[hqbrum]

but why stay above the killer rotating blades?

Link to the book: Blackhawk 107

[crashryan]

Worse is that this was a real Army experimental aircraft.

[Captain Audio]

There is a much safer version of the one man personal chopper. It uses tip jets to spin the rotor so there is no torque to correct for. It straps on your back and you can control it by shifting your body weight. I wonder why it never caught on.
I'd like to see the Goodyear inflatable airplane used in an action film. it worked just as it was designed to work without major problems.
Interestingly they have in recent years discovered that the wings of the flying reptiles held their shape in a similar manner, internal fibers running from upper to lower surfaces.

[crashryan]

The problem that finished off Blackhawk's DH-5 Aerocycle was that the blades of the contra-rotating rotors kept getting tangled up, resulting in a crash. All the references I found to the DH-5 discuss this rotor problem and the potential of the bottom-mounted blades kicking up rocks and dirt. It seems to me another big drawback would have remained even if the thing had worked properly. The DH-5 was imagined as an observation platform, not a troop transport, so it was assumed the thing would always land in friendly territory. War being war, inevitably one would have to set down in unfriendly territory, and the pilot would be stuck on the platform until the rotors had stopped spinning. I'm sure there was some sort of brake on the blades, but it wouldn't work immediately. If the pilot jumped off too early he'd have to be a darned good dancer to avoid a broken leg (or worse), given that there were two sets of blades spinning in opposite directions. Basically he'd be a sitting duck for several minutes after landing.

[The Australian Panther]

Also, if the pilot was in enemy territory, the noise of the engine and the Rotors would have drawn attention to him or her. Not exactly a stealth vehicle.   

[hqbrum]

uow, thanks for the reply, had no idea, yep was thinking the same thing about the landing.