How Can I Calculate Lift for a Human-Powered Helicopter?

AI Thread Summary
To calculate lift for a human-powered helicopter, understanding the airfoil profile is essential, as it affects the lift generated by the rotor blades. The design involves using four counter-rotating rotors with three foam blades each, measuring six feet in length, supported by aluminum ribbing. Researching existing human-powered helicopter designs, like the Yuri I, can provide valuable insights and help avoid common pitfalls. It's important to note that in aviation terminology, "rotary wing" is the correct term for helicopter blades, rather than "propeller blades." Gathering information from successful projects can enhance the design process significantly.
Flabbyflab
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Hello!

I am creating, or at least attempting to create, a human-powered helicopter. I need an equation to figure out the lift from the rotors. I plan to use four counter-rotating rotors, three blades each, and each blade made of foam, with aluminum ribbing. The blades will be six feet each. Any other general information that might help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
 
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Flabbyflab said:
Hello!

I am creating, or at least attempting to create, a human-powered helicopter. I need an equation to figure out the lift from the rotors. I plan to use four counter-rotating rotors, three blades each, and each blade made of foam, with aluminum ribbing. The blades will be six feet each. Any other general information that might help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

You're going to need to know the airfoil profile to calculate an estimate of the expected lift:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lift_(force )
 
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The problem is that the "airfoil's " of a helicopter aka the propellor blades' motion through the air actually changes the air pressure by an amount not described anywhere that I can personally find on the internet, yet.

I have the same question as the OP.
 
Whenever I find someone trying to design and test an experimental system I immediately search for examples of others who have already worked on the same type of system. By studying their work and results the repetition of many of their trials and errors can be avoided. And the successful schemes they discovered may be adopted to your new project. In case you have not yet done so please see:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human-powered_helicopter

“The current world record for human-powered helicopters is held by a craft named Yuri I, built by a team from the Nihon Aero Student Group (NASG).”

http://www.humanpoweredhelicopters.org/yuri1/index.htm

afterthought: By the way, in the helicopter world they are not called "propeller blades". The accepted term is "rotary wing".
 
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