Evaluation Of The Jua Kali Chopper
Nov 14, 2002
SIR— I was intrigued by the picture in your paper of November 5, in which a group of men are holding down what looks like a scaled-down helicopter model.
SIR— I was intrigued by the picture in your paper of November 5, in which a group of men are holding down what looks like a scaled-down helicopter model.
Although the gentlemen claim their contraption can fly, I highly doubt it.
First of all, I suspect it is made of steel, giving it an extremely low power/weight ratio. Secondly, I do not see any mechanical linkages for cyclic and collective pitch control, which means this machine is basically an unguided missile. Thirdly, there appears to be no moving tail rotor, and yet without an anti-torque device, any helicopter will spin out of control in accordance with Newton’s Third Law of Motion and crash. I think this is the real reason our “aeronauts†are holding it down.
There are many other questions regarding the main rotor aerofoil section, angles of attack, centres of gravity and lift, etc.
I will, however, give Mr Eddy Lwanga the benefit of the doubt and invite him to bring his invention to Soroti for technical evaluation.
B.D.W. Wandera
Chief Engineering Instructor
Soroti Flying School
Although the gentlemen claim their contraption can fly, I highly doubt it.
First of all, I suspect it is made of steel, giving it an extremely low power/weight ratio. Secondly, I do not see any mechanical linkages for cyclic and collective pitch control, which means this machine is basically an unguided missile. Thirdly, there appears to be no moving tail rotor, and yet without an anti-torque device, any helicopter will spin out of control in accordance with Newton’s Third Law of Motion and crash. I think this is the real reason our “aeronauts†are holding it down.
There are many other questions regarding the main rotor aerofoil section, angles of attack, centres of gravity and lift, etc.
I will, however, give Mr Eddy Lwanga the benefit of the doubt and invite him to bring his invention to Soroti for technical evaluation.
B.D.W. Wandera
Chief Engineering Instructor
Soroti Flying School