Project: Challenge of Saitama Institute of Technology

The project at Saitama Institute of Technology (SIT) was started in 2000 and is active as of Februray 2007.

"My study on human powered helicopters in my university is in the early stage of its development. Now, my team is investigating the structure of a light rotor blade. The attached picture is an experimental device which measures lift produced by a rotor with twin blades. The hub suspending the blades can move upward by rotating of the rotor. The diameter of the rotor is four meters. The maximum lift of this rotor is about two kg." - Prof. Katsuyuki Konishi of the Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, 8 Feb. 2007. 

"The study on human powered helicopters was started in 2000 in my university. The first equipment was 1m rotor with four blades driven by an electric screwdriver. After then the screwdriver was replaced by 750W three-phase alternating current motor in 2001. The rotor diameter has been gradually increased. The present diameter is 4m. A mechanism which measures lift produced by a rotor was developed in 2002 and it was modified in 2003. The mechanism and a human power drive unit were combined in 2006. The development is still in the early stage. The present main subject is to investigate the light structure of a rotor blade.

The first rotor in 2000 was driven by an electric screwdriver. The rotor diameter is 1m.

The rotor in 2001 was driven by 750W three-phase alternating current motor. The rotor diameter is 2m."
- Prof. Katsuyuki Konishi of the Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, 12 Feb. 2007.