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design219 · Oct 24, 2007, 04:21 PM

Homemade Helicopter: Nigerian Man Builds Working Helicopters from Junk

I admire the ingenuity, but I'd have to pass.

voodoo · Oct 24, 2007, 04:29 PM

A home-made Nigerian helicopter... whoa [/Keanu]

If it can fly and isn't a shoddy piece of work, sure why not. I'll fly anything!

V

brassplayersrock² · Oct 24, 2007, 04:42 PM

Originally Posted by voodoo

A home-made Nigerian helicopter... whoa [/Keanu]

If it can fly and isn't a shoddy piece of work, sure why not. I'll fly anything!

V

that's what she said

sure, I'd fly in it if i can watch someone else fly in it first without it crashing

Mastrap · Oct 24, 2007, 05:07 PM

That's pretty ingenious.

osiris · Oct 24, 2007, 05:11 PM

Hmm, seats look more comfortable than a real chopper...

Sure, I'd try it. It can only climb 15 feet.

Paco500 · Oct 24, 2007, 05:16 PM

no.

Mithras · Oct 24, 2007, 05:51 PM

Maybe he can sell it on eBay to another Nigerian...
Seriously, though, that's pretty cool.

design219 · Oct 24, 2007, 05:53 PM

So he's working on an improved version. I think he can raise funds through an e-mail promotion.

How would that go...

brassplayersrock² · Oct 24, 2007, 05:57 PM

Originally Posted by osiris

Hmm, seats look more comfortable than a real chopper...

Sure, I'd try it. It can only climb 15 feet.

the yellow one shown can only do 7 feet. the one he's planning to build will do 15 feet

design219 · Oct 24, 2007, 06:02 PM

Those trees in the background look at least 20 feet.

Atomic Rooster · Oct 24, 2007, 06:40 PM

It needs missiles and a machine gun for sure. Would be useful for a raid on some diamond shipment then.

But not me!

osiris · Oct 24, 2007, 07:27 PM

Originally Posted by brassplayersrock²

the yellow one shown can only do 7 feet. the one he's planning to build will do 15 feet

Even better!

I can't really read.

peeb · Oct 24, 2007, 07:48 PM

How can it only do 7 feet? Surely if it can climb to 7 feet, it could equally easily climb higher?

SirCastor · Oct 24, 2007, 09:13 PM

Originally Posted by peeb

How can it only do 7 feet? Surely if it can climb to 7 feet, it could equally easily climb higher?

No, the extension cord doesn't stretch any higher...

Looking back at all those old films including the Wright brothers test, I have to say that yeah, I'd fly it. They were dealing with the same stuff back then. Heck, DaVinci may have tested out some of his own stuff...

Sealobo · Oct 24, 2007, 09:22 PM

maybe it could fly higher if he didn't go with the leather seat option. hahaha.

from the picture i think the blades aren't that aerodynamic.

slpdLoad · Oct 24, 2007, 10:08 PM

Originally Posted by peeb

How can it only do 7 feet? Surely if it can climb to 7 feet, it could equally easily climb higher?

I don't get it either. Obviously he doesn't have a collective control that can adjust the pitch of the blades to get more lift, but the weight-to-lift ratio is the same at 7 feet as 10 ft or 1 ft, right? Unless he can change the RPM of the blade during flight and at the max RPM it hits about 7 ft? That wasn't the impression I got from the article though.

Also, what the heck did he use to make the cyclic control that the joystick adjusts? A real helicopter is a very complex assembly with swash plates that allows the angle of the rotor to be changed.

Real or not, I'd definitely fly in it. Not too much of a risk at 7 feet! I'd also be equally willing to fly a "homemade" helicopter that I built from a real kit.

chabig · Oct 24, 2007, 10:30 PM

It looks like that machine has a fixed pitch rotor with no cyclic or collective. He spins it up until the machine lifts off the ground, but he probably has no control over its flight.

design219 · Oct 24, 2007, 10:59 PM

Originally Posted by peeb

How can it only do 7 feet? Surely if it can climb to 7 feet, it could equally easily climb higher?

I think the height limit is due to ground effects. You have more pressure close to the ground because the air has to change directions (from straight down to a right angle) when it hits the ground. But I could be wrong.

brassplayersrock² · Oct 25, 2007, 12:42 AM

Originally Posted by Atomic Rooster

It needs missiles and a machine gun for sure. Would be useful for a raid on some diamond shipment then.

But not me!

and some kind of wireless internet connection..... ...

peeb · Oct 25, 2007, 03:00 AM

Originally Posted by design219

I think the height limit is due to ground effects. You have more pressure close to the ground because the air has to change directions (from straight down to a right angle) when it hits the ground. But I could be wrong.

Well, I have a hard time buying that. I don't think it is resting on a cushion of higher pressure air like a hovercraft, but I have a hard time explaining it, so I could be wrong...

talisker · Oct 25, 2007, 03:34 AM

The article doesn't say it can't go higher than 7 feet, but that so far it has only gone as high as 7 feet. There may be a technical reason for this, but I suspect self-preservation is the main concern.

design219 · Oct 25, 2007, 07:38 AM

Well, he's already proven he's not an idiot.

wallinbl · Oct 25, 2007, 08:30 AM

Tried to use a homemade submarine when I was a kid. My friend's dad stopped us, but we were pretty serious about putting it in the water with one of us in it.

ghporter · Oct 25, 2007, 08:33 AM

If I built it, yes-alone until I was absolutely certain I hadn't goofed anything up. But one someone else built? Nope. Not a chance. I'm skeptical of my own abilities with something that complex; why should I trust someone else's? And sure, this guy is really brilliant to have figured this thing out on his own, but I've known brilliant people that should not be allowed to cross the street alone...

imitchellg5 · Oct 25, 2007, 03:36 PM

No I wouldn't. There are a ton of possible errors someone could make in building one, more so than an experimental aircraft. I'm feel safe flying in most people's homebuilt aircraft (especially RV's, those are so fun!), but I would say no to a helicopter. There was one guy that my dad was friends with who built a helicopter, wrecked it, fixed it, wrecked it again, and killed himself in the last wreck. No thanks.

brassplayersrock² · Oct 25, 2007, 03:36 PM

Originally Posted by ghporter

If I built it, yes-alone until I was absolutely certain I hadn't goofed anything up. But one someone else built? Nope. Not a chance. I'm skeptical of my own abilities with something that complex; why should I trust someone else's? And sure, this guy is really brilliant to have figured this thing out on his own, but I've known brilliant people that should not be allowed to cross the street alone...

are you talking about steve balmer?

ghporter · Oct 25, 2007, 03:45 PM

Originally Posted by brassplayersrock²

are you talking about steve balmer?

No, I don't know him. My brother, on the other hand, should not be allowed to drive. Seriously. Self-taught programmer pulling down metric butt-loads of cash, took conversational Russian "for fun," and so on. Still shouldn't drive...

imitchellg5 · Oct 25, 2007, 03:48 PM

Originally Posted by ghporter

No, I don't know him. My brother, on the other hand, should not be allowed to drive. Seriously. Self-taught programmer pulling down metric butt-loads of cash, took conversational Russian "for fun," and so on. Still shouldn't drive...

YouTube - Microsoft CEO Ballmer laughs at Apple iPhone

nonhuman · Oct 25, 2007, 04:30 PM

How do you think I get to work every day?

imitchellg5 · Oct 25, 2007, 05:18 PM

Originally Posted by nonhuman

How do you think I get to work every day?

Judging by your sig, UFO

mdc · Oct 25, 2007, 05:38 PM

Originally Posted by wallinbl

Tried to use a homemade submarine when I was a kid. My friend's dad stopped us, but we were pretty serious about putting it in the water with one of us in it.

That's the best thing I've read all day

abe · Oct 25, 2007, 07:44 PM

Originally Posted by wallinbl

Tried to use a homemade submarine when I was a kid. My friend's dad stopped us, but we were pretty serious about putting it in the water with one of us in it.

I love your anecdote!

It's like the Little Rascals!

Mithras · Oct 25, 2007, 09:19 PM

I remember when we were kids, we experimented with using a boat pump and rubber tubes to push air down to a "diver" with a snorkel... didn't work very well.

A friend who's an aquatic engineer once worked on a human-powered submarine project; one afternoon they couldn't use the usual pool for some reason and so tested it in our backyard pool. I so so so wanted to test it out with them!

TyPod · Oct 25, 2007, 10:59 PM

I'd be too scared, I'd have to pass.

abe · Oct 28, 2007, 01:07 PM

Originally Posted by Mithras

I remember when we were kids, we experimented with using a boat pump and rubber tubes to push air down to a "diver" with a snorkel... didn't work very well.

A friend who's an aquatic engineer once worked on a human-powered submarine project; one afternoon they couldn't use the usual pool for some reason and so tested it in our backyard pool. I so so so wanted to test it out with them!

Very, very cool!

The closest I ever came to that was when I was a tike and I'd play submarine in the bathtub. Especially noteworthy was the fact that my sub even had a periscope that went up and down!