Other Projects
On this page are all the other human powered helicopter projects I wish I knew more about. Some date back to before the creation of the Sikorsky Prize or even before man's first successful flight in a heavier-than-air motor-powered machine. I will include here even ideas for projects such that you would find on an engineer's napkin. If you know of any others please contact me
7-Propeller Human Powered Helicopter (c. 1800's) NEW
As reported here, a book of 19th century illustrations about transportation mentions a 7-propeller human powered helicopter.
Harter, J., Transportation: A Pictorial Archive from Nineteenth Century Sources. New York: Dover Publications, Inc., 1984.
Gosslich Pedalcopter (1897)
This aircraft is housed in the helicopter museum Hubschraubermuseum
in Bückeburg. Photo and text from their website
:
Quote (Translation below): "H. Gosslich baute ihn als Schlosserlehrling ohne aerodynamische Kenntnisse. Wegen geringer Muskelkraft und kleinen Rotoren war er v??llig flugunf??hig. Die dazu rechts stehende Erkl??rung gilt nur f??r drehende Fl??gel, nicht f??r gleitende Tragfl??chen. Nach dem Studium als Flugzeugbauer entwarf er Projekte, z.B. Luftschiffe. Er war ein Pionier der Windernergie (Pellworm-Prj.) u. Mitgr??nder der Dtsch.Ges.Windenergie." Google translation: "H. Gosslich built it as a fitter apprentice without aerodynamic knowledge. Because of small muscle power and small rotors he was v?? llig flugunf?? hig. To it right Erkl?? rung only f applies?? r turning flat steel bars?? gel, not f?? r sliding Tragfl?? chen. After the study as aircraft manufacturers it sketched projects, e.g. airships. He was a pioneer of the Windernergie (Pellworm Prj.) and Mitgr?? more nder the Dtsch.Ges.Windenergie"
For more information see: luftfahrtmuseum.com/htmi/itf/gpedc.htm
Maruoka Katsura (c. 1900)
Maruoka Katsura (1878-1919), in his 20s at the time, built a human powered helicopter according to this webpage which also claims that it was Japan's first aircraft. For more information on this aircraft, see "History of Early Aviation in Japan", by S. Suzuki, University of Tokyo, AIAA-2005-118, 43rd AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting and Exhibit, Reno, Nevada, Jan. 10-13, 2005.
Watkinson CG-4 (1977)
Photo of the CG-4 in the British Helicopter Museum
For more information see:
www.helicoptermuseum.co.uk/british.htm
avia.russian.ee/helicopters_eng/watkinson_cg-4-r.html
Quote: "The CG-4 was
the third manpowered 'cyclogyroplane' built by Mr. Herbert Watkinson of Bexhill
in his effort to win the $50,000 Kremer prize for man powered flight. By March
1977 the CG-4 was nearing completion, and permission to carry out flight
trials at Lydd Airport in Kent had been granted. Then came a major set back in
1977, Mr. Watkinson was diagnosed as terminally ill and died at Bexhill in
October 1977. After going into storage this unique machine, together with all
the surviving documentation and photographs of the cyclogyroplane story, were
donated to the Helicopter Museum for preservation as a tribute to one man's
attempt to fly with the birds."
Note, this is not technically a helicopter but rather an autogyro. Still, it is of some interest to human powered helicopter enthusiasts, I presume.
Panamarenko (1968)
Panamarenko is a Belgian artist prominant in the 1960's. He is best known for his fantastic sculptures of human powered aircraft. In 1968, he presented a human powered helicopter at a Dussoldorf exhibition.
More on Panamarenko's helicopter:
Winslow Burleson (1996)
The Northern California Explorer's Club's newsletter includes an announcement of the creation of a human powered helicopter project.
Quote: "We received this story from Winslow Burleson SM-91 about the construction of a human-powered helicopter. Win sent this to Mike Diggles' e-mail box in December. "We are constructing a Human Powered Helicopter (HPH) and invite you to participate. It is our intent to spend the days from December 29th through January 7th involved in a marathon construction effort, improving upon the Yuri HPH. The Yuri, constructed by a Japanese team, has flown for an unofficial 24 seconds. We believe that through the use of optimized airfoils and a redesign of the structural components that we can decrease the weight of this craft and improve upon the Yuri record. "The first meeting will be held on December 11th at Stanford University. At this meeting I will present an overview of our strategy including images of the Yuri, our plans for optimization, and an outline of the construction plan. Dr. Morton Grosser, author and participant in the Gossamer Odyssey, will provide guidance as we pursue this Human Powered Flight Challenge. Please contact me at 408-927-1709 or email me at winslow@almaden.ibm.com if you have any questions or comments."
If you have any information about this project, please contact me.
Kevin Minnock Man-Powered Helicopter (1999)
In 1999, the newspaper The Carlow Nationalist in Ireland ran a story about 16 year old Kevin Minnock and the human powered helicopter he built. Quote: "The helicopter has a fibre glass fuselage and the gearbox is aluminium. “I obtained an old bicycle from Coleman’s of Dublin Street and used practically everything from it in the building of the helicopter including the chain, the pedals, the back wheel and fork off the steering axle”, says Kevin. Kevin also received great help from Lapple (Ireland) Ltd. who allowed him the use of a lathe and a milling machine. Abbey Fibre Glass Products on O’Brien Road sponsored the fibre glass while Thompsons Engineering were very helpful with the collection of material for the project from Dublin. “My machine is built on the same principle as a conventional helicopter and the theory is the same,” Kevin says. But while a conventional machine weighs several tons, his flying machine weighs about 100 kilos. There is no engine and the one area Kevin feels may provide a problem is pedalling to activate the four propellers on his ‘chopper. He explains: “The propellers should turn at the rate of 300 revolutions per minute (rpm). That’s the principle of the Gyrocopter which has just a small engine on the back”. He is confident that problem can be overcome and that he will be in a position to test the home-made aircraft some day this week."
Update, from The Carlow Nationalist in 2003: "HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Birthday wishes to Kevin Minnock from Dublin Road, Carlow, who celebrates his 21st birthday this week. Kevin is a final year engineering student in Dublin City University. He will, no doubt, welcome the break from the books and enjoy the party. Best wishes to Kevin from all of his friends in Carlow and Dublin."
I would love to have photos of this helicopter. Mr Minnock (now more than 22 years old), if you are reading this, please get in touch with me. May I interview you for this website? Did you study aeronautical engineering? :)