human powered helicopter sponsorship...
TRANSCRIPT
HUMAN POWERED HELICOPTER SPONSORSHIP PACKAGE 2013
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PROJECT OVERVIEW & STATUS
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
THE TEAM
THE DESIGN
THE TIMELINE
BUDGET
BENEFITS TO THE SPONSORS
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The ATlAs humAn-Powered helicoPTer during A 15-second conTrolled flighT.
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PROJECT OVERVIEW & STATUS
The Igor I. Sikorsky Human-Powered Helicopter Competition represents the third largest monetary prize in aviation history. The monumental feat requires a human to hover to an altitude of 3 metres under his/her own power, and to remain aloft for at least 1 minute.
We firmly believe, with our collective expertise and experience, that the Sikorsky prize is well within our reach. The core members of the project team have been working together since 2006 with the founding of the Human-Powered Vehicle Design Team at the University of Toronto. In August 2010, their first proj-ect would make aviation history by achieving the age-old dream of human-powered flapping-wing flight. Over the last six years the team has learned invaluable skills in lightweight composite construction, has developed efficient design and modeling strategies and has made contacts and friendships with the best in the field all over the world.
The team began work on the design of the Atlas Human-Powered Helicopter in April of 2012. On an incredibly ambitious 5-month timeline, the helicopter was designed, built, and in flight testing by mid-August. The resulting helicopter is a marvel of engineering, over 180 ft (56 m) across, weighing only 120 lbs (55 Kg). As of May 2013, after two successful phases of flight testing, the Atlas had sustained flights of 47 seconds up to an altitude of 3m on separate occasions. Furthermore the helicopter had demonstrated controlled flights, a World first and a critical component for success in this competition. Finally, the mea-sured flight power required was exaclty in line with previous estimates, well within our test pilot’s capabil-ity. These accomplishements demonstrate clearly that the Sikorsky Prize is well within reach.
Despite these accomlishements, we are not quite done! The helicopter requires further aerodynamic and structural tuning to help maintain stable flight, and the control system must be tested and adjusted for ideal functionality. With brief additional testing, the team will be ready to capture the Sikorsky Prize!
For flight and bike videos see http://www.aerovelo.com/gallery/featured-videos/
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lefT: The snowbird humAn-Powered orniThoPTer on iTs record seTTing flighT, AugusT 2nd, 2010. The flighT cAPTured The heArTs of viewers worldwide wiTh mAssive inTernATionAl mediA ATTenTion And A full-lengTh documenTAry funded by The cbc.bAckground: The vorTex sTreAmlined bicycle APProAches 117 km/hr on A level highwAy neAr bATTle mounTAin, in sePTember 2011.
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
Igor Sikorsky believed that individuals provide the spark that moves mankind ahead. This competition continues his legacy by inspiring ingenuity in the next generation of engineers who will design our industry’s future. We believe strongly in the power of challenge.
- Mark Miller, Vice President of Research and Engineering at Sikorsky Aircraft
The Sikorsky Human-Powered Helicopter Competition was first announced in 1980 with a $20,000 cash prize. In the years that followed many teams from all over the world took on the challenge, with two teams managing brief lift-off. In 2009, with the prize still unclaimed, Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation increased it’s pledge to $250,000, making the Sikorsky prize the 3rd largest aviation prize in history. This is after 1) the Ansari X-Prize, which ushered in an era of commercial space flight with Scaled Composite’s Space-ShipOne, and 2) the Green Flight Challenge, recently awarded to the Pipstrel USA for the development of a 4 passenger electric aircraft capable of achieving the equivalent of 100 mpg at 100 mph.
As with other human-powered aircraft, the trick to achieving the required efficiency is an incredibly large span, with an unbelievably low weight. The current record holder, University of Maryland’s Gamera II, which managed to sustain flight for 70 seconds at an altitude of 0.3 m, boasts a span of 29 m and an all up weight of only 32 kg. A variety of innovative solutions have to been used by past teams to overcome the complex mechanical, structural and aerodynamic challenges inherent in a human-powered helicopter. The Thunderbird team at the University of British Columbia used two sets of counter-rotating blades to elimi-nate the power losses associated with having a tail rotor. The DaVinci III at the California Polytechnic Institute drove rotor-tip propellers with a lightweight spool and winch system. Electronic stabilization has been employed by Helios in Montreal, flywheels and cable drives by several teams, and quad-rotor outrig-ger (similar to Atlas) by Japanese Yuri I and the University of Maryland’s Gamera I and II.
Gamera II is in fact the closest vehicle thus-far to achieving the prize’s requirements, with separate flights achieving 70 seconds duration and 2.8m. However, combining these achievements in a single flight is a much greater feat, and is likely out of reach with their current helicopter.. As much as a year of further development may be required for them to build a prize-winning helicopter.
Our team has thoroughly studied previous designs and the teams that have created them. Armed with a wealth of experience from others, as well as our own experience with highly innovative human-powered vehicles, we feel confident that we can achieve our goals.
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lefT: drAwings of The dAvinci iii, The firsT humAn-Powered helicoPTer To Achieve lifToff (courTesy of Prof. PATTerson).righT: The yuri i during iTs record seTTing flighT in 1994 (courTesy of dr. AkirA nAiTo).bAckground: The umd gAmerA ii in flighT in 2012 (courTesy of gAmerA TeAm).
THE TEAM
At the core of the project are four experienced and highly specialized individuals, described in detail below. The team has a reputation for thinking outside of the box and a unique ability to turn engineering theory into work-ing physical designs. The core team has been responsible for the overall design of the helicopter, but has been joined by a group of university students for final design, construction and flight testing.
Dr. Todd Reichert BASc, PhD – Chief Aerodynamicist, Pilot
Todd completed his PhD at the University of Toronto, studying the complex aerody-namic mechanisms involved in the flight of birds and bats. During the course of his PhD, Todd developed innovative algorithms to accurately predict the highly complex aero-structural behavior of the Snowbird Human-Powered Ornithopter and led the team to its monumental success in 2010.In addition to his aerodynamics background, Todd is a national level speedskater and cyclist, holding the current college human-powered land speed record and providing the power for the Snowbird’s record flight. Measured in a lab at over 1.2 horsepower for a full minute, Todd is the most powerful cyclist yet to compete for the Sikorsky prize.
Victor Ragusila BASc, PhD Candidate – Chief Mechanical Engineer
For two years Victor has coordinated the streamlined bicycle project at the University of Toronto, leading the team to a 1st place victory at the annual ASME Human-Powered Speed Challenge as well as the male and female college land speed records. Victor’s PhD involves the design of walking robots, and his specialty lies in the design of lightweight drive and actuation systems, like that which he designed for various streamlined bicycles. A successful human-powered helicopter will require extremely lightweight drive and control mechanisms, and Victor’s talent completes the aerodynamic-structural-mechan-ical trio.
Cameron Robertson BASc, MASc – Chief Structural Engineer
Cameron’s MASc thesis involved the structural design and optimization of the Snow-bird Human-Powered Ornithopter. His ability to scour the world for the best tech-niques and materials led to an incredibly lightweight wing structure specifically designed to twist and bend with the aerodynamic loads to attain optimal flapping performance. Cameron offers a wealth of experience in the design, construction and flight testing of unique full-scale and unmanned aircraft. In 2011, together, Cameron and Todd became the youngest recipients of the Trans Canada McKee Trophy, the highest senior award offered by the Canadian Aeronautics and Space Institute.
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Prof. Emeritus James DeLaurier, Faculty Advisor
Prof. James DeLaurier has been an outstanding advisor and supporter since the in-ception of the Human-Powered Vehicle Design Team in 2006. His strong belief in hands-on learning for his students had led to the flight of innumerable aircraft over his career. His specialty lies in aircraft design and aero-elasticity, which involves the study of complex interactions between flexible wing structures and aerodynamic forces. His out of the box thinking has led to countless historic aviation firsts, including the world’s first aircraft to fly solely on remote microwave power transmission, the first remotely piloted flapping-wing aircraft, and first hovering flapping-wing aircraft. Prof. DeLaurier’s re-search and engineering philosophy has provided the foundation for the human-powered ornithopter, bicycle and helicopter projects.
The humAn Powered orniThoPTer TeAm AfTer Their successful flighT in 2010.
SNOWBIRDHUMAN-POWERED ORNITHOPTER
SNOWBIRD
Span:Wing area:
Flight speed:Empty weight:All up weight:Flight Power:
Frequency:
The Snowbird Human-Powered Ornithopter sustained level flight, maintaining an airspeedof 25.6 km/hr, for 19.3 seconds, on August 2ⁿd, 2010. The flight represents a world first in
aviation and the accomplishment of an age-old aeronautical dream.
32.0 m29.2 m²25.6 km/hr43.5 kg114.3 kg680 W0.65 Hz
FRONT ELEVATION
SIDE ELEVATION
ENLARGED WING CROSS SECTIONS
FLAPPING SEQUENCE
PLANFORM VIEW
Drawn by T.M. ReichertScale: Metres
Sections aligned according to chordwise postion on wing.
Depicts wings at 0, 0.41, 0.59, 0.71 fraction of a wing stroke.
0 1 2 3 4 5 8
Right wing shows primary wing structure.
Wings shown in deflected state, mid-downstroke.
2 mm Vectran® static wire.
3 mm Dyneema® drive wire.
1.5 mm Vectran® front wire.
Carbon fibre tubular spars with spanwise cap strips.
The sweep of the wing, stiffness of the spar and location of the spar aretuned such that the wing twists passively with the proper magnitude and phase.
ENLARGED DRIVE MECHANISM
2 mm Vectran® static wire.
Rear carbon fibre spar, 0.75” I.D.
Kevlar® and Rohacell® trailing edge.
Extruded polystyrene leading-edge sheeting.1.5 lb/cu ft.
Expanded polystyrene ribs,1 lb/cu ft, 5 mm thick.
Basswood cap strips, 1/32”.
Balsa wood plates, 1/32”.
Pilot pushes on footslider with leg-press motion. Force isincreased through 2:1 block, and transmitted to wings via drive wires.
Carbon fibre and Corecell™ skid.12” Stroller wheel.
0.0005” Mylar® skin. Kevlar® cross bracing.
Wings narturally deflect upwards due to lift forces.Wings are pulled downwards by drive wires.
3” I.D Carbon fibre spar. 2.5” spar. 2” spar.1.5” spar.
Carbon fibre and Corecell™ ‘bat tip’.
Transport joint.Transport joint.
3” I.D Carbon fibre tailboom.
2” I.D tailboom.
1.5” I.D Carbon fibre tail spars.
All-moving, fly-by wirerudder and elevator.
Kingpost, offset to port side.
Wings supported by ground-handling linesat drive wire attachment point.
DT-HPO1
DT-HPO2
DT-HPO3
DT-HPO4
Airfoil sections 1-4. Numbers correspond to DT-HPO airfoils shown below.
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Foam riblet line.
Engine, 70.8 kg human.
Thys Rowingbike footslider.
2:1 Block.
Drive pulleys turn drive lines towards wings.
3 mm Dyneema® drive wire.
2 mm Vectran® static wire.1.5 mm Vectran® rear wire.
THE DESIGN
Though previous teams have achieved limited success, no one has quite come close to achieving the requirements of the Sikorsky Prize. Required power for flight is a strong function of the rotor diameter: the bigger the span the less power it takes. A massive span, however, typically requires a heavy structure. In 1977 Paul McCready’s human-powered aircraft, the Gossamer Condor, broke tradition and solved this structural problem with an elaborate system of guy wires.
This same design approach can be applied to a human-powered helicopter. Making such a structure as light as possible requires extensive testing and precise computational modeling. In addition, the extreme flexibility of the rotor requires a thorough understanding of non-linear aeroelasticity, which fortunately, is precisely the specialty of our team, having designed and tested accurate computational algorithms on the Snowbird Human-Powered Ornithopter.
The final design of the Atlas is a quad-rotor design similar to the most successful helicopters before, with each rotor 10 m in radius. Both the rotors and large but lightweight overall truss structure make extensive use of wire-bracing, resulting in a more optimal design. Atlas therefore has a substantial size advantage over the Gamera II, the current record holder. In fact, per pilot mass the Atlas requires 25% less power for flight. In addition, the Atlas’ pilot Todd has 15% more power output than any of Gamera’s pilots. With the final weight known and the power requirement of Atlas experimentally determined, our simulations show that not only the Sikorsky Prize, but unbelievable duration of up to 4 minutes is possible!
9oPTimizer PloTs of AerodynAmic forces, sTrucTurAl sTresses, And design sPecs.
SNOWBIRDHUMAN-POWERED ORNITHOPTER
SNOWBIRD
Span:Wing area:
Flight speed:Empty weight:All up weight:Flight Power:
Frequency:
The Snowbird Human-Powered Ornithopter sustained level flight, maintaining an airspeedof 25.6 km/hr, for 19.3 seconds, on August 2ⁿd, 2010. The flight represents a world first in
aviation and the accomplishment of an age-old aeronautical dream.
32.0 m29.2 m²25.6 km/hr43.5 kg114.3 kg680 W0.65 Hz
FRONT ELEVATION
SIDE ELEVATION
ENLARGED WING CROSS SECTIONS
FLAPPING SEQUENCE
PLANFORM VIEW
Drawn by T.M. ReichertScale: Metres
Sections aligned according to chordwise postion on wing.
Depicts wings at 0, 0.41, 0.59, 0.71 fraction of a wing stroke.
0 1 2 3 4 5 8
Right wing shows primary wing structure.
Wings shown in deflected state, mid-downstroke.
2 mm Vectran® static wire.
3 mm Dyneema® drive wire.
1.5 mm Vectran® front wire.
Carbon fibre tubular spars with spanwise cap strips.
The sweep of the wing, stiffness of the spar and location of the spar aretuned such that the wing twists passively with the proper magnitude and phase.
ENLARGED DRIVE MECHANISM
2 mm Vectran® static wire.
Rear carbon fibre spar, 0.75” I.D.
Kevlar® and Rohacell® trailing edge.
Extruded polystyrene leading-edge sheeting.1.5 lb/cu ft.
Expanded polystyrene ribs,1 lb/cu ft, 5 mm thick.
Basswood cap strips, 1/32”.
Balsa wood plates, 1/32”.
Pilot pushes on footslider with leg-press motion. Force isincreased through 2:1 block, and transmitted to wings via drive wires.
Carbon fibre and Corecell™ skid.12” Stroller wheel.
0.0005” Mylar® skin. Kevlar® cross bracing.
Wings narturally deflect upwards due to lift forces.Wings are pulled downwards by drive wires.
3” I.D Carbon fibre spar. 2.5” spar. 2” spar.1.5” spar.
Carbon fibre and Corecell™ ‘bat tip’.
Transport joint.Transport joint.
3” I.D Carbon fibre tailboom.
2” I.D tailboom.
1.5” I.D Carbon fibre tail spars.
All-moving, fly-by wirerudder and elevator.
Kingpost, offset to port side.
Wings supported by ground-handling linesat drive wire attachment point.
DT-HPO1
DT-HPO2
DT-HPO3
DT-HPO4
Airfoil sections 1-4. Numbers correspond to DT-HPO airfoils shown below.
1234
Foam riblet line.
Engine, 70.8 kg human.
Thys Rowingbike footslider.
2:1 Block.
Drive pulleys turn drive lines towards wings.
3 mm Dyneema® drive wire.
2 mm Vectran® static wire.1.5 mm Vectran® rear wire.
Above Left: finite-eLement modeL of AtLAs’ optimized cArbon fiber truss structure.Above righT: comPosiTe imAge from cfd TesTing of The vorTex sTreAmlined bicycle.bAckground: TechnicAl drAwings of The snowbird humAn Powered orniThoPTer.
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THE TIMELINE
Since the value of the prize was increased in 2009, several new competitors have entered the race and it has been critical to move quickly. The Atlas was designed and built on an ambitious 5-month timeline. Our core team members completed the overall design in April 2012, and in May a group of 10 undergrad-uate students joined the full-time summer construction effort. By mid-August the team began experi-mentation with the completed helicopter. Two solid weeks of flight testing saw an incredible progression from first hops to sustained flights, culminating in controlled hovers, all in spite of the usual speed-bumps and setbacks. Incredible forward progress was made during a second round of testing during the winter of 2012-2013, with the helicopter reaching durations and heights very near to the prize requirements.
The prize is well within reach, but an additional round of experimentation and tuning is required before the team continues full-on prize attempts. The primary truss structure of the helicopter requires stiffen-ing and adjustment, the rotors must be trimmed to lift in perfect balance, and the controls must be further tweaked for just enough authority over the massive slow moving craft. The team has already begun making these adjustments, and aims to capture the prize before year’s end!
Todd reicherT wArming uP before his sTreAmlined bicycle record ATTemPT in bATTle mounTAin, nevAdA.
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BUDGET
The budget is broken down into construction costs, logistics and labour. The cost of the materials reflects the market value, but much of this has been sponsored directly by the manufactures or their distributors. The following tables reflect the project budget from January through September 2012.
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AtLAs’ rotors being LoAded into A trAiLer prior to fLight testing.
The team has a long-standing history of excellent media exposure associated with its inventive proj-ects, including numerous magazine articles, aviation awards, world-wide media attention, a full-length CBC documentary and a historic aircraft with a permanent home in Canada’s most prestigious avia-tion museum. The human-powered helicopter represents a historic endeavour and an opportunity to inspire future generations to push the limits of what we can do with our own strength and ingenuity. Our sponsors play a key role in the realization of this dream, and for this we are eternally grateful. With a demonstrably capable aircraft and the prize well within reach, the Atlas now presents an op-portunity to take part in a highly-visible historic achievement.
Below are listed the specific benefits we offer to our sponsors:
Bronze: Donation $1000 - $4,999
• Regular updates on the team’s progress and success
• Invitation to helicopter showcasing events and flight testing
• Photos and video of the construction and flights
• Sponsor’s logo and mention on team website
Silver: Donation $5,000 - $19,999
• All of the above benefits
• Sponsor’s logo on pamphlets, media packages and public videos
• Sponsor logo (small) on the helicopter
Gold: Donation $20,000 - $49,999
• All of the above benefits
• Sponsor logo (Large) on the helicopter
• Additional negotiable benefits for increased sponsor recognition
Title Sponsor: Donation > $50,000
• All of the above benefits
• Additional negotiable benefits including naming rights, media rights, or helicopter proprietorship
SPONSOR BENEFITS
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bAckground: currenT sPonsor logos on A roTor of The ATlAs humAn-Powered helicoPTer during flighT TesTing.
sPonsor logos Proudly disPlAyed on The cockPiT of The snowbird.
drAwings of the new humAn-powered heLicopter ALong side LeonArdo dAvinci’s originAL sketches c.1490.