Homemade Helicopter: For the People.

[Imop45]

Ok, I heard that you could make a cheap, but good helicopter, that's a 1-2 seater, relatively easy. How could this be done?

 

[FredGarvin]

Helicopter and cheap are two words that never go together. Are you referring to something like an autogyro kit that you find in the back of Popular Mechanics and the like?

 

[Mech_Engineer]

Ok, I heard that you could make a cheap, but good helicopter, that's a 1-2 seater, relatively easy. How could this be done?

I think "cheap" is like $20k or $30k, cheap for a helicopter, but not that great. AND not very safe.

 

[brewnog]

I'm waiting for the "how can I build a spaceship to take me to Mars for under $60?" thread.

 

[Imop45]

Ok, to clarify, I meant cheap as in, building a Helicopter and not buying a$15,000 motor and things. Yeah, I'm not going to buuld the frame out of duct tape...I was saving that for the motor parts.

 

[Imop45]

I know cheap isn't going to be cheap.

 

[FredGarvin]

Again, this may be what you are thinking of, but they are not helicopters.

http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/aviation/1280656.html?page=2&c=y

 

[brewnog]

Imop, I don't want to brush you off cos I used to have all these amazing genuine aspirations to build all sorts of creations when I was younger, but do you really think companies would spend hundreds of millions developing things like cars, hovercraft and helicopters if all there was to it was welding some tubes together in your shed? That's not to say it can't be done, but do you know what's involved?!

Again, not trying to brush you off, but have a look at some of the other threads about building go karts/hovercraft/planes in this forum and see what kind of level of detail you need to go into to do it yourself. Lots of people here have done engineering degrees, and many have years of experience behind them, but I doubt anyone here would feel confident designing something like this in its entirety, from start to finish, on their own!

Having said that, if you have any specific questions here's an excellent place to start asking...

 

[Mech_Engineer]

Lots of people here have done engineering degrees, and many have years of experience behind them, but I doubt anyone here would feel confident designing something like this in its entirety, from start to finish, on their own!

I might be willing to try, if I won the lottery and was bored... But I don't know if I'd be brave enough to fly in it

 

[Imop45]

Imop, I don't want to brush you off cos I used to have all these amazing genuine aspirations to build all sorts of creations when I was younger, but do you really think companies would spend hundreds of millions developing things like cars, hovercraft and helicopters if all there was to it was welding some tubes together in your shed? That's not to say it can't be done, but do you know what's involved?!

No. I don't. Thats why I wanted to learn what was involved. My Grandfather was actually wanting to look into, as he wants a ultralight plane or something related to it. Thanks though.

 

[Danger]

My cousin was planning to build a Scorpion II, and I was certainly looking forward to playing with it. Unfortunately, he died before he had a chance to do it.

 

[magnum40]

cheap helicopter plans

not really a helicopter more like a mix stears like a plane

THE GYROBEE
http://users2.ev1.net/~gyroman/downloads/gbeer50.pdf

Total BEE Kit
http://www.starbeegyros.com/productdetail.asp?ID=177&kits=1

 

[wolram]

not really a helicopter more like a mix stears like a plane

THE GYROBEE
http://users2.ev1.net/~gyroman/downloads/gbeer50.pdf

Total BEE Kit
http://www.starbeegyros.com/productdetail.asp?ID=177&kits=1

I am sure i read some where that auto gyros were grounded due to rotor strikes on some part of the air frame, in the uk any way.

 

[kleinjahr]

Didn't PM have ads for plans for a one man chopper. I seem to remember one type with jets/rockets at the blade tips.

 

[DaveC426913]

Helicopter and cheap are two words that should never go together.

I'm waiting for the "how can I build a spaceship to take me to Mars for under $60?" thread.

Waaay less scary! If your spaceship breaks, you've got plenty of time to fix it.

 

[Francis M]

The problem I see with this is not so much that they might be cheap (read in: not built well). I'll go out on a limb and say that maaaaaaybeeeeee these have been designed by an AE with a kit plane idea so they decided "hey why not try a kit helicopter, I've got the skills". My problem is that the adds seem to give the impression that you can "send in your money, buy our kit, throw it together and enjoy hours and hours of hovering fun."

Next up is correspondence courses on "Learn to be a Quantum Physicist in your spare time! That's right folks, for just the price of a cup of coffee a day..."

 

[Matson]

I think "cheap" is like $20k or $30k, cheap for a helicopter, but not that great. AND not very safe.

For $98 I found plans for a propellor driven backpack used in tandem with a ram chute. They provide blueprints, manufacturers and suppliers of propellors and motors. You can use a body harness or build a little 3 wheeled, kayak looking thing. They both work on the same principles.

They say you can be flying for as little as $2,500 or less. The ram chutes are about $800 used and costs vary on construction.

 

[Ki Man]

You'd have to go to flight school first and check for how legal the projects are in your area.

They have build it yourself kits for relatively low prices where you can build a small one seat or two seat helicopter. either that or you can get an R22 if you find 200,000 cheap.

 

[FredGarvin]

For $98 I found plans for a propellor driven backpack used in tandem with a ram chute. They provide blueprints, manufacturers and suppliers of propellors and motors. You can use a body harness or build a little 3 wheeled, kayak looking thing. They both work on the same principles.

They say you can be flying for as little as $2,500 or less. The ram chutes are about $800 used and costs vary on construction.

Finding plans and trusting life and limb to them are two different things. Also, I don't know how many people would be comfortable flying a chute without some kind of previous experience. Caveat Emptor to the ultimate degree.

 

[Panda]

I don't know what the law is over the pond but in the UK whilst you can build a car, plane, helicopter, spaceship in your back garden, unless you own sufficient land such that it cannot come into contact with unsuspecting members of the public, you need to get it cleared as fit for purpose.

I've built cars and raced them on circuits because when the wheels fall off they are contained within the catch fencing.
An aircraft is much harder to contain, as your fences need to be slightly higher, so they tend to calculated how far it could go in a straight line with a full tank of fuel, draw a circle round that and any member of the public in that radius means you can't fly.
This even goes for professionally built stuff, We generally test in the middle of deserts or over the sea to ensure that no body gets hurt when we type the guidance algorithm in backwards... a surprisingly common occurance.
I think that these kits may not make it clear that yes you can build your own plane, it's just you won't be able to fly it.

 

[Matson]

Finding plans and trusting life and limb to them are two different things. Also, I don't know how many people would be comfortable flying a chute without some kind of previous experience. Caveat Emptor to the ultimate degree.

I was parachuting for sport in the 80s. The bottom line is that you are wearing a parachute the whole time. I can cut off my motor and safely land, so worries about my well being are moot. The downside is, parachute harness's are REALLY UNCOMFORTABLE! LOL!

I saw a special on the "gadgets of 007." They showed the autogyro that was featured in one of them, still sporting the fake rocket tubes. The old man that builds them has around 20 of them that are operational. He had single and double occupancy models, open and closed models.

He swears it is the safest way to travel. After watching him roll one out, jump in and take off, I was sold. He said he can shut down the motor at any time and land it safely. I can only find RC autoguro models, though...and SCREW THAT.

 

[Ki Man]

He said he can shut down the motor at any time and land it safely.

with no wings, how are you supposed to glide to the ground? And how does an autogyro counter the spinning force from its main rotor without the smaller rotor that appears on hellicopters

 

[Mech_Engineer]

It's really not that hard to do a little searching on how Autogyros work...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autogyro

 

[Ki Man]

but it depends on a rotor to act like the wings of a glider, but if the rotors stop, how are you supposed to take it down safely?

 

[Mech_Engineer]

but it depends on a rotor to act like the wings of a glider, but if the rotors stop, how are you supposed to take it down safely?

Here's what I found after some quick searches in Google:

There is one other major advantage that autogyros have over airplanes and helicopters- safety in event of an engine failure. If an engine fails in an autogyro, the same thing would happen as if the pilot tried to fly too slow. The aircraft would slowly descend until landing. In fact, the procedure for landing an autogyro after engine failure is the same for landing an autogyro under ordinary circumstances.

Autogyro technology looks a lot like helicopter technology, but aside from appearances, they are quite different. Technically speaking, an autogyro has much more in common with an old-fashioned single-prop airplane than it does with a helicopter. An autogyro's rotor is unpowered, providing lift in a way similar to a fixed wing, but caused to spin by its forward motion through the air. The thrust that provides lift comes from an airplane-like propeller– in the case of the PALV, a small pushing-type propeller mounted to the rear of the vehicle.

 

[Matson]

Here's what I found after some quick searches in Google:

For all us guys that don't have John Travoltas $$$, Backpacks with ramchutes and autogyros is STILL flying. The ramchute backpack I mention has a speed of 30 MPH and you can climb 10 feet a minute, a slow ride when you're hanging by your crotch...BUT HEY! You're FLYING!

 

[Matson]

You'd have to go to flight school first and check for how legal the projects are in your area.

They have build it yourself kits for relatively low prices where you can build a small one seat or two seat helicopter. either that or you can get an R22 if you find 200,000 cheap.

That would not apply to people with a natural contempt for authority.

 

[Ki Man]

While rummaging through sites on aircraft, I found a good heilopter kit site and remembered this thread. if anyone is still into this,http://www.rotorway.com/" makes some pretty good, low cost kits

 

[FredGarvin]

IIRC, there was a show on the Discovery Channel that had a British guy building and then flying his own aircraft kits. I believe that was the helicopter he made. It was a nice kit, but a lot of work (obviously).

 

[Ki Man]

IIRC, there was a show on the Discovery Channel that had a British guy building and then flying his own aircraft kits. I believe that was the helicopter he made. It was a nice kit, but a lot of work (obviously).

i think this company is based in arizona

 

[icanbuildit]

Why are there so many that think building a home made helicopter is so far out there, I have built several things just using common sense, books and a few books?

 

[Danger]

I can't get a decent lock on that link, but I'm pretty sure that RotorWay is the manufacturer of the Scorpion series that I mentioned earlier. They seem to make a good quality product.

 

[Mech_Engineer]

Why are there so many that think building a home made helicopter is so far out there, I have built several things just using common sense, books and a few books?

The answer is simple, it takes a LOT more than just common sense to build a helicopter. You obviously don't have any idea of what would be required to make one.

 

[icanbuildit]

No, your right and for some it would not even be a thought! I am sure there are many things I have not considered for when I plan on building one. I have built race cars, kayaks, canoe's, lap strake row boats and many other thigns that take simply put knowledge andmore than common sense. I think no one should ever say they can't, because they have not tried. I lost three fingers building one of my kayaks and have built harder projects than a little boat since then.

 

[Danger]

I lost three fingers building one of my kayaks

That might be an indication that your approach to construction is somewhat flawed.
Just getting the swash plate assembly correct is more complicated than any of the things that you've mentioned in their entirety.

 

[icanbuildit]

Missing the point you say, being able to read a book, understand datum water lines, convert on computer, cut your fingers off and finish with one hand says something I am pretty sure. I have 4. GPA, can build anything and have, I'm not the guy who finished at Hardvardand never lifted a tool, but finished and can build my own house, not have to pay some one, then build this flying machine everyone thinks is so hard, gees?

 

[Mech_Engineer]

Missing the point you say, being able to read a book, understand datum water lines, convert on computer, cut your fingers off and finish with one hand says something I am pretty sure.

No, really, you DON'T understand. Helicopters are very complex (and potentially dangerous) vehicles. They have complex rotating parts that have to operate at high RPM's, and must be built of very light and strong materials. If you lost three fingers building a kayak, I shudder to imagine the consequences of an accident involving a heli's rotor

Despite your building houses, boats, racecars, whatever; none of these "proves" your worthiness. While I have to admire your "can-do" attitude, experts here and elsewhere will say you're out of your mind if you think building a functioning helicopter is anything close to these other projects you have worked on. You'd be much better off even trying to build a glider or ultralight (or auto-gyro) than what you are proposing.

I have 4. GPA, can build anything and have, I'm not the guy who finished at Hardvardand never lifted a tool, but finished and can build my own house, not have to pay some one, then build this flying machine everyone thinks is so hard, gees?

Despite your GPA (is that GPA in applicable engineering courses, btw?), I would give a Harvard graduate with a firm understanding of aerodynamics, control systems, and composite materials my vote... at least I hope he (or she) would know when they were in over their head...

 

[icanbuildit]

You guys are killing me, is there no faith unless you have some degree in building a rocket, did those guys just finish school or did they actually read a book, ask some questions, is everything you do certain, outcome always known, how many times has smoke come from some lab, test and trial. I would not presume to go strap a V8 to some pile of tubing made from the lawn mower. Books, lots of math, lots of questions but to think unless I am already an engineer I can't do, well that's just funny, everyone starts some where. How about instead of dogging me, give a man some advice besides trying to be as smart or giving up, I'd rather blow myself up than have never tried or say it looked good on paper but I just never had the balls.

 

[FredGarvin]

Missing the point you say, being able to read a book, understand datum water lines, convert on computer, cut your fingers off and finish with one hand says something I am pretty sure. I have 4. GPA, can build anything and have, I'm not the guy who finished at Hardvardand never lifted a tool, but finished and can build my own house, not have to pay some one, then build this flying machine everyone thinks is so hard, gees?

When you say "home built" do you mean a kit or one from scratch? Because if you're talking about from scratch then I would say you have a death wish.

 

[icanbuildit]

Good question, I have not seen anything worth building, I mean the nicer ones, best lines, engines lift and all, you might as well buy someone elses design. I think I would prefer to use the best as far as engine and controls but changes the over all appearance. I do not have the time or know how as most have said to do from scratch.
I would not buy a kit, right parts, right help, copter pilots I have known for years but desing my own yes. I woudl be man enough to say I am over my head but then again why build something easy?

 

[icanbuildit]

You stink, I will build it, prove simplicity, hard work and yes I will read up on engineering and see how many did it right the first time, (NOT) you should read history books now and again, not everything was made in CHINA, most all carved out of the hands of Americans.

 

[FredGarvin]

Anyone who knows what a dead man's curve is would tell you to rethink that.

 

[Mech_Engineer]

You stink, I will build it, prove simplicity, hard work and yes I will read up on engineering and see how many did it right the first time, (NOT) you should read history books now and again, not everything was made in CHINA, most all carved out of the hands of Americans.

There is no way you can "prove" the simplicity of a helicopter, because it isn't SIMPLE!

I know enough about the engineering of helicopters to know it can't be done (safely or economically) by someone who has no engineering background and no idea what goes into making one.

BTW, Fred IS an engineer that works on helicopters. If you should listen to anyone, it should be him.

 

[DaveC426913]

I am confident in saying that losing three fingers qualifies as a failed project in any sane person's books.

And in Icanbuildit's case, his future projects are limited: a mere 2.333 left.

 

[AKHS]

"Great minds discuss ideas; Average minds discuss events; Small minds discuss people." - Elanore Roosevelt---- Roosevelt also have a small mind, like me!

 

[Nijelboswell]

It all depends on how well it is built. If the Vehicle is impractically built, the flight will be disasterous. If it is practical with multiple mistakes, it will crash. There can be no mistakes on the building.
Perhaps if you are going to build your own Flying machine, Make sure you have it properly Examined and inspected. Get it Thoroughly checked...

 

[RonL]

Just to show that progress is being made.

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3pj1w_helicoptere-

 

[FredGarvin]

While I have a very hard time calling that a real helicopter, it is certainly some nice work. That's pretty neat. Do you happen to know if the controls are RC or if the person hanging underneath controls similar to the way an ultralight is controlled?

 

[RonL]

I believe it is all weight shift, and speed is controlled with the left hand. Counter rotating blades reduce the need for a powered tail rotor.
I think this falls under ultralite rules, so a 5 gallon max. will limit time of flight.
The link below is older technology, but also shows a possible area of personel transport, with high speed computer control, pilot input error can be eliminated, making this a very stable platform.

 

[Breadboard]

Again, not trying to brush you off, but have a look at some of the other threads about building go karts/hovercraft/planes in this forum and see what kind of level of detail you need to go into to do it yourself. Lots of people here have done engineering degrees, and many have years of experience behind them, but I doubt anyone here would feel confident designing something like this in its entirety, from start to finish, on their own!

I agree in principle, but disagree in general! Yes, building something like a small personal air vehicle of whatever type, would certainly involve a huge amount of work, and be quite expensive. But the parts and equipment are commercially available, and a design simply needs to incorporate the mechanisms of putting these all together. The most significant obstacle to overcome is the very strict regulations regarding airworthiness. The EASA regulations, even for small aircraft, are based around commercial, multi person craft, and do not reflect the needs and considerations of the small home builder because this was not a central concern when they were being drafted. The regulations I believe have also stifiled private aviation advancement for decades because the cost of design and research & development, in order to comply with the regulatory requirements, is outside the realm of the private inventor/builder. I'm not so sure about the FAA reg's. The entire market is drowned in very strict regulations which in some cases are very necessary, but in other cases could be re-drafted to be much more flexible, while still ensuring a reasonable level of safety. Complying with these regulations, and awaiting assesment at the various build stages is a major contributing factor to why home building takes so long.

Re. IcanBuildIT post's previously, and the replies. I think nobody is questioning the complexity of building a heli, however this does not mean it cannot be done with relative success and a reasonable flight safety level, by someone who is willing to spend time learning and 'carefully' building with attention to detail. Remember we are NOT talking about a heli with all the bells and whistles of a modern multi million dollar commercial design. Simply a basic design equivalent to decades ago. The first heli in 1907 was built by private designers unrestricted by modern limitations of technical and regulatory natures. It was still a 'helicopter' and it still flew...I wouldn't trust my life to it, but it worked. It can be done. People nowadays are blinded by the complexity that something can, but does not have to, have. There are two kinds of people...those who do, and those who talk about doing!

Didn't PM have ads for plans for a one man chopper. I seem to remember one type with jets/rockets at the blade tips.

If memory serves me correctly ( Which it may not! ) the russians developed a heli using rockets at the tips of the rotor blades. I can't remember if there was a safety purpose, to assist in rotation of the blades after a main engine failure, or simply for powered assistance during takeoff/flight.