The Koncepto Milenya, or simply Milenya, is a concept for a

vertical take-off and landing A vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft is one that can take off and land vertically without relying on a runway. This classification can include a variety of types of aircraft including helicopters as well as thrust-vectoring fixed-win ...

(VTOL)

ultralight Ultralight aviation (called microlight aviation in some countries) is the flying of lightweight, 1- or 2-seat fixed-wing aircraft. Some countries differentiate between weight-shift control and conventional three-axis control aircraft with ailer ...

aircraft developed by Kyxz Mendiola. Often referred to as a "

flying car A flying car or roadable aircraft is a type of vehicle which can function both as a road vehicle and as an aircraft. As used here, this includes vehicles which drive as motorcycles when on the road. The term "flying car" is also sometimes u ...

" the aircraft was developed by its inventor as a means to cope with heavy road traffic in Manila.

Background

The Milenya

aircraft was developed by Kyxz Mendiola, a Filipino drone enthusiast. Mendiola, who taught himself engineering and aircraft design, cited his "extreme" feeling towards the concept of flying as his motive for pursuing the project and was motivated even more as he learns about efforts from different countries in developing similar endeavours. He also named the deteriorating traffic situation in Metro Manila as a motivator in developing the Milenya and envisioned people flying to their destination in minutes instead them spending two to three hours riding traditional road transport. Milenya's inventor has described his creation as a "flying sports car".

Development

Kyxz Mendiola began developing Milenya in the early 2010s, using his own money to fund his project in its early years of development. Friends and relatives later helped him in his project. Millions of pesos and at least six years has been spent for the development of the aircraft. Mendiola has named "disappointment, mocking and discouraging words" as a hindrance to the development of the Milenya. He intends the vehicle to be similar to a sports car; a "flying

Lamborghini Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A. () is an Italian brand and manufacturer of luxury sports cars and SUVs based in Sant'Agata Bolognese. The company is owned by the Volkswagen Group through its subsidiary Audi. Ferruccio Lamborghini (1916–1993) ...

Trial and error Trial and error is a fundamental method of problem-solving characterized by repeated, varied attempts which are continued until success, or until the practicer stops trying. According to W.H. Thorpe, the term was devised by C. Lloyd Morgan (1 ...

method is used with Mendiola experimenting with different parts. In at least one test, his vehicle caught fire. In September 2018, the aircraft had its first public maiden flight in

Batangas Batangas, officially the Province of Batangas ( tl, Lalawigan ng Batangas ), is a province in the Philippines located in the Calabarzon region on Luzon. Its capital is the city of Batangas, and is bordered by the provinces of Cavite and La ...

. After a video featuring the aircraft went viral in social media, Australian firm Star8 has expressed interest in partnering with Mendiola to develop Milenya for

mass production Mass production, also known as flow production or continuous production, is the production of substantial amounts of standardized products in a constant flow, including and especially on assembly lines. Together with job production and batch ...

Specifications

The vehicle is a single-seater

(VTOL) aircraft. Milenya is reinforced by a metal frame covered with carbon fiber shell. As of September 2018, the aircraft can carry a payload of and can fly at . It has flown at a height of and has flown 10 to 15 minutes at a time. It is powered by six lithium-ion batteries, taking around two and a half hours to charge completely. The vehicle is controllable by its lone passenger through a portable radio frequency controller; the vehicle controls its altitude through a button while it can maneuver through a steering stick. Devising "multicopter" technology frequently used in drones, Milenya achieves flight through its 16 rotary motors which is designed in a way that the vehicle can still fly safely even if one or two motors are compromised.

Future project

A two-seater aircraft which has a payload capacity of is planned for development..

References

{{reflist VTOL aircraft Aircraft manufactured in the Philippines Radio-controlled aircraft