
The Pinwheel Helicopter (2014) - prostoalex
https://www.latimes.com/visuals/photography/la-me-fw-archives-the-pinwheel-helicopter-20180603-story.html#nws=mcnewsletter
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jacquesm
Similar principle to this one:

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NHI_H-3_Kolibrie](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NHI_H-3_Kolibrie)

Powered by ramjets at the rotor tips. Very loud little machine, they used to
have one on display at the Dutch aircraft museum Aviodrome but the last time I
was there it was no longer there.

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TheSpiceIsLife
The photo in that Wikipedia article...

I can’t stop seeing it as a computer rendered image.

Why does it look weird like that? To me?

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Udik
Lack of shadows, geometric shapes in brilliant colours (some of which look
bidimensional, like the red vertical strip on the windshield), a hint of
triangular patterns at the top right. It definitely gives that feeling.

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arethuza
I was reading that article and thought "that sounds cool" and got to the bit
where it mentions "hydrogen peroxide fuel" and changed my view to "that sounds
terrifying"...

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andrewl
I'm not sure how dangerous that is, but it did give them an engine with fewer
moving parts:

"It is lifted by a thin, 17-foot rotor blade that whirls just above the
pilot's head under the power of hydrogen peroxide fuel broken down by
catalytic action into steam that is ejected at high speed from the rotor
tips."

"Ultrasimple, it has _no pistons, no electrical system, no lubrication or
cooling system, no clutch, transmission or starter._ "

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arethuza
They are presumably using high test peroxide - which is _interesting_ stuff:

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-
test_peroxide](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-test_peroxide)

Not sure I would want to be effectively wearing a tank of the stuff.

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cr0sh
> Not sure I would want to be effectively wearing a tank of the stuff.

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bell_Rocket_Belt](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bell_Rocket_Belt)

From what I understand, most rocket belt designs continue to use such a
system...

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larrydag
This is impressive engineering

"Ultrasimple, it has no pistons, no electrical system, no lubrication or
cooling system, no clutch, transmission or starter"

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benmowa
for super small kit helicopters of today, with typical combustion engine, see:
[http://www.mosquito-
helicopter.info/Mosquito_Options_Air.htm...](http://www.mosquito-
helicopter.info/Mosquito_Options_Air.html)

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YeGoblynQueenne
>> A followup story in the Nov. 5, 1957, Los Angeles Times reported that
Whitehead suffered a broken leg and other injuries "after the Buck Rogers-type
craft went out of control" and fell about 50 feet.

Perhaps not for civilian use, then.

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mnemotechny
I wonder what happened after this crash.

