Over the past several decades, several attempts have been made to design and construct a human-powered helicopter (HPH). The MQP's focus is to design an 8.25:1 scale model HPH, incorporating functional aspects of past designs and addressing shortcomings. Dynamic similarity was used to find the model weight, angular velocity, and power required. Blades are designed from a high-lift Epler airfoil obtained from a low Reynolds number database. Original lift and drag data was collected for Re = 10,000 on a test wing. A simple blade element code was written in MATLAB. The model was constructed using materials similar to those likely to be used on a prototype. Initial tests show that the power needed to produce the required lift is below the threshold set by the dynamic similarity.

• This report represents the work of one or more WPI undergraduate students submitted to the faculty as evidence of completion of a degree requirement. WPI routinely publishes these reports on its website without editorial or peer review.

Creator

• Arruda, Kevin John
• Camann, Andrew L.

Publisher

• Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Identifier

• E-project-042811-005244

Advisor

• Olinger, David J.

Year

• 2011

Date created

• 2011-04-28

Resource type

• Major Qualifying Project

Major

• Aerospace Engineering

Rights statement

• In Copyright