Crazy 'Manned Multicopter' must see - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: Moshly
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: July 18, 2016, 09:28:33 am
content: Wow, this guys is both crazy and a genius (skip to 4:40)

author: Kilrah
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: July 18, 2016, 09:42:03 am
content: Wouldn't say "genius" as there's really nothing fancy in there, but crazy for sure for daring to use such a thing with known unreliabilities and no backup system...

author: donotdespisethesnake
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 18, 2016, 09:45:14 am
content: Basically he's invented a flying coffin, he just needs to add the lid.

author: retrolefty
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 18, 2016, 11:22:17 am
content: Quote from: donotdespisethesnake on July 18, 2016, 09:45:14 amYes, who the hell does he think he is, one of the Wright brothers.

author: GEuser
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 18, 2016, 11:31:23 am
content: That was really good , from what i could figure out he has cross-linked the throttles to the joystick i think ..

author: StuUK
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 18, 2016, 11:43:36 am
content: Quote from: Kilrah on July 18, 2016, 09:42:03 amLike having the engine kill switch near his feet

author: Muttley Snickers
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: July 18, 2016, 11:49:26 am
content: I thought it was very good, excellent even.He could start a hedge trimming franchise, cut and blow in one go.

author: DenzilPenberthy
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 18, 2016, 12:54:40 pm
content: Quote from: StuUK on July 18, 2016, 11:43:36 amWhich will be of limited use when, after a millisecond's inattention, he loses both legs at the shin to those props :/

author: StillTrying
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 18, 2016, 03:20:26 pm
content: For this thing to lift off, each propeller would have to be providing about 15 Kgs of thrust, they don't look or sound anywhere near that to me.

author: Towger
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 18, 2016, 03:26:11 pm
content: Just watching him sit down in it (from the head cam) was hair raising.He appeared to be alone in the clearing, not recommended when playing with a toy capable of badly hurting you in many different ways. Even an open field would be safer.

author: zapta
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 18, 2016, 03:59:42 pm
content: Quote from: Towger on July 18, 2016, 03:26:11 pmStill a safer location than this Maker:

author: langwadt
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 18, 2016, 04:52:45 pm
content: Quote from: Kilrah on July 18, 2016, 09:42:03 amso just like a regular helicopter

author: Kalvin
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 18, 2016, 05:16:29 pm
content: Quote from: langwadt on July 18, 2016, 04:52:45 pmHelicopters have a capability to land (even safely) using autorotation, but this one will drop from the sky like a stone.

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 18, 2016, 05:18:56 pm
content: Quote from: langwadt on July 18, 2016, 04:52:45 pmAFAIK: The way to make an emergency landing with a helicopter is to make the blades spin as fast as possible during free fall and then use the inertia to create some lift just before touchdown. In theory that is...

author: Kilrah
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: July 18, 2016, 05:24:02 pm
content: Quote from: langwadt on July 18, 2016, 04:52:45 pmWell except for the energy a heli can store in the rotor and as speed, and the fact that the heli is made of overengineered, heavily tested and certified components that are very unlikely to fail in the first place, not of hobby 2-stroke motors that pretty much have low reliability by design...

author: rx8pilot
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 18, 2016, 05:51:36 pm
content: While I am far from an expert, but it would seem vastly more stable if the center of lift was above the center of gravity. Also, the rectangular arrangement seems to be a unnecessary stability challenge as well. With all that noted, I would at least consider a helmet and other gear to minimize the blood bath when an engine fails and it tips over. Maybe a quick death is better than grave injury?I will pass over the the word 'genius' for this guy. He does, however, get an A for the excitement part.

author: electr_peter
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: July 18, 2016, 06:15:47 pm
content: Helicopters can perform autorotation maneuver (i.e. forcing a negative blade pitch to speed up rotor, slowly coming down, then changin to positive pitch near ground and safely touching down), if it has enough height and/or speed and a pilot with necessary skills to do that. It is not a especially hard maneuver for a helicopter pilot. But it may require to change pants afterwards...Medium to big RC helicopters can also perform autorotation (in addition to flying upside down).Pilot used so called "single stick" controller (old school type). I am really interested how motors are controlled - I will have look a this video deeper.Aircraft in video seems dangerous for various reasons. I am most concerned with high centre of mass and potential of single engine failure - it would probably not be able to adjust for 1 failed engine and crash. Limited lifting power is very apparent, it flies just barely.

author: LaserSteve
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 18, 2016, 06:32:43 pm
content: Kudos to the Chinese Guy for building a working Heli, AND teaching himself how to fly it. However, He's too close to re-discovering the usually fatal "Mast Bumping" design defect that is present in early Teetering Hinge rotor heads. Mast bumping is avoided by careful flight training, some modern machines still have it as a "feature". The fact that he got the hinges, rotor balance, and CG nearly right amazes me. I was really worried until he flew the loop out of the pad area and kept the fuselage at the proper angle.As for the guy with the "Dead Sled", I've no comment, other then the structure ensures his body will probably be somewhat presentable at the funeral. Holy marginal dynamic stability, Batman!"God looks after Fools, Little Children, and ships named Enterprise!"Steve

author: Alex Eisenhut
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 18, 2016, 06:44:44 pm
content: The thing looks precarious. Intuitively, I'd have put the 4 center motors further out and blowing out at a slight angle to get a dihedral. The motors look powerful enough to me; they look like two cylinder two-stroke gas engines. I think, I didn't listen I just watched the coolness! I'd suppose the choice of prop is at least as important as the size of the motors?

author: ez24
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 18, 2016, 07:09:41 pm
content: From a link in the video (warning sad ending)All these years I thought it was a 737. FYI I would never fly Alaska Airlines

author: XOIIO
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 18, 2016, 08:00:12 pm
content: This is the exact sort of thing I'd do, if I was rich :/Crazy or not it would be awesome.

author: langwadt
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 18, 2016, 08:14:00 pm
content: Quote from: Alex Eisenhut on July 18, 2016, 06:44:44 pmthe prop has to match the torque/speed curve of the motor, the pitch,size etc. is basically the equivalent of a gearbox

author: zapta
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 18, 2016, 08:26:09 pm
content: Quote from: langwadt on July 18, 2016, 08:14:00 pmOr impedance matching, like a transformer.

author: Kilrah
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: July 18, 2016, 08:39:06 pm
content: Quote from: XOIIO on July 18, 2016, 08:00:12 pmThat's a thing that with my experience I could build and fly within a week - but wouldn't do even if I don't value my own life that much. Or just fly above the water like many others have done before him, but then the interest is limited precisely because it's been done to death already.While it certainly gets you media attention and $ where's the fun in that.

author: ez24
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 18, 2016, 09:15:24 pm
content: How does he steer it ?To me it looked like the shafts that hold the inner motors moves?Could it be the RPM change in the motors?

author: Kilrah
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: July 18, 2016, 09:22:30 pm
content: Only RPM difference.That's usually done using electric motors that respond to commands from the flight controller in a split second, using straight gas engines with their slow and somewhat unpredictable response is already stretching it.

author: System Error Message
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 18, 2016, 10:02:41 pm
content: well at least it beats being stuck in traffic jams and having to pay for parking.

author: janoc
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 18, 2016, 10:13:28 pm
content: Quote from: retrolefty on July 18, 2016, 11:22:17 amYou mean Wright brothers who literally didn't know squat about control issues or aerodynamics at the time, so they were risking life discovering new territory. That vs a guy who takes RC model gear, everything basically off-the-shelf and builds a contraption to get killed indespitethe knowledge about the serious safety shortcomings of this kind of design being widely available?The Wrights were explorers but this guy is just a plainly stupid Darwin award candidate, nothing more. And even if he manages to make the thing fly he didn't invent anything new there - the Moeller's "volantor" or "Skycar" predates this by at least a decade if not more and that actually had at least some safety features.Volantorhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moller_M200G_VolantorThe Skycar is actually more a tiltrotor than a multicopter.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moller_M400_SkycarBoth were a failure and an abysmal money sink - mainly because of control issues and the safety problems in case of an multi engine failure, solving of which would make it completely unprofitable.Btw, both Moeller's contraptions could handle single engine failure due to engine redundancy - unlike an X-shaped quadcopter which will immediately flip over if one motor conks out.Edit:Actually the guy's contraption is an octocopter, not an X-shaped quad, but the engines are so weak that it barely hovers in ground effect. If one of the engines dies, he is going to have a really bad day ...

author: StillTrying
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 18, 2016, 11:41:40 pm
content: I'm not convinced this thing lifts off with him sitting on it.electric versionshttp://www.makermasters.com/e-volo-multicopter-paves-the-way-in-manned-diy-electric-flighthttps://www.engadget.com/2016/04/10/18-rotor-electric-helicopter-in-manned-flightEight 8 HP motors and 10,000 rpm looks like getting close to liftoff.http://adamone.rchomepage.com/calc_thrust.htm

author: sleemanj
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 19, 2016, 01:04:39 am
content: Quote from: StillTrying on July 18, 2016, 11:41:40 pmHe has been working on this project for more than a year, here are the videos in order...

author: boffin
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: July 19, 2016, 01:31:02 am
content: Quote from: ez24 on July 18, 2016, 07:09:41 pmAlaska is my preferred airline living in the PNW. Their safety record overall is quite excellent, especially given they fly into some of the toughest airports in some of the worst weather in North America.All airlines have had serious accidents, just some have been lucky enough that everyone walked away. People are always quick to blame airlines, but aviation safety is a delicate balance between costs (and not overengineering) and safety. Are there some airlines I'd avoid; sure; most of the regionals are way dodgier than any of the mainlines; and knowing the pilot on my short hop flight likely makes just over minimum wage isn't the nicest of feelings.there's a superb documentary on PBS Frontline called "Flying Cheap" if you want to know how the airline industry really works.