Abstract

In order for a human-powered helicopter (HPH) to fly, lifting the weight of its human pilot-engine and the weight of its own structure, the rotary wings need to be extremely large and exceptionally lightweight. Through centuries of dreaming and decades of modern attempts, no design so far has been able to obtain the combination of an adequately large rotor size, sufficiently lightweight structure, and an inherently stable aircraft. This thesis describes a concept of a wire-braced semi-rigid elevated rotor system for a proposed HPH. Then, using scale models and quantitative analysis, tests a series of supporting hypotheses in order to prove that such a large rotor system could be sufficiently lightweight, maintain its geometry to overcome coning and twisting, avoid interplanar interference, produce sufficient lift, yield inherent aircraft stabilty, and demonstrate that the drag penalty induced by external bracing wires would be more than offset by the benefits of wire bracing.

Degree

College and Department

Ira A. Fulton College of Engineering and Technology; Technology

Rights

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