pariah
Senior Heliman
Location: West Valley City, UT - United States of America
| I think the reason you don't see model blades with such complex design comes down to KISS: Keep It Simple Stupid.
There are a couple of reasons for this:
1.) Aerodynamics are different between full scale and model scale.
2.) Relative strengths of materials are different between full and model scale.
3.) Rotor speeds: Full scale helis spin at much lower RPMs than model helis do. Rotational forces multiply quickly as the blades spin faster.
4.) Flight time per crash is considerably higher in a full-scale helicopter. Model helicopters crash a lot.
In the end, it probably comes down to:
* Do such changes in blade geometry benefit model helicopters?
* How much does implementing such a change (safely) add to the cost?
* Is the cost difference worth the difference in performance?
Current model blades designs are straightforward to manufacture. Keeping the blade straight removes a lot of potential manufacturing and safety issues - there aren't any unexpected places for forces to stress the blades, and the blades aren't as likely to throw a tip when they scuff the ground or somebody's shinbone.
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Helicopters & Women: The last thing I want is one whose head has a few loose screws. |
