20,000 aircraft annually within 20 years.

A. The simple fact that this revolutionary aircraft will have little competition -- will bring international aircraft buyers to the U.S. seeking kits and certified aircraft. The CarterCopter's low purchase price and low maintenance cost, combined with its zero-roll takeoffs/landings and high performance capabilities -- will be an unbeatable combination.

B. Many third world countries have long distances between towns and have few suitable airstrips -- presenting the ideal market situation for the CC.

C. The CC versatility and low costs will open new aviation markets not presently considered.

8. Provide next-generation design tools and experimental aircraft to increase design confidence, and cut the development cycle time for aircraft in half.

A. The patented ideas which make the CC so revolutionary, can be scaled upward to carry 100 people, or downward for a small unmanned aerial vehicle. The weighted rotor and other design breakthroughs, that make the CC revolutionary, will work regardless of aircraft size.

B. The software program developed to model and project CC performances will make the design of numerous CC design variations much easier.

9./10. These goals have to do with reducing the payload cost to low-Earth orbit and therefore are not applicable to the CC or other rotorcraft.