During my pilot training in Italy in 1988, while I was observing a marvelous EMS (emergency medical service) AGUSTA 109 helicopter landing gently on the grass airfield, which was extremely impressive, because I had always loved helicopters, and that one was one of my favorites. However, even as I was already flying on the smaller (Breda Nardi) NH300 at the time, I had never noticed before the importance of the procedures and operations related to rotary wing aircraft.

Immediately I began a very long conversation with the pilot (like every student usually does in the beginning), and being just 25 and endlessly curious guy, I asked him many questions about the aircraft; of course, I looked at him like he was some kind of outer space alien.

Obviously, I dreamed of becaming a professional pilot myself one day, getting the same skill and ability to have full control of flight. While we were conversing, I was also observing details of the aircraft and realized how fragile and limited in capability such aircrafts are. Suddenly an interesting idea had formed in my mind; that same day I began drawing a series of new aircraft ideas, quite different in every aspect to the present form, but these were a good starting point.

I decided to study everything about the aerodynamics of rotary wing aircraft, including transmissions, turbine engines and more; that stuff was already part of the private (and later commercial) helicopter license study program. And it was the right time to do that, because I was directly experiencing vertical flight. I researched everything possible, collecting books, building models and studying all that stuff related to vertical flight technology. Even my girlfriend thought I was way too obsessed about it all, but this unique time was the starting point for everything you see on this website; an endless work in progress, still running.

During my time in America, I was enjoying many air-shows that are taken all around the US, throughout the year. A lot of stuff to work with and study, so it didn't take much time before I visited one of the air and space museums to compare the aircraft on display with my ideas, hopeful to see some solutions for the numerous problematic aspects of designing a totally unique vertical-lift aircraft. But althogeter the museum was absolutely amazing, I didn’t find any answers to those questions still in my mind.

Which took me to actually start designing the CELLCRAFT©, which began around 1996, when I first concieved something similar to the G413; everything in the middle was just a series of ideas coming together like a picture puzzle, to find the best solutions for the urban use, emergency use and other aerial flight problems of such an aircraft.
Today we must consider URBAN FLYING MOBILITY as a new concept for future aeronautic technologies, which is why I believe a new kind of VTOL (Vertical Take-Off and Landing) aircraft, or verticraft, is absolutely necessary, because helicopters simply cannot safely perform certain types of potentially necessary maneuvers and landings within densely structured or forrested areas, or likewise for emergency medical and police aerial manuevers within our expanding high-rise urban communities.

VTOLs include some special military aircraft, like the british AV8B Harrier jet fighter, or the american V22 Osprey troop transport, and some others designed exclusively for military use, and of course every type of helicopter. I call multirotors aircraft having VTOL capabilities Verticraft, Leonardo da Vinci was the first to design a verticraft, and since then, engineers have sought to design a safe and dependable VTOL aircraft for multi-role tasks. As Verticraft are able to take off and land vertically almost anywhere, let us all open our minds to imagine the multitude of missions such an amazing aircraft could do, and well as the thousands of new jobs it would create.
Personally, I prefer to consider the potential of civilian versions of verticraft, and not only because of the urban aspect and the new frontiers of personal transportation, but it is more enjoyable and satisfying for me to think about the wide range of civilian applications in this field, instead of in a battle field.

Big urban areas and tall building are spreaded everywhere in our society. Take Shangai for example, an endless view of buildings of every type, shape and size, which are built frequently along main roads, as are the endless parking lots. All around these areas there are obstacles spread everywhere that impedes any approach or landing of a helicopter, unless the pilot lands on a main road, on a building rooftop....or wherever else possible.

Even if some areas are equipped for these types of flight operations, these are usually relatively far from the inner city, and in most cases only hospitals have their own helipad (which someday may be correctly renamed a vertipad); these are the only few accessable landing spots available for EMS, firefighting and law enforcement missions in the inner cities. Power lines also are nearly everywhere, and are a major obstacle for helicopters, like spider nets. So, trying to complete emergency aerial missions in vertically expanding busines and urban areas is getting more difficult over time.
Consider police operations; pursuing a suspect driving a speeding vehicle could be relatively easy for a good police helicopter pilot, but after the car has been stopped by police, helicopters cannot do much more than steadily hovering above, frequently being exposed to potential gunfire from below. And then there's the extremely high fuel consumption of helicopters during these dangerous hovering operations. Obviously, in such a dangerous scenario, no helicopter pilot can simply land on any parking lot or roof and unload a couple of police officers during an ongoing open fire conflict, or even refuel at or near that site of action.

Hericopters are effected by significant limititations. Helicopters cannot always operate at high speed during take-off and landing, not only because of aerodynamic airflow factors that involve the blade structure, but also because of the constant danger of physical obstacles potentially around or near the craft, which also extends similar dangers to any ground operations personnel; Without warning, the wide-diameter blades can suddenly strike a fence, a pole, a cable, a power line or other objects, causing immediate damage to the entire craft and propulsion system, while endangering everyone inside and near the craft, with the worst such results usually being caused by either the tail or main rotor blades.

Every CellCraft and Verticraft can land anywhere, even on roads or small spots where there are power lines, high tension cables, or other obstacles, and can also easily land on relatively steep and uneven terrain or angled surfaces, whereas helicopters cannot land on a surface with more than a 4°-6° lateral or longitudinal slope without overturning, which would be catastrophic for the occupants and any ground personnel; a type of accident all rotary wings aircraft are prone to.

Police departments can dispatch CellCraft or Verticraft to pursue, apprehend and quickly transport suspects straight to a police station in a much faster time, while flying non-stop over road traffic. It could also similarly be used by hospitals as an ambulance for fast, un-impeded non-stop emergency transportation of patients to medical facilities.

The Private Transportation sector also would be a very compelling market for the CELLCRAFT©. How many commuters haven't dreamed at least once of their vehicle lifting off vertically from a parking lot or building roof and flying directly to a destination, while speeding high above and over congested city traffic?

Several efficient and reliable electronic systems are part of the craft, and today's aviation technology offers endless possibilities unthinkable just a few years ago; GPS (global positioning system) navigation, advanced computer controls, auto-pilot features and newer ultra-light materials are already common in aviation, even if still rather expensive, but eventually these and many other applications will be much more affordable in the near future.

As with all other aircraft, air traffic monitoring and management of all in-flight new VTOL generation will be managed by local airport towers, or city air-traffic departments, for the flight control of every aircraft flying within the city airspace. This new urban public air transportation scenario will also include many verticraft providing inner-city services as flying taxis.

In the future, commuters might not fly their own personal Verticraft in the same way one drives a car today, but such aircraft will eventually be made much easier to pilot (with auto-GPS navigation) than a small private airplane is today. And later, when perfected (using either cleaner bio-fuels and/or electric power, and advanced noise-reduction technology, etc), these may largely replace many conventional commuting road vehicles.

The CellCraft contains many other aspects and innovative details that represent the final result of all my ideas. Being a former pilot, I would never stop flying with my mind, and because of the many letters and encouragements many have sent to me, I still hope to see Verticraft, or something very much like it, flying within my lifetime.

An Important Note: This website does not present all the technical details of the CELLCRAFT©, as that would only jeopardize the protection of my rightful intellectual property. However, my intention here is to share with everyone the basic concept and design, so that everyone can clearly see and understand the project.

But unfortunately, the economic reality today is that I do not have the necessary funds to build even a small-scale prototype. Just to get even that flying above my head would be a significant achievement. However, I do hope someone of vision and means will share his/her enthusiasm and resources for the CellCraft project soon, or in the near future. If you are interested in joining me in this project, I am available anytime if you would like to contact me about any possibilities.
I hope you enjoy this website and email me a comment! I also fully welcome any questions related to the CellCraft, or Verticraft to anything else on the website!

Sincerely, Gino "Gizio" d'Ignazio