Human Powered Quad getting ready for test flight

[Gary Mortimer]

This is pretty jolly cool

http://www.suasnews.com/2011/05/5450/umd-human-powered-multicopter-ready-for-test-flight/

 

[RTRyder]

So I have to ask, are you the Gary Mortimer that writes the articles for suasnews or is it just a coincidence that you have the same name?

 

[Buzzed]

I hope they win the quarter-million dollars.

 

[Bartman]

Gary, assuming you are the correct Gary that authored the article, would you happen to have contact information for the UMD students that are flying the quad tomorrow? I may be available to drive down there and get some pics for the site as a news piece.
Thanks,
Bart

 

[Gary Mortimer]

It an amazing coincidence ;-) Its from there press release Bart, let me see if I can find a contact maybe you already have.

 

[matwelli]

will be amazing to see if it actually flies

total weight 210 lbs, about 100kg.

If a healthy human can produce about 300-400 watts of energy, in a multicopter that can lift 2-3 kg's , will be very interesting to see how they get 50 times that amount of lift

Good luck to them, hope it works !

 

[jes1111]

how they get 50 times that amount of lift

lipo-suction? ;-)

 

[Gary Mortimer]

It was a fail sadly

[video]http://www.youtube.com/v/xoI_luw1qBo[/video]

But they are trying again today, there is a very interesting recording of yesterdays attempt they are even flying a couple of TriCopters in it and there will be live streaming today (Thursday 12th May)

http://www.suasnews.com/2011/05/5475/human-powered-helicopter-has-part-failure/

 

[Macsgrafs]

Watching it now, I think they have the wrong blade section, they need an undercambered section like used on gliders.


Ross

 

[Macsgrafs]

Anticlimax

I think in my opinion they need to reduce rotor size, make them clark Y or under cambered section (like glider) & alter the gearing to make the main rotors spin faster, he little legs were going like a belt fed wombat but the rotors were hardly spinning! A lot more work is needed to get this baby off the deck! Just my thoughts of course.

Ross