The Pinwheel Helicopter (2014)

https://www.latimes.com/visuals/photography/la-me-fw-archives-the-pinwheel-helicopter-20180603-story.html#nws=mcnewsletter

by prostoalex • 7 years ago

28 18 7 years ago

latimes.com

jacquesm• 7 years ago

Similar principle to this one:

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• 7 years ago

Indeed, and taken to new heights of obnoxiousness by the British: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairey_Rotodyne

jacobush2• 7 years ago

I think, only British can be properly obnoxious.

TheSpiceIsLife• 7 years ago

The 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?

jacobush2• 7 years ago

I 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• 7 years ago

The reasons as already pointed out and the lack of shadows make it look a little odd.

Udik• 7 years ago

Lack 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• 7 years ago

The 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://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full/10.1098/rsnr.200...

kazinator• 7 years ago

That name is derived from "colibri": hummingbird.

mnemotechny• 7 years ago

I wonder what happened after this crash.

arethuza2• 7 years ago

I 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• 7 years ago

I'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."

arethuza2• 7 years ago

They are presumably using high test peroxide - which is interesting stuff:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-test_peroxide

Not sure I would want to be effectively wearing a tank of the stuff.

benmowa• 7 years ago

for super small kit helicopters of today, with typical combustion engine, see: http://www.mosquito-helicopter.info/Mosquito_Options_Air.htm...

larrydag• 7 years ago

This is impressive engineering

"Ultrasimple, it has no pistons, no electrical system, no lubrication or cooling system, no clutch, transmission or starter"

YeGoblynQueenne• 7 years 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.

The Pinwheel Helicopter (2014)

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