Back to the Future Personal Coaxial Helicopter

[Veldtian1]

Seriously when was the last time you guys saw a video of a stricken helicopter auto rotate to a safe landing? They never get the chance to gracefully carry out a dainty text book no power landing.

The Nolan being a fixed blade (7 degree pitch) co-axial pendulum helicopter, of course can't auto rotate, but it's got a slick ballistic chute recovery system, so who cares about auto rotation, just punch that big red button and turn your entire craft into a big ejection seat with a roll cage!!!

[notessimodude]

price?

[hillberg100]

This powered lift A/C can NOT do an autorotation,No collective,Saw it at a show and talked to the Noland Brothers-It can't Auto what do you do with bad fuel? when the load is put on the good engine it too will fail more quickly (Running on bad fuel) His answer-"Good Question!"

[obese1konobe]

contra rotating helicopters can auto-rotate just like standard helicopters.

Quite a few are in service around the world (like the kamov)

They are increadibly efficient as have no tail rotar to drive.

AlsoHave very good lift capabilities for weight/power

[cwren1022]

No they don't autorotate however in case of engine failure one engine can keep you airborne for a safe landing. If both die u would drop like a rock.

[a100nick]

hate 2 have a blade strike

[pixelsilva]

Both engines were atached to the heli´s main colum drive, which was basculant (like a pendulum), so the whole estructure move along when the stick was moved by the pilot, that provided the inclination and angle of attack for the rotor blades to advance, retreat, hover, lift or descent. They oddly found out that by building every blade smaller the heli flew better. At the begining they construct them out of solid aluminum bar stock by carving them out of the block. The rudders were aerodynamic.

[pixelsilva]

Because the mechanicals to operate a coaxial rotor platform were beyond their abilities, decide to simplified things. They set the contra-rotating blades at a fixed angle of 6° degrees. To play on the safe side instaled two Rotax engines, each with their own fuel feeding system, carburators and fuel tanks. This solved the problem of safety if one engine quited, the other were still running. Because the chances of both engines failing were slim, probition of no autorotation was not important.

[pixelsilva]

The most amazing aspect of the helis is the fact that the Nolan´s weren´t aviator at all, they decided (when retired) to built they own machine that they can take out of their lawn. They were good at metalurgy and building cars, but never new nothing about aviation. They researched and found that almost 25% of all heli accidents were caused by the tail rotor structural failure. So decided to build a heli without a rotor. In order to build one the found the only way was coaxial platform..

[pixelsilva]

No. this is the Nolan Coaxial Pendulum Helicopter designed by the Nolan Brothers, Jack and Herb Nolan, back in 1994. They sold their rights to a company called Eagle´s Perch.

I believe they still produce the kit and to my knowledge, last time I checked they had already 15 kits sold throughout the world. Today that figure may be more.

The chopper has a coaxial rotor hub, more like the ones found at Kamov Russian helis but without of the nightmare complexities of those models.

[th3boy75]

this appears to be a little zipster, the plans used to be available on vortech but i havent seen them.

[ratboy82]

does it auto rotate?

i want one now!!

[captainTubes]

Probably does not auto-rotate--> too many mechanical linkages below the swash, coax design disturbs air going to the upper disk reducing thrust available for flaring maneuver needed at touch down, and most important lifting disk diameter reduction allowed by coax also reduces blade momentum available to continue rotation with no power

[FlingwingGolfer]

sweet! where can i get the plans?

[LarryCanFly]

Wow, very cool, what does it weigh without the engine? I have two little 80hp turbines I've been flying and would love to hover one of them!