Swirly ('nother boring square helicopter rocket)

[BABAR]

Also a hazing ritual involving hair, water, and coriolis effect. But I digress....

Goal to create an easy build sport helicopter rocket.

Difference between Swirly and Twirly-- rotor stops. Swirly descends nose down, Twirly Nose up.

Swirly is a MUCH better performer, still not competition class (and again not competition eligible-- it is an engine spitter.)

Both can handle a streamer on the engine for those who live in wildfire zones and concerned about hot engines falling before they have time to cool off.

Getting around 40 second flights on B6-4. Obviously will be looked at askance by the true chopper jocks out there. But hey, no airfoiling, no sanding at all required, and the thing is made of balsa, cardstock, duct tape, dental floss, glue, and some mylar tape (speaking of which, should have used more-- but I am getting ahead of myself.) Doesn't even require any body tube. Okay, at some point you need to buy a $2.00 crochet hook, which can be used for loading up all your helicopters. Used 2 (biodegradable!) #16 rubber bands per flight, cost $8.00 for a zillion (okay, I exagerate, but not much!) Cost for building materials? Probably about 4 bucks, mainly for the balsa. Can build a couple of these out of a 6x36" plank of 1/8" balsa.

Anyhow, it's designed for a fun sport rocket. Flights any longer won't stay in my park if they last any longer. (On flight 3, winds 8 mph, aimed 20 degrees into the wind, went 300 yards DOWNwind--- would have left the park except [holy burned rotors, Batman-- did I mention not enought mylar?] Rotor failed [physically separated] about 80 feet up.)

Pics show the defect in the rotor, that's not a break, that's a hole. The Mylar works great-- but need another 6 or 8 cm, may need to replace every 5 flights or so.

Vids are here-- they are some of my better ones.

A8-3 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JeTeX3-h0Uc&feature=channel&list=UL

B6-4 https://youtu.be/kh4unJPb5KM

 

[fyrwrxz]

Very nice! And I love the "Golf Announcer" voice over. Second career choice?

 

[BABAR]

Third choice, after "attention K-mart shoppers".

Actually I'm a Dictator. I have beautiful women hanging on my every word. They are called "transcriptionists."

thanks for the kind words. Sniff. Really keeps me going!

 

[RocketRev]

I have to ask... How are you holding the motor in place? I love the design and would love to build one myself, but I can't tell from the pics what keeps the motor from simply flying out the top.

Brad

 

[lakeroadster]

Also a hazing ritual involving hair, water, and coriolis effect. But I digress....

Goal to create an easy build sport helicopter rocket.

Difference between Swirly and Twirly-- rotor stops. Swirly descends nose down, Twirly Nose up.

Swirly is a MUCH better performer, still not competition class (and again not competition eligible-- it is an engine spitter.)

Both can handle a streamer on the engine for those who live in wildfire zones and concerned about hot engines falling before they have time to cool off.

Getting around 40 second flights on B6-4. Obviously will be looked at askance by the true chopper jocks out there. But hey, no airfoiling, no sanding at all required, and the thing is made of balsa, cardstock, duct tape, dental floss, glue, and some mylar tape (speaking of which, should have used more-- but I am getting ahead of myself.) Doesn't even require any body tube. Okay, at some point you need to buy a $2.00 crochet hook, which can be used for loading up all your helicopters. Used 2 (biodegradable!) #16 rubber bands per flight, cost $8.00 for a zillion (okay, I exagerate, but not much!) Cost for building materials? Probably about 4 bucks, mainly for the balsa. Can build a couple of these out of a 6x36" plank of 1/8" balsa.

Anyhow, it's designed for a fun sport rocket. Flights any longer won't stay in my park if they last any longer. (On flight 3, winds 8 mph, aimed 20 degrees into the wind, went 300 yards DOWNwind--- would have left the park except [holy burned rotors, Batman-- did I mention not enought mylar?] Rotor failed [physically separated] about 80 feet up.)

Pics show the defect in the rotor, that's not a break, that's a hole. The Mylar works great-- but need another 6 or 8 cm, may need to replace every 5 flights or so.

Vids are here-- they are some of my better ones.

A8-3

B6-4

View attachment 82377

View attachment 82378

View attachment 82379

The more "Helicopter Recovery" designs you post ... the more I think this is the best recovery system ever invented.

Well done.

 

[Amsterdam]

BABAR,

These are never boring,

An unsolicited idea,
have you thought of using a kevlar tether, tied and taped to the engine and anchored to the tip of the nosecone?
the tether would be exposed on the nosecone but it should be able to tuck under the rotors for boost.
I envisioned the line running down one "seam" of the pyramid nose, then tucked between two rotors.
one could even make a permanent motor mount instead of tying directly to the engine.

also, do you mind if someone on the forum were to duplicate a BABAR rotor bodied heli?