Idea Interesting concept for a VTOL

[adjangs]

Why: why not? This design has the potential to help capitalize on EDFs abundance of fast moving air for both takeoff and forward flight and overcome their relative lack of thrust.

A single electric ducted fan propells the tail around in a horizontal circle while the main wings are oriented as if they were helicopter blades. The plane's center of mass is underneith the main wings so it pivots around their centerpoint.

For forward flight, the EDF, horizontal stabilizer, and vertical fin pivot 90* as a unit to face forward and the wings tilt into a flat wing position. So the craft begins to function as a conventional plane.

It might need some altitude to transition!! And yes it's ok to laugh.

[RCvertt]

Originally Posted by adjangs

Why: why not?

It might need some altitude to transition!!

I like the idea but the biggest problems I see will be not knowing which direction it's heading will be when it stops spinning and, like you mentioned it's going to drop like a rock during the transition to forward flight.

I think the simplicity of any passive stability here will be negated by more complexity during transition, unless you don't mind it droping like a rock. I also haven't seen any really good way of controlling those passively stable toys that spin around. They are rather slow to respond to any commands.


Found this, which looks interesting...

Single Wing model experiments (7 min 46 sec)

[F-111 John]

Lockheed Martin is working on a micro UAV called the Samarai using a similar concept.

Lockheed Martin Samarai monocopter UAV (2 min 52 sec)

[adjangs]

I had seen that lockheed monocopter before; very inspiring.

If you put two of those side by side you pretty much get the triebflugel design concept, and maybe the possibility of a smooth transition.

Something like this

[adjangs]

I'm starting to think that mounting EDFs on the end of long wings is pretty inefficient-- you end up with lots of drag on the end of your bladewings.

So I was thinking of combining the idea of VTOL with tip-jet rotorblades like these:

Voljet tip jet (pressure jet) helicopter (9 min 52 sec)

I'm thinking each blade would get its own compressor similar to the attached design. That way, the couple between blade and compressor is fixed (and possible to build in an RC scale model) That also means the battery and motors would have to rotate with the blades. Hmmmm... that part of the design needs work for sure! (along with everything else)

The compressed air could be directed to the tips of the blades or maybe midway up the blade if that allows the kind of airflow from the blades necessary for forward flight.

With this sort of design, roll and pitch would be handled by a conventional swashplate as well as collective pitch. Conveniently, collective pitch taken to the point where the blades are parallel to vertical would serve as the mechanism to transition to forward flight. In the forward flight mode, the rotor blades would then serve as wings. I'm not sure how to control elevator function... might need a separate channel just for that (up to 6 then: throttle, collective/aileron, pitch, roll, elevator, yaw ). Collective pitch would then be function as aileron.

Wow, this design idea has a lot of potential for everything on it having good use in both VTOL and forward flight:

-rotorblades=wings
-propulsion system=lift system
-collective pitch=aileron

Added advantage: uses proven helicopter design for VTOL stability

pesky details- yaw, elevator

If I get some time to try to sketch this up I definitely will so if my explanation is bad the picture can help make up for it.

[DreamArcher]

Without an on board computer I don't see how controlled flight can be accomplished other than up/down. But don't be discouraged by me. If somebody said the same to my design I'd just work on it more.

[adjangs]

I think you're right dream archer; the best case outcome with this idea would probably resemble a helicopter with a slow-flying airplane frame hanging below it. Sounds like nightmare to control if I think about it in those terms.

[v22chap]

That is some neat stuff there adjangs ,,, keep working at it ,,, the ideas will come and it would be really cool if it could be pulled off .

[DreamArcher]

There is one design I've seen. I think government sponsored. I can't find a picture and don't know if it flew. I was somewhat like the traditional UFO. The center part was fixed and at about half the radius the whole thing spun. It seemed as if the center was for the crew. The outer was for lift and stability. Maybe it was just a concept mockup.

[adjangs]

I was at walmart tonight and was SHOCKED to see they had an airhogs vtol of the type I've been obsessing over (spinning wings) so I bought it for $65. I'm considering it as R&D investment

SwitchBladeSizzle v1 MP4 720pHALF 640x360 (0 min 33 sec)

I guess it's been out since at least june and I didn't know about it. Hopefully I'll get to test fly it tomorrow.
http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1069500

[F-111 John]

Originally Posted by adjangs

I was at walmart tonight and was SHOCKED to see they had an airhogs vtol of the type I've been obsessing over (spinning wings) so I bought it for $65. I'm considering it as R&D investment

You should have some fun with it. NightFlyyer reviewed it about a month ago, IIRC.

Morphing Aircraft! Air Hogs SWITCHBLADE product review. (13 min 22 sec)

[derk]

you can have good control while spinning with the use of an isolated digital compass. it was used to give one of those silverlet ufo toys 4ch control. it worked very well and was stable. since it had no tail he used an led on the outside rim to light up where the "tail" was. i'll try to find his thread and get it up.

*edit* i found the thread: http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showt...hlight=compass

[adjangs]

Originally Posted by derk

*edit* i found the thread: http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showt...hlight=compass

derk, that is an absolute gem of a thread. It answered a lot of questions I had and replaced them with new ones in one hour flat! Thanks!