Project Ladybug

[btd1982]

Hello folks,

I am preparing for an investor presentation but I have not been able to find details of a good coaxial gearbox design for my coaxial type helicopter. I am looking at Nolan, AirScooter and Gen4 and similar designs. There are some others too but I don't see very legible visuals of them. I need to know which one is robust and reliable and to see details which can be copied, please.

Fixed pitch blade, counter (contra) rotating, coaxial.

My own webpage showing links to similar designs

Similar Designs

Can I ask why you want the gearbox ?
Sch2a and micron helicopters for example.

 

[Asker]

Can I ask why you want the gearbox ?
Sch2a and micron helicopters for example.

I mean the top gearbox not the one for RPM reduction. In my design the engine sits at the bottom and turns a shaft going up through a mast to the rotor. So, very similar to Nolan design. the box between or just under the rotors is what I mean.

 

[Asker]

Nolan and AirScooter patents

 

[Asker]

Nolan patent is not very legible to me. It is different from basic designs but I don't understand how the gear works. Just trying to see if they have something better there. They have paid the last maintenance fee in 2015 so it is free to copy now.

 

[Asker]

Hello all,

No luck with the investor. I didn't get a chance to do a presentation. My neighbor who was going to arrange a meeting never did it. So I am still looking.

Gofly corporate website was down for months and it was not encouraging either.

I have redesigned the Ladybug to be completely composite with few metal structural parts. It looks totally different now. I had delayed the casting of the first rotor blade to see if a cash injection is coming for nothing. Now I took it up again and I will cast it soon hopefully. I made some changes to the blade to facilitate the making procedure. I will use the materials that I had initially bought. The cloth is a little short for the new structural design of the blade but I will take it as an experiment rather than a final make as I need to make more of them to even test them for lift performance. I will likely only be able to test it for strength and process quality. It will show how much strength I will get with minimal fiberglass material. Also because the weight of the system will be distributed between 8 blades this time the strength of each blade can be lesser and the making can be easier while also the weight of each blade will be smaller.

 

[Asker]

"fly like a bug"

 

[Asker]

A silhouette of the new Ladybug, still looking for funding partners while there is still time for the GoFly Prize.

 

[Asker]

Time is ticking, there is only 24 days left, I have found all the elements to start building but I haven't found the $15k investment to buy them yet. Still doable and I am on it.



PS: The tower looks totally different now.

 

[Asker]

I suggest every member of the rotary aviation society to petition the Gofly Prize to extend the prize deadline for another year or half a year. For all mankind.

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EDIT: Never mind, Gofly declined extension already.

 

[Asker]

After leaving the Gofly Prize behind Project Ladybug returned to normal grounds where its requirements are reset to safety first and cost next priorities. So a safe but less costly to own and also easier to pilot design is in the works. I will stick to a coaxial design, as I have already progressed to an advanced level with it and its compactness has its benefits.

A note of what happened in the run-up to Gofly deadline: As lesser and lesser time remained for the Gofly Prize I had turned to an all metal design for its ease of building in a short time and effort, I will also stick with metal for my first build of the new design for its ease of working with. I actually continued pursuing to build it until only 10 days remained to the deadline of the competition, after which it would be too risky and unjustifiable to spend the effort. Also, as the deadline came closer, I looked at other engine options and found that I could use smaller engines if I could make them work together, and I could find them available very close to where I live. The total build would cost only 6 to 7 thousand dollars. Too bad, I looked at high-cost materials and relatively high investment earlier.