Your average
whirleybird is driven by a big motor in the middle, spinning the blades one way and, as per Newton, rotating the body of the craft the other. A tail rotor counteracts the force, but a more efficient solution is to have the rotors power
themselves, which is exactly how the Dragonfly DF1 works. It has tiny, hydrogen-peroxide jets on the blade tips, spinning them up without pushing the body of the helo in the other way -- though a small tail rotor is still needed to turn the craft. It's much like the tech that propelled James Bond toward his waiting DB5 in
Thunderball, but unlike that jetpack this copter can fly for up to 50 minutes. It's the product of Swisscopter Americas and, while they've been playing with the DF1 for many moons now (demonstrated in a video below), the company is also working on the DF2 shown above, a rather more civilized version that seats two. The DF1 is certified for flight in the US, looks to be available for sale and, while no price is listed, they are said to be much more friendly to the environment than traditional helicopters. That'll surely add to the premium.
posted March 17th 2010 9:17AM
At first I thought oh new R/C model...
That Dragonfly DF1 is actually a re-badged Intora Firebird prototype built a few years ago. That company (in the UK) folded after a dispute between the partners.
The basic design dates back to the 1950s. Intora Firebird was the last company I'd heard of to buy the patent rights. Swisscopter Americas must have purchased those rights along with the prototypes.
Every company that has touched this idea has folded. I won't be holding my breath for this.
Here's a brief summary link and an image that shows that this DF1 is in fact a Intora Firebird.
http://www.1000aircraftphotos.com/Contributions/KleinBernhard/8009.htm
Cool.. Looks like a "Little Bird" from Black Hawk Down!
how about a video of the DF2 actually flying?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EG5dbghvl4E
or here's the df1 actually flying http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=moCyUxbHB8Q
I just saw an ad on TV for an RC heli, but this one shoots frikkin missiles!! I want to buy one (only $40) but I forgot what it's called!!
In the mid 70s, I read about a machine similar to this in Aviation Week and Space Technology (I went to an engineering school). The company developing this was based in Odessa, Texas (I don't remember their name). The engines, which were mounted in the tips of the rotor, were the size of a pack of cigarettes, and they said it basically acted as a catalyst to accelerate the decay of hydrogen peroxide into steam and oxygen. Since the steam had nowhere else to go, it would force the rotors to spin. It sounded plausible to me, as I was studying electrical engineering, not aeronautical engineering. I never forgot about it, and have been waiting 35 years to be able to buy one. I wonder if these guys read the same article?
@kgsbca You are exactly right, I followed this company also. They went bust, as has every other company which "developed" this same technology. There are some serious problems somewhere in this concept which they aren't talking about. Otherwise why hasn't this been brought to market, SUCCESSFULLY, in 40 years or so. It looks really neat, obviously from the video it flies, so where is the bug in this system? My guess is that it is in the H2O2 system. This isn't the same stuff you pour on cuts and scrapes, this is rocket fuel, and therein must lie the problem. Either the stuff is too volatile or too expensive to handle/use. It has to lie in the economics rather than the aeronautics of the system.
In news about even better ideas... auto-gyros.
@savagemike How is a gyrocopter a better idea? That makes no sense, it has none of the benefits of a helicopter.
@LEDfoot
Actually it has most every benefit of a helicopter excepting fully hovering and completely vertical landing.
It is far simpler mechanically and has some advantages of its own.
it can only fly for 50 minutes? that means that it would only be legal to fly it for 30 minutes. as soon as you get out of the pattern youd have to turn around and head back. useless
Soo.. I guess I shouldn't smoke around it?
That would be a sweet way to get to work!
Swiss make incredible things. And their women are beautiful!