Founder of Mosquito helicopters

By -

John Uptigrove

Born: India
Primarily active in: Canada

1964 - 2018

 Uptigrove was born April 19, 1964, in Mahabaleshwar, India (south of Mumbai) to missionary parents. The family returned to Canada in 1976 and Uptigrove grew up in Three Hills, Alberta, and then obtained a BS in mechanical engineering from the University of Calgary in 1987. He began his career with Nova Chemicals, but soon pursued his passion for helicopters by establishing Innovator Technologies to design and manufacture ultralight helicopters.

Uptigrove began with the open frame Mosquito kit (later designated the Mosquito Air), which first became available in 2002 for $20,000 USD and was under the 254 lb. (115kg) ultralight empty weight limit. He partnered with Dwight Junkin of Composite FX in Trenton, Florida, to develop the enclosed XE and XEL (with floats to again qualify as an ultralight) models in 2004 for $23,000 USD. The 2-stroke piston-powered kits took 200–300 hours to build, or Innovator Technologies would assemble them for an extra $4,000 USD (today’s prices are approximately 50% greater). Later models include the more powerful 2-stroke 85 hp (64 kW) powered XE285 and the 90 hp (67 kW) Solar turbine-powered XET (see Vertiflite, Nov/Dec 2015), and were classified as “experimental” aircraft, as they were over the ultralight weight limits. A 2-seat Swift kit-helicopter with a shrouded tail rotor is in development.

More than 300 of the XE family aircraft had been sold in kit or factory finished form. The XE285 model that Uptigrove was flying is described on the company website as “a piston powered, water cooled, oil injected, fuel injected, electronic programmable ignition, 800 cc, and 85HP experimental helicopter.” Junkin told CBC News that “it has one of the best safety records.” (2016 photo by Kenneth I. Swartz). John Walter Uptigrove, 54, was killed on July 15, when he crashed in his Mosquito XE285 helicopter southeast of Calgary, Alberta, Canada (about 120 miles or 200 km north of the border with Montana, USA).

VFS Vertiflite: September/October 2018

 

John Uptigrove


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Mace Amazes America

By -
Image
PRODUCTS & PROJECTS Our team of experts continuously delivers revolutionary, fully customized solutions tailored to your unique needs. With state-of-the-art engineering and uncompromising quality standards, we propel your aerospace ambitions to new heights. M5 Helicopter Mace Aviation is pleased to offer the M5 Helicopter. The M5 is an experimental kit helicopter that is based on the venerable MD500 series of helicopters. The core of the M5 helicopter is an all new carbon fiber fuselage that is designed and built by Mace Aviation. The new fuselage is designed to accept the stock MD500D/MD500E/MD530F drivetrain, flight controls, landing gear, tailboom and empennage. These FAA certified components are all commercially available from various companies such as Rolls Royce (engine), Helicopter Technology Company (HTC) (main and tail rotor blades), Aerometals (various parts), Donaldson (inlet barrier filter), and others. The new carbon fiber fuselage coupled with the commercially availab...
Read more

Concept, Copter and Consumer

By -
View this post on Instagram A post shared by Bernie Walsh (@berniewalsh101) Adana Şakirpaşada “Bir şey yapmalıyım” fikriyle yoğunlaşan ve bu doğrultuda önce 2 kişilik uçak yapmayı amaçlayan, sonrasında helikopter yapımında karar kılan bir çocuk internette yaklaşık 1 yıllık araştırmasının ardından evinin damında işe koyuldu ve sokağında uçmaya çalıştı. pic.twitter.com/eHlSfKp8gE — Adanacity (@bizadanaliyik) April 22, 2020 52061 Range Rd 215
Read more

FlyNow Aviation and their coaxial ultralight electric helicopter UAM PAV

By -
Image
 Personal Air Vehicle by FlyNow Aviation Use case   Our goal is to make 3D mobility affordable for all people. An inner-city flight should cost no more than a normal taxi ride on the same route. We achieve this by breaking completely new ground in production. Our motto is “intelligent simplicity” instead of “stupid complexity.” Our eVTOLs consist of just a few core subsystems: rotors, cabin, batteries and electric motors.  Our Location We have developed a compact design without many connecting parts that could bend or break. And because the drones are particularly lightweight, we need less material and can get by with smaller batteries. This explains the low costs, which in turn enable low prices for end customers. In principle, our aircraft can be used wherever a high level of effort is required to transport goods or people from A to B. The range extends from supplying sailors on container ships, which often do not go ashore at all, to remote alpine huts to bridging a tr...
Read more