| Author | Message | ||
     Hootowl |
http://blogs.wsj.com/drivers-seat/2011/03/16/zero- motorcycles-founder-leaves-company-video/ I wish him well. A human powered helicopter would be really cool. I'd never be able to pedal it hard enough to get off the ground. Overcoming the engineering challenges would be a great accomplishment, even if the end result was a machine that only Lance Armstrong could use. (He's a bit lighter than the rest of us...that was off color...sorry.) | ||
| Aesquire |
Looks like the American Dream. Build a company with sweat & drive, sell out for the chance to follow a dream. I'd love to try a human powered copter. I doubt I could lift off. ( being old, slow and fat ) The Wright brothers had 12 horses. A good pedaler has 1/6. The Gossamer Condor was a plane so light that it broke when you looked at it. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gossamer_Condor I've flown Hang Gliders that massed 70lb. But, The Smithsonian asked for the Gossamer Condor and was shocked when it arrived in a van and how much room it took with a 96 ft wing. helicopters are way harder. | ||
| Cityxslicker |
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| Theshue |
helicopters are way harder. thats because helicopters don't fly, they beat the air into submission. quote from Igor Sikorsky "If a man is in need of rescue, an airplane can come in and throw flowers on him, and that's just about all." "But a direct lift aircraft could come in and save his life." and a bit of aviation trivia who were the first ground support personnel, for the Wright flyer? | ||
| Sifo |
I used to live about a mile from the Sikorsky plant in the 60's. Igor was a genius! Last year I read his autobiography, the Flying S. It was written before his work in helicopters though and was all about his work with fixed wing aircraft. Very disappointing having nothing on his egg beater work, but great reading about the work I didn't know of from an amazing man. Igor was also asked when he thought that helicopters would become more efficient than fixed wing aircraft. He simply answered "Never". I have serious doubts that a human can even power a helicopter. I would think you might stand a better chance with a multi-engine design. | ||
| Court |
I used to always enjoying going into the High Plains Museum in Goodland, KS and seeing the Purvis and Wilson 1909 Helicopter. I've read some incredible stories about Sikorsky and, as a fixed wing pilot, I can't imagine the challenges he had to overcome. I'm adding that Flying S to the reading list. | ||
| Slaughter |
Zero Gets $17M +$9M | ||
| Sifo |
Sikorsky, as a school boy had a good understanding of the challenges involved in flying a rotary wing craft. He even built models to test his ideas. Keep in mind that this was all done before the Wright Bros. famous flight. Sikorsky was also smart enough to understand that fixed wing craft were the way to go until technology and a market place was developed. On top of all that he had to navigate the political unrest of the Russian revolution while making a name for himself as an engineer. He was a rare breed that could understand the many facets of the human condition. I often wonder how a conversation would go between Igor and Erik. | ||
| Sifo |
Court I just checked my library and I got the title wrong. It's The Story of the Winged S. If you can't find a copy PM me and I can hook you up if you promise to get it back to me someday. (Message edited by SIFO on March 17, 2011) | ||
| Froggy |
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| Theshue |
one of the favorite museums i have visited is in a tiny town in Maine, called the Owl's head transportation museum. automobile, motorcycles, aircraft, engines, and bicycles, all under one roof. they had a couple of very early gyro copters there. they had their own restoration areas, one for planes, and one for cars. when i went through back in 2003 they were in the process of building a wright flyer from plans the Smithsonian had put together. An answer to the above trivia... the coast guard were the wright brothers original ground support crew. they used personnel from the nearby life saving station to help set everything up. | ||
| Gunut75 |
Froggy.............  |
