5 ms·
The Pinwheel Helicopter (2014)
- jacquesm 8y agoSimilar principle to this one: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NHI_H-3_Kolibrie https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NHI_H-3_Kolibrie Powered by ramjets at the rotor tips. Very loud little machine, they used to have one on display at the Dutch aircraft museum Aviodrome but the last time I was there it was no longer there.
- growlist 8y agoIndeed, and taken to new heights of obnoxiousness by the British: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairey_Rotodyne https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairey_Rotodyne
- jacobush 8y agoI think, only British can be properly obnoxious.
- TheSpiceIsLife 8y agoThe photo in that Wikipedia article... I can’t stop seeing it as a computer rendered image. Why does it look weird like that? To me?
- jacobush 8y agoI don't know but it looks like the perspective is very flat. I.e. it looks like taken with a long lens. (Telephoto.) Some computer renditions are also very flat? In any case, the human eye is said to be like 30 to 60mm lens equivalent.
- knolan 8y agoThe reasons as already pointed out and the lack of shadows make it look a little odd.
- Udik 8y agoLack of shadows, geometric shapes in brilliant colours (some of which look bidimensional, like the red vertical strip on the windshield), a hint of triangular patterns at the top right. It definitely gives that feeling.
- brudgers 8y agoThe tip-jet design was first developed by the philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein. Back when aeronautics was the hot technology. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tip_jet#History https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tip_jet#History https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full/10.1098/rsnr.2008.0031 https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full/10.1098/rsnr.200...
- kazinator 8y agoThat name is derived from "colibri": hummingbird.
- mnemotechny 8y agoI wonder what happened after this crash.
- arethuza 8y agoI was reading that article and thought "that sounds cool" and got to the bit where it mentions "hydrogen peroxide fuel" and changed my view to "that sounds terrifying"...
- andrewl 8y agoI'm not sure how dangerous that is, but it did give them an engine with fewer moving parts: "It is lifted by a thin, 17-foot rotor blade that whirls just above the pilot's head under the power of hydrogen peroxide fuel broken down by catalytic action into steam that is ejected at high speed from the rotor tips." "Ultrasimple, it has no pistons, no electrical system, no lubrication or cooling system, no clutch, transmission or starter."
- arethuza 8y agoThey are presumably using high test peroxide - which is interesting stuff: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-test_peroxide https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-test_peroxide Not sure I would want to be effectively wearing a tank of the stuff.
- ncmncm 8y agoThe latest design, with a better catalyst matrix, works with 50% H2O2. That matters because you can buy it, and don't need to make it yourself on the spot like the 70% solution. I have not succeeded in finding out whether the rocket version is loud like the ramjet one.
- cr0sh 8y ago> Not sure I would want to be effectively wearing a tank of the stuff. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bell_Rocket_Belt https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bell_Rocket_Belt From what I understand, most rocket belt designs continue to use such a system...
- benmowa 8y agofor super small kit helicopters of today, with typical combustion engine, see: http://www.mosquito-helicopter.info/Mosquito_Options_Air.html http://www.mosquito-helicopter.info/Mosquito_Options_Air.htm...
- larrydag 8y agoThis is impressive engineering "Ultrasimple, it has no pistons, no electrical system, no lubrication or cooling system, no clutch, transmission or starter"
- YeGoblynQueenne 8y ago>> A followup story in the Nov. 5, 1957, Los Angeles Times reported that Whitehead suffered a broken leg and other injuries "after the Buck Rogers-type craft went out of control" and fell about 50 feet. Perhaps not for civilian use, then.