First human powered flight of a helicopter on a modified bike wins $250,000
#1
Walmart bike rider
Thread Starter
First human powered flight of a helicopter on a modified bike wins $250,000
https://rt.com/news/first-human-powered-helicopter-069/
https://www.youtube.com/embed/syJq10EQkog
Rest of article to link above
I wonder what the gear ratio on that bike was?
https://www.youtube.com/embed/syJq10EQkog
The world’s first human-powered helicopter by a Canadian engineer has won the Sikorsky Prize after performing a minute-long flight at an altitude of 3.3 meters – fueled only by the pilot’s pedaling of a modified bicycle.
I wonder what the gear ratio on that bike was?
#2
don't try this at home.
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: N. KY
Posts: 5,622
Mentioned: 10 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 854 Post(s)
Liked 275 Times
in
201 Posts
That's a grade of "infinity" percent...
Metafilter had a discussion of this ride. (There's a lot of confusion in some of the comments, though. Non-cyclists don't know much about bike rider power.)
The wheel seems to be just used as a flywheel to even out the power to the rotors. See the cranks at 1:14 in the video. There's 4 spools, one for each rotor. The cyclist winds up the cables (and unwinds the rotor end). So the flight is limited in time. Pretty ingenious: it's way lighter than a chain and much simpler than a loop of cable to each rotor.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Quoted from the team:
Metafilter had a discussion of this ride. (There's a lot of confusion in some of the comments, though. Non-cyclists don't know much about bike rider power.)
The wheel seems to be just used as a flywheel to even out the power to the rotors. See the cranks at 1:14 in the video. There's 4 spools, one for each rotor. The cyclist winds up the cables (and unwinds the rotor end). So the flight is limited in time. Pretty ingenious: it's way lighter than a chain and much simpler than a loop of cable to each rotor.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Quoted from the team:
The problem, of course, is that the human body can produce, at best, about 1 horsepower for a one-minute flight. This is about half the power that it takes to run a good hair dryer!
Is it even possible to build a helicopter that can lift so much weight on so little power? It turns out that it is, but the aircraft will have to be absolutely enormous, possibly even bigger than 30 meters across. As far as the aerodynamics are concerned, it's more efficient to push very lightly on a large mass of air than to push hard on a very small mass of air. So bigger is better. But bigger means heavier, and with human-powered aircraft, weight is the biggest enemy.
A viable Sikorsky Prize helicopter would have to be in the range of 100 pounds or less. For something the size of a Boeing 737, this is a pretty steep challenge!
Is it even possible to build a helicopter that can lift so much weight on so little power? It turns out that it is, but the aircraft will have to be absolutely enormous, possibly even bigger than 30 meters across. As far as the aerodynamics are concerned, it's more efficient to push very lightly on a large mass of air than to push hard on a very small mass of air. So bigger is better. But bigger means heavier, and with human-powered aircraft, weight is the biggest enemy.
A viable Sikorsky Prize helicopter would have to be in the range of 100 pounds or less. For something the size of a Boeing 737, this is a pretty steep challenge!
Last edited by rm -rf; 07-14-13 at 06:11 AM.
#4
Thread Killer
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Ann Arbor, MI
Posts: 11,759
Bikes: '15 Kinesis Racelight 4S, '76 Motebecane Gran Jubilée, '17 Dedacciai Gladiatore2, '12 Breezer Venturi, '09 Dahon Mariner, '12 Mercier Nano, '95 DeKerf Team SL, '19 Tern Rally, ‘21 Breezer Doppler Cafe+, ‘19 T-Lab X3
Mentioned: 26 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2213 Post(s)
Liked 1,285 Times
in
789 Posts
Just to be clear this was NOT the first human powered helicopter flight; most recently, Univ. of Maryland's Gamera craft met duration and height requirements, but lacking a flight control system, was unable to remain within the flight boundaries stipulated by the Sikorsky prize, and so was not awarded.
Other human powered copters have included the Yuri 1 and Da Vinci III, and though obviously less successful, they did achieve human powered flight.
I'd also point out that neither Atlas nor any of the others were 'modified bicycles,' and that it's much more accurate and appropriate to say they were powered by pedaling.
Other human powered copters have included the Yuri 1 and Da Vinci III, and though obviously less successful, they did achieve human powered flight.
I'd also point out that neither Atlas nor any of the others were 'modified bicycles,' and that it's much more accurate and appropriate to say they were powered by pedaling.
#5
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Alpharetta, GA
Posts: 15,280
Bikes: Nashbar Road
Mentioned: 71 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2934 Post(s)
Liked 340 Times
in
227 Posts
I was glad to see the explanation for leaving the rear wheel on, which I was questioning myself - as a flywheel! I was under the impression that flywheels for storing power were forbidden by the challenge rules but I guess a bike wheel doesn't count, which is a pretty clever design. Like the rest of it, ingenious!
#6
Banned
I wonder what the gear ratio on that bike was?
It was a capstan winding up kevlar cordage that actually turned the Rotary wings.
front wheel less so not really a Bi ke, was hanging from more cordage..
#7
Thunder Whisperer
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: NE OK
Posts: 8,852
Bikes: '06 Kona Smoke
Mentioned: 6 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 274 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 6 Times
in
2 Posts
There was a thread about this started two days ago- https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...e-has-been-won
__________________
Community guidelines
Community guidelines
#8
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: San Antonio
Posts: 100
Bikes: 2004 LeMond Reno, 200? LeMond Buenos Aires, 199? Peugeot, 199? Yokota Yosemite, 199? GT Tequesta, 198? Bianchi Sport, 1984 Nishiki Prestige, 197? Gitane TDF
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
The 'copter itself reportedly weighed 120 lbs., and is the second largest helicopter ever built. Very cool!
#9
Insane Bicycle Mechanic
I was glad to see the explanation for leaving the rear wheel on, which I was questioning myself - as a flywheel! I was under the impression that flywheels for storing power were forbidden by the challenge rules but I guess a bike wheel doesn't count, which is a pretty clever design. Like the rest of it, ingenious!
Well, the wheel didn't store any power since it was stopped when the rotors were not moving. Had there been a clutch that allowed the rider to spin up the wheel before starting the rotors, then it would have violated the rules. As I said in the other thread, the wheel is there to modulate power inputs, avoiding unnecessary strain to the cables and various drive fittings.
__________________
Jeff Wills
Comcast nuked my web page. It will return soon..
Jeff Wills
Comcast nuked my web page. It will return soon..
#10
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Alpharetta, GA
Posts: 15,280
Bikes: Nashbar Road
Mentioned: 71 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2934 Post(s)
Liked 340 Times
in
227 Posts
Well, the wheel didn't store any power since it was stopped when the rotors were not moving. Had there been a clutch that allowed the rider to spin up the wheel before starting the rotors, then it would have violated the rules. As I said in the other thread, the wheel is there to modulate power inputs, avoiding unnecessary strain to the cables and various drive fittings.