Carter Aviation Technologies
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| Limited liability company | |
| Industry | Aviation |
| Founded | 1994 |
| Headquarters | Wichita Falls, Texas |
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Key people
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Jay Carter (CEO) |
| Products | Experimental aircraft |
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Number of employees
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13 |
| Website | www.cartercopters.com |
 AAI/Textron's Transformer proposal
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Company fabrication area Mirror
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 Video from Smithsonian Channel
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Aircraft fabrication video, factory
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Carter Aviation Technologies (also known as CarterCopters) is a privately heldaviation research and development company based in Wichita Falls, Texas, United States.
The main focus of the company is developing new technology and then licensing it to other manufacturers for use on production aircraft. Carter sees its role as predominantly that of research and development with the aim of then patenting the aviation technological advances it makes. The company is mainly known for making the CarterCopter, and since 2011 its replacement, the Carter Personal Air Vehicle.
The company (CAT) was founded in 1994 by Jay Carter Jr., two years after the partial sale of the wind turbine company Carter Wind Systems, now being run by his son Matt. The company is developing the CarterCopter slowed rotor/compound (SR/C) aircraft series, the CarterCopter Propeller System and a landing gear system. According to Carter, the development of the propeller and landing gear was not strictly necessary, and delayed the SR/C. The teetering blade hub principle used in Carter Wind Systems is also used in Carter aircraft.
Until 2004, CAT received some funding via three Small Business Innovation Research programs from NASA, totalling over $1million.
On 17 June 2005, the company's sole flying technology demonstrator reached a rotorcraft milestone, but crashed on the next flight. The aircraft had been flying at 160 mph (257 km/h) when the drive pulley to the propeller drive-shaft bolts failed in flight, reversing propeller thrust. The aircraft was damaged beyond repair but both crew members were unharmed. The accident set the company's development back at least ten months as a small wingless autogyro was not flown until 2006, and the Carter PAV (a subsequent 4-place manned compound rotorcraft, the N110AV) was not flown until 2011. Design of the PAV was begun during 2005. Carter says it has flown 186 kn (344 km/h; 214 mph) at 18,000 feet and reached a Mu of 1.13, and Carter has applied to the FAA to change the PAVs certificate from research and development to demonstration.
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Wikipedia