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Human-powered Helicopter Fails to Lift Off
Peter writes "The Human-powered helicopter didn't even get off the ground. A team of University of British Columbia engineering students tried to win the $20,000 US prize offered by the American Helicopter Society. Three metres off the ground and hover for a minute was the challenge. But before the rotors were able to produce enough buoyant force they hit each other. More details: Vancouver Sun."
If humans were meant to fly [on their own power], he/she would have been given wings.
Wow, a human powered helicopter! Great, I would be free from traffic congestion on my five minute commute to work!
No it wasn't, jackquoff.
I dunno, for some reason, the second half of that headline seems pretty predictable after reading the first half :)
...not getting off the ground makes it difficult to crash.
Show me on the doll where his noodly appendage touched you.
Everyone knows Canucks can't fly.
So no simulations or models or just spinning the rotors indicated this might happen?
"Right now we're all taking bets on what's going to fail first"
Sounds like this venture was well planned!
But killing humans and using them for fuel? That's horrible!
... He'd have provided more engineering graduate students.
The little guy just ain't getting it, is he?
as a consultant(or maybe the people that infused him with the powers, I can't remember who)..
Peter writes "The Human-powered helicopter didn't even get off the ground. A team of University of British Columbia engineering students tried to win the $20,000 US prize offered by the American Helicopter Society. Three metres off the ground and hover for a minute was the challenge. But before the rotors were able to produce enough buoyant force they hit each other.
I assume 'they' refers to the rotors, not the team...
Pilot 1: "pedal faster!"
Pilot 2 (using Scotty voice): "I can't take much more cap'n!"
SMACK!
They hit each other.
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I - I took the one the bus load of girls just went down.
Or get MC Pee Pants to sponsor...
"I need candy!"
(tig)
Ignorance and prejudice and fear
Walk hand in hand
To get the prize, dipshit.
and no one caught such a simple design flaw.
All they had to do was have the outer wing on the bottom.
I would suspect they would have to have gears to get the rotors up to speed but, judging from the picture, I guess they figured the pilot had enough to do, what between holding on for life, pedaling, and praying to the gods.
You are checking your backups, aren't you?
The art of flying is learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss.
(S(SKK)(SKK))(S(SKK)(SKK))
So not only am I paying top dollars to fly to europe, now I'm going to have to pedal for 8 hours too? Great.
Eh.
Attention passengers, we're preparing for take off. Please put your seats in the upright positions and your feet on the pedals. If you notice a fellow passenger failing to pedal, please quietly alert a stewardess that you suspect terrorism.
I thought that was what engineering is all about.
Not familiar with the Tacoma Narrows bridge disaster, are we?
Tubal-Cain smokes the white owl.
that the theory "helicopters can't fly; they're just so ugly that the Earth repels them" is incorrect. Oh well, back to the old drawing board...
> These blades are huge, thick profile and with HUGE drag.
> There is simply no way a human can spin and keep them rotating
> for 1 minute at a speed sufficient for liftoff.
Yeah, but it's merely an engineering problem. All they have to do is reduce the blade profile by (thick/3.212) to get to (HUGE-SOMEWHATBIG)+3, give or take a few hundredths of a BIG and it just might work.
Could someone confirm my math?
Oh I admit, it LOOKS grim, but isn't it a bit presumptuous to be a naysayer without any real data?
I guess there goes my dream of being a human powered .. helicopter ... pilot. Soaring through the ... 3-meter-sphere. Okay, nevermind.
A team of University of British Columbia engineering students tried to win the $20,000 US prize offered by the American Helicopter Society.
Since when is Canada part of America?
=)
Dewey, you fool! Your decimal system has played right into my hands!
You obviously haven't heard about the Canadian Army's Sea King helicopters which cost $000's per day to maintain. With a human-powered helicopter, Canada could cheaply replace all of its dozen or so copters with these, and gain more maneuverability, speed, and reliability! Even if the thing never leaves the ground...
Aww man, no one wants to picture that.
1000's of fat slashdotters trying to run up the stairs seeing if they can generate a horsepower of energy.
It's easier to fight for one's principles than to live up to them.