Human-powered Helicopter Fails to Lift Off

Peter writes "The Human-powered helicopter didn't even get off the ground. A team of University of British Columbia engineering students tried to win the $20,000 US prize offered by the American Helicopter Society. Three metres off the ground and hover for a minute was the challenge. But before the rotors were able to produce enough buoyant force they hit each other. More details: Vancouver Sun."

Obligatory...

[Anonymous Coward]

If humans were meant to fly [on their own power], he/she would have been given wings.

Wow

[Anonymous Coward]

Wow, a human powered helicopter! Great, I would be free from traffic congestion on my five minute commute to work!

Re:jackqu7

[Anonymous Coward]

No it wasn't, jackquoff.

hmmm

[Anonymous Coward]

I dunno, for some reason, the second half of that headline seems pretty predictable after reading the first half :)

Look on the bright side...

[pyrrhonist]

...not getting off the ground makes it difficult to crash.

That's just silly

[Anonymous Coward]

Everyone knows Canucks can't fly.

So no simulations or models or just spinning the rotors indicated this might happen?

Why did they bother in the first place?

[inkdesign]

"Right now we're all taking bets on what's going to fail first"

Sounds like this venture was well planned!

I'm all in favor of alternative energy sources

[Anonymous Coward]

But killing humans and using them for fuel? That's horrible!

If God meant for man to fly ...

[Bob(TM)]

... He'd have provided more engineering graduate students.

They should hire Inspector Gadget

[foidulus]

as a consultant(or maybe the people that infused him with the powers, I can't remember who)..

They hit eachother!?

[TeVi]

Peter writes "The Human-powered helicopter didn't even get off the ground. A team of University of British Columbia engineering students tried to win the $20,000 US prize offered by the American Helicopter Society. Three metres off the ground and hover for a minute was the challenge. But before the rotors were able to produce enough buoyant force they hit each other.

I assume 'they' refers to the rotors, not the team...

Re:Look on the bright side...

[boarder8925]

...not getting off the ground makes it difficult to crash.

But they can still burn! =P

Re:Look on the bright side...

[Epistax]

If only this were true in software.

Re:Will someone hep me?

[Cat_Byte]

Pilot 1: "pedal faster!"
Pilot 2 (using Scotty voice): "I can't take much more cap'n!"
SMACK!
They hit each other.

Re:Wow

[RevDobbs]

I see... a methane burning engine, and "U of BC Engineers Go To Taco Bell".

I'd bet ya that a couple of Chimichanga Burrito Supream Stupidbigs would induce one human to produce enough methane to power a small 'copter for a 5 minute trip.

Re:Need a stronger human

[The Infamous Grimace]

Or get MC Pee Pants to sponsor...

"I need candy!"

(tig)

Re:Point?

[Anonymous Coward]

Really, what is the point of this?

To get the prize [vtol.org], dipshit.

Over 100 Engineers...

[D.Throttle]

and no one caught such a simple design flaw.

All they had to do was have the outer wing on the bottom.

The chain broke?

[955301]

I would suspect they would have to have gears to get the rotors up to speed but, judging from the picture, I guess they figured the pilot had enough to do, what between holding on for life, pedaling, and praying to the gods.

Re:I'm all in favor of alternative energy sources

[Anonymous Coward]

What do YOU suggest we do with lawyers, then?

Re:I'm all in favor of alternative energy sources

[Anonymous Coward]

...isnt that what the war in Iraq is about?????
people killed so we can have fuel...

yayaya, the WMD is the mantra of those in favor, but they have found ZERO wmd's, nor any evidence of such being made...dubya just keeps on lieing and killing so oil prices go up, he makes more money along with his buddies...

The art of flying...

[bsd4me]

The art of flying is learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss.

Re:Point?

[Sebadude]

So not only am I paying top dollars to fly to europe, now I'm going to have to pedal for 8 hours too? Great.

Re:Point?

[Anonymous Coward]

Attention passengers, we're preparing for take off. Please put your seats in the upright positions and your feet on the pedals. If you notice a fellow passenger failing to pedal, please quietly alert a stewardess that you suspect terrorism.

Re:No pretesting?

[Aardpig]

I thought that was what engineering is all about.

Not familiar with the Tacoma Narrows bridge disaster, are we?

At least they proved...

[hcdejong]

that the theory "helicopters can't fly; they're just so ugly that the Earth repels them" is incorrect. Oh well, back to the old drawing board...

Re:No pretesting?

[wwest4]

> These blades are huge, thick profile and with HUGE drag.
> There is simply no way a human can spin and keep them rotating
> for 1 minute at a speed sufficient for liftoff.

Yeah, but it's merely an engineering problem. All they have to do is reduce the blade profile by (thick/3.212) to get to (HUGE-SOMEWHATBIG)+3, give or take a few hundredths of a BIG and it just might work.

Could someone confirm my math?

Oh I admit, it LOOKS grim, but isn't it a bit presumptuous to be a naysayer without any real data?

Re:The art of flying...

[jcostantino]

Informative? That should be moderated Funny.

Damn

[Monkeyman334]

I guess there goes my dream of being a human powered .. helicopter ... pilot. Soaring through the ... 3-meter-sphere. Okay, nevermind.

Wait a second...

[RealErmine]

A team of University of British Columbia engineering students tried to win the $20,000 US prize offered by the American Helicopter Society.

Since when is Canada part of America?



=)

Re:I'm all in favor of alternative energy sources

[ssclift]

Here's your fuel cycle:

Human -> Liposuction unit -> Biodiesel unit -> engine...

The challenge then becomes one of shrinking the intermediate stages between human and engine. Fat is our highest energy density but we don't have the power density in our natural fat burning processes, hence, time for a little help from technology.

It would make the invention practical for most Americans. Maybe fast food chains would get behind the project... :-)

Re:Point?

[Tanktalus]

You obviously haven't heard about the Canadian Army's Sea King helicopters which cost $000's per day to maintain. With a human-powered helicopter, Canada could cheaply replace all of its dozen or so copters with these, and gain more maneuverability, speed, and reliability! Even if the thing never leaves the ground...

Re:Wow

[Anonymous Coward]

My dream: Get one of those helicopters. Drop drawers, and poop on one of those damn pigeons that has been crapping on my car over the years.

Re:I'm all in favor of alternative energy sources

[sharkey]

Soylent Diesel is .... PEOPLE!!!

Re:The art of flying...

[loucura!]

What about balloons, don't they fly?

Re:That should read average human body...

[anethema]

Aww man, no one wants to picture that.

1000's of fat slashdotters trying to run up the stairs seeing if they can generate a horsepower of energy.