A method of providing a full-scale, multirotor vertical takeoff and landing electric aircraft capable of transporting multiple occupants and payload, the method comprising the steps of:
- a. providing a multirotor airframe having a plurality of components;
- b. providing a physical structure that connects each of the components to each other, capable of supporting a total weight of the multirotor vtol electric aircraft with two or more human passengers;
- c. providing a lightweight multirotor upper truss structure that provides mounting attachments for multiple motor and propeller assemblies, and that translates a lift of the multiple motor and propeller assemblies to a mass of the multirotor airframe fuselage, passengers, batteries, and electronics;
- d. providing a plurality of the multiple motor and propeller assemblies reliably attached to the lightweight multirotor upper truss structure and connected to the multirotor airframe fuselage, the multiple motor and propeller assemblies each having a plurality of pairs of counter-rotating propellers, and motors being controlled by a plurality of motor controllers;
- e. providing the multirotor fuselage with landing skids or wheels to support up to two occupants, avionics and necessary controller electronics and to protect occupants from weather;
- f. providing a high energy-density battery system consisting of a plurality of rechargeable battery cells to supply current to the plurality of motor controllers;
- g. providing a battery management system to monitor and control charging and discharging of the battery system;
- h. the plurality of motor controllers controlling a commanded voltage and torque to each motor and measuring its performance;
- i. providing a motor control or autopilot system comprising the plurality of motor controllers or autopilots, where the redundancy provides the safety and reliability required to satisfy safety-of-flight rules;
- j. providing communications means comprising serial RS232, Controller Area Network (CAN), or Ethernet interfaces as cross-communications channel or network, channel or network allowing the plurality of motor controllers or the autopilots to share state data and commands for comparison or voting purposes;
- k. providing an avionic display system having an interface for receiving broadcast data from other nearby aircraft, and to enable the multirotor vertical takeoff and landing electric aircraft to avoid close encounters with other aircraft;
- l. providing the avionic display system having an interface for broadcasting own-aircraft position data to avoid close encounters with the other aircraft;
- m. providing the avionic display system having an interface for receiving weather data for display to a pilot and for use by an avionics display system within the multirotor vertical takeoff and landing electric aircraft;
- n. providing the avionic display system having an interface for allowing operation of the multirotor vertical takeoff and landing electric aircraft with little or no requirement to interact with or communicate with air traffic controllers;
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- o. providing the avionic display system having an interface for performing calculations for flight path optimization and efficiency based upon own-aircraft state, cooperating aircraft state, the other nearby aircraft projected flight paths, and predicted flight path dynamics under the National Airspace System or international airspace management systems;
- and controlling the multirotor vertical takeoff and landing (vtol) electric aircraft by a redundant digital Motor Management Computer (MCC) for transporting multiple occupants and payload.