Ultralight Helicopter
Why an ultralight helicopter? The helicopters are beautiful and unique, but very complex and expensive aircrafts. It's usually said that the helicopters are only for the very rich, not only because of the high start price, but also because of the high support costs.
The ultralight helicopters are simplifier, lighter and cheaper than the ordinary ones. They have all advantages or a helicopter and ultralight aircraft combined together.
On this page you will find not only information about the ultralight helicopters in general, but also a lot of useful advice how to build your own.
 | Building An Ultralight Helicopter - PreparationPeople have always dreamed to fly. After the ultralight aircraft appeared many of the aviation enthusiasts have the possibility to experience regularly the enjoyment of flying on an ultralight helicopter. If you have felt the fun to fly on a helicopter and you would like to do it frequently, the ultralight version is the reasonable choice, which will not empty your wallet... Continue >> |
Building An Ultralight Helicopter - Start ActionYou have probably made a search on the web for producers of ultralight helicopters and helicopter kits in order to find out the best quality, the best price or just the heli which fits best to your dreams. Before making the final step towards ordering a plan, different pieces or a complete kit, look at the following checklist, which will help you to make better decision... Continue >> |  |
 | Real Stories And Advice From Ultralight Helicopter BuildersIf you are embarrassed and need to quicken your spirit, you need the positive story of someone who has already experienced the process of building his own ultralight helicopter. There are many places where you can look for real stories of people who made in addition pictures of the different stages of building... Continue >> |
Homebuilt Ultralight HelicoptersMany ultralight enthusiast build their airplanes on their own. They use kits or work "from scratch". The produced ultralight airplanes are known as Experimental/Home Built Aircrafts. Although doing this requires a lot of work and passion, it does not require engineer skills or knowledge. These enthusiast are just people like... Continue >> |  |
 | Do You Want a Helicopter? Get an Ultralight!You did not really think only the airplanes can be ultralight, did you? There are microlight and experimental helicopters, just like it is with the aircrafts. The helicopters have many advantages over the airplanes, especially for personal use. You don't need an airport or a track - the helicopter can land... Continue >> |
 | How To Obtain Ultralight Helicopter Kits And PlansAre you passionate about flying an ultralight helicopter? Do you dream to have a small heli sitting in your courtyard, waiting for you to come and raise it in the sky? As you can see in this article, there are many options to buy used or new ultralight helicopter. It's also... Continue >> |
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User comments:
Nguyen Hoai An at Nov, 21 '08 10:47
It's really very interesting that you can build a plane/helicopter by yourself !!! It is my dream, too. But so sad that may be I never could make it real. I am living in HoChiMinh city,Vietnam, having no experiences in this subject at all and hardly could cover expencive cost of kits. Could you give some advices? Best regards.
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Bob at Dec, 02 '08 23:57
Nguyen, you may look at the powered paragliders. I know it's not a helicopter or airplane, but they are the most affordable powered flying device (you can build one for $1500 or even less)
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Pop Emil at Aug, 15 '09 21:44
Nguyen,
You can build an helicopter with some car mechanics, car engine (or motorcycle, at least 100 Hp) and pipes, lexan, and fabric, if you can weld, drill, thread.
Important is to know what you are doing, how to drow, calculate and test your work.
So my little friend, take my advice and start studying hard aerodynamics, rotordynamics, balances, eliminating vibrations, safety mesures, etc.
Is worthwhile.
For more detailes click on my name on top of my coment to go to Plaxo group where I posted some pictures, get plaxo membership and than subscribe to my group, it's all free.
Emil.
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Pop Emil at Aug, 16 '09 11:56
Little info for the amateurs, to be taken with "the gloves";
that is, those are hints that "apply" only in the exact given situation, which is not yours, so take them, recalculate them, test them in your plans, recalculate, and only than try a flight when shure about having eliminated any surprise.
Beware, you can never really eliminate any surprise!
Do not attempt tu build a helicopter that climbs by incremeting the rotations of the main rotor (more throthle, rpm, you call it how you want, same thing!) G1 is an example, and others!
Why? Giroscopic effect!
That is: High RPM big diameter rotating things (including your car's weels) have INERTIA. (go study what the heck taht is)
When RPM (that would be rotations per minute) reaches a stable speed, the inertia forces grouped in the disc (any rotating thing is a "disc") and the centrifugal forces reach an ecquilibrium of balances.
This ecquilibrium (balance) of forces leads to the Gyroscopic effect.
Example:
Take your bycilcle, put it weels up, take off from the front fork the front weel, keep it in your both hands by the central axis, away from your shirt or other objects, ask your friend to spin the weel by hand, as fast as he can.
Now your weel has a stable RPM speed, and you just try to tilt the axis left or right, so that you obtain different vertical and horisontal tilting of the rotating disk.
Surprise surpise, the disk will OPPOSE strongly to any change of position, and once reached another position will oppose to returning back!
Gyroscopic effect at some 40 to 80 RPM in your hands.
How much stronger is the gyroscopic effect at an 8 meters (yards) diameter rotating disk spinning 400 to 600 RPM? Don't try to do the math in your brain right now, you'll overheat your processor and smoke will come out of your head.
This is balancing your helicopter a lot, and keeps you alive, is a rotary wing!
Now, variations on the RPM speed brackes this gyroscopic effect, sending to hell all the balance, all the equilibriums goes down the drain, and you are at high risk.
Wether you climb or descend, breacking the Gyroscopic effect is dangerous.
Better having a stable RPM speed to the rotor, and variating the ATTACK ANGLE of any single blade of the disk to obtain lift variations, thus Gyroscopic effect remains untouched once reached.
Gyroscopic effect has influence on the stability of the propeller airplanes too, so beware!
Power per weight ratio!
Most ultralight helicopters and planes are slightly UNDERPOWERED.
So how do they fly?
This is the problem; they FLY,
in near perfect wether conditions, but once out of a perfect environment you are at high risk, so many peole crush!
The ratio that should be considered is at least ONE HP per every 5 Kg of take off weight.
As a matter of fact many fly with a ratio of 10 Kg per one HP, really dangerous. The slightes wind raffic coming from behind or above or lateral is putting at high challenge your piloting qualities!
Hot days in the mountiens would render your take off impossible, and so on and so forth.
Better if overpowerd, like 3 Kg per 1 Hp, to eliminate risk.
Example:
An European ultralight amphibious that has a MTOW of some 500 Kg, ecquipped with 100HP engine, every once in a while might not be able to take off in hot summer days on a high altitude airfield, sometimes will crush at landing (or if lucky have a "heavy" landing) or crush in take of for lack of engine power.
Some of those have even less HP.
Of course here enters in the dances the wing configuration, wing surface, wing stress, etc.
Same for your helicopter, better overpowerd than underpowerd, better having collective and cyclic rudders than just throttle, always better if RPM is mantained at a permanent prescribed speed by a GOVERNOR (like a cruise control for cars)
Enough for the day!
Enjoy digesting all the rubbish I wrote, than go to the books to comprehend those numbers in the light of the above!
Have fun!
Emil.
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Bob at Aug, 16 '09 12:11
Hi Emil, thanks for your comments, but please don't post duplicates so many times. Posting one comment once is enough
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Pop Emil at Aug, 16 '09 23:15
Actually I only translated a few rows out of my book;
"From the cycle: Mind your own business,
Building an ultralight is easy, undestanding what are you doing is not, nor finding the money"
that is in final italian proof reading now.
Hope soon to have an english rewritting, should I find the right partner to join this project.
Emil.
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Jesse Tullis at Sep, 16 '09 21:34
I found your comments to be highly informative and extremely exciting. I have been running out of projects as of late and I think that you have helped me find a new one thank you...
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Jesse Tullis at Sep, 16 '09 21:36
P.S. Look forward to the english rewrite of you book Emil..
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Emil Pop at Dec, 30 '09 20:46
Jesse, the waiting will be a bit long, I am working on with a group of volonteers, so the commitment is not as good as I'd dream for!
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ovidiu pop at Mar, 29 '10 23:26
Ma bucur ca avem romani destepti
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Bob at Mar, 30 '10 01:30
ovidiu, could you speak English please
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Emil Pop at Sep, 06 '10 04:11
To Bob and all the other passioned of flight:
Just opened my online store to sell the book.
I finally got it done (will need revision) and now I can sleeeeep!
www.mindyourbusines.com
Mind Your Business Ultra light Aviation Store.
Learn how to understand flight, how to build your flight machine cheap and safe and sturdy, how to find good deals on materials and tools.
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Pharmk696 at Aug, 26 '14 06:29
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Merilen at Dec, 17 '15 16:29
Old Castle, I have made it 3 times now. Love it every time I have made it though it seems to take a while to codnition in a bottle. but once it does its just like a New Castle. I'm no brew master and don't have the time to become one. USF kits are virtually fail safe 1 week in the primary, 1 week in secondary and and 2 to 4 weeks to codnition and I have yet to get a batch that I am not proud to serve to my friends and family and I have made quite a few of these kits without one being anything but great.Thanks,Rob
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