GEN H-4: The World’s Smallest Helicopter…A New Way to Travel to Work!

It’s time for all you commuters who make that long slog down the motorway for endless hours everyday to work, to leave your cars in the garage. Instead, it’s time to fly into work…yes I mean fly, using the GEN H-4, the world’s smallest co-axial helicopter.

This little chopper is fitted with a seat and landing gear. These are, of course, necessary items in a flying machine, but the point is – there’s not much else on board. That is a good thing though, as it makes the device simple and as easy to use as a bike, and with manufacturers claiming that after two hours of practice, you’ll be a pro, your granny could even have a shot at it.

When would the GEN H-4 be useful? Well practically, I’m not entirely sure if you would want to start it up just to pop down to the shops for a pint of milk. However, this contraption could be the ultimate uber cool ticket you need to get you from Leeds to Bognor Regis in a whiz!
And if you’re thinking of wooing that special someone in your life then what better way to get them back to your place then by mentioning you’ve got your own helicopter in the backyard? Who cares if it’s not exactly something you could use on a rescue mission, you’re not technically lying!

The rotors have a diameter of 13 feet, which makes storage and parking noticeably easier than a traditional helicopter, and has a cruising speed of 31mph. Powered by four engines, the GEN H-4 can still keep you airborne if one of them cuts out. This is already sounding much more safe than the single engine in your car, which could potentially leave you stranded in the middle of a field where there's no mobile reception for you to call for help.

My first reaction to the image of this helicopter was that it just didn’t look like a chopper. Gone is the classic tail rotor and in its place are two rotors working in opposite directions, with one counteracting the torque of the other, keeping the helicopter stable and without any unnecessary spin.

The GEN H-4 may look like an inverted blender, but it definitely works like a helicopter with a maximum altitude of 1000 metres, making it very easy for you to lose your head (and the rest of yourself) in the clouds.

One downside to this small helicopter is that it’s only sold in kit form, so if you weren’t very good at Mechano as a child, you may want to think twice before buying one. On the topic of actually making a purchase, the GEN H-4 has only been sold in Japan and the US so far, but if interest takes-off (sorry) we may hopefully see some navigating UK air space in coming years.

Source: acecraftusa.com