Very light homebuilt helicopter

[Rotor Rooter]

from the Department of Demented Designs



Where the lights are never turned off ~ 'cause the light never really came on.



Side-by-side Configuration ~ Single Blade Rotors:
This craft will probably have the best lift-to-power ratio of any conceivable configuration.

Flight-Controls:
 Collective: Throttle & Pitch-torque coupling. Throttle is increases or decreased in both engines in unison.
 Roll: Throttle & Pitch-torque coupling. Throttle is increases or decreased disproportional between the two engines.
 Pitch: Longitudinal cyclic. Both rotors are pitched forward or backward in unison.
 Yaw: Opposed Longitudinal cyclic. One rotor has its longitudinal pitch increased while the other rotor has its longitudinal pitch decreased.
 Autorotation: Automatic due to Pitch-torque coupling.

Portability:
 The lateral rotor support frame is vertical hinged in the middle, so that the craft collapses to a narrow width and a length that is slightly greater than the blade length.


Concept requires a little 'fleshing-out'. Well, maybe a little more than a little. Criticism, comments, ideas, answers and civility requested.

[rtfm]

Hi,
Am I missing something? Where is this machine to be seen? Is there a website? ~Some pictures?
Duncan

[quadrirotor]

That's good enough for a home-flown helicopter!!!

[Rotor Rooter]

Single blade rotor information;

Al Hammer instigated a discussion about 1-blade rotors on the thread;- http://www.rotaryforum.com/forum/sho...ghlight=slider

http://www.lidak.it/
http://www.anigrand.com/AA2037_XV-2.htm
http://avia.russian.ee/vertigo/nagler-rolz-r.html
http://www.internetage.com/rotorcraft/bolkow103.htm
http://avia.russian.ee/helicopters_e...v_meg-1-r.html
http://www.eads.net/web/lang/en/800/...67/543673.html

Patent ~ 6619585 Helicopter single-blade rotor, September 16, 2003 ~ The present invention relates to a single-blade main rotor for helicopters designed so that the component of the blade lift normal to the rotational axis of the rotor is compensated by the inertial force obtained through the self-adjustment of the position of the rotor centre of mass relative to...


Possible configuration of craft:

www.unicopter.com/0035.html


Flight Controls:

Note that the pilot will have a cyclic stick, a throttle and pedals, however, the rotor MAY only require a single longitudinal control rod plus the torque-pitch device in its hub.

________________________

Edited to add information on rotor with torque-pitch coupling

Attached are three pages covering William Hunt's idea for a pitch-torque device. Hunt proposed that it be added to the R-5.

William Hunt was a rotor designer for Igor Sikorsky. These pages are from his book; 'Heelicopter : pioneering with Igor Sikorsky : based on a personal account'.

The pages are temporarily on the web site for those who have a technical interest in rotorcraft and those who believe there are still improvements to come.

[quadrirotor]

Very interesting Dave, truly very interesting!...But can you draw us a very simple synchropter (two places) which could be built by most of us on this forum? With your knowledge, it could be very easy for you!...
Thanks in advance Dave.

[Rotor Rooter]

Quadrirotor,

IMO, the attributes of 'cheap' and 'safe' are not currently synonymous.

Perhaps better conceptual designs and mass production will eventually achieve this objective. It is possible to do today that which could not be done 50 years ago.

When considering 'mass production', it should be noted that the whole craft need not be mass-produced. It might be possible to mass-produce and 'seal' a couple of critical components and allow others to 'homebuild' the rest of the craft.

Over the years I have attempted to present new concepts, for dissection and discussion on the previous forum. I even used provocative posts to try to stimulate technical discussions. It became apparent that few were willing to look outside the box and some objected to my consumption of bandwidth. The interest was not there, so I took my ball and went home. Perhaps the structure of this forum (which PPRuNe is now using) allows better separation of differing interests.
_________________

This thread represents another attempt to instigate a discussion on a possible cheap and safe rotorcraft. It may fail on the details, but currently it is looking good and three of us are pursuing it.

Should Al Hammer, Chuck Beaty or another, wish to further develop the earlier postings on a single-blade rotor; on this thread or a new single-roter specific thread, there is a possibility for progress.
____________________

The syntheses and morphing of wild and crazy ideas is calisthenics for the neurons AND it can lead to better products.

[quadrirotor]

I agree with all what you said, Dave...But I am convinced we can homebuilt a synchropter today as well as what could be done 50 years ago, and may be better!...I am convinced that we can homebuilt a synchropter for the price of an airplane by using mass produced car parts...The only thing to do is to freeze a very simple and well-known concept!...
If you only want to discuss new advance concepts, OK!... but, today classical "monorotor" helicopters are not well accepted even among the aviation community!...so imagine a one-blade helico!...or an hyper-light helico with exotic materials...
We can discuss endlessly, but Dick Degraw is making wonderfull things without discussing!...May be that's the way to go!...

[Rotor Rooter]

quadrirotor,

Different strokes for different folks.

My 'humble' goal has always been to develop a rotorcraft that is significantly better than the existing. To develop a Generation II Rotorcraft, or go down trying.

I strongly believe that the UniCopter and the Egornemisis represent the best chance of seeing Gen II.


The "making" has begun;

This controller


combined with the computer and these components


will make up this CNC workstation


which will build the blade components for the blades
which will be use on helicopters with adjacent configurations
which are intendened for rotorcraft that comply with these regulations.



Dave

PS It's still fun and educational to discuss rotor concepts even if they are only about a single-blade.
In addition, a pair of adjacent single-blade rotors may make for an ecconomical helicopter.

[Ga6riel]

the tri services were the largest consumers for the synchrocopter, and although performance was good and the machines well liked, one major fault was that they were dangerous machines to approach or egress. This was because of the track of the rotors being low on each port and stb 90.

This is especially true for the Navy where flight deck operations take place in confined space and need to be expedited quickly, and for field operations on undulating ground.

Civil operations may well be a different matter, and the removal of the tail rotor from the equation will reduce the accident rate. Presently tail rotors feature in around 15% of helo accidents. And just for military backfill, ask any Afghan how to knock out a Russian helo given a pile of rocks as weapons.

[Rotor Rooter]

Ga6riel,

Your concern about the low elevation of the blade tips at the sides of a synchropter is valid.

This is the UniCopter's means of reducing this problem.


Quadrirotor,

Perhaps cheap helicopters are possible.

Hughey Electricopter Corporation

[Al_Hammer]

Dave, its always good to start making something.
Good luck with your Egor-nemesis.

I have to admit, the clothes pins in the photo of the controller lend a certain charm to the operation.

[quadrirotor]

Dave, you are too in advance for us!...

I wonder: who you are? which organisation do you work for? your financing??? etc???
The stuff you are dealing with is, most of the time, classified information of R&DD enterprise...It seems science fiction, at least, for me...

The actual progress for our rotornaut community would be to go from the gyro towards the helico!...Let's say: to go from the RAF2000 (or alike) towards the SAFARI (or Pawnee) helico...As you can see, the technology is essentially a 60 years ago tech.!!!

Your (greatly appreciated) contribution, with all your knowledge, would be to give us hints on how to built something which could look like a KAMAN 225 with a Subaru engine (or any car eng.) and with the more car-parts (mass-produced) as possible, homebuilt oriented, etc......And above all, what could be the advantages to built a quasi-Kaman225 (photos in former post) instead of a SAFARI (Pawnee) helico!...

The synchropter must have also an appealing aspect...As a matter of fact, the success of an aircraft is, most of the time, directly linked to her sexy looking!...

Thanks in advance, Dave.

[quadrirotor]

For the electric helicopter:
http://www.icon.fi/%7Ejtki/elgyro.html
http://www.rotaryforum.com/forum/sho...=1561#post1561
http://www.kestrelaerospace.com/PAV.htm

[Rotor Rooter]

Al,

Dave, its always good to start making something.

Not when one's dexterity is so challenged that the favorite tool is the sledgehammer.


Quadrirotor,

What you are asking for appears to be very similar to Dick DeGraw's Hummingbird.

IMO, a simple synchropter with teetering rotors, be it DeGraw's or Kaman's, isn't practical. Why have extra complexity, and cost, and vibration, just to obtain the single feature of lateral symmetry. This is particularly so when most recreational helicopter pilots probable take pride in being the master of the tail rotor.

Dick DeGraw moved on to other types of rotorcraft and Charles Kaman was never able to make a success of his synchropters. My initial SynchroLite was detailed to the point of starting construction when a last moment reassessment of the craft and its purpose generated the unanswerable question ~ "What the hell is it good for?"

I think that the Intermeshing configuration is the most likely candidate for future small agile rotorcraft. However, it will be a significantly advanced version of the direction that Kellett was trying to take it, with his 3-blade rotors and higher rigidity.

Sikorsky was also heading in a similar direction with its ABC, only to drop it and then revive the same thing 30 years later. Interestingly, many of the proposed features for the new S2 were mentioned when the ABC was being terminated.

You may not agree with my remarks but it it is better to be aware of them while your craft is on the scratchpad then later, when it is on the helipad.

Dave

[quadrirotor]

Dave, i don't understand you anymore! do you forget:
-synchropter can lift 17 lbs/hp instead of 10 lbs/hp for "mono";
-less noisy;
-easy to fly;
-compact, rugged, mechanically less prone to break;
-less different pieces, etc...
Dick Degraw is very satisfied with his Hummingbird, which has been flown for at least 600hrs...to sale his creations is not his aim. I didn't see his last creation (El Fino) flying yet...anyway i would not buy it!...but a simplified hummingbird, yes.
The synchrolite is not a serious aircraft, as i told you, it seems a toy...a dangerous toy!...
The utility of a motorized parachute is more questionnable, and it is the more dynamic segment of the ultralight aviation...
When you speak of the S2, you are no more in the homebuilding domain!...